Today’s Church: My Final Thought


     We can come up with multiple reasons for the failure of the churches in America and around the world, but the answer is simple.  We can talk about and analyze issues, but it comes down to churches leaving God out.  We can go to church for the wrong reasons and for the right reasons, but without having God in us, without loving God, without praising God, and without worshiping God, our right reasons are all in vain.  The church needs God in its’ heart.

     I’ve seen how God changes people.  At times, I’ve been envious.  The drug addict who hears the Word of God, asks forgiveness, and let’s Jesus come into his heart becomes a changed man.  He is full of the spirit and can’t get enough of God’s Word.  He memorizes and shares the gospel.  He leads his friends and coworkers to the Lord.  As he grows in the Lord, he gives everything in his life to God.  He gave up all his earthly riches and belongings to reach an unreached group in South America.  Everyone who met him saw Jesus shining through his actions and his happiness in serving God. 

     Did I say I’m envious!  I grew up in church.  My father was a man who walked and lived for the service of God.  Among his children and grandchildren are six ordained pastors and eight Bible teachers.  We can become so ingrained in church that it becomes about the Bible, not God.  Don’t get me wrong, I believe we need to study and know God’s Word, but we need to have God at the center of our Bible study and worship.  We need God in us.  We need God in our worship.  We need God in our Bible Study.  We need God in every moment of our lives.  We need to grow spiritually in God.  We need to love God.  When people see us, they should see Jesus shining through in our actions and happiness in having God in us.

     AW Tozer in “The Attributes of God, A Journey into the Father’s Heart” writes in chapter 2 concerning the church, “We stop with revelation.”  In other words, the church believes in the Bible, but stops there.   In fact, many churches argue over translations.  I’m not going there as long as the translation leads to God.   Tozer explains it well.  When man has God in his heart and his heart is open to the Word, he grows closer to God and understands the will of God.  We need the “revelation,” but we need to understand that the revelation leads us to God.



     My final thought: the church needs more faith in God.  “Don’t you know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”  I Corinthians 3:16

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Gift of the Light

Image
  As the Light of Day rises, the world awakes for a new day with new beginnings and new hope. As the sun rises, nature comes alive with the sound of birds singing and the rustling of all life awakening. From the darkness of night, the Light of Day gives new hope with new beginnings in the day to come. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness  And the darkness comprehends it not. John 1:4,5 John describes Jesus as the Light, the Creator, the Son of God, and the Lamb of God. Matthew and Luke begin the life of Jesus as the baby in a manger. Mark starts with John the Baptist baptizing Jesus. Then, we have the gospel of John. John begins with the reason God sent his Son.  Jesus came to give life. Yet, they did not understand. They expected a majestic king but got a baby born in a simple manger. They expected a ruler leading them to defeat their enemies but got a humble man teaching the way to God and healing bodies and souls. In ...
Read more

What Christians Should Do

 The USA just celebrated its 250th birthday. What a celebration! I have enjoyed seeing how everyone celebrated this milestone in our country. Over and over in the last few months, the United States has been proclaimed to be a Christian Nation founded on Christian standards. This has caused debates, and I'm not going to join the debate. However, many of the first arrivals from Europe came to live out their Christian faiths. There are churches in almost every town. Go for a drive along the country roads of America, and you will see old church buildings along the way. The Christian faith has grown across our country. Yet, how many of us live out our Christian faith? Just how many of us are dedicated to living out what Christians should do? As I read Paul's letters recorded in the Bible, I see where he reminds the churches how they should live and what they should be doing. Paul repeats the message of salvation through faith. God sent His Son, Jesus, to be our sacrificial Lamb. Jes...
Read more

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS DAILY

  In the gospels, Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23 ESV)  In this lent season, many give up something as a sacrifice. They deny themselves pleasure for forty days. Then, after the season of lent, it ends. Considering Jesus' words, 'take up your cross daily.' There is no end date in Jesus' words to the disciples. Matthew extends Jesus' words, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosever will save his life shall lose it, and whosever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange of his soul?" (16:24-26 KJV) Strong words. Consider your sacrifices. Are you following in the steps of Jesus? What are you sacrificing? After the disciples received the Holy Ghost, they completely...
Read more