Are you the sleeping church?

WARNING:

This post is meant to only reveal the personal thoughts of how I see where I fit into the church (which means the body of Christ, to include all believers) of this end time moment in history. I will reference creditable prophets of God both in the Word and in what is considered modern day. However, I hope only to get others thinking about what part they play in the larger picture, without any condemnation or judgment. Please continue to read.

It is fairly obvious that we as a global society are far closer to any “end times” than ever before. Even without Biblical knowledge, logic can tell you that when the world has vicious dictators holding nuclear power you are always in reach of a world war.

The end times I speak of are directly related to the coming of the Holy Redeemer. Though, in my belief of the many descriptions written in the bible, my understanding is that a great awakening will take place within the church (body of Christ) which will insight a major revival. Also referred to as the reformation of the church allowing the ability and passion to pursue the saints (ministers of the gospel) to literally reach out to every corner of the world in the Name of Jesus. In this pursuit of reaching the globe, the body of believers is referred to as the bride of Christ. Also known to many as the sleeping giant that will arise will a righteousness that will take the enemy by storm turning hearts back to the Father. (Again my paraphrase) This bride in waiting will be made pure according to the Word. To me, this requires a sanctification that will happen through the Grace of God when the church repents of its sin. Spreading the message of repentance but MOST IMPORTANTLY the LOVE of God.

OK, I know I just spit a lot at you, but you have to understand what I am about to reference. My husband and I have been ringside to see the powerful desperate CHANGE that has come over US, some of our friends and a small portion of this country. The kind of dramatic change found in the breakthrough and freedom of Christ’s Love. We have also been planted in a local church body that over the last few years has ebbed and flowed in and out of the true love of Christ’s bride. Of course, I am part of that church and thus have been at times part of that problem. And to speak to that I can only say that God is faithful to pursue me even in my disbelief of His love for me. I love this church and I know they love me. I know that right now my church is walking in the holy Love of Christ. I am very proud of my small part I can play to serve in my local body.

In the larger body of Christ, I have a voice too. The men and women who mentor or whom have spoken Life into my destiny profoundly affect me. Though I am thankful, I know they have only been the mouthpieces for a loving Father who desires me to risk it all in order to reach the lost so that they may be found. This love that fills my life and makes it worth living is the love that will rise within the church and drawn out the sounds of despair and pain. The church as a whole from my small corner of the world is lacking the perseverance to their message. If we truly believe what we claim, then we should forever sing of the Lords favor and Love. But so many draw their last praises as soon as the stormy waters rise in their lives.

Let me tell you that as the storm winds blow and friends desert me, I can not think of anything negative to say about serving Christ. My life has not been without pain or suffering but through it all I have found a voice, my voice, my own purpose to this life that can not be taken away. As this end time woman of God, I find more work for me outside of the church rather than in it even while I participate I find more in need of the body of Christ and those in need of refuge. The local church is my refuge but not a hiding place from the call of God. I hope that in your every day life you can say with certainty that the people in your life, touched by your life and ultimately by the God in you are set free from the chains that bind up the current “western church.”

Isaiah 58:6-11 Describes the breakthrough and Light that follows those that seek God in prayer and fasting. I challenge you to look it up. God through Isaiah is expressing that you will find FREEDOM and CHANGE when you seek God with the right heart. You will also BE the church in the way you care for others with the Love of Christ.

I guess I would love to know, are you hiding from the real mission field while you spend all the days of the week hiding in your church? Are you reaching those around you with Love? When was the last time you saw Isaiah 58 breakthrough? Are you listening to the voice of reason, or are you taking steps to care for others with reckless abandon to the reputation you hold so dear? Are you serving with a heart that has grown cold and you feel like nothing is changing? Do you grow weary in doing good deeds because no one sees all the great things you have done?

I challenge you to honestly pray and ask God, “What would you have me do?” then try “Give me courage to Love with agape love and not look back!” and if you are serious about being a part of this cry across the country you can even ask, “Show me your true bride of Christ in my area that can prove I am not alone in my cry for change!”

And like I said in the beginning…the true bride of Christ will not stay within their church but will not abandon their storehouse. The bride of Christ that is waking will begin to see how we really do all need each other and there is no competition in reaching the lost or meeting the needs of the world. You see, the need is too great for one denomination, or one creed or even one congregation!

