The Life That We Pursue....
**DISCLAIMER**
This blog may come across as more soapbox-ish than normal. But I have really found myself quite fed up with this matter the past few days and weeks. It may not be directly intended for you, but it is indirectly intended for each and every member of the body of Christ, myself included. We are guilty as a whole. In my disgust toward others, I, too, have been convicted. (Sorry, it's long!)
*** *** ***
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count
others more significant than yourselves. Let each
of you look not only to his own interests, but also to
the interests of others. Have this mind among
yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though
He was in the form of God, did not count equality with
God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing...
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count
others more significant than yourselves. Let each
of you look not only to his own interests, but also to
the interests of others. Have this mind among
yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though
He was in the form of God, did not count equality with
God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing...
This week, I have really been pondering the words of the Casting Crowns song, What If His People Prayed. The song, as a whole, is very telling of the state we find the Church in these days. I like (meaning I dislike) it all. The song is great. I like that. The song is true. I despise that. There are a few lines highlighted that I have been really wresting with this past week.
(1)What if the armies of the LORD
Vowed to set the captives free
And not let satan have one more
(2)What if the Church for heaven’s sake
Finally stepped up to the plate
Took a stand upon God’s promise
And stormed hell’s rusty gates
There once was a time in my life when I was told by a friend that it was “not my job” to encourage him. Needless to say, that was quite heartbreaking for me. As a member of the body of Christ, it is, in fact, my job to encourage, pray for, and support those around me, with specificity on family, close friends, and those found in a leadership role. This person, in fact, met 2 of the specific requirements. I did not, and still don’t, feel that I encouraged, prayed for, or supported him in any different way than others in my life. Who was he to tell me that it was not my job to fulfill my requirements as a member of the body?! John MacArthur says, “Spiritual gifts are divine enablements for ministry that the Holy Spirit gives in some measure to all believers and that are to be completely under His control and used for the building of the church to Christ’s glory.” I mean, as a teacher, it was his job to teach. So, if the LORD has so called me to be a laborer for others in the task of encouraging, praying, loving, and supporting, WHO ARE YOU to disable those actions?!
We, and I admit that I am just as guilty as the next, need to get it together! Maybe, if we devoted more time to telling others about JESUS or encouraging the laborers of the harvest, and less time bickering and attacking one another, we might see an end come. How will all nations hear and all people see if we don’t put some, if not all, our efforts towards that?! I don’t know about you, but I want to JESUS, sooner would be better than later, and for that to happen, we need the gospel to go forth!! (Matt 24:14) I would implore you to be mindful of those around you. While you may do things differently than they do, it is not your job to dictate the way they execute their spiritual callings. It is your job to come alongside of them and implement your own gifts all while serving and loving one another for ONE PURPOSE; JESUS CHRIST IS WORTHY! So, what if, the life that we, as individuals and as one corporate body, pursue came from a hunger for the TRUTH? Just imagine the step toward eternity that we could take. Pursue Christ or get out of the way of others trying to do that very thing. Eternity hangs in the balance. There is no time to waste. God is good….
(1)What if the armies of the LORD
Vowed to set the captives free
And not let satan have one more
(2)What if the Church for heaven’s sake
Finally stepped up to the plate
Took a stand upon God’s promise
And stormed hell’s rusty gates
What if His people prayed
And those who bear His name
Would humbly seek His face
And turn from their own ways
(3)And what would happen if we pray
For those raised up to lead the way
Then maybe kids in school could pray
And unborn children see light of day
(4)What if the life that we pursue
Came from a hunger for the Truth
What if the family turned to JESUS
Stopped asking Oprah what to do
(**The following example is several years past and there is more to it than I will reference here in this blog. The situation has been gloriously and completely reconciled. The person to whom I refer is still an important person in my life. No hard feelings.**)And those who bear His name
Would humbly seek His face
And turn from their own ways
(3)And what would happen if we pray
For those raised up to lead the way
Then maybe kids in school could pray
And unborn children see light of day
(4)What if the life that we pursue
Came from a hunger for the Truth
What if the family turned to JESUS
Stopped asking Oprah what to do
What if His people prayed
And those who bear His name
Would humbly seek His face
And turn from their own ways
He said that He would hear
His promise has been made
He’ll answer loud and clear
If only we would pray
Never before have my eyes been so opened to the reality that the greatest enemy of the Church is just that, the Church. Who the heck needs the schemes of the devil and the influence of the world; it has been brought to my attention that we, as the body of Christ, are doing a pretty sufficient job of tearing one another down. Why is that?! Honestly, think about that one highlighted line above, “what if the life that we pursue came from a hunger for the truth.” We are exerting too much energy on things that have zero significance to the work of the Kingdom.
