A blogger known as felix hominum went on a journey to Biblical sites, and posted this reflection: We have made our way to Kaşadusiş via several of the 7 churches mentioned in the Revelation to John. The ruins are quite spectacular, although a daunting thought hits you after looking at such ruins. The messages to the 7 churches contained warnings, and now those churches are, ın one sense, nothing but holy relıcs. There are no active and living Christian communities ın the locations of those early churches. What wıll keep our churches from going the same route? Perhaps ın a few hundred years someone wıll be visıting the ruins of our cathedrals pointing out that for some reason, these Christian churches lost theır apostolic zeal, and now they are but museum pieces.
Let us pray for the missionary gifts and zeal that filled the first Christians. Let us open our churches to the Holy Spirit, not as mere emotion or vague justification for unbiblical teachings, but as God leading people to Jesus as Lord (I Corinthians 12:3) and Savior (Acts 2:21).
Hat/tip: The Occasional Christian
3 comments:
You have been warned!
Sorry I couldn't resist
the impluse.
Marie
Some very sobering thoughts for a major festival day like Pentecost. Enhanced nicely by the haunting photo of the ruined church.
It immediately reminded me of the stern warning to the first and foremost of the 7 churches in Rev. 2-3, the largest and most famous one, that is, the church in Ephesus. In Rev. 2:5 the Lord Jesus warns the believers there that unless they recover their first love and do the works they did at first, he will "remove their lamptstand." Yikes. That's severe.
And this was a church where Paul had lived and preached for over a year. The one to which one of the most eloquent and important letters of the NT is addressed. And where the Beloved Disciple and the Blessed Virgin Mary lived for many years. And where the Third Ecumenical Council was held in AD 431.
In other words, the church in Ephesus had a far more glorious past than any parish in TEC. Yet eventually, the Lord removed its lampstand. And all that's left are the broken-down ruins.
Alas, when a denomination like TEC grieves and quenches the Holy Spirit as we have, it's the church that becomes the vagabond, not the Spirit. Lord, have mercy upon us.
Marie - glad you went with the urge!
Lately, I've found much peace and freedom in Ezekiel 2. If I just speak what God wants, sounding the warning, it is enough. I don't have to win the arguments and I'm not responsible for the choices of others as long as I've rightly delivered God's message.
The warning is enough.
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