In Christ

Get real! We all know people who say they are "Christian” or people we know that go to church so we may believe they are Christian. Why is it that sometimes these people behave like people who do not go to church? I have known and witnessed Pastors being rude and arrogant to servers in a restaurant or retail workers in the store.

I'm not talking about the occasional times when a Christian misses it and behaves like they used to before becoming a Christian. A friend of mine from the east coast puts it this way, "they rubbed me nerves raw!” As a Christian we do get many opportunities to have our nerves rubbed raw, but if we are a Christian we have the grace of God to deal with it and as we grow in the Lord we can react to it in a manner that would show we are truly a Christian. In a way that brings peace to the situation.

Having said that I'm the first to admit I'm still growing and developing my Christian (Christ- like) character. I work with people and I get several opportunities to show the character of Christ. If you are the person who, "rubbed me nerves raw” I apologize if I did not respond in a Christ like manner.

If you know me at all you know I don't have a lot of tolerance for religious ideas or practises. It bothers me to see mature Christians (and Pastors) being rude or doing things that are not Christ like. We are to be examples to a searching world. You either are Christian or you are not. If you are then we need to show it. Don't be a counterfeit Christian. Remember just going to church does not make you a Christian.

Counterfeit Christian.

Counterfeit means imitation, a copy with the intent to deceive -fake, not real. Jesus taught about this concerning the religious folks of His day. He did not have a lot of tolerance for religion either. I believe He explains it very clearly in Matthew 15:8-9 "8 ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. 9 Their worship is a farce, for they replace God’s commands with their own man-made teachings.’ ” NLT Bible.

Jesus is is looking for people to have their heart fully committed to Him. To be a Christian means that you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and that you are practicing and growing in Christ like character. Too many people just go to church or just believe there is "a God.” The bible says big deal, "even the demons believe there is a God, but that is not going to save them!” Religion will not get you to heaven. Belonging to a certain church will not get you to heaven. Being a good person will not get you to heaven. The bible is clear the only way to get to heaven and be a real Christian is to be born again. (See our website for more info)

It is a heart relationship – not a church membership!

Submission by Pastor Dale