Represent the Kingdom

I find myself in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia PA. I encountered a young man who was not a believer (we fixed that before we left). He told me that he stayed away from church because it's a place where he does not believe you can find God there. He further began to tell me how the church was a place of hateful people whose main focus is competing with other churches. I can relate to what he is saying. I was in Kinko's last week. As I was in there I over heard two people talking about various local churches's in our area. Mainly the things they where saying about the different church's where good, but some things where rather hard. Especially when they got to the local church that I attend. They said some really rough things. By the end of their conversation the clerk who was helping me was finishing up with my package, she looked at me and said "That's why I'll just stay at home". I called my pastor as I was leaving the store and told him about what I heard, as he put it unfortunately some of what they said is true. That evening I went to dinner with some friends who attend various church's around the city. For some reason in the midst of the meal this game of "My Church is better than yours started". For example, "My church is a dome" "Well we are building a new building" "Ya'll are building one building, we are building five debt free" "Well my church is the fastest growing church in the city" and my favorite "My pastor is better than yours" "Well they say your pastor is gay". I had enough, so I was like shut up. Mind you, these where, I love the Lord, he heard my cry; I'm a Kingdom builder, CHRISTIANS. The waitress stopped and was looking on in disbelief at this exchange. Even as we where leaving the restaurant two of the individuals began to jab at each other again. Here is what really get's me, we are so full of the word and "walking things out" yet what is being displayed isn't God. We almost seem to worship our pastors or our buildings as if they got on the cross and died and rose again. What is there to compare, we have one savior, that's it. No comparison, He stands on his own. We are going to church's and eating up everything that is said that will put money in our pockets or get us the "things" we desire. Money aint bad, things aren't either, but if you're not loving folks God is not obligated to give you anything. We tend to major on getting as if the word of God is a multi level marketing plan or the newest get rich quick scheme. But the whole love thing is forgotten. We have ministries dogging other ministries; church's dogging other churches, Christians dogging other Christians. Maybe, the idea is if I make their light appear dimmer, this little light of mine will seem brighter. Is that going to make people want to join this group that seems like a high school clique? We are not in competition to see which church is better or best. This is not about your church, your personal ministry, your denomination. There is one savior, that's it. Rep HIM. Folks need to see love, not division. Reality is love is what people are searching for. Folks need to experience God's love whether it be from the stage, street corner, office cubicle or a myspace blog. This is kingdom work. Keep it business. KINGDOM.