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CHRISTIAN'S ATTACK?? EACH OTHER?? (SHARED BY A BROTHER IN CHRIST)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This is an urgent plea for us to urgently look inward very quickly.
I believe most of us are all GUILTY in some form or another. Take a moment to not look at this as criticism, but rather a cry for unity in Christ!
PLEASE take the time to read this.

So, what am I on about?
There has been a shocking increase in the amount of written/verbal attacks between Christians. Some of these are sarcastic comments, some are blatant attacks.
It is as if some Christians sit there and wait for the smallest thing that they can dispute and then jump onto it. Perhaps they are trying to show just how much they know? Instead of waiting for something where they can add value and contribute positively. The Bible says that we were each given an interpretation – this gift of interpretation is not there so we can run each other into the ground. It is there for our MUTUAL edification (1 Cor 14:26)!

“Jhn13:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another”.
Looking at the attacks on each other in status updates, comments and messages; let me assure you that many are disqualifying themselves based on the criteria above.

Many have taken a stance of associating with their “denomination” and good riddance to the rest. My friends, this is not Biblical.
“Mat 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
Loving those in your denomination/inner-circle is the easy part – “even tax collectors do the same”. MANY MANY Christians are openly attacking each other and failing to love each other as Jesus COMMANDED. It was not a suggestion – it was a command.

There is such a mighty revival blowing through the nations, but it is offset by Christians attacking each other on non-consequential matters! The enemy has taken the chance to use our weaknesses against us and is turning the revival into internal fighting! What weapons are he using? Pride and Self-righteousness!
You may immediately shake your head and say “not me”, but hold on for a second. Give this some thought. I have seen so many arguments just carry on and on and on. Neither party willing to back off. Each one being more right than the other. I myself am guilty of this. How on earth could someone know something that we/you/I do not??? PRIDE! SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS!

The craziest thing is the kind of stuff they argue about. You’d expect it to be something critical like the salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Unfortunately not. I myself got accused the other day because I use the word Trinity instead of Triune. What on earth is this madness? Apart from the fact that I do not know what the difference is between Triune and Trinity my understanding of God the Father, God the Holy Spirit and God the Son will not change no matter what people choose to call it. Why are we fussing about such a ridiculous thing? I would not be surprised to see a whole new denomination get created because of this one single word!

The same goes for forms of worship. I myself am a arm-raising, hjand-clapping, tongue speaking worshipper. BUT – I have been to older churches with a more conservative approach. When I walked in there I could SEE the love these people had for Jesus. They did not need to clap their hands.

I find it amazing that in sport I can like Motor Racing, while others prefer Rugby, Football, etc. I am never attacked for preferring a different sport. Yet, we can attack people because they do not clap their hands? God created us different. The definition of the word Worship is different in my heart than in the heart of others. The only thing that matters is our love and obedience for Jesus! We MUST stop this fighting about stuff that is non-consequential.

I can just imagine the more conservative guys right now saying that the writer here is a tongue speaking person and that they do not believe in tongues. Well, I believe it is a great gift from God, but let me ask you this. If I truly believe in Jesus and speak in tongues, will I be condemned? If I truly believe in Jesus and I do not speak in tongues, will I be condemned? I believe the answer to both is an emphatic NO! Yet, we will argue about this and create whole new denomination. We will not let our churches get together to worship God, because heaven forbid that some clap hands and some don’t!

Why are we fighting with each other about absolute rubbish while the enemy is doing such a good job already – he does not need our help! While we fight against each other, we scare people away from Jesus and the enemy gains ground!!!

I was also accused after I called myself a sinner. Well, I accept that – I am very much a zero-tolerance kind of person. I was however surprised at the attack because I called myself a sinner. I try very hard, but cannot say I live a sin-free life – not by God’s standard. I usually come short in my mind long before I actually DO anything.
That makes me a sinner saved by grace. Am I one of the saints, yes, I believe so, but I am still a sinner saved by grace. I will only be the finished article when I get to meet my God.
“Phi 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ
Not any one of us is perfect – so stop acting like it!

Sadly I can think of way too many examples where Christians argue with each other about things that do not really have an eternal impact. Of course - if someone goes directly against the Word of God and it will lead to people being misled into the fires of hell - we must confront this! But do we really need to confront every little difference and condemn each other immediately as the "lost"?

