Western Christianity is different from Eastern Christianity.
Why?
Many of us in the West don't know persecution and so we have
a lot of tares in among the wheat because there is little to weed them out. Our
roots don't dig very deep because we are spoiled. Many of those in the East can
scarcely be tares because there is so much persecution that it weeds them out.
Eastern Christians meet whenever... they can and spread the Word whenever they
can get away with it. Western Christians meet once a week...twice, if they're
feeling "religious"...Western Christians will rarely go out and tell
somebody about the Word unless if they are directly asked...and for them, half
an hour a week is more than enough time to spend with One they claim to love so
much...and at the first sign of persecution, our knees buckle and we cry out to
God, asking why He would dare allow our comfort to be temporarily disturbed...
Western Christianity--for the most part--is spoiled, too
comfortable, and too lukewarm.
So, Christian, I challenge you...
I challenge you to dare to be persecuted.
I challenge you to upset your routine.
I challenge you to be as excited about Jesus as the Apostles
were.
I challenge you to spread the Word at all costs.
I challenge you to risk losing "friends".
I challenge you to meet with Christians outside of your
Sunday worship services and discuss Christ throughout the week...perhaps even
starting a home-group.
I challenge you to allow Christ to be more precious to you
than anything life can give or death can take. (Christ will be glorified in you
whenever He is more precious to you than anything life can give or death can
take.__John Piper.
I challenge you to make Jesus your everything.
I challenge you to put Yahweh first in all things.
I challenge you to not just read your Bible, but to study it
and let it truly be your spiritual food...to live by what's written in there
rather than living by your own desires and lusts.
I challenge you to prove that there is no "Western
Christianity" or "Eastern Christianity"...there is only Jesus
and the Bride of Christ.
I challenge you to cast off the status quo, take up your
cross, and follow Him in all things...wherever He leads, may you follow always.
I challenge you to turn from the ways of this world, turn to
Jesus, and be on fire for Him.
