The Heart Condition

With all that I have written over the last weeks I really believe a majority, and in fact all of this can be summed up with the Heart Condition. The reality that churches are preaching sermons that appease to everyone without any change, the songs we sing to boost our feelings rather than glorify God. The ministries we create to help without actually uplifting people, the lack of a spirit led and spirit drawn service, the lack of understanding, love, obedience and worship that has creeped into the minds and hearts of Christians is the basis for where we are. The truth of the matter is many Christians do not believe in Jesus, for if they did they would live as He did.

The reality of the missing object or atmosphere of the church today is the fact that we have stopped believing. Yes, we may believe in the image of Christ, we believe in his teachings, we may believe in what he represents, we believe what he came to do, we believe in His miracles, we believe in all he does without actually believing in Him. When one believes something it is shown clearly without doubt. We believe in the nature of gravity, therefore we live knowing that certain things cannot be done due to the force of gravity; we understand that gravity is present and therefore make decisions based on that belief, and live accordingly.

We believe the sun is hot, therefore we make decisions to cover ourselves up, or to put sunscreen on for those who burn. We make decisions that way because we believe it. If we were to look at how we believe about Christ and take those same examples we would come to the conclusion that the Christ Christians believe in is not necessarily the Christ preached and proclaimed by the Disciples and Apostles in the Bible. For if it was we would live as he lived.

“Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

I do not say this to make you hurt, nor to try and gather up something for you to say or do. Jesus said we must follow Him, not follow Him but…not follow Him with….not follow Him if…..not follow Him and, but just follow Him. The cross we carry is difficult and when it becomes easy, easy to live for Christ, easy to obey Him, easy to worship, easy to die to self, we must look and discern if we are picking up our cross and truly following Him. To live for Christ is difficult and to those of the world foolish. 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

Luke 6:45 “For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”

We are shown that our mouth produces what is in our heart, and whatever is in our heart is who we are. Therefore if we take the lifestyle of Christians and compare it to that of Christ, we will see that we are not living as He did and therefore not believing in what He said. The condition of the Christian heart is that of one that has wandered away, no longer believing in the message of Christ and therefore living as we believe, that we are covered by emotions and good feelings rather than the Blood of Jesus, the perfect lamb. This does not apply to all Christians, but I sincerely believe that it is a majority. There are other reasons why Christians do not believe, but the important fact is that they don’t. I cannot pretend as though soundbites and good thinking will cut it out, I cannot pretend to know God and yet not know the needs and concerns of my brothers and sisters around me. My heart must believe, our hearts must believe. For one second we must look inward and realize the condition of our heart must be restored and we must yearn for Him with all might and passion. Let us believe in Jesus for who He is, and may those who have suffered because of our unbelief, those who have been hurt, mistreated, alienated, beaten and forgotten, I pray that they forgive us and we be forgiven for our unbelief. May God come to us.

Life Groups vs. Church Service

Life Groups, Cell Groups, Small Groups, House Church….There are many names for them. Recently, I have been asked several times “are we doing church right?” “Is this the way the first century church did it?” These are great questions, but unfortunately many think too hard or too religiously on answering them. The danger of returning to the structure of the first century church is that many do so with a plan or outline. The number one thing to remember while desiring to return to the structure of the church that Jesus intended, is to not return in thought or mind, but in heart. The reason the church is where it is today is not only because we have drifted, but because many are attempting to restore spiritual power with physical strength!

In order to return to the church that Jesus intended it to be is to not do so through physical strength. The way the church operated immediately after Pentecost was with Power. The way many churches operate today is with words. Little by little there have been signs of a hunger within God’s people to return to something real! We see this with the ever-increasing movement of Life Groups, Small Groups, or Cell Groups. The desire to meet in homes of other believers and to experience fellowship as a family has been growing more and more. There are still several problems with the way these groups operate, but many are starving and thirsting for more of these groups than they are a church service; why is that?

As I have written several times the structure and operation of a church service as well as the church universal is widely different from churches around the world, as well as the church of Jesus’ day. People are flocking to such groups because there is a desire to be apart of a family. The two-hour event on sunday mornings is not cutting it. The openness, realness and truth from these groups is what pushes people toward faith and trust not only in God but in bond with other believers. It is important, these groups, because it gives people the opportunity to not go “by the rules” so to say. Like I said above, these groups are not perfect, in fact many operate just like a church service, which kind of beats the purpose of a Life Group. But those that operate differently find members enjoying it and opening up a lot more.

