H Y P O C R I S Y

"Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the Sanctuary and places of honor at covered-dish suppers. They devour silly women at their homes and for a show make long drawn out prayers, to be heard for their much eloquence. Such men will be punished most severely." (Paraphrase of Matt.12:38-40)

One of the greatest problems with the professed Church today is that of mistaken identity. These professors of religion who belong to and love this world, think that they belong to God also. They think that friendship with the world is A-ok with God the Father (Jas.4:4), but simply a means to identify with sinners problems and thus have a great influence toward the world. And so a great deal of the effort today focuses on the showing the people of this world that Christians are just like they are; they really don't have to die to this world and all of its pleasures (Col.2:20), but just direct the lust within each of us to religious-sponsored endeavors. Just look at all the worldly entertainment by some churches, as they compete for center stage and big numbers as well as bigger bucks. We see "Christian Fashion Shows, Christian Money/Making/Managing Seminars, Christian Sports Events and Rock Concerts, etc...The pagan world really runs after us now, because they don't want Jesus to change them and we show them that they were right all along, just tell folks your a Christian, truly being one is for only a few fanatics and weirdos. As children of God, we are to go into the world to carry the message of repentance toward God, bringing about a changed lifestyle. And just the opposite is taking place in far to many places. The World is getting into the Church and changing it from the inside out, and it  does-not  resemble the sacred instructions left us by the Holy Spirit!  The Demas' of today never feels the need to leave the Church, instead he is often given a top position of responsibility, in order to keep him active. In fact, if he did stop loving the world, most churches would then kick him out.

So many Church-goers are deceived, thinking that identification with "A Church", then identifies them with "THE Church", and all of these bells and whistles identifies them with "CHRIST"!!! The truth of the Scripture is that "No servant can serve two masters" (Lk.16:13) Their lips claim fellowship with the Holy God of Heaven, but their actions loudly betray them. THE BIBLE IS FULL OF EXAMPLE AFTER EXAMPLE, WHICH TELLS US GOD HATES  H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-S-Y  AS MUCH AS ANY SIN!!!

Yours for Truth and Freedom......Horace Hooper