"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, The LORD Is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."
Howdy!
Let me introduce myself.
I'm a Bapt-a-costal-penta-Method-Vineyard-charis-Christian.
Yep.
That is who I am.
Confusing isn't it.
You know what?
Really...I'm a follower of Jesus Christ.
That's all.
All of those names I listed are groups that I have been affiliated with over the years. But I don't find my identity in them. I am a follower of Jesus.
The best thing that ever happened to me was to realize that on the train I'm riding that is headed for heaven...........there are a whole bunch of different box cars. I figure as long as I'm on the train, that is the most important thing. isn't it?
You see, I think things have gotten kind of messed up in today's society.
I hear people all up in what church they belong to.
Nothing wrong with belonging...
Nothing wrong with taking pride in your denomination.
Just don't let it take the place that Jesus is suppose to hold in our hearts.
The way some folks carry on, the honestly think that their particular denomination was responsible for writing the Bible.
My identity is found in Jesus and him alone.
Another thing we need to get over and beyond is that the church down the street from you isn't our enemy.
Vicki and I were being led around by God at one point in our walk with Him and we found ourselves attending a "new"church. It was cool. Lot's of good folks who truly wanted to make an impact in the community. One particular Sunday, during Sunday School, the man in charge was sharing with everyone about the vision for the church. He was getting a little passionate in his sharing and as his zeal came out, he said, "We are going to wipe out the competition!" Wipe out the competition? Yep! We are going to be the best church ever was. Sad to say but that church isn't even in existence any more.
We are THE Body of Christ.
You'd think that each church had a kind of Alamo mentality. We've got to hunker down and beat back the enemy because we are the last of the "REAL" churches. Who was it in Scripture that thought he was the last of his kind? Oh yeah...Elijah. Come to find out there were 7000 more just like him.
The way I read it in the Bible is that its Jesus' church anyway. I don't think he'd be happy with the way we try to take ownership of his church. In some ways, it seems like people want to run church the way they think it should be run....they just want to stick Jesus' name on it so that it will look legal. My Bible says that Unless God builds the building, the laborers labor in vain.In other words, it may look like a church. It may have songs and programs and all such of other "churchy" things.....but it is missing the one ingredient that would verify the validity of what was being done.........that would be the Spirit of the Living God.
So here is everything in a nutshell.
Be proud of your church.....
But leave it at that.
Exalt your Savior, Jesus.
I think one of the coolest things that ever happened while I was pastor at the Vineyard happened one Saturday night during our recovery meeting. An older gentlemen came in and stood at the back, taking in everything that was happening. He began to ask questions from one of our members. "Is this a church?" "Yes, it is," replied our member. "What do you people believer?"
The young man turned and looked at the gentleman and said.....
"We love Jesus. We love people who love Jesus. We love people who don't love Jesus."
I think that kind of sums up my theology.
God on you.....
mb
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