Let’s take a look at what a small group looks like and compare it to a regular church service:

Small Group:
Everyone plays a part
Open Discussion
Listen to the prayers and needs of members
Help, encourage and uplift one another
In-depth study of God’s word

Church service:
Only preacher and worship team have a part
Listen quietly to the preacher
Pray corporately and out by noon
Greet one another with smiling faces, but nothing more
10-point outline of God’s word

And the list goes on…….

As you can tell there is more of a fellowship, discussion, prayer, connection, and understanding on a small group level. But as the church meets on sunday’s it is more of a broadway show to entertain the members than it is to connect with them and understand what they are going through. This is dangerous because many who are claiming to know God, and hear from Him are walking right by those who are screaming and crying out for someone to listen. In order for the church to operate with God’s power DAILY, more than just for a 30 minute prayer service or a two-hour worship service, in order for the church to KNOW God, we must not be blinded nor hindered by the failing structure and tactics of a church organization. A recent study, as I saw on the news, indicates that many are leaving churches and the newer generation is desiring never to attend church. Why is that? Because the church offers no life, no hope, no meaning.

This is not a ministry sermon to pump you up to start a ministry to reach the lost, heal the sick, or begin something new. Rather it is a call of reflection, people are flocking to life groups today because they offer more of sincerity than churches.

Why is it important to return to the church the way Jesus intended it? Because by doing so we are able to step into the promises, power and relationship that he prepared for us from the beginning!

Let’s Move Forward in Jesus!

About a year ago these words began playing through my head like a song “Let’s Move Forward in Jesus,” “Let’s Move Forward in Jesus tonight!” These words have yet to leave me; I truly desire for the church today to move forward in Jesus and nothing else. Regardless of what each of us desires church to look like, if we cannot move forward in Jesus then we are further off then we had thought. “but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles (1 Corinthians 1:23). Paul did not desire to speak with eloquent words or great speeches, but rather he desired to display the power of God which is truth, His word is truth.

I haven’t heard it preached in a long time now, but it is of importance that it is remembered. Jesus said several times to his disciples and others, “Follow Me.” These two words should be of big importance in our walk. We are to follow HIM, not anything else. Yes, we have men in place to help guide us, but we ultimately follow HIM, no excuses. Many church goers in the First Century began having this problem and Paul addressed it right away:

“I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name.(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” (1 Corinthians 1:10-17).

Paul was addressing the fact that people were choosing to follow the teachings and signs of others rather than Christ. But Christ is the one who died for us, you see, we must follow Him and no one else. We are not to hate these men that others follow, because these are men who are doing the work of Christ, but many today want to follow man because man is what they can see. Paul addressed this again later on in his same letter:

“Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:1-9).

What if christians today set aside all agendas, all personal ambitions, all thought, and just desired to move forward in Jesus, move forward WITH Jesus? This is hard, 1 Corinthians 1:18-19 says, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ”I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

Let us no longer move in a direction contrary to God’s Word and His Spirit, let us move forward as the body, let us move forward in Jesus!

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

Heritage

Recently and within the last six months really, I have been thinking and meditating hard on my Heritage. Heritage is important because it shows where you come from, it outlines what was instilled in you, and it allows you to view where you are currently in contrast to where your heritage once was.

I’m talking about the heritage of the Christian faith. Let’s look at how much Christianity has changed within the last 40-50 years, and really even within the last 10, but for the sake of knowing more about our heritage we’ll go back further, to about 40-50 years ago.

We need to thank God for the men and women of faith in that day, the men and women who gave up everything to see His Kingdom come and His Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We need to thank God for the men and women who labored in prayer for our salvation, breakthrough, deliverance and sanctification.

The men and women 40-50 years ago that I grew up knowing more as the “elderly” did not care about programs or agendas; it was about seeing God move and moving in His power. It wasn’t orchestrated, it wasn’t thought out, it was just done. These individuals of faith preached the word of God without fear, they didn’t care about emotions, they didn’t care about criticism they preached it because it was their life, they knew of nothing else worth preaching about.

