Church. The idea of what "church" is today has caused controversy and division among the very people that are meant to be united in Truth. How is this? We have allowed Satan to break the spirit of unity among us, that's how. We have succumbed to the "letter of the law" instead of the freedom that comes with God's Spirit of the law. We have turned Christ following into denomination following, holding fast to a gang mentality of turf wars that only serve to keep us all from experiencing the fullness of Christ that exists only in parts within differing denominations. Some churches are specifically "Spirit led", but i dare to question the quality of the teaching of the Word? Another church is very "missions-focused", but what is the mission within our own communities? Others value reverence and doctrine, but where is the Spirit??! We are passionate about only parts of God, while missing the whole of himself, thus, cheapening Christianity and limiting God's power and reach within our hearts, our cities, and our world.
That is if we are passionate at all. Sometimes i get the feeling, walking into varying churches, that it is all about the entertainment or the image of a particular organization or institution, rather than it being all about God, himself. "Look at us!", "Come to our church!"…it has the flashy lights and the most charismatic pastor! He speaks such truth from the pulpit…but how does it get acted out? Where is the fruit of those provocative and fluently spoken words? Where is the church outside of the building?? On the days of the week other than Sunday?? Where is the Body of believers…all of the parts of the body, the evangelists, the pastors, the disciples and apostles, the servants and prophets? We are quite the disheveled and broken body if we are not all acting in unison.
Why must we divide and "be right"?! We are such narrow-thinkers. Why? Because we are afraid. We fear that which we are unfamiliar with. Those truths that will expand our tightly built boxes of perception and ideals. We remain bound to the limitations of our minds and miss out on true living. Abundant living. We search for the miracles of Christ in this day, and plead with God to show us all of who he is. His glory unlimited. We speak this out, then return to the mud. Hello?! He longs to show us all of himself!!! But we are getting in the way. We limit. We diminish. Then we blame it on someone or something else…dare we even blame it on God himself?
Who is God to you? Is he a mindset? A theory? A set of rules or regulations? Is he merely a belief or is he a way to abundantly live through and within this life? Who is he to you…who is he as your Savior, a Father, a Friend? Do you know him as he was...as fully human and fully God? How bout as a Holy Spirit? Do you know him in the deepest and darkest times, or just when life is going all good? Or is it the opposite for you…is he beautiful and real in the pain, but when things are smooth and painless…do you feel and know him then? Are we asking ourselves these hard questions, or are we just passing through the motions of life and religion?
God longs for ALL of us. Our hearts should long for the ALL of God. If our hearts do not long for this, then we are in danger. We are in such danger!!! For a lukewarm living is worse to God than not knowing him at all. He despises mediocrity…and rightfully so, because he is everything but mediocrity. This is not God. Let us examine the fruit of our beliefs. The gifts of his Spirit within us. Where are we lacking? Where we are missing is where we have so much more to learn of our Savior! For he IS freedom. And with his life within us, we have total and FULL access to these gifts. we are no longer "bound sinners" we are sons and daughters with an inheritance to the fullness of Life itself. Talk about responsibility! We are responsible in throwing off half-truths, throwing off lies, throwing off false humility and the idea that we are limited sinners on this earth. We have the power of Life living within us. WITHIN us!!! Do not limit him. It is far from glorifying the all of his who he is. Instead, may we be bold enough to embrace and diligently seek the unfamiliarity of the totality of Truth, himself. It is then, that we will stand tall with his power to speak life back into this world, with redemption that highlights the miracles of freedom that he longs to show the world. Let us stand united with one another, united under one God.
