The Church God Planned

We are living in a time of political, economic, social, and spiritual turmoil. We shouldn't be surprised, if we interpret the events of the world in terms of what Jesus said would happen in the days prior to His coming (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21).  As these events unfold, we need to provide the culture with a life-giving mechanism Jesus intended. We cannot fall short in demonstrating His lifestyle that validates the godly values foundational to a way of life that provides discovery for people searching for reality.

As a way of countering the downward spiral of humanity, Jesus instituted the Church (Matthew 16:13-19) for the purpose of changing their direction to upward outcomes.  The gift of the Church was for God to provide a way to reach mankind and provide a means through which people could experience a lifestyle similar to the one Jesus lived. The Church then, is God's tool to confront the world system, not simply make an impression upon it.  Lasting impressions are more than verbal stimuli. The kind of impressions I believe Jesus intended was to demonstrate values that would penetrate the value structures of people to the heart level and produce lifestyle changes that would be a reflection of new life unfolding at the core of the human heart.

What I see in today's Church is people pursuing knowledge about God and knowledge about the Word. That can lead to proclaiming personal rights rather than personal responsibilities.  I believe we should be a people seeking to know Jesus personally and involved in a pursuit of ways in which we can assume divinely appointed responsibilities. We need to be asking God to help us discover ways to reach those we live around.  We need to keep in mind, "A good, moral, and socially acceptable person without Jesus as Savior, when they die, will be separated eternally from God....as a good, moral, and socially acceptable person."

We need to ask ourselves the question, "Do we see ourselves functioning as the Church in the way God planned?"  Or, have we prescribed another way of addressing the human condition apart from what God intended for us in the Scriptures?"

He intended for us to be...light that dispels darkness...salt that purifies, gives flavor, and offers preservation...an example of conduct that loves...forgives...accepts...a message that reveals a loving God...healers of brokenness...presenters of a way to live motivated by giving rather than seeking possessions...the list could go on and on.  Perhaps rethinking our Scriptural purpose will produce a different perspective on what we are supposed to be to this world we live in and rethinking more effective ways of reaching people God dearly loves.

With Great Love
Al

Five Easy Steps To Keep Your Faith

Five Easy Steps to Keep Your Faith

Do you remember a time that you were closer to God? 
Maybe you read the Bible more, or maybe you actually witnessed to people. Maybe you never complained about what song the worship team was playing. You were just glad to be at the church praising and worshiping God. Many of us can answer yes to this question.

It's very easy for us to fall away from God, easier than you would think; we have help and don't even know it. The enemy wants to destroy our lives and therefore is on constant watch to find how to distract us from God. In Hebrews 2:2 we read that "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away."

Maybe you haven't drifted just yet. Maybe you don't even know you're close to doing so. Maybe you don't know, because you haven't seen the real thing, EVER!

Hey... If you're not sure what to do, Just Fake It, that's what many Christians are doing today. Most have never seen the real thing and wouldn't know what it looks like anyways. Most of them that have seen a real move of God and have had real Faith haven't seen the real thing in so long; they've forgotten what it looks like. So it makes it real easy to drift away and lose your faith.

Think I'm being too hard, well God said the same thing in Isaiah
Isaiah 29:13 The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me… oh maybe you need more... OK! How about "I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead." Rev 3:1. 
I don't want to have a reputation of being alive, I want to Be Alive!

I'm just saying, maybe we should take a good look at our faith and let God do the adjusting that is needed.

We need to return to our first Love. Jesus! …You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first... Rev 2:4-5. Wow, who better to take advice from than Jesus? So let's get back to the basics.

Five Steps to Keep Your Faith!

1) Spend more time with God

Get back to spending time searching the scripture's, reading, meditating upon the Lord. Seek Him, thirst for Him.

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you… Ps 63:1

2) Trust that the Lord is in Control

Put all your trust in Him, don't doubt, no stop it right now. Even when Christians do things that you know are not from God, you still have faith and trust in Him. Don't follow your emotions!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding… Prov. 3:5

3) Get around some good influences

Stop hanging out with only negative people, I know you want to help, but you need help too. It's OK to have friends that need help, but remember, for you to be a good influence on them, they need to see you making wise decisions and doing the right things.

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character...” 1 Cor. 15:33

4) Resist Temptation

You can do it and you know you can. Matter of fact, if you start calling and hanging out with some of those good influences you will have some help. When things get tough, call for reinforcements. Have people pray with you. Also take notice to the areas of your life where you struggle and stay out of there. I know guys that had problems with alcoholism and you won’t ever see them in a bar again. They know to stay away from places of temptation.

but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:14-15

5) Never put this world before God

Don't get caught up in the things of the world. You don't need the best car or the biggest house. Be happy you have a car and a place to call home. Stop going into debt just to show off to your friends. So what, they have all the new techno stuff. You Love God much more than any material thing and that is way more important.

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. 1 John 2:15

There is no such thing as a lack of faith. We all have plenty of faith; it's just that we have faith in the wrong things. We have faith in lack rather than abundance. Take time to follow these steps and re-discover your faith!