I saw, indirectly, the effect of this very thing within a body as a young believer. My senior year of high, just one year after surrendering my life the LORD, my former pastor and a dear man of God, was viciously betrayed by members within his own congregation and by men he so trusted as deacons of our church. Men and women who claimed Christ attacked the character and commitment of a man who had tirelessly preached the truth of God’s Word for several years. He was now being shoved out of the very pulpit to which he was called to serve years earlier. That was 6+ years ago. The LORD has been faithful to His promise to never leave or forsake. It was unfortunate for me to experience that at all, much less at a very young spiritual age.
This past week, I have learned of more crap (sorry mom), to a lesser extreme, between members of the body. I’ll just say this, I feel that the LORD has given me a clear vision that one of, not my only, but one of my spiritual gifts is that of encouragement. (And might I just add, I love it!!) Not everyone is called to be that of an encourager, just as not all believers are called to be that of preachers and teachers. We have all been gifted in ways that allow us to work together. But if the goal of the Father was to give us each gifts that enable us to work together, what is the hold up?! I do not believe that there is a such thing as “too much encouragement.” I also don’t believe that encouragement is bad. That’s not what I am being told. And it frustrates me!
And those who bear His name
Would humbly seek His face
And turn from their own ways
His promise has been made
He’ll answer loud and clear
If only we would pray
Never before have my eyes been so opened to the reality that the greatest enemy of the Church is just that, the Church. Who the heck needs the schemes of the devil and the influence of the world; it has been brought to my attention that we, as the body of Christ, are doing a pretty sufficient job of tearing one another down. Why is that?! Honestly, think about that one highlighted line above, “what if the life that we pursue came from a hunger for the truth.” We are exerting too much energy on things that have zero significance to the work of the Kingdom.
I saw, indirectly, the effect of this very thing within a body as a young believer. My senior year of high, just one year after surrendering my life the LORD, my former pastor and a dear man of God, was viciously betrayed by members within his own congregation and by men he so trusted as deacons of our church. Men and women who claimed Christ attacked the character and commitment of a man who had tirelessly preached the truth of God’s Word for several years. He was now being shoved out of the very pulpit to which he was called to serve years earlier. That was 6+ years ago. The LORD has been faithful to His promise to never leave or forsake. It was unfortunate for me to experience that at all, much less at a very young spiritual age.
This past week, I have learned of more crap (sorry mom), to a lesser extreme, between members of the body. I’ll just say this, I feel that the LORD has given me a clear vision that one of, not my only, but one of my spiritual gifts is that of encouragement. (And might I just add, I love it!!) Not everyone is called to be that of an encourager, just as not all believers are called to be that of preachers and teachers. We have all been gifted in ways that allow us to work together. But if the goal of the Father was to give us each gifts that enable us to work together, what is the hold up?! I do not believe that there is a such thing as “too much encouragement.” I also don’t believe that encouragement is bad. That’s not what I am being told. And it frustrates me!
There once was a time in my life when I was told by a friend that it was “not my job” to encourage him. Needless to say, that was quite heartbreaking for me. As a member of the body of Christ, it is, in fact, my job to encourage, pray for, and support those around me, with specificity on family, close friends, and those found in a leadership role. This person, in fact, met 2 of the specific requirements. I did not, and still don’t, feel that I encouraged, prayed for, or supported him in any different way than others in my life. Who was he to tell me that it was not my job to fulfill my requirements as a member of the body?! John MacArthur says, “Spiritual gifts are divine enablements for ministry that the Holy Spirit gives in some measure to all believers and that are to be completely under His control and used for the building of the church to Christ’s glory.” I mean, as a teacher, it was his job to teach. So, if the LORD has so called me to be a laborer for others in the task of encouraging, praying, loving, and supporting, WHO ARE YOU to disable those actions?!
We, and I admit that I am just as guilty as the next, need to get it together! Maybe, if we devoted more time to telling others about JESUS or encouraging the laborers of the harvest, and less time bickering and attacking one another, we might see an end come. How will all nations hear and all people see if we don’t put some, if not all, our efforts towards that?! I don’t know about you, but I want to JESUS, sooner would be better than later, and for that to happen, we need the gospel to go forth!! (Matt 24:14) I would implore you to be mindful of those around you. While you may do things differently than they do, it is not your job to dictate the way they execute their spiritual callings. It is your job to come alongside of them and implement your own gifts all while serving and loving one another for ONE PURPOSE; JESUS CHRIST IS WORTHY! So, what if, the life that we, as individuals and as one corporate body, pursue came from a hunger for the TRUTH? Just imagine the step toward eternity that we could take. Pursue Christ or get out of the way of others trying to do that very thing. Eternity hangs in the balance. There is no time to waste. God is good….
...taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the
name that is above every name, so that at the name of JESUS
every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under
the earth, and every tongue confess that JESUS CHRIST
IS LORD, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:3-11
And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the
name that is above every name, so that at the name of JESUS
every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under
the earth, and every tongue confess that JESUS CHRIST
IS LORD, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:3-11
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