CAESAR'S CHURCH

Constantine's Church at Constantinople

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."  (James 1: 27)

   In churches across America, has church become no more than an arena in the arenas of our lives?
   Has church become a place where we gather to watch a program, a show, then clap our hands and stomp our feet when we like what we see with our eyes?  Do we not do the same at football games?
   Surely this is not true in all churches, but, to some degree, can we agree that this must be true in some churches?
   Is Christ the center of our worship, or have the music and light shows been moved the top of the program?
   COME AS YOU ARE:
   There was a time when people wore church clothes to church, but today some churches have a come-as-you-are attitude where shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops is the accepted form of dress in the worship of God. 
   What happens, moreover, when people leave church?  Do they take Christ with them, or do they leave Christ at church behind the altar, or behind the curtain, and there Christ remains for another week, or until another holiday season?
   Over the past five years, I have looked and I have prayed, and, while I am not to judge others, I have arrived at one question:  Whom am I?  Whom do people see when they see me outside a church building and in my private world.  Do they see me as a Christian, or do they see me as just "one of the guys"?
   To tell you the truth, I fail Christ daily,  for I am not always whom I believe that I am?  For I, too, am reluctant to speak of Christ when I know that I should:  for which I seek God's forgiveness.
   WHEN IN ROME DO AS THE ROMANS DO:
   Today, I invite you to do something different:  do your own research.  Go online and look up Constantine the Great, the Emperor of the Roman Empire, and see how a dictator became the head of the church in Rome and see how this one man changed the face of Christianity that has existed until this very day.
   Have we, therefore, fallen victim to Caesar's church across America and in Protestantism?  Have we accepted elements of Roman paganism that the early Christians preached against?  Have we accepted holidays as holy days throughout Christendom?
   In so doing, perhaps all of us will ask the same question:  Who are we?
      "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Whom do men say that I am?  And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, as one of the prophets.  He saith unto them, But whom do ye say that I am?  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."  (Matthew 16:  13-16)

Constantine's Baptism Shortly Before His Death