The thing about those of that day is they had the most results, they had the souls being saved, they had the deliverance, they cared about following the Spirit. They lived lives of true joy, of true passion. If they suffered it didn’t matter because they knew it was for the better and benefit of their souls or another’s. Today we care a lot about music, we get so plugged in and tuned in to music, we got to have the biggest base, the loudest drums, the best guitar. I’m not talking about going to back to organs and tambourines, it’s about the heart.

We judge how good a church is based on how good their music or preaching is, but in 1 Samuel 16:7 it says, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” God is interested in what’s in the heart. Jesus said in John 7:38 “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

This new philosophy that is creeping in to Christianity today is an emotional religion, people living according to the soul and mind rather than the Spirit of God. By living according to the mind we allow feelings, situations and emotions to dictate our life; we allow our mind to speak to us rather than the Spirit of God. We allow our soul to control our emotions rather than the heart. I’m not saying everyone 40-50 years ago had everything figured out but it was more about living by faith then rather than living by emotions.

In order to go back to the Power of God we must go back to the place we last felt it, we cannot go somewhere new we must go BACK to the place we last seen Him moving, where he last spoke to us.

When Joseph and Mary lost Jesus they went back to the place they last seen Him. They didn’t form something new, they didn’t travel to a new place looking for help in finding Him, they went BACK to the place they knew they had last saw Him and began searching for Him there.

My favorite part of this story is when Joseph and Mary found Jesus, Mary looked at Him and asked, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” (Luke 2:48) To which Jesus replied, “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49) Jesus continued about His father’s business, he was not distracted nor hindered by the culture or society around Him, He continued doing what He was created to do.

When we go back to the place we last remember hearing, feeling or seeing Jesus we will find Him doing His father’s business!

Our heritage is important because many labored in prayer for hours for just one soul. They would show up for church when we weren’t having church just to praise God. They weren’t worried about agendas, the song list, the title of the sermon, because many times the Spirit would come and change it all up. Today we know what to expect; but we must go BACK, and understanding our Heritage and what they had, why would we not want to go back?

To know the power of God as many before us did what a privilege that would be! I desire to go back to when God moved mightily, desire to go past all these great songs, these catchy lyrics, nice seating, buildings, all that, and just move forward in God!

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23).

Tradition

I was in English class when we were discussing a fiction story I had just read. The story was about tradition and how this small town refused to change their tradition and face the unknown, despite the fact that they were hurting individuals in the process of continuing their tradition. As you can imagine this story stuck out at me right away. My teacher said something, concerning this story, “We should always question tradition, some traditions are good, but the question is, why do we do them?”

This question was immediately running through my mind, and I began to think of all the things we do in churches that are “tradition.” How many churches, if you went in to them today, asked them to no longer do a particular song, particular program, particular type of anything, how many would actually listen to what you were saying? How many would allow the Spirit to flow free and mess up all the agendas for that service? Jesus said in Matthew 15:3 “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?”

Jesus was asking this to people who criticized him because he was doing something against their tradition. Why do we do what we do? Please don’t take this as a “let’s mess up everything in our services”  speech, but instead take everything you do personally, because change must start with the individual. Take everything you do in church, in a church service, in a church setting, in your daily life, and ask yourself why do I do what I do? What is it that motivates me to do what I do?

These questions are important and if you don’t have answers for them, or you answer something like, “well I’ve just always done it that way,” then we need to search and ask why? Tradition can keep us back from a move of God. Tradition can shut him out, tradition can quench what he is attempting to do. Did you know that becoming untraditional is also a tradition? Let me explain, someone begins to talk about how we must be less traditional, they talk about ways to allow the Spirit to flow more free and begin tackling the traditional practices of their day. However they look no different from a traditional church, why? Because the issue is not in attacking traditions, I heard a saying one time that goes, “Don’t become so unreligious that you form your own religion.”