If you have read any headline about any pastor who has committed great sins, than you too believe in the word of the end times. 2 Timothy 3 declares it this way:

^“1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ²People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

I have been in and seen the “churches” in my country that “have a form of godliness but deny its power”! I challenge you to see what Isaiah spoke from the Lord in the Old Testament. If you lack the power of loosing the bondage of sins, then you have not been effective. What makes you effective?? The true Love of God, which draws you unto him, and HE will give you your voice! When you speak with His voice, in righteousness, He will set the captives free!

I pray that like my own life has been changed by this revelation, so too can you find a revelation in why God’s power is so important and no spectacle to be worshiped but merely a symptom of seeking Him.

Laughter Joins Hearts

You can easily laugh at others and sometimes you can laugh at yourself with ease. The key in my life is to have someone to laugh with. This allows the other person to remind you of the funny moments when life has thrown a ton of bricks at you. In my childhood my sister was there to turn to and find something funny to watch or laugh at. In some of those sad moments of childhood - my sister found ways to cheer me up and we would laugh (and cry) together. I am grateful for a Grandmother who always found a practical joke and some ole slap-stick humor to be the best remedy this side of heaven.

My adult life leaves me without the constant companionship of my sister (although she is close to call on) and my grandmother went to the everlasting place of Joy in 2002. Life however did not make me wait to much longer until I met someone who would remind me how to find humor in the most darkest moments I would face. In the middle of my personal hell of a divorce and a failed attempt to pretend I could change someone, I met a few people at work who saw my need for some good laughs. My newly found friend Melissa was all too excited about life and always had "the bright side" of things up for discussion. She also has the ability to make anything funny...me, or work or someone we could make fun of (only in clean fun)! She could make me laugh at myself without any effort. Between my quick comebacks and her clever humor we were like a match made in comedy heaven for my soul. It seems that even when I need to do some dreadful task at work and she was the messenger of death - she did it with humor and a smile. I was grateful for our time together in the workplace.

It was also because of her that my life would change forever. As a new management "team" member would be joining my store and she had the inside scoop. She was funny and witty about who this guy was and how great he was at his job. (He was already her mentor...little did I know.) She had no designs for match-making and only knew a small amount about the turbulent life I was then leading. (Being followed several times a week by soon-to-be-ex or in-laws and such ridiculous natured stuff.) She was available to lend an ear - but I kept most of it under wraps. Regardless - she was sure I needed to find some more things to smile about. Her solution was Asa's sense of humor. She mentioned one day that I should really come sit and have lunch with her and her counterpart/ boss because we all had such similar "funny bones" and we would make lunch a riot together. Asa was not too happy with fraternization among employees...not yet any way!! (wink, wink)

Long story short: We took each other by surprise in many ways. My new friends at work became so much more. Melissa was our Maid of Honor in our small informal toes-n-the-sand beach wedding less than a year later.

Asa is my best friend and my closest companion in love and laughter. We have found laughter in the darkest of days. When people you thought would never abandon did just that and when no one was there but us. There was laughter.

One night we awoke to what sounded like coughing but with a smell of yesterday's juice. We knew that it was gonna be a long night. I grab the closest towel to run to the scene when Asa grabs my arm to say, " - stop! Just use the clean part of the sheet they have already thrown up on...don't make more laundry...." This was typical of his man-theology regarding laundry.

A few months later, we were dressing the first turkey I ever had to make and tears were welling up inside my eyes as I missed my grandmother so desperately. She was the best and I could not live up to the memory of the tastes of her turkey. Asa grabbed the recipe card and then the pan with the turkey. As he made the turkey dance the polka from the pan... he laughed about how he would eat whatever was to become of that turkey! Asa declared that if the turkey was good I would get all the credit and if something went wrong - it would all be his fault. The thought of a man who had recently mis-read a simple recipe and ruined two nights worth of dinner now claiming to make a turkey alone was enough to cheer me up for the rest of that long day.

There are so many more moments that I am sure I will share but I just wanted to remind you that laughter does in deed make the heart grow fond. It grows with joy and laughter always brings a sense of reality that things could almost always be worse.

When my laugh may fade into gray for a moment in the overall length of this lifetime; May I always remember the warmth of laughter with a loved one can warm the heart a far greater time than comedy alone. - Shelley