| | with so much talk about the postmodern generation and the emerging church and moral relativism at an "all-time" high (who was appointed to measure that by the way? was he voted in or just self-appointed, or is this person some figment of our imagination that has the ability to compare generations with self-delegated powers? things that make you go hmmmmm) and anyway, all the changes and shifts that the church needs to make to either become a stronger and at least relevant resource to the world that surrounds it.
and with so much talk about changing methods without losing the message, you have to wonder if the church indeed has lost its message?! i mean, we have a message, but is it one that awakens within the soul of every man the burning desire to be part of something bigger than himself? the current and popular teachings of the church today, while they may excite us and tell us how much we can get from being children (and heirs also) of God, they don't call us to a life of surrender and sacrifice to be part of a plan that is so much bigger than my individual life.
we live in a time when knowing Jesus is a very personal, individualized concept, and we have lost the depth of following him and knowing him as a people, as a group, as a community, as a body - we read scriptures and interpret them to our own personal benefit and consistently fail to grasp the depth of the meaning and its implications for the entire body of Christ or as a nation or even as a church body.
for example, to use a very popular verse about God's blessing, take Malachi where it says "you have robbed me of tithes and offerings. test me now in this and see if i will not throw open the gates of heaven and pour out a blessing so great you will not be able to contain it." we read that and pull out the hankies and get all excited about how much God is going to bless us, so we pay our tithes and our hearts are much like playing the slot machines in vegas - we pay our tithes (pulling the handle) in hopes of hitting the jackpot. yet, what we fail to
grasp is the simple fact that God was speaking to the ENTIRE NATION of Israel - not to any particular individual. "yeah, but jeff, can't we apply it in principle?" of course you can, but get past that point you greedy, self-seeking hypocrite! serving God is less about what we get from him and more about what he gets from us!
i mean, seriously, has anyone ever thought about his inheritance from us once we become part of his kingdom and extended body? we as charismatics are great about knowing what we get, and our inheritance, and how God is going to bless us in this and that and we've reduced God to being the spiritual santa claus who's sole purpose is to make our lives better enriched and to give us more stuff. but what about his inheritance in us?
Eph 1:11 "In Him, we were also made His inheritance..."
Eph 1:18 "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints."
So, i believe it's high time we stop worrying so much about "God, what's your will for my life" and start asking "God, what's your will????" and then as he shows us what he's doing in the earth and we become aware of the kingdom of heaven being now and alive in us NOW and us bringing aspects of heaven to earth NOW and living a faith that is NOW, we will then be able to ask "Where do i fit in to that incredible plan?"
we have to get back to the heart of the gospel, which does indeed go well beyond the mere concept of redemption - it's important, but it's only the beginning. let's get back to the message that awakens within each of us that intrinsic desire to give our lives to something so much bigger than ourselves that we would be willing and eager to surrender all to him.
remember, we were made BY him and FOR him.
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| | Posted 2/26/2006 10:58 PM - 34 Views - 6 eProps - 3 comments
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