“There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” 1 Samuel 2:2 NIV
Many people attend the church of their liking representing various denominations, non-denominations, brands, labels, tags, etc.–there are literally thousands of them. It’s the place that makes us feel worshipful and in-line with our own thinking. We receive not only a spiritual boost, but benefit from the social contact as well.
Here’s the cold, hard truth. None of them have it completely right! I suggest that any church claiming it does should be avoided like the plague. The differences among them can be startling. Some Christian churches aren’t even Christian, if this makes any sense to you. Nonetheless, we plow forward hoping that we’re headed in the right theological direction.
Sometimes it’s helpful to assess the place you attend and support. We’ve changed churches occasionally through the years for various reasons. For example, in the 80s we regularly worshipped at a local denominational church. Over time it became more liberal, which didn’t appeal much to us. It crossed the acceptability line when deciding that abortion is a-ok and supporting this evil practice financially. I seriously don’t know why this denomination even exists today and still includes millions of people in its membership.
Years ago I visited a famous art gallery owned by a church. One painting stunned my sensibilities as it’s beyond blasphemous. Visualize this: God is seated on a magnificent throne in the middle. On His right–yes, I wrote “right”–is a Pope dressed in his utmost finery. On God’s left–yes, I wrote “left”–is Jesus Christ dressed in simple shepherd’s clothing. The painting is huge. My initial reaction was disbelief, followed quickly by a strong desire to spray paint or slice the painting with a knife–something I thought but would never do. I guess this is why art galleries have security guards! Why on earth would a church own and display such a despicable work that places the Pope above (or even equal to) Jesus Christ?
Ask yourself the question, are you in the right church? Many good ones are out there, and it takes a little research to find it. However, know that they’re not perfect, and change should be related primarily to erroneous–i.e., non-Biblical–theology or practices.
Prayer: Help us, dear God, to worship You and respect Your holiness. Amen.