To My Facebook Friends
To My Facebook Brothers and Sisters in Christ….
May I speak boldly? There is something missing in your christianity. You are probably unaware of this ‘something’ or you would have corrected it years ago. Jesus had it, as did the apostles Paul and John, as did the baptist, as do some (not many, but some) of those I know and esteem. Most attached to your evangelical religion are missing this trait so evident in our Bible. I point you to….
Ephesians 4:26: “Be angry, and do not sin.”
Where’s the anger, my brother, my sister!? Again, where’s the anger? I don’t see it and I don’t hear it and I don’t read it in your postings. The Amplified says it this way, “Be angry [at sin – at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior], yet do not sin.” Every sunday morning you silently witness Christ’s sheep being fleeced. With regularity your religion embezzles your brothers and sisters, coercing them to finance unsanctioned buildings and salaries. Claiming to be Christ’s appointed leaders, they impose the awful evangelical tithe. (The evangelical tithe is nothing more than an invention of evangelicalism to finance evangelicalism.)
Instead of crying “Theft!” and “Foul!”, you are silent and even melodious. Your lack of anger and retaliation is placid endorsement of this spiritual villainy. Your silence is your nod of approval. I say respectfully, Jesus is not pleased with this missing ‘something’…. righteous indignation!
Have you not noticed Christ’s outrage against leadership’s abuse against God’s elect? “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses.” “My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves.” “They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders.” If Jesus’ fury was righteous your apathy is unrighteous. Can you see that?
Jesus: “And many other such things you do.” Every evangelical tradition – and there are many – bears bad fruit. Every “tradition of men” is an affront to the Bible you and I deem infallible. To ‘fit in’, to bunch with the bunch – one must compromise. Compromise compromises one’s devotion to Jesus. Compromise devalues the Christ-christian relationship. What could be more destructive?