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| Norjo Cafe in Monroe, gift to our community (now closed...) |
Any fool can criticize. What's really needed, and hard to find, are people who edify others.
Real Church is an edification station. Pseudo-church is a critical mass.
Demolition is quick and easy. Construction requires time and wisdom.
You don't need to be a rocket scientist to find flaws in people. You need the Holy Spirit to speak words that strengthen, comfort, and encourage.
The Holy Spirit hugs and spanks, all in love, and all for the purpose of growth into Christlikeness. In Real Church there is conviction. In Pseudo-church there is eviction.
In the Real Church mercy wins, judgment loses. In a critical spirit judgment triumphs over mercy.
Oswald Chambers has written:
"It is impossible to enter into fellowship with God when you are in a critical mood. Criticism serves to make you harsh, vindictive, and cruel, and leaves you with the soothing and flattering idea that you are somehow superior to others. Jesus says that as His disciple you should cultivate a temperament that is never critical. This will not happen quickly but must be developed over a span of time. You must constantly beware of anything that causes you to think of yourself as a superior person."
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Praying: Reflections on 40 Years of Solitary Conversations with God
Leading the Presence-Driven Church