I come from a life of sin and now I will not tolerate it in my presence any longer. Was it not for Jesus I would have been in deep deep trouble. So, I tend to preach repentance quite a lot through love, while others preach grace through love. Two very different approaches, but neither is wrong! We are different people! I like motorsport and you may like Opera! Neither is wrong! If we were all the same, then we would never be able to spread the gospel to the multitudes out there.

Allow me to use music as an example. Before I accepted Jesus, I used to love hard and heavy rock music. When I became a Christian I found it very difficult to adjust to the low tempo Christian stuff. Yes, even bands like Kutless and Casting Crowns were way too slow for me. I found hard Christian rock music which by many will surely be condemned because it is different. That music helped me through my journey at that stage! I now prefer much more quiet stuff for deep worship, but the fact is that every gift and every interpretation has a place. Just because it is different does not make it wrong. No-one would have been able to teach me to get into God’s presence with “old fashioned” Christian music at that time. Their musical gift targeted an audience of new believers like me and to this day I thank the Lord for them even though I hardly listen to it now.

I would like to close with this.

“Acts 2:1 [ Coming of the Holy Spirit ] When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”
The Holy Spirit did not come while they were squabbling- but while they were in ONE ACCORD!

Acts 2:46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,”

“Acts 4:24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,”

There is power in unity. The book of Acts has often been referred to as the blue print of the church. These guys were of one accord – they stood in agreement and created a foundation for us to build on. We are not to build shacks on the foundation that was paid with such a heavy price!

Let us stop these petty attacks.
Let us be aware that the enemy will use our own thoughts against us.
Let us be aware that or enemy will use the temptation of pride and self-righteousness.
Let us stop splintering the church and stand united for Jesus.

The sooner we do so, the sooner He will come! He awaits His perfect bride.

I want to request that you please share this note with as many people as you can. You can email it, print it or publish it on your FB page by clicking the “share” button on this page. Let us get the word out there to stand united. Let us stop the bickering.

Let us not fight each other any longer, but let us fight the enemy for the salvation of the lost!

See you in the frontlines.

God bless
David

Ps. My apologies if this is a bit harsh. It is a burning fire within my heart that has caused me much distress over the past few weeks. I may have used about 20 or 30 too any exclamation marks

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Comment by david merle atkins on April 5, 2010 at 10:03pm
wow that was beutiful nancy, we are all here for the same reason, we should be a brace for each other, if we have faults point them out but not harshly, but in an uplifting way, if someone strikes at you fight back with love. that is beutiful nancy you rock, and please be harsh lol, your brother dave
Comment by Rebecca Ann Chadwick on April 2, 2010 at 9:16am
I love the fact that those who are willing will come to the light ... Jesus is the light. I don't know what I would do without Him, or without the counsel of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it is so hard to push through my own humanism to see ... and to hear the still and quiet voice of the Comforter when there is so much worldly noise and clatter. But as I learn to make time ... making Christ the center of my life He shows me my imperfections. He does not condemn but corrects to strength my faith. I like the anology of the gold refiner who puts the nugget into the fire over and over again ... taking it out each time to polish it and look closely at the nugget each time. He does not stop refining the dross away until he sees his own reflection shining back at him. That is what Christ does to us through our trials and tests. If we seek His face and attempt to walk in His example and character through love ... always through and in love He will open our hearts to more of Him. That is the relationship ... the most important relationship to desire. We are here for two reasons only: One to give God glory in everything we do and two is to prepare us for our rightful place with Him.
Comment by Grace by the Lake on April 2, 2010 at 8:28am
We are all a work in progress sis Jessica. Love you much.
God continue to richly bless you sis!
Comment by Jessica Robertson on April 2, 2010 at 7:45am
I am guilty! But we resolved it and now are friends :") My sister in Christ helped me to realize that we are not here to judge but to focus on Jesus and seek His face. God can handle the rest.