This is true, why? Because many will attempt to become so unreligious, untraditional that they will end up being just as bad as those stuck in tradition. Tradition is not always bad, but when it hinders helping others, allowing God to move, yes tradition must move out-of-the-way. Much of what we do we inherited or saw in others, for example the way we clean our houses, the food we cook, the way we dress, the type of friends we choose, our attitudes, our reactions to situations, our way of thinking, a lot of this is inherited by our parents and/or guardians. A lot of what we do in churches is inherited from the generation before, and so it continues. Also a lot of what we do we get from watching those around us, we attempt to live better lives by mocking those who we feel are living “worthy, happy lives.”

Tradition is good in the sense that we must continue in the fellowship and word of God. We must not change his rules or word just because it is tradition; such tradition is necessary. Tradition regarding helping one another, preaching His Word, and following his leading must never be compromised nor changed. But the tradition that has been created such as mentioned in Matthew 15 that hinders God from moving should be changed, but only changed by the direction of God and allowing Him to show us what we must do.

As Paul writes in Colossians “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)

I don’t want to be dried out and hindered from missing what God has to say because I choose to follow my own personal traditions (I’m not talking just about church traditions, as I mentioned above being untraditional can also be a tradition), but rather I want to follow Christ, not empty philosophy, not matter how good it may sound, no matter how it may make me feel, no matter the emotions, I must follow Christ.

“God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:15)

God is truth, His church is truth, and if we will follow truth “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

Reaching on their Level

Not too long ago a cat showed up at my house, I’m not a cat person but this particular cat really intrigued me. It was very scared and would hardly come near me. I would try to call for it and get it to come over but it just simply would not. Finally I bent down on my knees and called for it and it slowly inched its way over towards me. When I thought about this, I began thinking about how we treat and reach out to other people. Many times we stand tall, calling out to those to come to us, but like this cat many people will not just simply come because we call to them.

As I got down on the cat’s level, his fear began to minimize and he trusted me a little more. Unlike most cats, who tend to warm up pretty easy with people, this cat did not. It took a good 4 months or so before this cat would start walking up to me on its own. Even now it is still edgy, he will raise his back when I start petting him. This experience taught me a very valuable lesson that I believe wasn’t coincidental no matter how cliché it may sound.

When people try to help one another, when they try to reach new people, they will tend to stand up and be proud of their “height in God,” if you will, and forget that they too were once closer to the ground. They won’t get down to the other person’s level instead they desire for the other person to come up to theirs. Just as it is impossible for the cat to come up to my level, so is it impossible for many to come up to others. When we desire to witness, guide, counsel, help, and encourage one another, we must do so on their level.

For example, you cannot take a third grader, teach him calculus, and then punish him because he cannot pass the test. First, he cannot learn calculus until he learns the other basic functions of mathematics. Second, his mind is not capable of understanding such material, especially if he is unable to comprehend the material he is currently in. If we can understand this in the physical, why do we have a hard time understanding this in the spiritual? If we want to reach people, we are going to have to stop trying to reach them on our terms, and instead come to their level. This is not a “pump you-up witness seminar,” this is not a sermon to rally people for a particular cause, instead this is to show that if we want to be able to reach people, we are going to have to do so on their level.

Getting down on my knees to reach the cat, freed him to trust me little by little. When I am standing up, I am sure I look like a really big man who may hurt him, but as I kneel down he sees me as someone completely different. I’m still the tall man, but have reached down on his level to be with him. This kind of ministry is forgotten in the church today. When we are saved, attend seminary, start a life group, become close with ministers, we forsake the “lesser of these” as they are called. We become hot-headed, we feel we have reached a state of holiness and purity that many others simply cannot achieve. We cannot stand from our high horse, proclaim Christ, and yet not get on the level of those around us. Many say it is “worldly” to decrease. Now, we do not need to start doing drugs in order to reach those on drugs, but sending a message of condemnation is not what Christ came to do. We must remember, we are not the Judge! And I for one am thankful for that!

Matthew 7:1-2, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

The same measure! Not similar, not taken into account, but the same! We must be careful in judging others.

The object is to understand that not everyone is the same, and therefore we should stop trying to make a robotic, cloned society. We must get on the level of others, and just because we reach down to others on their level does not mean we have reached the height; because as we reach down to others, we also must look at those reaching down to us to help us on our level.

