Christian Living

---

Larry Lilly's Letter Wednesday April 18, 2007

On yesterday I spoke briefly on the cause of the escalation of violence in our society and made mention that we need to be real in our walk with Jesus and used the regular overused terms to define such a walk, a walk that identifies us a filled with love, filled with the spirit and filled with the warmth of true biblical knowledge. I received a reply from an old friend that is still speaking to my heart. Tell me what you think:

Larry,

"I was reminded again this evening that church people operate in the paradigm of the church under the pretense of being "filled the spirit, the love of Christ" and all the while being oblivious to their selfish, obnoxious and stubborn selves. There is a grand illusion and I don't care to see through it. But I do."

Now, what do you take my friends brief comments to mean?

The word "pretense" jumped off the page coming at me like a projectile from a high powered rifle at point blank range. My friend hit the nail right smack dab on the ole head with the word. He drove another point home with the resounding statement, "all the while being oblivious to their selfish, obnoxious and stubborn selves."

WOW. Sounds like me dear friend was in Baptist Business meeting? I know that though my family name is Lilly, I am not all that "Lily" white, but I have sure been appalled at a group of my friends who have thrown the Bible out and took a Brother to secular court and then went all around the fence post in a vain attempt to deny the same. To say I am disappointed is understatement, though I am glad it is not me they took to court.

I am praying for my friend not due to the above take outs from his comments, but from this one:

"There is a grand illusion and I don't care to see through it. But I do."

That working close with professed and even real Christians will lead to disappointment, disillusionment is well known. Modern Christianity looks much better from a safe distance. Up close the stark truth of lack of walking what we talk is usually so obvious as to cause us at first to think we must not being seeing what we know we are seeing. An acceptance of the reality of what we see can be devastating to younger, zealous Christians and embittering to older, more callused though sincere ones. The current scene in Christendom reminds me of a statement attributed to Gandhi when asked why he was not a Christian:

"You ask me of Jesus, and I love him, and I would have been one of his followers had I not known so many of them."

I have to agree with my friend of many years, the modern version of Christianity is but a grand illusion, and it is really good to see through it, for once this is done, we can get on with our getting to know the real Jesus. As an old song states; There is no disappointment in Him.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2007 Use with credit.

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE