When the Body of Christ Loves Well!!!

Typically, I only post a blog if I have something to say.  Over the course of many months, I have had very little to say.  Lately I have done a lot of reading, studying, ministering to others and been very quiet. Several studies ago, I did the Armor
of God study by Priscilla Shirer. She placed a challenge to the reader "for the next seven days, try not to say or do anything in response to feelings of insecurity, fear, or really anything that is out of alignment with your true identity in Christ.  You might be surprised at how quiet you become."  The challenge to the author herself was "not to say or do anything that originates from a place of insecurity... before I choose to accept an invitation... respond to a tweet...add a comment to a conversation, I stop and make myself consider the motivation behind it. Am I doing this because I want validation or the approval of a person, group or people? Or am I doing this from a posture of value and worth in Christ? I want to train and discipline myself not to placate old feelings that the enemy is dredging up from my past."

So I took the challenge seriously and since then, I have been much quieter in general.

However, lately, I have sensed it was time to begin speaking again, write again.  My mind is flooded with stuff again.

I had lunch with several ladies the other day, and I was reminded of some truths that no one in the body seems to want to discuss, face and admit.  The truth of the matter is the body of Christ is made up of human beings!  There in lies the biggest issue. If the Triune God had left that one thing out of the body, it would be absolute perfection.  It would not have all the issues that face Christians.

• I cannot tell you how many times I have heard others or thought it myself, "I can love and trust God, it is His followers I have problems with."
• Trouble with this thinking is scripture tells us to love one another and to bear with one another's burdens.

So now that I have spoken the obvious, let's take a look at what may be the root of the issue. It is me, it is you, and it is any other human that has responded to the drawing of the Holy Spirit, accepted the price God paid to settle the sin debt that we owed by sacrificing His son Jesus, and welcomed the Lord's activity into their life.

Is it ok that I am flawed as a follower of Christ?  Will you allow me to admit that without God, I am an absolute mess.  I would not be someone any of you would care to be around.  At best, I would be self motivated to be kind. I would treat people better if there was something in it for me otherwise, I would do what is best for me.  I would say hurtful things if I thought it would make me feel better.  I would think of my self more than I do of others.  I would not love very well if at all. However, I have to choose to allow the Holy Spirit to help me, enable me and equip me so that I do not follow my nature of self-centeredness.

If you encounter me and find any redeeming value in me, it is the work of the Holy Spirit.  If you have experienced the me that I mention in the previous paragraph, I am so sorry.  That is truly the me that walks by the flesh.  That is the me that blows it and misrepresents God in the process.  In as much as I will die to myself everyday is as much as I can reflect the image of Christ in my life to each of you.

Anyone of us can wound and injure others either intentionally or unintentionally.  We need to be aware of the weightiness of our action and take responsibility for them.  We do not want to be like the diciples when they were trying to keep the little children from bothering Jesus, and Jesus scolded them for it.  He said do not keep them from coming to me.

Any of us who claim to be a follower of Jesus and yet walk out the desires of our flesh, need to remember that we may be preventing someone from coming to Christ based on the way we are living. I for one do not want to be a roadblock for someone else.

This is a great reason and motivation for us to walk dependent on the Holy Spirit in our lives and obey each thing He places on our hearts.  There are so many who have been hurt and wounded by the body, and they are staying away from Jesus because of His followers.  If you are one who is hurt, on behalf of the body, I am so sorry.  On behalf of Jesus, His arms are open wide to heal your hurts. On your behalf, please forgive and find a place to fellowship with other believers.  According to Hebrews we are not to forsake the gathering together and especially as we see the day of the Lord approaching.

We all need each other.  The word says the world will know we are Jesus' disciples by our love for each other. Let's love each other well.  Let's cut each other some slack.  Let's recognize that we are all imperfect vessels in need of help, guidance, love, forgiveness, compassion, and a huge dose of grace.

Let's desire to love one another, let's resolve to be unified in Christ and in love, putting others interest ahead of our own.  Can you imagine what a church operating in this manner would be like.  I for one love to see it.  It is not perfect, but it is good.  I love my church.

LORD and Savior or Just Your Savior?

I have been agonizing over a matter that I just cannot get my mind fully around.   I believe every single believer seems to have a slightly different take on this matter, and I have found numerous resources that conflict with each other on the matter.  Even though each is using the scripture in their argument. 

Carnal Christianity vs. Surrendered Christianity.  Is Jesus just your savior or is He becoming your LORD?  I believe we are saved in an instant, but we are transformed in His likeness over the rest of our lives as we make the choice to surrender to Him.

Colossians 3:5-17

God has been talking to me about it everywhere I turn partly because I have been asking Him about it.  I have been struggling with the body of Christ looking like the world to such a degree that the world doesn't want to be part of Christ.  I struggle with the misrepresentation of Christ to the world.  It breaks my heart that the version of Christ that is being represented is so distorted that it is giving the world every excuse to reject Him.  I do not think it is done intentionally to keep others from Christ.  I believe it is done for lack of knowledge of the truth.  But my heart breaks at the idea of my life being the reason another would turn from Christ.  My heart aches to think that my misrepresentation of Christ could cause someone to say "if that is what it is all about, I want nothing to do with Jesus."  This weighs heavy on me.  Does it you too?

If we are the body, we need to love each other.  (That includes the carnal Christian)

If we are part of Christ, we need to be concerned for the eternal destination of the lost.  

We each are in ourselves, capable of doing all manner of sin.  We have each been plagued with a disease at birth that is keeping us all captive, it is called sin.  If you can imagine the WORST sin man has ever committed according to man, it is only by the grace of God we do not each find ourselves in the middle of that very sin.  We need to see that apart from God, we are all capable of all manner of sin.  We can stay in that condition, but Jesus died on the cross to break the power of that disease in our lives.  He is the cure for our sinful state.  We can enter into that cure by receiving Him as our Savior first and then by surrendering to His will for our lives on a daily basis.  That is what we call making Him our LORD!!  He is the Master and we are His servants.  

