A Life Today

One of the areas the Lord has been teaching me about lately is about the church.  I’m not writing about how we should do church.  To be honest I’m not sure there is an exact layout for proper church organization in the scriptures.  Funny thing is when you look at what is outlined about church most “churches” do not even operate that way.  Church is not about running some institution, organizing a home fellowship, taking church outside, or anything like that.  I think the fatal thing we do is focus our energy on doing when the whole time we should just be the church.  

The church is born in Jesus.  When we become a believer we are brought into a relationship with the living God.  God is now in each of us and is not far off somewhere in space.  Each day we should be getting to know our Father more and more.  At one time we were alienated from God.  That is not because God was far from us but because we were unable to see him because of our sin.  We were blinded by the prince of the power of the air… Satan.  But because of Gods wonderful love we are now part of His family.  Before Jesus went to the cross He prayed for us that we would be one with one another and one with Him.  He gives us a wonderful invitation to share in the same relationship the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always enjoyed.  Are you getting to know your new Father that loves you beyond your understanding?

After being born into His family and getting to know Him we also have new family members.  We are now members of one another and are being built up into a spiritual house for the living God.  We are told that as we connect with other believers then He is with us in that special time of fellowship.  Certainly He is with us when we are alone but as we gather together we can then love and encourage one another.  He calls us beyond ourselves into a world of fellowship with Him and each other.  As believers we have been given unique gifts to us to share with one another.  Our whole purpose now extends beyond ourselves and connects us with other believers.  So who do you know that God has brought into your life?  It does not matter what condition they are in.  Are they weak or strong?  Are they hurting or rejoicing?  It’s unfortunate that many of the organizations we build give no room for the weak.  Yet we are told to bear one another’s burdens, to help the weak, strengthen the weary, visit orphans and widows.  You see it’s all about relationship one with another.  Let’s not become dependant on an institution for our identity but the Lord Himself.  When we understand the fellowship we have with the Father and one another I believe the Lord will do wonderful things in our midst.  Jesus said that the world would know we are His because of our love for each other.

Then there is our relationship with those who are not part of His body.  John wrote to us and said that Jesus did not come into the world to condemn it but to save the world.  Yet so often I hear condemnation being preached on the corners.  As the church we should have a wonderful message to those who are not part of it.  It’s not a message of condemnation but one of a wonderful love and of a Father who wants to gather them in and adopt them as His children.  People need to know that God is not angry with them.  When sinners of all sorts came to Jesus do you think they felt as though He was angry at them?  Jesus was not angry with them and His heart was to restore them and set them free from the bondage and heartbreak that sin had caused in their lives.  You say, “well yes, that was Jesus and he did love people but God is going to judge sin.”  It is true that one day God will judge sin but that’s a discussion for another time.  When Jesus walked the earth he said that if you saw Him then you have also seen the Father.  Jesus said He only did what He saw the Father doing.  Jesus came to reveal the Father’s heart to us.  As believers we now have the wonderful opportunity to help others be restored with the living God.  The world needs to know God is not angry with them and so desires a relationship with them through Jesus.

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”  2 Corinthians 5:14-15