I am sure that most of you know what a CINO is. In case you don't, it stands for a "Christian in name only." Hence CINO.
Let me clarify. Sleeping in a garage does not make you a car.
Attending a religious ceremony in a church does not make you a Christian.
Before I became a follower of Jesus, I went to umpteen church meetings but not once did it make me a Christian. For a little boy in a country village, it was a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon as it was a chance to dress up in Sunday best, such as it was.
I never heard the gospel once from my Sunday School teacher. I believe that you don't have to be a Christian to be active in the Anglican church. You don't have to be a Christian to be a Bishop it seems.
Now, regarding CINO'S, they are the ones that make it unnecessary to pay any attention as to how many Christians live here or there or wherever.
Saying that 67% of the population are Christian is something that I take with a pinch of salt. Chances are that at least 50% of them are CINO'S.
The only thing that matters to me, to God and the Kingdom of God is how many Christians are prepared to die for the cause of the Kingdom of God as only those are worth having.
I have hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of books in my personal library and some of my favourites are those that teach the word and explain what it means. One might call them theological books, especially geared to those with a brain in their heads and are prepared to use it.
The scripture says to study to show yourself approved unto God. Not your denomination, not your minister, not your church but God. That is paramount to me and that is why I can cope with all the insults I get because of my theological understanding of what the scripture says.
But the books that excite me the most are those that tell the story of those who have been martyred for the faith. Who have been treated as scum because they refuse to deny Jesus. These books put things into perspective for me and make me realise I have nothing at all to complain about.
When I read of a believer holed up in a dirty, filthy, smelly rat infested prison because they chose to be a follower of Jesus and they refuse to deny him, I count my blessings that I live in a modest home with all mod cons and three meals a day.
I have everything I want. No, let me rephrase that. I have everything I need. In fact, I probably have more than I need. That is why it is not difficult to give to those saints who do not even have what they need let alone what they want. Some of them are lucky to have one meal a day.
As a kid, I sang a song that had these words...
Count your blessings name them one by one
Count your blessing, see what God has done
Count your blessings, name them one by one
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
Sometimes we are too busy filling our life with things so we don't have any time to stop and count our blessings. The blessing of God's provision for us on a daily basis which is always more than those who are suffering for their faith in God have.
And remember, God has not called you to suffer for the Kingdom...yet.
Let me clarify. Sleeping in a garage does not make you a car.
Attending a religious ceremony in a church does not make you a Christian.
Before I became a follower of Jesus, I went to umpteen church meetings but not once did it make me a Christian. For a little boy in a country village, it was a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon as it was a chance to dress up in Sunday best, such as it was.
I never heard the gospel once from my Sunday School teacher. I believe that you don't have to be a Christian to be active in the Anglican church. You don't have to be a Christian to be a Bishop it seems.
Now, regarding CINO'S, they are the ones that make it unnecessary to pay any attention as to how many Christians live here or there or wherever.
Saying that 67% of the population are Christian is something that I take with a pinch of salt. Chances are that at least 50% of them are CINO'S.
The only thing that matters to me, to God and the Kingdom of God is how many Christians are prepared to die for the cause of the Kingdom of God as only those are worth having.
I have hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of books in my personal library and some of my favourites are those that teach the word and explain what it means. One might call them theological books, especially geared to those with a brain in their heads and are prepared to use it.
The scripture says to study to show yourself approved unto God. Not your denomination, not your minister, not your church but God. That is paramount to me and that is why I can cope with all the insults I get because of my theological understanding of what the scripture says.
But the books that excite me the most are those that tell the story of those who have been martyred for the faith. Who have been treated as scum because they refuse to deny Jesus. These books put things into perspective for me and make me realise I have nothing at all to complain about.
When I read of a believer holed up in a dirty, filthy, smelly rat infested prison because they chose to be a follower of Jesus and they refuse to deny him, I count my blessings that I live in a modest home with all mod cons and three meals a day.
I have everything I want. No, let me rephrase that. I have everything I need. In fact, I probably have more than I need. That is why it is not difficult to give to those saints who do not even have what they need let alone what they want. Some of them are lucky to have one meal a day.
As a kid, I sang a song that had these words...
Count your blessings name them one by one
Count your blessing, see what God has done
Count your blessings, name them one by one
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
Sometimes we are too busy filling our life with things so we don't have any time to stop and count our blessings. The blessing of God's provision for us on a daily basis which is always more than those who are suffering for their faith in God have.
And remember, God has not called you to suffer for the Kingdom...yet.
