Stand Together
I'm writing this letter in the hope that our hearts may be open and ready to receive the miracle of God's grace and supernatural unity upon the church. And with this, I'm using the Biblical teaching that we the people are the church which doesn't refer to a certain denomination or religious order. That our eyes be set on Jesus and not swayed by a priest, pastor or self-proclaimed prophet. Except that they guide us to stand by faith as we mature into a people after God's own heart.
We the people should be ready in prayer and have developed a communication and divine understanding which keeps our daily walk "in step" with Jesus. We shall know that our future is already prepared through faith, the past is cleansed of impurity through the mercy of His sacrifice at Calvary and the present is steadfast and cannot be shaken when we're standing in the presence of God. And even though we may not see or agree about the big picture, our faith in Jesus believes His majesty with humility - one step at a time. Yet to some individuals, a serene and gentle faith may seem too simple and only a whisper of a revival - for they're preaching a great end time extravaganza of God's power to demonstrate His ability with signs, wonders and emotional frenzy.
"For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood [tribulation] came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man" (Matthew 24:37-39 NIV).
God has already revealed His awesome power which is seen every morning at sunrise and by the new and improved pictures that astronomy is revealing of the celestial creation. And by His grace, our planet has witnessed some outstanding events of His supernatural intervention on reminding us of His sovereign commitment in saving a remnant of people for eternity. Yes, we've been given the Biblical account of our history and a road map to the way, truth and life which is the hope of glory. The Christian church has also received revivals throughout the years. "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8 NIV). I could do an article on staying close enough to "hear the sound of it" which doesn't include advertising a set time and place through a media blitz.
As for today, we should expect to see more acts of kindness and renewal from the compassion of Jesus in healing our infirmities through His special care. As the angel of His mercy shelters people from the storm and delivers the Christian with right choices through all adversity. And as much as I'd say that saving souls is the 1st priority: let's be thankful that Jesus has a wonderful heart in bringing food, medicine and clothing to the needy. So, when we're talking about the glory of God, let's note the beauty of His heart and strive to be more like Jesus Christ. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:22,23 NIV).
Therefore, I'd like to encourage the church to be less self-centered and begin to work together in the unity of faith. Sure, we may not always agree on some doctrine or form of worship. Our vision for the communities of the city and townships may be unknowingly in unison with the other community church and shouldn't claim that we're the select few who'll lead the next revival ahead of everyone else. I heard a pastor say that he's unwilling to give to another ministry because of a lack of trust and considered his church the more reliable choice in mission work. My request to name their church on a gospel tract was refused because I wasn't a member of that church. I'd like to encourage us to "let go and let God." The Viola/Barna book Pagan Christianity says in this paraphrase: the institution of the church building and pastor/audience relationship isn't the way of the early apostolic church. Although, I believe that Jesus continues to work with the modern church because of His great compassion and desire to save souls.
I'd like to encourage everyone to join the movement of faith by developing a closer relationship with Jesus. The Bible teaches that we will know when we're saved by having the Holy Spirit active in our lives. It's time to believe God's Word and let go of the secular gospel that refuses to teach about the born-again experience. It's becoming common place in the world today to use descriptions like evangelist to represent a secular job title and therefore stealing the truth and importance of God given abilities. And unfortunately, many Christians today aren't aware of these subtle shifts on turning great Bible truths into common words. Our church should be more than a place of nifty worship music, cute sermons and great fellowship. We should also be a house of prayer, praise and thanksgiving that reaches into our communities with God's compassion and resolve to help people overcome addictions and mend attitudes that are destroying the social network within our neighborhoods. It is the desire of God to see our lives becoming more like Jesus and when we do, we will experience a greater move of the Holy Spirit. We are called to be the salt of the earth and a picture of God's love.
by Glenn Morrison (09)
