Monday, May 23, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
But I have a few things against you... Rev 2:14
This post is not meant to be critical of any individual/individuals/church/churches, but an observation of the system in general.
The church of Jesus Christ is a living, breathing organism. The very life of Jesus is the source of "her" life. When left untainted by human tinkering, her DNA will give expression to the most beautiful woman the world has ever seen - the bride of Christ. Unfortunately, the traditions and doctrines of men have altered her DNA to such an extent that her growth and appearance have been stymied and distorted.
Some of the factors which contribute to this situation are:
1. A seperation of sacred vs secular life for a Christian. For a christian every day, every minute, every second is sacred. He is living in union with Christ every moment of his life. So wherever he goes, Christ goes with him. That means his workplace, school, market place is sacred and they become his mission field.
2. A seperation of clergy vs laity. According to the N.T. every christian is a king and a priest. The old system of priests, temples and sacrifices has been fulfilled and done away in Jesus Christ. Of course there are apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers. But they are not "positions" like in an organization such as GE or Microsoft. These are gifts that Christ has given to His church for the equipping of the saints. Neither are they "titles" like in a secular organization, but more like a "function" that these people fulfill within the body of Christ. Seperation of clergy and laity, renders the laity as non-functioning or rarely functioning members of His body, sitting in a pew, passively listening to a sermon and going out and living their individual lives thereafter.
3. The church is viewed as a place we go on Sundays to "worship". Worship is not a 45min to 1 hour thing we do on Sunday mornings. Worship is an attitude of the heart which is born out of love for our bridegroom. It includes, but is not limited to a few songs, sung along with an orchestra played by professionals. Jesus told the samaritan woman at the well, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem..Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks". We don't limit our worship when we go to this place or that mountain or the building we call "church".
4. Jesus also said that by your love for one another they shall know that you are my disciples. To say the least, the body of Christ has been sliced, diced, butchered and cut into innumerable pieces constituting denominations and sects. Sunday morning is the time when this division is most visible. Some say they are of Paul, some say they are of Apollos, some say they are of Christ, some of Wesley, some of Luther, some baptists, some pentecostals, some anglican, some reformed. When the church was born after the resurrection of Jesus, the churches were simply known by the city they were in for ex. church in Corinth, Ephesus etc. You could never see any church named after a person or an organization unlike the modern churches. Paul strongly rebuked such divisiveness among the christians in Corinth. Imagine, if just the Christians that lived in your street or block (I'm picturing my densely populated town) identified themselves, not by the name of their "organization" but by identifiying themselves as part of the church in that city and lived as such. Imagine the display of "oneness" for the world to see. Christ will be made manifest to the world!
Does this mean that God won't use the existing system? Of course God will use His people and God will bless His people! But that is not His highest and His best, that is not the vision in His heart of His beautiful bride called the church. In the midst of all this confusion, He is building His church, not human organizations, but His bride and His house!
Just some thoughts!
Sam
The church of Jesus Christ is a living, breathing organism. The very life of Jesus is the source of "her" life. When left untainted by human tinkering, her DNA will give expression to the most beautiful woman the world has ever seen - the bride of Christ. Unfortunately, the traditions and doctrines of men have altered her DNA to such an extent that her growth and appearance have been stymied and distorted.
Some of the factors which contribute to this situation are:
1. A seperation of sacred vs secular life for a Christian. For a christian every day, every minute, every second is sacred. He is living in union with Christ every moment of his life. So wherever he goes, Christ goes with him. That means his workplace, school, market place is sacred and they become his mission field.
2. A seperation of clergy vs laity. According to the N.T. every christian is a king and a priest. The old system of priests, temples and sacrifices has been fulfilled and done away in Jesus Christ. Of course there are apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers. But they are not "positions" like in an organization such as GE or Microsoft. These are gifts that Christ has given to His church for the equipping of the saints. Neither are they "titles" like in a secular organization, but more like a "function" that these people fulfill within the body of Christ. Seperation of clergy and laity, renders the laity as non-functioning or rarely functioning members of His body, sitting in a pew, passively listening to a sermon and going out and living their individual lives thereafter.
3. The church is viewed as a place we go on Sundays to "worship". Worship is not a 45min to 1 hour thing we do on Sunday mornings. Worship is an attitude of the heart which is born out of love for our bridegroom. It includes, but is not limited to a few songs, sung along with an orchestra played by professionals. Jesus told the samaritan woman at the well, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem..Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks". We don't limit our worship when we go to this place or that mountain or the building we call "church".
