Jesus Christ's Church is not dying! Jesus has established His Church in the hearts of all who believe in Him. Anyone who believes in Him shall never perish and will have everlasting life (John 3:16); therefore His Church will never die! It is not about a Sunday morning head count, it is about an eternal heart count!
You can find article after article pointing out the dropping attendance in churches across America which may cause you to conclude that The Church is dying. As a member of one of those "dying churches" I need to remind myself of the church that I am really a member of....I am a follower of Jesus Christ and a member of His Body. He has adopted me as a brother, a son, a child of the Living God. I am filled with His Spirit and He has a plan for me. When I claim and proclaim my identity in Him and follow where He leads, I know that I am part of an eternal family.
Jesus has established His Church in me and His Church will be evidenced when I accept and obey His leading. His Church is glorified and His Grace is evidenced where He chooses, when He chooses and through those He chooses. Quite frankly, if I identify myself as a Methodist, or a Presbyterian, or a Catholic, etc. I often feel like I am part of a dying organization. However, when I identify myself with Christ, I am filled with joy and purpose.
There are wonderful churches around the world filled with Jesus's Church. Perhaps, some churches could do a better job of embracing The Church living within the organization instead of seeking to be "relevant" within society by adopting man-designed programs, committees, and business models ("busy-ness"). I assume that Jesus knows how to be relevant and He gave us some pretty specific commands...Love God, Love One Another, and Preach the Gospel. He even provides the power to do these things through His Spirit.
Jesus touched people one on one. If we follow His example we will learn that His Church thrives through our availability and not by our ability.
Perhaps churches should divest themselves of worldly possessions and goals if these things are getting in the way of claiming their identity in Jesus; so that His Fruits...Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control (Galatians 5: 22-23) will be what the world sees instead of a dying church.
Discover and Proclaim the Truth of The Bible which is: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life." (John 3:16 NRSV). Jesus came to humanity to proclaim and give evidence to that love and He has commanded us to do the same. We, who believe, must not merely be followers, but we must be proclaimers of the Gospel Message and we can only do that by being filled with the love of God.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Monday, September 9, 2013
God's Grace Revealed...John 9... Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
Our "Wrestling With Scripture" Bible Study group had a great discussion on John 9 where Jesus healed a blind man who had been born blind. The chapter shows the Grace of God which Jesus offers to us all. Here is a quick recap of Jesus extending His Grace:
Verses 1-7: Jesus healed the blind man even though the man did not seek healing or even know who Jesus was. Jesus wanted God to be glorified by this encounter. The man exercised faith by following Jesus' instructions and he received Christ's gift.
Verses 8-34: The blind man's neighbors were surprised with the healing and took him to the Pharisees to show them that a miracle had occurred. The man continued in faith as he explained the miracle to the crowd proclaiming that only a prophet from God could do such a thing. Jesus' works are evidence of His Deity and glorify God, which was why he came...so that we may know that He was sent by the Father (John 17: 3). Jesus came so that we may believe and be saved from our sins, but the Pharisees refused to believe. God's Grace was available but not received because of a lack of belief and faith. The Pharisees had this opportunity to acknowledge that only a prophet from God could perform this healing, yet they denied what was so evident; thereby, denying the Messiah, who God had sent for their salvation.
Verses 35-41: Jesus sought the blind man after the Pharisees had interrogated him and kicked him out of the tabernacle. At this meeting Jesus offered the true healing for which he was sent...redemption and salvation through Himself. Jesus revealed that He was the Son of Man...and the man believed. This happened in front of the Pharisees who refused to believe.
God's Grace is available to all who believe in Jesus. Jesus came so that we can believe. His love and grace draw us to Him. By faith in Him, by obedience and seeking Him, our belief grows stronger and stronger and becomes a light for others to see.
Verses 1-7: Jesus healed the blind man even though the man did not seek healing or even know who Jesus was. Jesus wanted God to be glorified by this encounter. The man exercised faith by following Jesus' instructions and he received Christ's gift.
Verses 8-34: The blind man's neighbors were surprised with the healing and took him to the Pharisees to show them that a miracle had occurred. The man continued in faith as he explained the miracle to the crowd proclaiming that only a prophet from God could do such a thing. Jesus' works are evidence of His Deity and glorify God, which was why he came...so that we may know that He was sent by the Father (John 17: 3). Jesus came so that we may believe and be saved from our sins, but the Pharisees refused to believe. God's Grace was available but not received because of a lack of belief and faith. The Pharisees had this opportunity to acknowledge that only a prophet from God could perform this healing, yet they denied what was so evident; thereby, denying the Messiah, who God had sent for their salvation.
Verses 35-41: Jesus sought the blind man after the Pharisees had interrogated him and kicked him out of the tabernacle. At this meeting Jesus offered the true healing for which he was sent...redemption and salvation through Himself. Jesus revealed that He was the Son of Man...and the man believed. This happened in front of the Pharisees who refused to believe.
God's Grace is available to all who believe in Jesus. Jesus came so that we can believe. His love and grace draw us to Him. By faith in Him, by obedience and seeking Him, our belief grows stronger and stronger and becomes a light for others to see.
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