Greedy Pigs! | SermonIndex

sermonindex Mar 2, 2007

Greedy Pigs

A dissertation on Today's Churches

Today's churches are selfish. Ministers today pretend as being all very friendly but they are not interested in anyone's agenda but their own. Its like a group of pigs sitting around a banquet table. Its the Lords banquet table and they're all stuffing their faces. Someone else comes along and says 'Can I have some' and they throw a few crumbs. What they should be doing is move over. Instead they want to raise up people just like them, who couldn't care less about anyone else's ideas or inspirations, only what God told them. Consequently it's not God who tells them but the Devil masquerading as God. If you're incredibly selfish (as they are) and want people to be just like them (as they do: join a home group, sign up for service in the church) then whatever prayers they pray get sidetracked and never end up in God's arena at all. Even the answers they get from God would be questionable, as they don't listen to their flocks. You got an idea, a suggestion? Fine, put it in writing and we will submit it at our next meeting. If the Lord was on earth today that's what they would have him do. They're not interested in your vision, they're only interested in stuffing their selfish faces and sitting at that table till the food runs out. Anything you might have to offer will be replied by ' Well God didn't tell me that, so you had better not cause any trouble.' Is it any wonder people get up and leave. You can be two years in a church and still not know hardly anyone and they're STILL watching you and screening you. Get involved with their agenda, that's about all there is to it. Pride heaped upon pride, and dressed up as 'We're friendly (as if). Yes, friendly until threatened. They don't want to move aside for you. The banquet table's full! \t

sermonindex Mar 2, 2007

The banquet table's full!

[image][img]https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/myalbum/photos/1327.jpg[/img]

U

UniqueWebRev Mar 3, 2007

CarlRedmond,

You speak as one who knows. I made my last try at two formal churches in a row several years ago, and got the same treatment you speak of.

Now I have a very small house church, and we simply talk about Jesus and God Stuff.

Such a nice change.

Blessings,

sermonindex Mar 3, 2007

We must remember the words of Jesus when He said,

Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

This is a key scripture in defining who is and who isn't. The problem is that everyone who does not DO the above verse calls themselves Christian. There is a great confusion among us regarding this issue, because even other countries call the United States and Canada Christian nations, and they are not. There are Christians living in these lands, but the whole is not Christian.

But Jesus knows who are His, and even we have a sense of knowing as well. We know if someone is not walking in truth. And to be frank, we as His body on the Earth, we have pushed aside our right to judge because we are told by the unregenerated so called Christians that we should not, you have to speak in love.

This is why we have confusion in our midst, our mouths have been stopped because of the meanness of the foreheads of others who don't want the "other" characteristics of God. They just want love. Yes, Love, my God lets love, but who just loves a child without correcting him? If we truly love, we will correct our children.

Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

How does He do this. By the five fold ministry, the world, other Christians.

Some will say, "Judge not lest you be judged", but I tell you, "Condemn not lest you be condemned". We must rightly divide the word, because if we are not to judge, than Peter is going to hell for judging Annais and Sapphirra. Even in an other place Paul said that he had judged the man who had his fathers wife, and said, "Throw him out". But we don't do this today, we tolerate, we put up, we allow the leaven to increase and now others are infected, divorces, fornication, perversions, all happening because we lost our voice to judge. Thats why the so called churches are in the state they are in, and thats why many have left it.

We must regain our senses and boldness if we are to stand in this evil day. Judging is NOT condemning. Judging is rightly dividing what is truth and what is error.

When we rightly divide who is on the LORD side, we will not have trouble loving one another and even laying down our lives for the brethren.

R

roadsign Mar 3, 2007

Over the last while I have been avoiding posts that refer to all the bad stuff going on in the church. That’s because my mind has already spent so much time there. I want to move on and focus my eyes of the tremendous blessings, goodness, and miracles of God – even in the very settings of hypocrisy, and even BECAUSE of all that bad stuff. I need to walk in HOPE.

Think of the 12 reporters whom Moses sent to spy the Promised Land. 10 came back reporting on all the bad stuff. And that’s what the people ended up listening to. They didn’t even listen to the blessings that the other two reported, or consider the power of God to help them conquer the land.

It is easy to forget, or not notice that God is bringing people to himself in these days – quietly, one by one – even in our very “piggish” settings. I am meeting these people personally. And it's exciting!

Let us take more notice of the wonderful testimonies of God’s goodness.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, and see our world the world from heaven’s perspective.

