I love your Christ but I hate your Christians

This is a poem I wrote a long while back I thought I would share I hope it blesses you in some way.

God Bless,
Matthew

We love your Christ but dislike your Christians
its like your whole religion just didn't even listen
to the one guy they claim saved their life
But look at you your in chaos with your pain and strife
So what causes people to turn in their grave
If Jesus didn't rise from the dead I'm sure he'd be still turning today
for all these fake Christian who do open heart surgery with their eyes closed
will they be saved Im guessing God only knows
funny thing about a religion of love
its almost like the leader has been disconnected from above
If God sent you a text message would you then believe
or would you only complain about the pesky texting fee
Why do they hate a religion of love are they wrong?
I mean are Christians really loving or are they just playing a bad song
I write these words not to stir up trouble with either side
but in most cases I feel like there is a fine line whether we live or die
wrong and Right which takes the lead
and are you running for Christ one hundred percent full speed
In this world were hate is funny and pain is funny
is it fair to say which side is more sunny
I'll flip the switch just to find out
only to find Christian roaches scurrying about
Why are Christian fake?
My theory is they feel there's to much pain at stake
Christians, no one should have a reason to hate us if we live like Christ
but until we do love people will only see the black and the white
Fellow Christians please quit acting so sad
and if your Fake quit making the rest of us look bad
the full potenitial will never be met if we don't focus
the world won't fix itself with a simple Hocus Pocus
it takes time and money and patience aswell
Don't live in a box because then your sending people straight to hell
by not live out loud and living large for God
You can't live you walk with just a smile and a nod
LIVE UP to your expectations that God gave you
and why don't you try and save a life or two
Sitting and waiting for the world to change isn't going to work
I can tell you now that God's work is going to hurt
But the joy from it really doesn't matter
because its for His glory not for you to have an all you can eat platter
Christ died for you a living sacrifice
doesn't it make sense that you owe him your life?
Maybe I'm wrong and I hope I am
that this world isn't fill with nothing but fake Christians
The Blind can't lead the blind
and this is where we are all caught in a bind
we want the glory and the attention
but I'm starting to wonder if you are even listening
There is a lot to harvest but so few workers
Im tired of seeing these half spaces Christian lurkers
This world is our battle field and we need to dominate
but do it with Love so the world has not reason to hate
They love our Christ but hate us Christians
But lets try to flip that and see who actually listens.

Greg, I was refering to a quote from Gandhi this was written a about a year back but something about it that I like maybe I enjoy looking back at my zeal (not always wise) but zealous for the things of God none the less. I do see the flaws in the poetry but hold to the fact that there is still some meat there if you would like I can edit this to say don't like since that would actually hold truer to the Gandhi quote.

David, my poem was written as a generalization towards those it applied not to all Christianity, I was speaking more the a trend that I saw and didn't like. Jeremiah spoke many times of the failures of Israel but this doesn't take away from the sucess of God.

First off the title to this poem is in direct contradiction to scripture.

If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20

Second of all, Christ loves the Christians, and we are not greater then him.

Let's be careful that our strong rebukes, warnings, and prophecies against the church don't simply turn into self-righteous hatred. It is easy to do because we think more of our opinions and evaluations then we have a right to.

If those Christians in India can take a beating from their enemies and not become cynical, then we can suffer those around us who don't live up to our expectations. Yes, their are many dissapointments in the church. But how can we have fellowship with Christ, unless we learn to love those who especially don't deserve it. Where he leads, can we follow?

Blessings,

MC

(edit: Ghandi's statement is referring to a political event in history. To take a statement that was aimed against militaristic British Occupation and then apply it to the context of our fellow Christians in the church seems like a pointless provacation. However, it would be interesting to see if Ghandi would say the same thing today with as much certainty after watching his countrymen beating unarmed Christians in a public street without mercy.)

Very well said, My intent is to address False or fake converts Ones that say "I am saved" but don't act accordingly. You should understand that I have come from a half-gospel backround and really didnt know the difference between geninue Christians and ones that just said they were Christians that maybe where the confusion lies.

I apologize for the use of the word Hate, that is a strong word and should never be used by Christians toward anyone. I do feel remorse for this now that you have shed some like on its implications, I am sorry. I wrote seeing my fellow Christians completely tearing into and being hateful towards other individual that weren't Christians. The common saying that rose from these conversations from the NonChristians was We Love your Christ but hate your Christians that is the reason I places that in the Poem and titled it the way I did. and I understand your comment on Gandhi, Thank you for the correction, I humbly accept it and take it with great joy.

God Bless,
Matthew

Since I wrote this (about a year ago) I have been exposed to the full gospel and Love it I will definitely listen to the Paul Washer message, He was the first person that I heard present the Full gospel of Christ in Ten Indictment of the Church. Thank You again and peace to you as well

God Bless,
Matthew

See, your response is why Christians are the loveliest people I know! Where else can we find another people so willing to consider one another?

Admittedly, with some people, we find ourselves very hard pressed to live up to the standard of Jesus' love. However, in the very least we can affirm that his love is indeed the standard, rather then writing a new standard after our own fashion. In affirming such a standard, we are more likely to keep sight of our own unloveliness; and marveling at his inexplicable unfailing love all the more, we find a scriptural cause to practice grace towards those that vex us. This grace to love is not a faith in people but faith in Christ.

Blessings!

Mike

I agree that there is a lot of apostasy in the world today. Many claiming the Christian name with no knowledge of Christ.
One line in your poem,

Christians, no one should have a reason to hate us if we live like Christ

is unscriptual I believe.

The bible tells us

John 15:18-19 (KJV)
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

1 John 3:11-13 (KJV)
11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

This false doctrine of getting the world to love the Christians has done much harm. It tries to get the Church to conform to the world instead of standing for the truth. When we stand for God the world will hate us more than they do now.

I have listened to some of BH Clendennen's sermons near the end of his life. This seemed to be a resounding message of his, that the Church is letting the world in so it will be loved by it. He called it a user friendly church. At the same time we should not hate the lost, but reach out in love, even if they hate us.

From what I read I think your heart is in the right place. Hypocrites do much harm, but don't be deceived into thinking if you completely sell out to God that all of a sudden the world will love you. You may find that they hate you more!

Here is a link to one of the last messages Brother Clendennen spoke, I think it is worth listening to.

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw7BISS4U3s]An Urgent Message[/url]