Holiness

When I was younger, way back before "worship music", we used to sing a song called "Holiness Unto The Lord".  Here are the lyrics, "

1. "Called unto holiness," Church of our God,

Purchase of Jesus, redeemed by His blood;

Called from the world and its idols to flee,

Called from the bondage of sin to be free.

(Refrain) "Holiness unto the Lord" is our watch-word and song;

"Holiness unto the Lord" as we're marching along.

Sing it, shout it, loud and long:

"Holiness unto the Lord" now and forever.

2. "Called unto holiness," children of light,

Walking with Jesus in garments of white;

Raiment unsullied, nor tarnished with sin;

God's Holy Spirit abiding within.

3. "Called unto holiness," praise His dear name!

This blessed secret to faith now made plain:

Not our own righteousness, but Christ within,

Living and reigning, and saving from sin.

4. "Called unto holiness," bride of the Lamb,

Waiting the Bride-groom's returning again!

Lift up your heads, for the day draweth near

When in His beauty the King shall appear!

 

When I was younger this was one of my favorite songs.  I guess I grew up in Holiness churches.  When people got saved, they really repented.  It was more that just saying a prayer.  I believe that holiness is very important.  I Peter 1:16 states, "for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."   Holiness is being like God.  This should be every Christian's goal.  Galatians 4:19 says, "My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you."  It was such a big deal to Paul the Apostle, that he prayed and travailed in the Holy Spirit until he saw Christ in his fellow Christians.  This is something that needs to return to  the Body of Christ.  If it takes every day of our lives, we need to pray until something happens.

Christian Witchcraft

I am increasingly disturbed by what I call "Christian Witchcraft".  I believe this stems from the "cookie cutter Christian Syndrome".  I talked about that in another blog post.  Briefly, by this I mean, the idea that we all have to be the same.  There is no room for individual beliefs, even if it is not a doctrinal issue.  Christians do need to agree on anything that someone could lose their soul if their belief is not the same as the other Christians.  However, most of the things Christians disagree about, are not that serious.
When a Christian does not agree with his/her fellow Christians, often, the disagreeing Christian is often manipulated, shunned, shamed or worse.  This idea that there is no new ideas, no new ways of doing things in a different way is not allowable.
If the Wright Brothers did not do something different, they would never have built an airplane.  I believe that the problem for Christians is often is that the other Christians wish they had thought of it first.  Christians are prime targets to get into a rut.   Even those who have changed recently can get into a rut of not wanting to make the next change.
What is disturbing to me is how other Christians are often used to tell their fellow Christians how they should run their life.  Most of the time these Christians can't keep their own lives straight but are ready to tell others what they would do, if they were them.  Let's use what day to go to church as an example.  Some worship on Saturdays, some on Sundays, some Sunday and Wednesdays and some every day of the week.  What does the Apostle Paul say about this?  Romans 14:5 says "One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind."  This is a principle that applies to everything that is not a doctrinal issue that could cost someone their soul.
So you go to church 3 times a week every week.  I go to church 2 times a week.  Is this a problem?  Not if each person is convinced this is what God requires of us.
However, tell the average Christian this and you will get some "shoulds" thrown at you.  The enemy of our souls uses well-meaning Christians to abuse other Christians.  The "should" syndrome has been used in churches for many years.   And I might add in many Christian homes.  I lived with the should syndrome for many years.
It is my opinion that it really is a matter of the heart.   In the scripture above, Paul states that one should be fully convinced in their mind.   If a persons belief is not contrary to scripture, then it really is a matter of what God requires of you.   God very well could require one person to go to church weekly and another to go one time a month.  
The reason I call this Christian witchcraft is because of what witchcraft is.  Boiled all the way down to the basics, witchcraft is control or manipulation of another person.  When Christians manipulate other people it is witchcraft as well, regardless of the first person's intentions.  As Jesus said in Matthew 7:5, "
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."  In other words, don't try to get another person to do what you think is right for them, until you are complete/perfect.
One final note:  Hitler used manipulation to gain power over the people.  I have been reading a very interesting book called When a Nation Forgets God by Erwin W. Lutzer.  I believe that we can learn from the past.   One of the things Hitler accomplished is to make the church powerless.  This is happening today in the USA.  One of the ways to make this happen is to turn people against each other.  A house divided cannot stand.  The USA is becoming more and more divided, both inside and outside the church.

How to Reach Them

Today I was listening to a podcast about how Christians are being martyred in other countries.  The same week that the attack on Paris took place, there was another terrorist attack.   Very few newscasts gave it more than a passing byword.  12 people were killed in Paris, in Nigeria the bodies were too many to count.  Why did the one in Paris get all the publicity and Nigeria got none?  Both are tragic events.
It is sad that the world doesn't care about the slaughter in Nigeria.  What is downright despicable is that the church in the USA is not rising to the task of helping the refugees.  The churches aren't talking about this.  The church is asleep.  Not a little catnap, but a deep slumber.
My mind cries out to God, "If the church will not help, what can we do?"  I felt like God said, then you take it to the people.  For those of us who have empathy for the plight of our fellow humans, it is time to take action.
I know that we can pray and that is always the best course of action.
I believe there are other things we can do as well.
I will be praying about this and will do an update to this post soon.