As I reached down to that cat, it wasn’t because it was a duty or an obligation, I didn’t feel more superior than he, rather it was simply reaching down to build something between us. If you are “reaching down” and bragging about it, “reaching down” and thinking you are better, then you have not reached down at all. Getting on the levels of others around us, helps us know that there is a point to why we’re here, and helping one another reach that point.

We need to Love

Many have wondered what church should look like, how do they know if they are doing it right or wrong? While I am not completely sure yet as to what the church needs to be, I do know that God wants us to operate in His power. In the past years, God has begun showing me that Church is supposed to be a place where people can come and find healing. It is supposed to be a place of prayer, it is supposed to be a place of relationships. The word relationships I believe is sometimes fogged by many today. I am including myself in this, because although I knew the importance of relationships, I have now become aware of how important it actually is to have them. The thing that separates us from all the others, is Love. Love is what binds relationships together. Love is what holds everything together, in fact Love is why we’re here.

Love is not an easy thing to accomplish. We all want Love, but we are not all so quickly to give it. If you think you have mastered Love, remember the ultimate showing of Love by God. So what is Love?

Romans 5:7-8 “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

That’s a Love I can’t comprehend, that while I was still a sinner, Christ did for me.

So what is Love towards my friends?

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).

What is Love towards my enemies?

Matthew 5:44 “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

This is the hardest thing, for me, to fulfill in my life. To Love even those that attempt to tear me down. To Love even those who persecute and spitefully use me. To Love them, and not only Love them, but pray for them, and bless them. Why? Because that is Love.

Matthew 5:46-48 says, “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

The thing that jumps out to me the most about these scriptures, is “you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” What is perfect? What is it that he is saying that would make us perfect? He just spent the last few verses talking about how we must Love our enemies, and then tells us, “you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” God is perfect, Jesus is perfect! Why? Because they Love, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Love is what makes us perfect, if we Love we will be perfect as He is perfect. “God is Love” (1 John 4:8). “But, what about sinning, if I am loving God, don’t I still have to work on my sin, therefore not making me perfect?”

We must take the words of Jesus which says by Loving, we shall be perfect. But Loving is not Love, if we are only Loving those that Love us. That is why perfection and holiness is hard to achieve. Because Love is when we Love those who persecute us, it is when we not only Love them, but then take it further and pray for them, and bless them. If they are in need we provide for them. Why? Because that is Love, that is what Christ did for us.

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

Love covers sins, we can show the Love of Christ by loving others. Today we justify hate, we justify why we can’t love, we justify why we can’t help someone. Love is not just saying “hey” when you see someone you know. Love is not just saying “I will pray for you” when someone is in need. Love is so much deeper, it is a way of Life. It cannot be forced, it cannot be acted. Love is not just handing someone a card inviting them to a church. How can we, who have received the Love of Christ, withhold it from others? The distraction we face is not loving. For in Loving, we will accomplish many things for His Kingdom. Love is what God is, it is not a word nor is it something to be created. Love is what should define us, Love is what should run through our veins, it should be the very thing that motivates us. It should be the very thing that allows us get up in the morning, it is the very thing that blesses, prays, helps, guides and be there for one another.

Ephesians 3:17-19 “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

I cannot in words of men describe such Love, I pray we can all grasp His Love and that he show us how to love one another.

By Law or By Faith?

Many churches today say we are saved by Faith, but are then bound by law. What does this mean? They say that by faith an individual can accept Christ and be saved, but he then goes from living by faith to living by rules. Now many may not think they believe this way, but if you look at how they preach and live, they do. Now the law is not sin, nor should it be viewed as something “from the past,” for in fact Paul writes in Romans, “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law” (Romans 3:31).

“What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not!” (Romans 7:7)

Paul even goes on to say ““We know that the law is spiritual” (Romans 7:14).

But there are some who believe that because the law is spiritual, and because we “uphold the law” that we live solely by the law. This was a very hard thing for me to break in my own life, so I completely understand if individuals have a hard time understanding or accepting what I am going to say. If we live by the law, what was Christ here for? If we must obey the traditions and regulations of the law, what advantage is Christ to us? What did he bring different to the world? The Law was already in place, so Christ did not come to create the law, for it was already here. So by Christ coming, what did he accomplish?

“Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?” (Galatians 3:2)

The early Christians received God’s Spirit by faith, because we are told that “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Paul was dealing with the exact same illness that many are dealing with today. There were some then, just as there is now, who were trying to get Christians to obey the law. They were preaching on the requirements and the rules and stating that Christians must still obey these laws. But Paul lays out the plan of faith, stating we received God’s spirit by FAITH not by observing the LAW.

Christians today will preach things like “You can’t get tattoos,” “You can’t eat that meat.” In fact they are dead set against these things and look horribly upon those who break these “traditional rules.” But these “rules” are apart of the Law. If we are to still obey the law in its entirety, then what did Christ come for? Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” What freedom do we have if we must still obey the law? None! For “the law was added so that the trespass might increase” (Romans 5:20). If our trespasses are increasing daily, then aren’t we crucifying Christ every day?

People will try to tell you certain portions of the law. unfortunately they have absolutely no idea what they are saying. They will demand that you follow certain portions of the law but tell you that you no longer need to obey the others because “Christ died for us.” This is contradictory not only to themselves but to the Word of God as well. For Paul says, “if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace” (Galatians 5:2-4).

When we try to observe the law we have fallen from the Grace God has given us. Paul writes in Colossians that Christ, “canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). We are no longer bound by the law!

Now don’t get all happy and begin thinking that because there is no law, there is no standard, there is. But the standard is to simply Love Christ and be Holy (1 Peter 1:15). Loving Christ is taken too lightly today. Not that we need more rules and regulations, but rather we need to understand what it really means to Love someone.

Christ came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17), and by fulfilling the law he was the ultimate sacrifice that has redeemed us from our sins. One of my favorite verses in the entire Bible is Matthew 27:50-51, “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.”

The sacrifice we had to make for the redemption of our sins was no longer needed. His Blood was so powerful that it wiped out the requirements against us for those then and those now. That’s power! You see, we are no longer bound by the requirements of the Law. Those that choose to put themselves and others under such bondage have forgotten the work of Grace. Please read this passage of scripture very closely, and if needed read it again.

“All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit” (Galatians 3:10-14).

The Law was fulfilled with Christ, if we are in Christ and follow Christ we will fulfill that Law!

Romans 8:2-4, “through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature,God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.”

When we discover this freedom we must also not become arrogant. For Romans 14:1-3 says, “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.”

We must accept those whose faith does not allow them to do certain things, just as they must accept those whose faith does. That is freedom!

In closing, Galatians 6:12-15 says, “Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.”

The purpose

I want to take this time to kind of give an overview of my thoughts, and explain what I hope this blog accomplishes as well as what it is designed for. First off, I am not a “superhero Christian.” I do not wish to be viewed as someone as such. I have attended church my whole life, and therefore the issues and problems I will be discussing will be from an “insiders” take rather than an “outsider looking in.” Throughout my life in church I have witnessed several things I did not agree with, some things even going directly against the Word of God. A few years back, God began to deal with me about how church should be and began flooding scriptures into me during my time with Him. As I looked across the church universal as well as the church I was in, I began to notice that we were not doing it “by the book,” However as in most churches, if you try and challenge the authorities thereof you are immediately shot down. I have been hurt, disappointed, angered, and frustrated by the different tactics church and church people use on a weekly basis. As I have come to realize, church is more of a Broadway show with organizational type skills, as opposed to having the life and power that it was given when Jesus rose from the dead.

Now, as for what I hope this blog accomplishes as well as what it is designed to do, that is simple. I felt like an outcast for the longest time, being the only one who disliked church and felt like it was all going wrong. But as the years went on, and I began to talk to more people, I realized there are a lot of people who are threw with church! There are a lot of people who never desire to go back and/or never wish to attend ever. When these kinds of statements are made, church people overlook it and call it “worldly” or “devilish” I call it a concern to be heard. This blog is not about me; rather it is about ALL OF US. I have sat and watched individuals cry and vent over the hurt and wrongdoings church people have done to them. I want this to be a place where people can come and realize they are not alone, realize there are others out there who are experiencing the exact same things. This is not to be confused with a place for “bitter upsets” and “church bashing,” although I understand if people have been pushed to the point of bitterness, and I will not turn them away. But I do not wish for people to come here and begin trashing churches because of what they have gone through. But instead trying to find the remedy for our lives. If you no longer believe in God, I understand. If you no longer believe he hears, I understand. If you no longer want to go to church ever again, I understand. I am not here to force you back into church or to force you out of church. Instead this is a place for people to come and realize they are not alone, this is a place where people listen, are able to talk, able to vent, not turned away because someone disagrees.

