There is so much that I always want to convey in my messages and sometimes I feel that there is no way to fully describe what I am feeling or all that God has laid upon my heart. I will do my best to try and to pass these thoughts along to you and believe that the Holy Spirit of God will stir up your heart while you read this message. Now, where to begin? There has been much that I have meditated on recently regarding the body of Christ and what we are supposed to be doing as believers. It helps that this morning in service, Pastor went over some of the same things that my husband and I had been talking about the night before (last night) and other nights over the last few weeks. There are so many in the body that just go to what they believe is church on a Sunday morning without realizing that the building is not the church. We have been cultivated to believe that the building is the church when in reality we are the church that God has placed on this Earth. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit and God dwells within each of us that have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior. One of the many scriptures that points to this is Galatians 2:20. Continue reading “Time to Grow!”
This is a very good thought provoking post. Though I am sure that not all will agree and that is fine. The truth is that we are the church and not a building but I think that the main point that this author is trying to make is that we need to have our priorities in order. We need to realize that when we feel convicted we need to change direction. This is not to say that you can’t miss a Sunday but if most of your time is spent at a sporting event and not teaching the word of God to your family then your priorites need to be checked.
In reflecting on this year, I can see that we have gone through quite a bit of transition. Some of it has been bad but some has been very good. The fact is that we will always be going through something, especially if you are a Christian. The one thing that I find interesting is that most people don’t think about the fact that they will go through trials. The belief of most is that they will become a Christian and all will be well. However, the trials that we face are part of the growing process. I have seen God work in so many situations over the years and it is truly hard to admit that at times I still struggle. I know, most of you reading this are thinking, if you are blogging about this doesn’t that mean that you have already overcome all of this. The simple truth is that no matter how long you have been walking this walk, you will still have moments that you struggle, even if you are going through a similar trial that you have seen Him come through and do something miraculous in. I contribute this to different seasons in our life where we may have been strong in one area but we stopped renewing our mind or working out our faith and all the sudden when we face the same trial we find ourselves weak and unable to stand. People always ask, “Well, if I believe in God and have a relationship with Him, why do I need to go to church?” Well first let me correct a way of thinking there. We are the church, we don’t go to church. The fact is, we meet together as Christians (brothers and sisters in Christ) and worship together in a building or outdoors or anywhere that we can come together and worship Him. Now, with that mindset corrected, the reason that we should go to a building where other believers are worshipping together is so that we find strength and fellowship. We cannot walk this walk alone and we were never meant to. If I am facing a trial and I find that my faith is weak, in attending with a body of believers, I can reach out and ask them to stand with me and pray and I will gain strength through that relationship. The Word of God says that where two or more are gathered in His name that He is there in the midst. Matthew 18:20
The thing that we must remember is that we are on a journey. That journey is with God and at times it will be riddled with trials and though we may have to walk through those trials, we do not have to do it alone. There is a reason that we are mentioned as the body of Christ. In Romans 12:4-8 it says, “4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” The fact is, the mouth cannot function without a face, and the foot cannot without the leg and so on. We all need each other to help us on this walk. I am truly thankful for the body of believers that I serve with. Each has a heart to serve and though we don’t always get it all right, we are striving to be more like Him every day. I hope you have someone in your life and walk that will stand by you and pray with you or that you are that somebody for someone else. If you don’t have anyone, then start now by reaching out. If no one else will pray with you, I will. It is time to rise up as a body and start helping the rest of our body function the way that God created it to function. There are so many lost and hurting out in the world and it is our job as believers to be reaching out to them. In a world where there is no hope and things seem to be spiraling downward, we are the hope that people need, it is Christ in us that we have to deliver to a dying world.
I hope you will not read this as just another article or blog, but that you will take these things to heart and start reaching out. Start pressing in and seeking God and ask Him what He would have you do. None of us are perfect and we will never be until we are in His presence but that cannot stop us from the mission that has been placed upon us. I implore you to look over your life and think about the trials that you have gone through. Think about the people that you can help because you have gone through the same thing or because God has supernaturally given you favor in the situation. Don’t look at the trials that you have gone through as being just that, trials. Look at them as a way to help others and in doing so you will continue to get stronger and stronger each day. It’s time to rise up and shine with the light of Christ and give hope to those that are hurting! You can do this, why, because God has called you to this moment.
This is a reblog from Feb. 2007-
There is no easy way to describe what it means to trust God. For someone like me who always likes to be in control it can be quit annoying at times, especially when all I want to do is figure out how to trust Him. It seems for the most part my way of thinking is like a dog chasing his tail…it’s to no avail. God is not nearly as complicated as we seem to want to make Him. All He asks is that we lean and rely on Him.
Have you ever been swimming? Have you ever tried to float on your back? If you have then you know that basically all you really have to do is lean back, be still and breath. You don’t hold your breathe to see if you can float because you will start to sink. You breath and relax. That is the way that God wants us. He wants us to lean back on Him and trust Him enough to just breath in and breath out, relax. Just know that He is in control. God’s word says “If God is for us, who can be against us.” I think that it is evident that God is for us considering that He sent His only son to come and die for us so that we might live.
So many people want to blame God for the way things are today when really the human race is to blame for the way things are today. God gave us a free will and with that free will He gave us choices. Those choices, good or bad lead us to a final destination. We choose that destination. Someone once said that when you die on the tombstone is a date (when you where born), a dash, and another date (when you died), but it is the dash in between that defines your life.
My question to you is this, what is your dash saying about you? Are you trusting Him? What will it take for you to trust Him?
Fire Shut Up in My Bones! 