The Bible speaks plenty of the bad stuff in religion in order to teach us about human nature. But it always draws our eyes to the Lord, and the GOODNESS that came out of the bad. Christ was crucified during the height of religious hypocrisy.
He was also resurrected!

Nothing has changed. But, if we keep our eyes on the bad stuff, we will never see all the resurrections, ie the good that God is doing AS A RESULT of the bad.

Judging is rightly dividing what is truth and what is error.

Our judgments (assessments) are very much affected by the perspective we take of life.

Diane

sermonindex Mar 3, 2007

Yeah right. Don't say anything. Or above all, it's got to be something positive. That's what they want you to do. It gets worse than this. What I wrote was only the tip of the iceberg. As much as you try to shove it under the carpet, it comes back. Have you read 'Todays Unsaved Church' by Andrew Strom. Its worth a read.

sermonindex Mar 3, 2007

Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
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Yes, Thankyou for that. I'm just not bold enough. I allowed them (ministry) to walk all over me. The biggest mistake I ever made was thinking that they have our best interests at heart. Read 'Set the Captives Free'. It clearly explains how satanists join the church, high ranking satanic priests. The first thing they do is stop the prayer meeting. Read Greg Gordon's 'The prayer meeting is dead' (Our moderator). Then they start discipleship classes and infect it with their doctrine. Guess what the first seminar in their supposed Bible class was at the local apostolic church? Satan. Introducing us to the devil. Yeah right.

sermonindex Mar 3, 2007

Reb Wev!
You are the remnant. God hasnt finished with you yet. You are precisely the people The Lord will never give up on. Marginalised. Put aside. And highly favoured by God.

sermonindex Mar 3, 2007

I remain humbled by your support. I realise I'm not bold enough. Your drawing was such a thrill to me, or cartoon or edification of what the Lord shared with me. It's absolutely true.

C

crsschk Mar 3, 2007

Yeah right. Don't say anything. Or above all, it's got to be something positive. That's what they want you to do. It gets worse than this. What I wrote was only the tip of the iceberg. As much as you try to shove it under the carpet, it comes back.

Enough!
Perhaps we have become too fore-bearing ... This sort of conduct will not be tolerated any longer here. Accusing the Brethren, smart alek comments, assumptions and slander, pride, bitterness of spirit, division and hostility, accusation ...

This is not a game and this forum is not a toy to play with nor is it a place for spewing forth anything that comes to mind. Abide by the rules of conduct outlined or you will be removed.

sermonindex Mar 4, 2007

Diane said:

Over the last while I have been avoiding posts that refer to all the bad stuff going on in the church. That’s because my mind has already spent so much time there. I want to move on and focus my eyes of the tremendous blessings, goodness, and miracles of God – even in the very settings of hypocrisy, and even BECAUSE of all that bad stuff. I need to walk in HOPE.

Diane I hear ya, I too am so tired of hearing the negative.

I sometimes spend alot of time posting on this site and most of them never get posted. I write and write and afterwards read what I have written and think, "No one will listen to this, I'll have more negative feedback than I'll have positive". And I can relate to that, because isn't that what we usually do is harp on the negative? And it's so easy to get sucked into that.

Our favorite words, "But" "However", "Yet" and "Disagree".

Thanks Diane for reminding me of a time when blessing the church of God was my preoccupation.

R

roadsign Mar 4, 2007

isn't that what we usually do is harp on the negative? And it's so easy to get sucked into that.

Hi, Compliments, You are so right! There is something within us that quickly latches on to the negative. I think that "something" may be our own unhealed hurts, and bitter roots. I (like you) am trying not to focus too much on the negative (though it's so natural for me) for this very reason - to keep others from stubbling.

Thanks Diane for reminding me of a time when blessing the church of God was my preoccupation

Compliments, May you be known for your nickname – and speak blessing (not curses) into the lives of those whom God puts across your path.

God bless you!!!!!
Diane

R

roadsign Mar 4, 2007

try to shove it under the carpet

Carl, I certainly can appreciate your concern. In fact, I have used these words a lot - regarding the tendency to stay in denial, and keep others in denial. People don't want to acknowledge their troubles, fears, sins, failures, or hear anybody else's. They only want the positive image. (as if the world can't see through this!!!!!) I call it the "no-talk" rule - it is most damaging to people, and keeps them from being freed from their sin bondages.

