One of the important aspects of Salon Church is (beyond keeping God first in our lives), to encourage those who are called by HIS name to THINK. To not blindly accept the words that are spoken by others who claim to be Christians, but to examine them and search the scriptures to seek the will of the Lord.
This has been especially troubling over the last several years when we (I speak from the view of being a follower of Christ in the United States), have regularly seen people claim, from the pulpit, that disasters that have struck cities, states, and nations to be the “will of God” and judgement for some particular sin. Of course, these same ‘ministers’ are very quiet when disaster strikes their location. (*cough* hypocrites *cough*).
If you have heard us speak, you know that before we started our Christian walk, we were avowed atheists. Not just atheists, but evangelical atheists.
One of the contributing factors to our atheism was the hypocritical and blatant greed of those who claimed Christ as the flew in private jets and had gold-plated toilets (we’re looking at you Copeland ministries and PTL club!).
Which brings us to the topic we wanted to address today:
Where are all the people who accuse a city/state/country of some sin?
We’ve had a pandemic raging for 6 months and yet no “Christians” claiming this is God’s judgment on Trump and his administration.
The following is not intended to be a pronouncement from God, in-jest, or a claim to be a prophet of the Most High. It is instead provided as someone who loves the Lord. Someone who wants all men and women treated with love and respect, no matter their skin color, country of origin, or where they go (or don’t go) to church. We are students of the Word. We do not claim to be scholars (our Greek is rusty and Hebrew is horrible!). This is instead inspired by the prophets of the Old Testament as they dealt with various governments that had strayed from the will of God.
Woe unto you people who claim to be of the “United’ States!
For you have embraced leaders who imprison children, call lies the truth, and allow the selling of your soldier’s lives! Repent!
Woe unto you, the deceived who claim to follow my Holy name!
For you abandon the poor, the widows, the orphans, the alien in a foreign land. You treat those who are your brothers and sisters with disdain because of the color of their skin. Repent!
Woe unto you who claim to follow my Son and do not love your neighbor!
For you raise up leaders who place greed above holiness, partisanship above their people. You seek leaders who embrace infidelity over faithfulness and call them great men. Repent!
Woe unto you, who whore yourselves in hate and abandon love.
Why do you reject those whom my son died for and call them unworthy? Why do you cast the ill onto your streets and abandon them? Why do you turn your back on those who fought to protect you in their time of need? Repent!
For your sins, a plague shall be visited upon you.
Repent! Turn away from your pride and haughty eyes!
Repent or be divided. Put on sackcloth and sit in ashes! Return to the way of the Lord!
While that was done as an example of what SHOULD be happening from our religious leaders. I am serious. We have sinned as a country before God and need to repent, as a country, before God and ask for forgiveness!
We as a people must return to faith.
Not the faith presented in mega-churches or televangelists.
Not the faith the judges others because they go to a different church or see God in a different light.
We need to embrace the words of Jesus, and love one another, as Christ loved us!
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”
John 13:35 (NIV)
With Christ’s love,
Dr. Brian Burton
Dr. Burton has been a servant of Christ since the late 1980’s when he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior with his soon to be wife, Rosemary during a baptism in late November in 37 degree (F) in Central Indiana.
If you would like to contact Brian or schedule a lecture or ministry time, you can contact him at DrBurton “a t” salonchurch.org.