There are times that I quote scripture and that is not to force scripture down your throat, rather its intent is for those who do not wish to hear words alone, but rather want evidence to support what I am saying. Once again, I am not someone who is so close to God that I have no common sense, because most likely I am just like you, searching for the truth. If you find yourself upset and feeling a void in your life, find yourself upset at how church works, hurt by the way church people and pastors have treated you, needing answers to life questions, tired of the status quo, not desiring to go back to church, then this is the place for you. I know many of you have tried and tried to give certain things a chance and lost, but I ask that you give this blog a chance. Hopefully through this we can all come to the realization that something isn’t working and together we can find the Remedy.

Searching for Jesus

Have you ever wondered why people loose their fire? Have you ever wondered how we go from nice uplifting services one week to trying to stay awake the next? Church says it’s because people allow life to get in the way and distract them, and perhaps sometimes that is exactly what it is. But why is it the “Spirit” only movies when a guest speaker comes to preach? Why is it the “Spirit” only operates during certain portions of the service and certain times of the year? Is it because once the fire is caught, church mellows it out with ritual duty? Put aside for a second the booming preaching, the shouts of amens and praise, the loud voicetress music, and ask yourself is church really lively?

Is there really anything in church that would attract me to it if there was no God? You may argue, “But there is a God” and that would be exactly my point. Since there IS a God, why do we act as if there is not? Why do we care so much about appeasing the flesh and the world? If we have been made seperate (2 Corinthians 6:17), shouldn’t we be the one who are celebrating and not they?

I have wondered how many, including myself, can attend a church service and operate our services as though Jesus was not there. We go about our duties and programs without even acknowledging who they are for. Yes, we may have the name, we may have the scripture, the mission statement, the vision, and the support, but its as though we are worshiping a God we have created in our minds. We go about ignoring the needs and concerns of the people within our churches. We put our own American spin on the terms Grace and Love, never actually realizing or grasping such words. Grace is a word that will melt your heart and bring you to a place where you realize His Grace is enough. You can’t realize that with a misinterpertation of Grace. Many of us today say the right things, we do the right things, but I believe as one man said “I do not think we actually know what we are saying and doing.”

My friend and I had attended a youth conference one time at a church, we were sitting during praise and worship and watching all the young people raise their hands, dance, and have a good time. Now there were some genuine people worshiping during this time, and it is those individuals that will bless your heart. But a majority of these young people were so animated and theatrical it was hard to stay seated. The point of these examples is this, why is it, if we are worshiping a risen Savior, we are sharing in His Love and in His Grace, why do we act as if we must perform for Him? Why do we go about our services acting as though he is not present? Why do we take control of our services? I am not trying to downgrade or bash churches today, but please hear me out. In the far extreme case, you have churches who are so theatrical and animated that it’s not even believable to anyone watching. But in a majority of churches today, you have the hidden anesthesia that has numned church goers into playing a part in hopes of receiving the real deal. If we are the Church and Body of a King and Savior, I cannot comprehend why we go about our services and days as though nothing ever happened! Do not take this as a condemnation message, for I am included in this as well. I have wondered how I can go through a service or my day and not realize I am apart of the Body! When he says for us to do something, why do we debate it? I recently watched a movie in which one of the characters says “Faith is not when everything is going well, your faith is tested and shown when you have everything falling apart.” Our faith is not faith if everything is going good in our lives. How we tell where we stand is by how we react to situations around us. If we cannot forgive the smallest details of an individual, then we most likely don’t have love running our lives. If church is supposed to be the hands and feet and the “housing” of the Holy Spirit, shouldn’t we rejoice at this fact and then begin to live and work as though we believe it?

The ritualist duties and theatrical motions of church must no longer continue, instead we must return to Jesus with our whole heart and search for His Kingdom like nothing we ever searched for before!