Modern Christianity today is a lot like Baskin Robbins ice cream - there's 101 varieties. Unfortunately a number of these varieties of Christianity aren't going to lead one to heaven in the end. So it's not enough just to say you accept the gospel message and believe - that Jesus Christ died on the cross, arose from the dead three days later, and has now ascended to heaven and will soon come again. What kind of Christian are you going to be? Many people today are the type of Christians who rarely attend church. Their name is on a church membership list somewhere but they rarely, if ever, attend. But their funeral will be there when they die. I know not everyone is healthy enough to attend church, and God would understand that. But the Bible says "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together." Hebrews 10:25-27.
Then there's the kind of Christians that rarely if ever read the Bible. Again if you don't have one and can't afford it or can't obtain one in your circumstances God will understand, but if you have one collecting dust on your end table that's a horse of another color. If you're able to read and it's available, you'd better be reading it. Then there's those who read it and don't do what it says. Can I pick on my Baptist friends now? You shouldn't be saying "I know it seems to talk about divine healing in there, but that's not for today. I know it talks about the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in other tongues, but that was just to get the church off to a good start in the first century. That casting out of demons business, too." We need to be hearers of the word and doers of the word.
That's why I recommend reading "Pilgrim's Progress" because it's still very true today. They have in there a character called Talkative who has the Christian talk but he doesn't separate from the world and live a holy life. The churches are full of this type, even behind the pulpits. They can preach a good sermon but then they secretly are practicing homosexuals. The Roman Catholic church has had a huge scandal lately with literally hundreds of clergy being accused of sexually abusing children. And most of this is gay and Pope Benedict helped to cover this up for years. Just having a lot of knowledge of the Bible and being able to talk about it intelligently doesn't make you a real Christian, my friend. Jesus Christ said about Jewish leaders that they were hypocrites or actors. They had the talk, but didn't walk the walk.
They were showing up at the synagogue every week, and bragged about their fasting two days a week and tithing. But they were proud and violent. They were quick to pick up stones to kill a woman caught in adultery, and they tried to kill Jesus on more than one occasion. Jesus Christ pointed out to them that they claimed to be the seed of Abraham, but Abraham hadn't acted like that. And I'm afraid a lot of "Christians" are the same way today. Jesus Christ told us to love our enemies but Pat Robertson, for example, is recommending assassinating Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Or someone like Hal Lindsay is recommending invading Iran. Jesus Christ didn't call His true church to go and kill and torture people but to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Without partiality. See Mark 16:15-18.
We need to come out of the world and be separate. See 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. Come out of the Masonic Lodges, which incidentally even a lot of ministers are members of today. Come out of friendships with unconverted Jews. Preach to them, yes, but if they reject the gospel move on and preach to others as the early church did. "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:17,18.
Then there's the kind of Christians that rarely if ever read the Bible. Again if you don't have one and can't afford it or can't obtain one in your circumstances God will understand, but if you have one collecting dust on your end table that's a horse of another color. If you're able to read and it's available, you'd better be reading it. Then there's those who read it and don't do what it says. Can I pick on my Baptist friends now? You shouldn't be saying "I know it seems to talk about divine healing in there, but that's not for today. I know it talks about the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in other tongues, but that was just to get the church off to a good start in the first century. That casting out of demons business, too." We need to be hearers of the word and doers of the word.
That's why I recommend reading "Pilgrim's Progress" because it's still very true today. They have in there a character called Talkative who has the Christian talk but he doesn't separate from the world and live a holy life. The churches are full of this type, even behind the pulpits. They can preach a good sermon but then they secretly are practicing homosexuals. The Roman Catholic church has had a huge scandal lately with literally hundreds of clergy being accused of sexually abusing children. And most of this is gay and Pope Benedict helped to cover this up for years. Just having a lot of knowledge of the Bible and being able to talk about it intelligently doesn't make you a real Christian, my friend. Jesus Christ said about Jewish leaders that they were hypocrites or actors. They had the talk, but didn't walk the walk.
They were showing up at the synagogue every week, and bragged about their fasting two days a week and tithing. But they were proud and violent. They were quick to pick up stones to kill a woman caught in adultery, and they tried to kill Jesus on more than one occasion. Jesus Christ pointed out to them that they claimed to be the seed of Abraham, but Abraham hadn't acted like that. And I'm afraid a lot of "Christians" are the same way today. Jesus Christ told us to love our enemies but Pat Robertson, for example, is recommending assassinating Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Or someone like Hal Lindsay is recommending invading Iran. Jesus Christ didn't call His true church to go and kill and torture people but to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Without partiality. See Mark 16:15-18.
We need to come out of the world and be separate. See 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. Come out of the Masonic Lodges, which incidentally even a lot of ministers are members of today. Come out of friendships with unconverted Jews. Preach to them, yes, but if they reject the gospel move on and preach to others as the early church did. "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:17,18.
...... :amen 