Peace and Love,
Jess
Comment by Grace by the Lake on March 31, 2010 at 11:37am
oh Rebecca, this is a David from another site I belong to not our David here on All About God. I am honored to be a sister to them both but no, this one's from the other David.I guess I should clarify that.
THIS IS NOT DAVID V.. but our David V. shines the light of our Heavenly Father every bit as much.LOVE YOU in Christ David and David.
Love you all,
Comment by Rebecca Ann Chadwick on March 31, 2010 at 9:23am
Dear David,

I agree with you ... we are to be a united front...as you said unity in Christ. As you know, we do read of an intense rebuke by Paul to Peter in Galations 2. It was regarding Peter's conduct not doctrine. Paul did not boast that he knew better. Peter had great influence and authority. He did not want to offend the Jews by eating with the gentiles but by his example he exposed his own hypocrisy even leading Barnabas astray. One of the problems I see in our own generation is that the doctrine of men is being taught instead of the gospel.

Everything taught should pivot around our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As Paul said, "But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant to sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God , who loved me and gave himself for me, I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose."

What Peter did because of his example could have had an eternal impact. The Jews could have felt justified in the keeping of the law. It is only by faith in Jesus Christ ... the gospel message of 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 by which we are saved. Scripture says that Moses brought the law but Jesus brought grace and truth. What we do in our daily walk can have an eternal impact ... we will all be judged by the work we do ... good and bad.

There are so many scriptures that teach us to examine ourselves first ... before we find fault in our brother. The gospel scriptures teach to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind ... and with all our strength ... then our neighbor as ourselves. You are right there is no one perfect ... not one.

You are right there are revivals taking place across the globe. But I believe that the glory has left America. I believe we as a nation are in judgement. Now is the very time we of the faith need to stand united ... the harvest fields are ripe ... we are to assemble ourselves together. What it would mean to the kingdom of God if the church could truly assemble together... as the body we are mean't to be ... in one accord! We should all guard against letting our fleshly responses get in the way of obedience to God's instructions. We are to edify each other ... in love!

We are to be united in the truth and we also are to stand in the face of evil. We are to be the salt and the light ... scripture says what good is it when salt loses it's savor or light is hidden.

Everyone is at a different stage of his/her walk. We are not to judge or lash out. We are to present ourselves with the love of Christ ... led by the spirit that dwells and abides within. It is true also, that the wheat and the tares are allowed to grow together ... it is true the Bible speaks of a remnant people ... that the gate is narrow and few will find it. We are to be a witness to the lost.

We often talk and praise the Lord for the love He has shown us but we are not to hoard the hope we have residing within ... we are to share it. This is the beginning of the days of sorrows ... we need each other more than ever before. God will test our faith ... not to destroy but to strength us for what is to come.

David, I sense your hurt and I ask forgiveness for anything I formerly may have said to offend. God bless you richly. Do not let anger stir within ... it is only a tool of the enemy to get us off the purpose God has for our live.
Your sister in Christ,
Rebecca Chadwick
Comment by Jina Bostick on March 31, 2010 at 9:11am
Not harsh at all, sister, but spot on!!! If we were doing the things we SHOULD be doing (such as actually acting like Christians, feeding the hunger, housing the homeless, clothing the naked, etc.), we wouldn't have time for this insanity!
Comment by Stacey Osana Arquines on March 31, 2010 at 8:47am
LOL sowwie my mistake sis, new lesson for me to learn here KEEP GOOD DISCERNMENT SKILLS
God Bless you sis Lots of love at ya :)
Comment by Andrea Haase on March 31, 2010 at 7:48am
Wow, this is good, thank God first of all for this and then thank you. I truly wonder where do we stand in Christ Jesus when we do these things. We seem to forget that it is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and that all of us makes of the body of Christ which is the church. Wisdom is what we really need, wisdom and when we have received it then we should use it. God bless you all.
Comment by April Lipinski on March 31, 2010 at 7:17am
I attend two churches (though in reality there is one church, the bride of Christ). On one hand, the one church is non-denominational (more of a teaching oriented church) and condemns pentacostal styles of worship and beliefs. On the other hand, the other church is a Pentacostal church, where they condemn the other church for not expressing the fullness of the gifts like, speaking in tongues, healing (pentacostal style), and prophecying. Both are good churches, and i love them both, but this bickering is wrong. I long for them to be united under Christ seeing each other as contributing differences that are all necessary for the edification of the church. Thank you for this article. Amen to it. I agree. We are all the church, one body, with different parts...and CHRIST THE HEAD!

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