My High View Of Church

If I heard a man talk about my bride the way many christian bloggers and pontificators talk trash about the church, I might be in jail for assault. It seems that the church is to blame for almost everything these days, and one can’t help but come to the conclusion, based on polling data, blogs, and public opinion, that the church is a colossal failure.

The church is the bride of Christ, His treasured, nurtured, object of affection. If the church is a failure, isn’t Jesus Himself a failure? I know the way this works in my marriage, I am accountable before God for my actions. So, when my wife does bad, it’s a reflection on me. Remember the lesson in the garden: Eve ate the fruit, but God came looking for Adam. Is it even possible for the church to fail? Jesus said that the “gates of hell would not prevail against the church.” So, how is it that some think they have?
Or, am I just going to the wrong church? Because I feel like our church experience is both healthy and fruitful. We are growing. We are loving. We are helping people to see and experience Jesus. My guess, is that your church is too.

The church is made up of people,.. flawed, often failing individuals. But the success of the church has never been our responsibility. It’s the responsibility of Jesus, and I’m thankful for that. We live in a fallen world, and one that is getting darker and colder. We are not going to see righteousness prevail on earth apart from the physical return of Christ. Our job is to stand firm, preach the gospel, and make disciples.
It is not, and has never been, to bring heaven to earth. That is not our business.

We should have a higher view of church. Not the individuals, not even the individual gatherings, but of the person of the church as a whole. I believe that we are who Jesus is making us into being. He is still God, still on the throne, and still at work. He’s still quite able to fashion us as He sees fit. Be careful when you see the acts of individuals, and even groups, but then draw conclusions about the whole.
You could be guilty of insulting another man’s work. In this case, it’s God’s work.

 

The Wicked, Wicked, Condition.

Have you ever had one of those days, where you thought too much, said too much, and did too much?
I’m not talking about good things, I’m talking about bad things. It’s kinda like going on a binge of overeating, when you are left bloated, lazy, and almost completely immobilized.
This morning, as I was praying, the Lord gently showed me several things that I thought, said, and did, in the last few days. Things that are wrong.

Like most of us, I don’t want to do the wrong things that I do, but then, they often feel so right. Saying the wrong thing for instance, when say hurtful or demeaning things about another, can give us that fleeting moment of self-righteousness. For a moment we feel good. But then that moment passes, and we are left empty.
Sinful actions are the same, they leave you feeling empty, alone.

You know, it’s easy to put on a front of righteousness. It’s easy to keep your tongue tamed in public, and to present your “better” self to others. We do it every day. Sometimes, leaders do it the very best, keeping up appearances of self control, as though showing weakness will cause us to lose our grip on power or influence.  Actually, the opposite is true, it is in weakness, that we find real strength, and it is in humility, that we find real influence.

If we are honest, we all have this dark side, we share a common sin nature. The late Stanley Voke, talked about it as the side of the moon that is dark, the side you never show. But you know, the Lord sees it. He knows everything altogether. He knows every thought, word, and deed. And He has judged it. He has pronounced you and I wrong, -as sinners.

Have you come to that place where you are in agreement with Him? Do you truly understand your own frame?
You know, God’s word has declared His judgement of us all. Romans chapter 3 declares it pretty clearly, that we have “all sinned,” and “there is none righteous.” I believe that. My own life has proven it out over and over. And, I have learned that it is important to agree with Him, not just in a philosophical sense, but in my daily attitude.

Today, once again, afresh, I acknowledged my sinfulness to the Lord. I accept the defeat of my own sinful nature, and I say it. I am a wicked man. This is the place of grace,-the foot of the cross. When we avoid it, and put on a pretense, when we play act, as though we have it all together, we cannot receive God’s grace. We can  live on past victories, and our relationship with Christ and others is make-believe.

Have you, dear reader, been honest with the Lord today? Not in a general philosophical sense, but have you stripped down, and gotten naked with Him? Today? I beg you to do that. Revisit the cross, confess your sin to the Lord, and let Him forgive you afresh. He desires transparency with you, and He desires to forgive your wicked, wicked, condition. Be broken with God and man today.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. -1 John 1:9,10

 

None Other To Save -Psalm 31:1-5

In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed;
In Your righteousness deliver me.

Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly; Be to me a rock of strength,
A stronghold to save me.

For You are my rock and my fortress; For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.

You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength.

Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.
- Psalm 31:1-5 (NASB)

In David’s prayer, I want to call attention to one thing that might me easy to overlook, and that is his present condition.
• He seeks deliverance, implying present distress.
• He seeks rescue, implying impending danger.
• He seeks leading and guiding, implying a loss of the way forward.
• He seeks immediate rescue from a “net,” implying being “caught.”

In the end, David simply falls at the feet of the Lord and says, okay,.. I commit myself to You. Really, at the end of the day, we can do no more than this. We find ourselves in all kinds of predicaments, whether from inward sins and failures, or from external trials and difficulties. We battle, and we press on, in an effort to succeed and have some form of victory in this present condition. But after all is said and done, we must each find our place at the feet of the Savior and ask for His kind favor and deliverance.
There will be none other to save.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” -Matthew 11:28

 

Yes, By All Means, Call Me Right Reverend.

I had the occasion to write out “Jesse Jackson” just a little bit ago, when I was writing, I was compelled to use his title “the Reverend.” It’s how we usually hear his name in the media.
I also was watching a clip, just yesterday… how did I get there? Oh yeah, a tweet from someone I follow sent me to an “Elephant Room” clip. It was interesting, but what caught my attention was, that of the 7 Pastors in the conversation, only T.D. Jakes was referred to as “Bishop.” I recall being introduced to a catholic priest when I was a younger man. And I remember giving pause every time I had to say his name. Should I call him “father?” That is, after all, how he was introduced. All I could think of was Jesus saying: “don’t call anyone your father.” -Matt 23:9 

In the context of matthew 23, Jesus is excoriating the Pharisees because they loved the place of honor and the respectful greetings. (Have you ever had that awkward conversation with someone where they insist that you call them by some funky nick-name?) Yeah, it feels like that!
Over the years I have been called Pastor, Reverend, and even messiah by someone completely ignorant of christianity. I don’t mind being called Pastor, because I believe it’s what God has called me to be, but when the title is thought of as somehow exhalted, or important… I reject that.
David Guzik comments on these verses: “ It is also seen in the expected etiquette for closing a letter to the Pope: “Prostrate at the feet of Your Holiness and imploring the favor of its apostolic benediction, I have the honor to be, Very Holy Father, with the deepest veneration of Your Holiness, the most humble and obedient servant and son/daughter.”
-Yeah,… it goes a little far don’t ya think?

I’m a servant leader, and that, only by the grace of God.
I am certainly not reverend.

“Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. -Matt. 23:12