Trust me, I'm no "Polyanna". I can relate to the negative stuff! I’ve had my turn at being at the brunt of hypocrisy. But, do you know what? I’ve also been a hypocrite myself – playing the game of church, and only God knows how many I have wounded through my own insensitivity, cynicism, and hardness of heart. So you see, there are fingers pointing both ways.

We don’t have a right to shoot daggers at the church any more than at ourselves. That is a tool of the devil – to drive us away from each other and away from God. It may keep us from being further wounded, but it also keeps us from being vulnerable and sensitive. It keeps us from weeping. It also keeps us from feeling joy and peace (that is, God’s joy and peace).

Actually, God revealed my own sinful heart in this area through another person 10 years ago. It was an incredible Holy Spirit moment – much like King David had with Nathan. But I praise God for that blessed wounding of a friend.

When we’ve been hurt, we don’t get healed overnight. Sadly, many go for the rest of their lives with that sliver of bitterness stuck in their hearts. I pray that you will move on and learn to rejoice in the goodness of God. That produces a kind of character quality that is much more effective to those who are dead in their hypocrisy than attacking them with accusations. (which they only ignore). People need to see the real evidence of Christ in hearts!

“See to it, brothers, that non of you has a sinful unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that non of you may be hardened by sins’s deceitfulness. We come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts ….”Heb. 3:12

Diane

G

ginnyrose Mar 4, 2007

CarlRedmond wrote:
I allowed them (ministry) to walk all over me. The biggest mistake I ever made was thinking that they have our best interests at heart.

I understand this point so well...it is because I -we- have allowed this to happen is why the reality of it hurts so much. I, too, have chosen to look the other way when others were warning us of things "because it was too negative" among other reasons, like they are "too nice". When reality hits home, I realized what they had been saying was true and I had allowed myself to be snuckered into their whorl of deception; it gets real hard to forgive oneself for having been so stupid: stupid because I CHOSE to ignore the still small voice that was witnessing to my spirit about this/these person~~[s]~~ and not check out the facts.

I can identify with your concern, Carl. A person who identifies sin, calls it for whatever it is will never be popular. (I did not like the people either who were in my face...) They killed the OT prophets for doing the same and the Scriptures promises us this will not change. 1Thes. 2:15 and others. As things gets worse and worse, there will be a need to become more vocal in our fight against evil. (I am almost 60 YO and I promise you things are so much worse then they were when I was a young woman. I feel so sorry for the young people to day who have to fight evil on a scale we never had to...maybe we need more 'Carrie Nations' today?)

Now what are we doing: stoning the prophets? or are we binding up the wounds that have been inflicted on them by the bystanders?

ginnyrose

G

ginnyrose Mar 4, 2007

Greg,

I love this picture! I realize the seriousness of it, but it is also so hilarious!

Have you ever taken care of hogs? Brother, I have, hundereds of 'em. Dad used to raise feeder pigs, had sows and then my DH raised hogs as well. Anyhow, when you put feed in a trough and you have a herd of hogs see this, how they will crowd the trough, pushing, shoving each other for a position...and imagine the well-clad clergyman pushing, shoving for his bite out of the trough...and how that clean robe will get soiled and trambled in the mud....oh! this mental picture....!!!!:-P

ginnyrose

K

Koheleth Mar 5, 2007

Enough!
Perhaps we have become too fore-bearing ... This sort of conduct will not be tolerated any longer here. Accusing the Brethren, smart alek comments, assumptions and slander, pride, bitterness of spirit, division and hostility, accusation ...
This is not a game and this forum is not a toy to play with nor is it a place for spewing forth anything that comes to mind. Abide by the rules of conduct outlined or you will be removed.

I could not agree more. The audio and text resources on this site are great. I think this is because they are reviewed and picked selectively. The forum does not live up to the same standards because the same standards are not applied. They should be. If anything that does not bring honor to God ~~[i]~~in the estimation of the moderators[/i] is posted, then it should be removed immediately.

sermonindex Mar 5, 2007

I could not agree more. The audio and text resources on this site are great. I think this is because they are reviewed and picked selectively. The forum does not live up to the same standards because the same standards are not applied. They should be. If anything that does not bring honor to God in the estimation of the moderators is posted, then it should be removed immediately.

Brother,

I cannot agree with you more. This has saddened me in the last few weeks of the degredation of some of the posts and threads that have been a "mar" on these forums. I thank God for all the great edifying godly discussions that have taken place but it seems now there has been alot of backbiting and envying, etc.

There might have to have some changes happen to the forums and the website format.