There's Nothing Wrong With The Church!

In Matthew 16:18 we read Jesus' words....

"....And on this rock I will build My church and the gates of Hades (the powers of the infernal region) shall not overpower it (or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it.)

Psalm 127:1

Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes but in vain.

Jeremiah 7:4

Trust not in the lying words (of the false prophets who maintain that God will protect Jerusalem because His temple is there), saying, "This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.

Matthew 21:13

He said to them, The Scripture says, My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you have made it a den of robbers.

Revelation 21:22

I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Omnipotent (Himself) and the Lamb (Himself) are its temple.

Jesus is pretty specific when it comes to speaking about HIS church.

You need to understand that I am writing this as someone who pastor's a church ( not a building but a group of people in community with one another learning how to be children of God)

I have to luxury of not having to function with a lot of "stuff".

I don't have to worry about programs or agendas.
I don't have to spend energy looking for bodies to fill teaching positions in Sunday School or to be on this board or that board.

I have the incredible (and believe you me I know that I am blessed beyond measure) privilege of simply teaching the Word of God to a group of men.

I have been surrounded or joined or met up (ever how you want to phrase it) with a group of people who share the same vision that I do.

Introduce people to Jesus.

Pretty simple huh?
Tell the story. Show them the cross and pray that God would come and heal blinded eyes, hearts and minds to the truth of the Gospel.

From time to time my old flesh gets in the way of what God wants to do and I find myself trying to make the church@Rapha into an animal it was never created to be.

God is patient because He knows me all too well. He knows that I will not beat my head against a wall for a long time before I come to my senses and say, "Hey! This isn't working."

Over the past 2 years, I have been content to let Saturday night service be what God wants it to be.

To simply let Him direct us in what to sing, what to teach and how to minister . In this current economic crisis (Which I tend to think may be more of God's work than we truly want to admit) God is showing us what truly is important.

The church has existed with a call given to us by Jesus.

Go!

Make disciples!

Teach them to do and say and act and walk and behave the way I taught you!

End of story.

In the going, feed the poor, visit the sick, pray for the demonized and don't stop.
Don't only tell about the Kingdom of God....
Demonstrate it as you allow the Holy Spirit to operate through you.

(that is the scary part!)

I believe that the church (the real church..true church....that which extends across denominational lines) is invisible.

It has not need to promote itself and is more concerned about "doing the stuff" or what Jesus has called us to.

That is a church that I want to be a part of....
Amen and amen.

mb