4. Jesus also said that by your love for one another they shall know that you are my disciples. To say the least, the body of Christ has been sliced, diced, butchered and cut into innumerable pieces constituting denominations and sects. Sunday morning is the time when this division is most visible. Some say they are of Paul, some say they are of Apollos, some say they are of Christ, some of Wesley, some of Luther, some baptists, some pentecostals, some anglican, some reformed. When the church was born after the resurrection of Jesus, the churches were simply known by the city they were in for ex. church in Corinth, Ephesus etc. You could never see any church named after a person or an organization unlike the modern churches. Paul strongly rebuked such divisiveness among the christians in Corinth. Imagine, if just the Christians that lived in your street or block (I'm picturing my densely populated town) identified themselves, not by the name of their "organization" but by identifiying themselves as part of the church in that city and lived as such. Imagine the display of "oneness" for the world to see. Christ will be made manifest to the world!
Does this mean that God won't use the existing system? Of course God will use His people and God will bless His people! But that is not His highest and His best, that is not the vision in His heart of His beautiful bride called the church. In the midst of all this confusion, He is building His church, not human organizations, but His bride and His house!
Just some thoughts!
Sam
Sunday, January 30, 2011
He drew us from darkness into Light
We had an awesome face to face, every member functioning meeting under the living, breathing, functioning Headship of Jesus Christ. He made Himself visible through the songs, testimonies and word shared by each member. Jesus ministered to us through the following verses:
Col 1:12 (Amp version) Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s holy people) in the Light.13 [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
1 Peter 2:9,10 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are God’s people; once you were unpitied, but now you are pitied and have received mercy.
I had never read Col 1:12 in a version other than KJV. Some other versions make it very clear that God Himself has “qualified” us and made “fit” to share in the inheritance of the saints in the Light. (Note that: we are in the Light now, NOT will be someday). It is not because of anything we did that He qualified and made us fit, but only because of His love and grace. The Father (not our doing) delivered and drew us to Himself out of the control and dominion of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son.
Not only that, He made us (the church):
- a chosen race (not Jew, not Gentile, but a NEW third race),
- a royal priesthood (every believer is a priest),
- a dedicated nation (not of this world – an alien colony from heaven),
- God’s own purchased (He paid with the precious blood of His Son),
- a special people, God’s own people.
Now why did He make us, the “church”, all these things? – to display the wonderful works and virtues of Him Who called us out of darkness into His light, in other words, to give visible expression to Jesus on this earth.
How do we do that? Notice the corporate nature of I Peter 2:9, 10 - It refers to race, nation, and people. An individual Christian may be able to do these things, but God’s purpose is fulfilled, when the church (Christians as a body) functions as she is supposed to – every member functioning as royal priests (not just in theory, but practically), sharing Christ in them with each other, fellow-shipping and living a shared life as members of His family, as people of this new race and colony.
Col 1:12 (Amp version) Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s holy people) in the Light.13 [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
1 Peter 2:9,10 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are God’s people; once you were unpitied, but now you are pitied and have received mercy.
I had never read Col 1:12 in a version other than KJV. Some other versions make it very clear that God Himself has “qualified” us and made “fit” to share in the inheritance of the saints in the Light. (Note that: we are in the Light now, NOT will be someday). It is not because of anything we did that He qualified and made us fit, but only because of His love and grace. The Father (not our doing) delivered and drew us to Himself out of the control and dominion of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son.Not only that, He made us (the church):
- a chosen race (not Jew, not Gentile, but a NEW third race),
- a royal priesthood (every believer is a priest),
- a dedicated nation (not of this world – an alien colony from heaven),
- God’s own purchased (He paid with the precious blood of His Son),
- a special people, God’s own people.
Now why did He make us, the “church”, all these things? – to display the wonderful works and virtues of Him Who called us out of darkness into His light, in other words, to give visible expression to Jesus on this earth.
How do we do that? Notice the corporate nature of I Peter 2:9, 10 - It refers to race, nation, and people. An individual Christian may be able to do these things, but God’s purpose is fulfilled, when the church (Christians as a body) functions as she is supposed to – every member functioning as royal priests (not just in theory, but practically), sharing Christ in them with each other, fellow-shipping and living a shared life as members of His family, as people of this new race and colony.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Why Did Jesus Come?
Did he come to provide us an escape from hell or ticket to heaven? Or is it something else?
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