Clearing up the term weed..
First, Its probably best to make it clear that as I discuss things about the "fallen away" church, Im in refenence to those that say they know the Lord, but have gone after a different gospel.
The True church, is still the true church, however small it may be.
With that said,
Here is a quote from the dream:
QUOTE
was a weed (I thought) that someone had previously chopped off yet in the weeks since it had somewhat recovered
chrio said that it was a weed "he thought".
What is important is that is really isnt a weed, but that it was thought to be a weed.
The "True Gospel" today is looked at by so much of the church as an unwanted weed that must somehow be cut off and extinguished, instead of the beautiful fruit producing vine that is truly is.
So in this sense, things are not looked at the way they once were in the church.
Last night I went to a "christian" youth event with my 12 yr old daughter.
This event is held at the same place every friday night and is hosted by a local church (one that I do not attend).
The last time that I was there I noticed a video game that the kids were playing that was called "guitar hero".
As I watched the kids playing this game, Inoticed that the music was 1970's and 80's hard rock music and the pictures on the video screen were filled with animated "demons" playing guitars!!
I said something about it while I was there, but was ignored. When I returned home, I e-mailed the head pastor of the church and explained how terribly wrong and evil this was to have there.
He e-mailed back to me saying that he would look into it.
Well, last night when I returned, there was that game, still waiting to devour some child!
As I was there, I spotted a "christian" man that I know from a church in the area. (The church is a pentecostal church) He came over and started talking with me and asked me what I do for a living.
I said "I preach the word of GOD" He just looked at me kinda funny and I felt as if I should explain.
SO I began to explain that at one time, I was an antique dealer, but the Lord made me to realize how it was simply a life of covetousness and so I no longer have anything to do with it and now I preach the word in homeless shelters and street corners and wherever the Lord wants me to.
He began to tell me how he disagreed with what I said, about collecting antiques and that it was just covetousness. I began to give scripture verses like "whoever desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself, pick up his cross and follow Me", also: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
He argued that the Lord knows the heart and that having a large and valuable antique collection does not mean that you are not a Christian.
Well, while I do believe that God can save anyone that He wants to, I also know that "the birds of the air had nests and the foxes had holes, but the Son of man had no place to lay His head"
And that Jesus was homeless and that He told us to not store treasures up for ourselves here on this earth but to store our treasure in heaven etc, etc, etc...
Which brings me to today, this morning, I went to a homeless shelter in Norristown, PA and as some brothers and sisters in Christ gave out eggs and bacon, I gave the Word of the Lord.
After the message, a man came up to me and said, "I agree with everything that you preached except the part about having faith in Christ and living in sin and then going to hell if you died in that sin, simply because a person might have been weak and lived in sin while he also believed in Christ".................This man believed that if yo believe in Jesus, you can do anything that you want as long as yo truly believe in Christ, it just meant that when you got to heaven, you may not get as many rewards????
Can you see this pattern of false gospels that so many are holding on to today???
The greater portion of the "church" has no real idea what the TRUE Gospel message is!!
They are so lost in half truths and lies that they are truly lost and perishing for a lack of knowledge.
Part of it is the fault of the preachers today that absolutely refuse to define what sin is in an uncomprimising way. But the other part is that unfortuneately, so many love the sin that they are in and do not want to seek the True Kingdom of God.
(This is where I make it clear that Im so thankful to the Lord for His mercy in my own life)
So, what I see is that there is a beautiful vine that is growing right in the midst of this "church",
but the church keeps getting out the weed killer......
In Christ alone,
Chris