Tuesday, January 23, 2007

The One True Church

Christians are the church. They are sprinkled throughout the people groups like salt. They are connected to eachother in various ways. Some are disconnected.

Some things the church is segregated by are geography, language, personal status/income, culture, denominations, doctrines, type of meetings, leaders, pride, fear, complacency, and narrow minded traditions posing as the truth. Satan is the divider.

Some christians have church meeting times in a home once a week. Some christians are homeless. Some meet once or twice a week in a building as part of a denomination. These building-churches have small-groups which tend to segregate based on age, education, gender, marital status, and children, to name a few.

Some openly speak of Jesus and be his disciples in their life everywhere they are and go. There are christians that walk together in life. They do not exclude; they may meet with you in your building church or small group. We will know eachother in the grocery stores and at work because of our unselfish awareness and care of others, and our Kingdom mindedness. It is not all about me.

You may be walking with other christians in different ways. You may talk about your own problems to someone; if you listen or help. You may share grand visions and work towards them. Someone may teach others; someone may share his time, his money, his gift. There is mutual encouragement, correction and confession. Don't just be involved but be who you are in the Body in an active way. There is much to do; follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Nothing can contain God's Spirit; he moves anywhere and in any way he wants. My friend John says the Spirit will be a raging river that none can stand against, that all will be purified to his will.

Let's be one church. And let's not forget the poor and the persecuted church throughout the world. How can we be one with them? I know praying for them and caring for them even though we don't know them can work miracles. How else can we be one with them? How can we be one with the homeless? They are with us here, so we can be their friends and help them. We can share dreams together and connect in all the ways friends in the church connect.

From our one true church network (all christians everywhere) will flow the Spirit of Jesus healing and giving true life to the world. He will reach the unreached and the world through his church.

Monday, January 22, 2007

One

Jesus is one with his dad. He wants us to be one with him. He also wants us to be one with eachother; which is imposible without his Spirit in us. Connect with God; connect with people. Even deeper, love God with all you are because he IS our life. Care about other people like you care about yourself. There are powerful results that come from this because of the Spirit flowing from within us when we are filled with him.

What does it look like to love God? Would we be committed to him like in a marriage? Would we talk to him? Would we listen... and obey? How does he speak to us? What would he tell us to do?