IT CAUSES ME TO SLIGHTLY CHUCKLE EACH TIME I HEAR OF A NEW GROUP THAT WANTS TO CLAIM SOME BIBLICAL TITLE. HOW THEY TAKE A PASSAGE FROM THE BIBLE THEN TRY TO USE THAT PASSAGE TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES. IT ALWAYS MAKES ME THINK OF THE ARMCHAIR QUARTERBACKS THAT NEVER PLAY THE GAME BUT ARE NEVER AT A LOSS TO TELL OTHERS HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE.
THE BIBLE TELLS US IT WAS IN ANTIOCH WHERE WE WERE FIRST CALLED CHRISTIANS. THIS WAS NOT A TITLE GIVEN OUT OF SOME TEAM SPIRIT, BUT THIS WAS PLACED UPON THE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST, BECAUSE THEY LIVED ACCORDING TO THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS. SO SOCIETY CALLED THEM "CHRISTIANS" LITTLE CHRISTS, WHICH WAS A DEROGATORY PHRASE AT THE TIME, AND STILL IS WHEN A PERSON LIVES AS CHRIST TEACHES.
SADLY MOST IN THE CHURCH TODAY HAVE LITTLE UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT IS TO BE A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST. IF THEY ACTUALLY LIVED AS CHRIST TAUGHT THEY WOULD BE TREATED LIKE CHRIST. THEY WOULD THEN TRADE THEIR JERSEY FOR ANOTHER TEAM, WHICH THEY OFTEN DO, AS THEY GO FROM TEAM TO TEAM, OR CHURCH TO CHURCH, LIKE GOLDY LOCKS FROM BED TO BED, TRYING TO FIND THE ONE THAT FITS THEM "JUST RIGHT".
THE REAL BELIEVER IN CHRIST DOESN'T NEED ANOTHER MOTTO OR BIBLICAL SLOGAN TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES THEY JUST ARE.
PASTOR PHILIP
