The Church Today? Where are we?

Men and brethren,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! Forgive my absence on the blog scene! I wanted to wish all of you peace and love in Christ Jesus. I also wanted to share something with you from the mission field. Please take time to read it and consider what this brother is saying and let it challenge and charge our hearts for the Kingdom of Christ! To all who may read this: please print this out for the men in your family or have them come over to the screen and read this blog post. I would be grateful and the Church needs us men to read it and "Rise Up O' Men of God!" Lord bless you and keep you all. Article follows...

Sam

I just got back from China after 2 weeks working with the underground House Churches. It was so powerful and life changing for them and for me. When I listened to their testimonies and the things they have been through I spent many days crying tears of joy, sorrow and love for them. Simple Christianity is so different from what we think is Christianity,...

I went to teach them but I learned more from them than I taught. We have to stop treating Christ and Christianity like a game or a nice hobby. An add on to our lives, and we need to start being sold out! Not sold out to a system of worship, theology or our favorite distinctive or version of the Bible or organization but sold out to Christ. We have missed the boat in America (probably for the last 50years, maybe longer). We must stop playing games and die to ourselves and live for, to, and like Christ. These were the most genuine, loving and courageous Christians, I have ever been around.

When I asked the leaders what their churches needed most they said "more love." I was shocked to hear this,.. When I asked them how they could get more love they said they needed "to suffer more" that would cause their love to grow. This was not spoken flippantly or intellectually but with great sincerity by men who had spent 2, 5, and 8 years in prison for their faith. One had had two family members tortured to death by the authorities in prison. I felt like the puniest and weakest pretend, Christian on the earth, when I stood next to these people. One of the women had also been imprisoned and tortured in North Korea for taking the gospel to Korea from China.

I was left with this strong and powerful conclusion,... We must take Christ seriously and stop playing religious games! If Christ in us “ is the hope of glory” then Christ shinning out of us is the only proof of faith. It is not what we know, think or say that matters, it is what we live,… They said they learned a lot from me but I learned even more from these peasant farmers, who work two jobs to support their families and still minister every day and in some cases lead six or seven house churches with 150 believers under them. These men and women who are not afraid to die or be imprisoned for Christ. They consider suffering for Christ the most beautiful evidence of their faith.

Living the life of Christ is only words to us but it is who and what they are! Die to self and live, only for Christ! They also asked us to pray for them and for me to come back soon.

God keeps showing me over and over that we have to get back to the basics of a pure and simple faith. Of living the life of Christ no matter what the cost!

In Christ service, Carl

To God be the Glory!
Papa Sam