So here is where the full agony lies for me.  As a world full of lost and hopeless people look upon the body of Christ to see "where is the Hope",  are we demonstrating our freedom from sin by our surrender to obey Him, or are we squashing the hope for others by our Profession to be His yet living like the world?  (which puts us right back in bondage to sin)  

You see according to scripture, we purify ourselves by obeying the truth.  The truth is the word of God.  

Ephesians 4:14-16 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

1 Peter 1:22-23 & 2:2  Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.[a] 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

2:2 so that by it you may grow up in your salvation

What I believe the world is observing is a large number of baby Christians. Let's not beat each other up. Yes, the Pharisee in me wants to scream at these babies in Christ, but there is NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus.  So if you are with me as a recovering Pharisee, would you join me in praying for the babies to grow up into their salvation.  Pray that they will develop a burden in their hearts for their part in discrediting the gospel message, but not so they will feel beat up or condemned, but instead they will be moved to repentance.  Pray with me that they will begin to obey the word in order to purify themselves.  Pray with me today that each one of us would live a life that honors God and draws many to Christ by our witness.  (The way we live)

In addition, to all recovering Pharisees, let’s love fervently and passionately with a PURE heart.  The biggest problem with the Pharisee is there is typically pride, lack of humility and compassion.  According to scripture, God draws near to the humble and resist the proud.  Also pride goes before a fall.  So remember your sin, thank God for your deliverance and fall to your knees on behalf of the babes in Christ.  Cover them in prayer and love.  Walk beside them and lead them in the way they should go!!!!

Babies need to grow up and Pharisees need to repent of pride.  

Be blessed today!  

Life is Hard

Life is so hard.  It seems complex and messy.  For example in the physical realm, I clean my house and it is dirty again in NO TIME.  I wash clothes only to walk into my laundry room to find it full of dirty clothes again.  I make my bed and it needs to be made again the next morning.  Anyone exhausted by this other than me?

So as I reload the dishwasher, and throw my dirty clothes into the washing machine, I have to think of the verse that tells me that whatever work I do,  to do it with all my heart, as working for the Lord, not for human.

I get so weary of the repetitive nature of the tasks that are always before me.  I guess it feels as if I am never making real progress.  It feels as if I am forever repeating the same tasks and not making real progress.  But life is mundane like that for the most part.  When I choose to do these task "unto the Lord" they tend to take on a more significant meaning.  When I choose to do this, I am not tempted to despair over the repetitiveness of these mundane task.  He starts to give me a perspective that brings gratitude, thankfulness, and joy.  I start thinking of those that have to wash their dishes by hand and say thank you that I have a dishwasher that I GET to unload and reload.  Thank you that I have running water.  Clean water!  Any way you get the point.

So I similarly get so weary with this in the relational and spiritual side.  I tend to find myself in similar situations.  I am no sure if I just don't learn the lessons and God is having to continue to place me in situations until it is solidified in me, or if the changes that need to be made in me is being perfected thru difficulties and trials.  UGH!  Whatever the case, I just wish I would cooperate with Him and allow the stuff to be done in me.  However, I know I am slow in learning, slow to change, but mostly slow in waking up to all of it.  

In all of the trials and difficulties and even dirty clothes, I choose to walk with a thankful heart today.   I will choose to be thankful for all my dirty clothes, at least I have clothes to wash in a washing machine, with clean running water and electricity which is more than many on this planet.    I choose to be thankful for my home that needs to be cleaned, for many are homeless.  I choose to be thankful for my family, for many are estranged from family.  I choose to be thankful for my friends, for many are very alone.  I choose to be thankful for being in America, many live in fear for their lives daily in their own countries. 

We have so much to be thankful for today.  Will you join me in counting your blessing, name them one by one.  Count your blessings see what God has done!!!!  (Did you sing that as you read it?)

Colossians 3:23 & 24 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.…

Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might


Ephesians 6:7
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,

Changing our critical attitude

Oh my goodness, been listening to some interesting stuff. The topic dealt with criticism as sin. Just the fact that we have a critical spirit is offensive to God. The reference was from Miriam's criticism of her brother Moses in Exodus. It led to her being exiled for 7 days outside the camp because she was struck with leprosy. This was after Moses had pled on her behalf to God to forgive her. All the Israelites could not advance the camp for 7 days as they waited on Miriam.

Well let's take a look at just how often we have been critical of God's chosen vessels. (the ones that God chooses to work thru) I know I have been guilty. I had to confess this to God, and get back into right fellowship with Him. I don't know about you, personally I don't want anything to keep me from meeting in the holy place with God. No thing between me and my savior.

So to continue in our criticism is sin.

So would this be having a hypocritical (hypo - CRITICAL) attitude? This is the same thing that is often so offensive to us as we read the attitudes of the Pharisees in the New Testament with Jesus. If you do not find yourself here at this time, mark my words, this is a place those of us who walk with God for a time, can easily find ourselves. I don't rightly know how it happens, but it quickly goes from humble insight of others shortcomings, or discernment; but turns into prideful self righteousness and a critical spirit.

Let's be alert to this in our thoughts, attitudes and words. These are usually aimed at our leaders in church, government or homes. Just remember if you are beginning to wander in the desert, and not be filled with the joy you are accustomed to having; you may be in sin due to a critical attitude or spirit. REMEMBER in yesterday's post, we can enter into the tabernacle/fellowship thru purification of sin or we can wander in the desert in our sinful state. Where we are with God is up to us.

Have a blessed day and looking forward to whatever God will show me tomorrow.