I now rejoice in my
sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions
of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church… —Colossians 1:24
“To be a holy person means
that the elements of our natural life experience the very presence of God as
they are providentially broken in His service. We have to be placed into God
and brought into agreement with Him before we can be broken bread in His hands.
Stay right with God and let Him do as He likes, and you will find that He is
producing the kind of bread and wine that will benefit His other children.” CHAMBERS
Some years ago, Pastor Rick
Warren wrote a book entitled “The Purpose Driven Life”. For a season it was the “rage” in the
Christian community. Rick Warren captured
the essence of God’s call to every Christian.
The book began with the sentence “It’s not about you.” The “it” is your life – God’s plan and purpose. But for most Christians “it” is about
them. They spend their lives trying to
live right, worship right, get right.
Their spiritual energy is focused on themselves. Their goal is to be holy for themselves, when
God’s purpose is that they be holy for Him.
As Martie and I are re-integrated into this culture, it is clear that
the priority of most Christians is not showing the world Jesus. The race that they are running is not the “holy
marathon” (Hebrews 12:1-2) “Therefore,
since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay
aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us
run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of
God.” Instead, many Christians have
lined up with the culture to run a race of futility. The elusive trophy being financial prosperity
and easy living. Rick Warren summarized
the Christian life when he wrote that we are planned for God’s pleasure, formed
for God’s family, created to become like Christ, shaped for serving God, and
made for a mission. That does not line up well with what we see happening in
the Church in the United States today.
Believe it or not, I would
prefer to not be the one who bears hard truth.
I would love it if all I shared was happy thoughts. Instead the Lord has given me a ministry reminding
the Church of what should be and warning the Church of what shouldn’t be, but,
unfortunately, is. It is our nature to
be drawn to the physical and natural when, in truth, we have been saved into
the super-natural. We have got to stop trying to live this new life
on our own. We must constantly check ourselves, lest we fall. ELGIN
Take My Hand, Precious Lord
Precious Lord, take my hand Lead
me on, Let me stand I'm tired, I am weak I am worn
Through the storm, through
the night Lead me on through the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home
When my way grows drear
precious Lord linger near When my life
is almost gone
Hear my cry, Hear my call Hold my hand lest I fall Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home
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