Sometimes, I may sound like a radical thinker, a protestant (he who protests about everything) or even like an unsatisfied, grumpy old man who hates life and is about to die. Well, not really! Let’s say that now I see things from a different perspective, Jesus’ one. I’m learning to think like Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), to act like Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1), to love like Christ (John 13:34), in other words, I’m learning the meaning of Christ Likeness. I know, nowadays, it’s not popular, and if we have that way of living, we won’t “fit the profile”, won’t be a post-modern Christian; we’ll be retrogrades. After all, why should we be different (1 John 4:5-6; John 8:23) if “blending” we will reach more people for Jesus? Why be like Jesus if “conforming” to the world would allow us to gain the world for Jesus? Why? Because (Isaiah 5:20) there’s no communion between light and darkness, life and death, truth and lie. Everyday we’re bombarded with messages from Christians and non-Christians that we have to be positive thinkers spreading a positive message (love like K). Of course, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is Good News for the ones who accept it, no doubt about it, but, on the other hand, is Bad News for the ones who reject it, as Jesus said in John 12:48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him - the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For God, there is no middle ground, no partiality, we are either hot or cold (the lukewarm Jesus will vomit from His mouth; Revelation 3:16), we accept or reject, we are dead or alive. Along the way, we lost Jesus’ mindset. It’s not enough to know the Bible (God’s Law), 2 Corinthians 3:6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. We must have the Power of God, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul speaks about it in 1 Corinthians 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. Who told us that God is pleased with Words without Power? More and more we are speaking about God, but, less and less we are showing the Power of God. Be honest with yourself: Do you feel good when you pray for others for healing, deliverance, comfort, etc, and you see NO results? Do you feel good when people come to you desperate and the best you con say is: “Jesus loves you and I love you too. Go in peace”. Isn’t it time to wake up and give to the people what they need? The fullness of Jesus Christ! But, can we give much if we have little? How can we offer peace, love, comfort, healing, joy, if we are in desperate need of them? Spiritually speaking, we cannot offer something we don’t have! There’s a good example in Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” Peter could not be clearer than that: He only gave what he had. That’s the very reason we are unsuccessful in our prayers. I’m not saying we shouldn’t pray, preach, share, give our testimony, but we got used to the Speak Only Mentality. Today, is all about “go and make disciples”, but we forget that the same Master and Teacher (Jesus Christ) said: John 14:12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. Why the greater works followed Jesus’ disciples and don’t follow us? Because they believed in Jesus! Again, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we’ll heal all who are sick, cast down every demon, preach to every person we meet, but, at least some should be healed or delivered. We should see God’s Glory more often. Did you ever hear the song “If we are the Body” from Casting Crowns? It says: “If we are the body, why aren’t His arms reaching? Why aren’t His hands healing? Why aren’t His words teaching”. That’s a hard truth. Unfortunately for us, it all comes down to one thing: FAITH. That’s what we need. It’s amazing how Jesus saw the last days (we’re living the last days). He asks in Luke 18:8 Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? Again, I’m not saying we’re dead in our trespasses, but, assuredly I say to you: We are comfortably sleeping in our assured salvation. We must go back to the beginning, to the book of Acts, that’s the Real Church, not the entertainment centers we have today, of course there are exceptions, but, we’re making the Rule an Exception. Please, understand, I’m not calling you to rebel against the leaders of your church, I’m calling you to wake up, to get on your knees in humility before God, then, stand up in Faith, to lose your life in order to gain the life God has for you. Our churches should be like a hospital, where the sick would come, be healed, and go back to bring other sick to be healed. Unfortunately, nowadays, our churches are more like a mental institution where people come sick and we give them sedatives to control their behavior, but they don’t experience healing. I may sound dramatic, but, unfortunately that’s the reality. Last August, my niece was visiting me, and I took her to a big mega-church, there was a psychologist (or something like that) teaching about something (I don’t remember the theme), after everything, beautiful songs, nice teaching, the senior pastor said something that troubled me a lot; he said that a girl from his church committed suicide. The pastor had a broken hart, he was really sad because of that. At that time I realized how bad things are in our churches, people are coming expecting to find answers and they leave with more questions, they expect to be healed (spiritually, physically and emotionally) and they go back home to commit suicide. You know why? Because Jesus is knocking at the doors of our churches trying to enter, and we don’t allow Him to enter, because he is way too radical to fit in our way of “doing church”, He will turn the tables, spread the money, expel the animals (demons) that are in our churches and say that the church is His Father’s house. I may sound melodramatic, but, that’s the sad reality. How can we change that? It starts with you and I. Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Today, there are some preachers (apologetics) talking about a Christian worldview, and they say that, while Christianity is believed by faith, it is most definitely a reasonable and rational faith. If rationalize means to apply logic or reason to something, how rational was Abraham’s faith? Like it says in Hebrews 11:12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude - innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. How logical is that? There’s no logic, there’s no reasoning, we cannot understand, we can only accept or reject what God did to Abraham. True Faith creates Miracles, reasonable and rational faith creates Mediocrity! Why we keep trying to prove to the people that Jesus is real? Because we don’t have the power to reveal (show) Jesus Christ to them. Without the power we can only speak about Him. I hope and pray that you understand what I’m trying to say here, I’m not judging anybody, I’m only trying to show you the disparity between the real church (church of Acts) and today’s church. I remember when I was about 19 years old, in a retreat, it was a time for testimonies, and I felt compelled to speak, I was extremely shy and almost choked, but I said this: It’s time to stop “playing” church. Honestly, I had no clue why I was saying that and what was the meaning of it. Today, by God’s grace I know it.
Conclusion: We must stop playing (doing) church and start being the church! 1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
No comments:
Post a Comment