Politics, in the church?
What in the world is politics doing in this thing structured and called church? And they call it a community service, even allowing people to vote in their halls; not a single opportunity is lost in the gimmick of gathering the masses. But, in fact, what’s made by man is also maintained by him.
The Church of our God is not a place, not even a mass gathering; it is you and me; it’s a people, an attitude, a servitude of His people as they drift thru life and fellowship with one another. “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I will be in the midst of them.” The Church as it’s mentioned in scriptures is Ekklesia, ‘the called out ones’. Yes, that means called out from the world, but the way I see it; what’s the difference between the world and this thing called church? What is it that the ‘church’ has that the world doesn’t? I’ve searched for that answer for decades, and have found nothing; they are one and the same.
Let’s draw a picture that everybody has witnessed.
A new preacher comes to our Sunday weekly gathering, and the full time pastor introduces him with flowery words of praise and achievements. He then gets a second to that motion with a few “amens” from those sitting in the front few rows of pews. So it ends up that ten or fifteen minutes of their so-called worship service is dedicated to the praise of men, while those few hungry souls that came in to feed from God, starve to death. But what does it matter? The egos of the deacons and the other highly-placed men and women are stroked. It matters. We’ve lost sight of what we’re here for, and it’s not to build bridges between men of like-minded attitudes; that’s what the folks from Babel did when constructing their united tower, we are here to be fed the Word of God as it was given to us, all praise, honor, and glory is reserved for God and Him alone.
Are the folks in these assemblies going to own-up to this praising of men, and admit to that they are doing? No. They’re in denial. The most that we get from them is; “oh yeah, there are many ‘churches’ doing such, but not us, we’re here to worship God.” I wish this to be true, but it’s not; all these structures are pretty much built the same way. These traditions are so deeply embedded, and have been done for so many years that it’s ascertained by them as normal.
How did we get that the ‘structured church’ is led by God to encourage or nudge people into voting? And all the while preaching their slant on those who they think we should vote for, even opening their building as a precinct for the whole world. Should not there be a difference between the gathering of God’s people and those that put all their stock into the world? Of course there should be. The fact is they’re both the same. You heard me right, the ‘church’ and the carnal world is the same Babylon, there is no distinction amongst either.
I can remember back in the 70’s that the announcement was made on the news that 52 % of American couple were now divorced. Not but a few weeks later was it announced that 52% of the folks that regularly go to ‘church’ are now divorced. If you were at a bar, sipping your drink, listening to the music, maybe swaying back and forth to the rhythm while clapping your hands as some would be star sang his/her songs, we’d not think anything of it; but when the exact same things happen in the weekly services at the corner ‘church’; wouldn’t you think it strange? The world elects their leaders. So does the ‘church’. The world thrives on entertainment; so does the ‘church’. People make their living by working in this world; so do many in the ‘church’. This world is run by the people in high positions putting their best foot forward, with their custom fitted clothes, their shiny shoes, and their proper language, and maybe that’s not so bad; but when those that claim that they are called by His name do it, it kind of sets us back.
There should be more than subtle differences between God’s chosen and this world that we live. Through the years I have talked with many people about what’s going on inside and out of these institutions, and most will agree that this happens often; but not in their ‘church’. Take a look around, it’s happening in virtually all on them. If we are to be a peculiar people, a chosen generation, and a royal priesthood, then why doesn’t it show? Do we want to fit-in so badly that we’ve compromised everything that God stands for just to be a so-called equal to those that pretend that they run their own life? I hope not; but I’m afraid we are doing just that.
Politics is one of those words that have a stretched out definition, but generally speaking we think of it as compromise, and presenting yourself as what you want people to see, not really who you are, but a presentation of an outward form. You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours, and even holding firm on ideas whether they truly embrace them or not, is not unusual. In politics, the people that are kept close around them, are those that not necessarily those that think like them, but will voice their words to correlate with the politicians’, expressing no thoughts of their own, but agreeing one with the other. Anyway, I could go on and on with what these political people are or what they do, but you get the picture, and does it sound like the same rhetoric that goes on every Sunday morning down at the corner assembly?
God is the ‘All’ of the universe, He is filled with Mercy and Grace, and all true Love emanates from His very being. God has many wonderful aspects, He is real, alive and well, and although His Grace seems to be never-ending, He does not compromise; there is no politician in Him.
Political ambitions might have a place in this world, with their people-pleasing platforms, but God, and His son Jesus, have pleasantly changed many folk’s lives, but not at the cost of compromise. The world invented political agendas, with their styles and pretty lies, so let’s let them keep them, but not in the Church. We are a ‘called-out people’, set aside from this world; an example, a paradigm, and a standard to reflect the demeanor and character of our God.
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