Being Critical of the Church

I often hear many saying critical things about the church in regards to open-air preaching and abortion mill ministry. Looking back throughout this dispensation I do not see any period of time in which every believer in the church went out and preached the gospel publically. Nor do I see in the dark periods of history were everyone within the church came out in public protest of wrongs being done in the world. Throughout the history of the church the Lord has used a few individuals to accomplish His plan. When was the Lord most glorified in the battles that Israel fought? When the odds were against them and the enemy surrounded them. The Lord has blessed me, giving the ability to memorize scripture and has given me a thirst to do so, as well as a desire to publically proclaim His word; I also go to abortion mills and plead with moms and dads to have mercy on their child in the womb. None of this makes me a more holy follower of Christ than any other believer, when we fault other believers for not having the same convictions that we may have this does nothing but show our own sinful pride. You outwardly say that you’re saying these things because it is what the word of God says to do, but in reality it is pride in one’s own self that causes this. By being critical of the church for not doing the things that you are doing, you are saying, “Hey look at me, look at how great I am” without using those words.

Some of you may not understand this but there is no set of rules that we must follow to be a believer. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” ~Romans 10:4, some may scoff at this but if you are in Christ you are not under the Laws of Moses in anyway, nor under some criteria of Christianity decided upon by men. And don’t misunderstand what I am saying; we are not without law either, but we who have repented and believed are under a much greater law, the Law of Christ. “To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.” (1 Corinthians 9:20-21) Jesus said to His disciples; “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13:34)

What is the one true mark of a believer? The true mark of a believer is that he bears fruit. Memorizing scripture, going to abortion mills, preaching the gospel publically, these are not fruits of the spirit; these things maybe made manifest because of the fruit bearing in a believers life, but they are not themselves fruit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:22-24) “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13) "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.” (John 15:12-17) Ask yourself this question; Is my criticalness of the church a result of the fruit of the Spirit, namely love, or is it in reality a deed of the flesh, namely; “enmities, strife, jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying” (Galatians 5:20)? There are many in the church that have been through much and are going through much, keep this in mind; “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).



Mike Peek a slave of Jesus Christ