Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Church: Epicenter of God's Life Revealed

I believe the body of Christ longs for more than stale bread and tales of yesterday's great events by God through His people. People today are desperate for true God life, desperate for a leader who is not attempting to do church by program or modeled after someone else's victory story.

When Jesus said 'He came to bring life and that more abundantly', He was not speaking about mere self gratification, material abundance or earthly popularity or power! He was speaking about Sodzo, a word for salvation in the NT Greek that carries with it the idea of mending and making whole, which is a part of "What Jesus began to do and teach," Acts 1:1.

But it is much more, it carries within it the idea of being made whole = into what we were created to be, made in the image, or likeness of God. This has to do with our construction and design. We are Spirit beings, with a free will living in a body which is temporary. We were created with God's DNA so to speak. We have been given the ability to create as well as procreate. We have the ability to be in relationship with God the most high, and to align our lives in every way with Him and thus be unique vessels of Him and all that He is.

When we realize that He embraces us out of love and by His grace, His power can work through and in us, then everything that is of Him in us brings honor to Him and that which is not of Him must die if He is to have His way in us. I am reminded of the parable of the vessels in 2 Timothy 2:14-26, some clay and some gold. The true value of our vessel is based on our willingness to submit to and align ourselves with Him, His ways, His Word and His Spirit. Our Character must become like that of Jesus. In Philippians 2:5-11 Jesus humbled Himself. Elsewhere in the NT we see that he became a man and He did the Fathers will by the Spirit's power.

Our walk with and life in God is both very practical and very spiritual. Each of us must align our lives with the Word and seek Him in a relationship that must become the most important thing in our lives. While we are living our life we must do so in a way that those around can both relate to God's work in us and know us as normal people with the supernatural God above all God's working in and through us.

The gifts we have been blessed with are just that, gifts. I long to see all of God's people walk in the wholeness, freedom and fulfillment that God has both designed and created them for!
I believe the local church (people of God) is meant to be the spiritual, relational and practical epicenter of God's Life for those who call upon His name. It is His Grace, Mercy, and Power working in us which produces His image or likeness.

When we look at what 'Jesus began to do and teach', we see that He sent the Holy Spirit that we might be living witnesses (those who see, experience and tell about) of His life working in and through us.

Christian will you be the Church: Epicenter of God's Life Revealed?

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