Let’s Get Real – Part 2

So, if I stopped attending church services, does that mean I would be forsaking the fellowship with other believers? Absolutely not! Don’t be deceived into believing this.  Am I saying everyone should stop attending church services?  Absolutely not.  I am just saying that they are not necessary in order to fellowship and grow together with others in Christ. These are rules men have made. The greatest fellowship I have ever had with other believers has rarely occurred inside the walls of a church building.  The church is not a building. It is not a service.  It is not music.  It is not programs. It’s not the order of service.  It is not the ministries that are offered.  The church is the body of believers working as one body, taking action in the battle for the salvation of lost souls. She is led in battle by the Holy Spirit of God who has all power and victory.

Being the church means doing whatever it takes. It’s risking discomfort, ridicule, rejection, judgement, and more to win souls to Christ. It’s not about “doing” activities as much as it’s about building one on one relationships with those who may not be so much like you.  (In fact, too much activity may be more harmful than helpful in the mission of “the church”, but that’s another blog).  It’s about presenting Christ in such a way that the blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dumb will speak.  This is not done by control, force, manipulation, judgement, guilt trip, threats or finger pointing.  It is through love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  I emphasize kindness and gentleness because that is something that I have experienced a lack of in my personal encounters with “church people” who are willing to tell others how they need to live and change but are unwilling to accept them and love where they are (maybe because they have yet to truly embrace the real definition of love as God has given in  1 Corinthians 13). I have been on both sides of this fence.

There an exodus from traditional church membership taking place in the current generation. I have read so many articles as to why this is happening.  Personally, I believe that the Holy Spirit is the instigator of the whole thing.  There are so many theories in the articles I have read, but the most common thing that I see is the addiction to tradition and giving an appearance of having it altogether.  This is personal for me because I have been struggling in this area myself.  We have been wearing masks for so long that we don’t even recognize that we wear them.  We have no clue what it means to take them off or how.  We don’t even know what that looks like!

I have been participating in the tradition of “church” for more than 30 years.  I tried so hard to keep up with the expectations, dress right, talk right, look right, act right.  I have seen the pendulum swing from materialism to intellectualism to emotionalism, to down right lunacy!  

I have met some wonderful Christian men and women in the traditional church setting who have been tools in the hands of God.  They don’t pretend to have it together.  They don’t usually run with the “popular” crowd.  They don’t fake humility, they are the example. They don’t seek accolades but freely give them.  They aren’t out to make a name for themselves or to fit in. They are out to make Christ’s name famous and to be different (a peculiar bunch I dare say).  I wish I could say that I have been one of those people but I haven’t. However, that is definitely changing!

I have been a traditional Christian for many years. I have sought to fit in but have never been able to do so (I understand now that it was by Divine grace).  I have put on a mask and said and did everything I thought was expected of me to belong.  Having been an object of ridicule and rejection for most of my life, I fought so hard to prevent that and to be accepted.  (I thought that going to church was the one place where I never had to worry about bullies.  Well, sadly, they are in church too. They just do it with a Bible in hand.)  But, no matter how much I grew in my walk with God, and no matter how much I crossed the t’s and dotted the i’s – I never measured up.  I have always felt like a target for criticism and I was my worst critic! What I didn’t realize is that I set myself up for it.

By not being real, I buried my insecurities, wounds, and pain.  They did not go away although I tried to convince myself and others that they had. In fact, they just kept getting worse the more I tried to hide them.  But, every time I was taken aside by another believer and given a laundry list of things about me I needed to fix, however I thought God had changed me and had grown me, that laundry list just pushed me from a place of victory back into defeated position.  Because there was so much messed up that I just refused to deal with in order to fit, (and you have to appear to have it altogether to fit), every item on that list just piled on top of those that were already hidden behind the fake smile on my face. Now, I see it happening to others and well, I think I need to put on my big girl pants and stop submitting to the authority of those who are hurting people and start standing up in the authority of God to defend them – no matter the cost, not matter how much drama it may stir up.  I do not fear drama! I will experience it but I will not let it intimidate me.  It will be controlled drama (is that an oxymoron or what?).

When I was young, I gave my heart to Christ.  Then, I began attending a local church (gathering).  I was messed up.  I had a lot to learn.  The youth had grown up together in Christian homes.  They did not welcome me into their group.  I was too ungodly and there was just too much drama surrounding my life.  It made them uncomfortable.  I did not get discipled.  I did not grow.  I never fit or felt loved.  So, I took my messed up self and went back to the people and things that felt safe.  I went back to old friends and a lifestyle that was very destructive.  It wasn’t until I had totally messed up my life and brought my first child into the world that I began to learn about surrender.

I went back to the “traditional church”.  But even after so many years had passed the same thing was still happening.  I even had family with me this time (by marriage).  I was still seeking love and acceptance but even among family, I was the fifth wheel. I was still pretty messed up. I still had tons of drama in my life.  In their fear and lack of desire to be made uncomfortable, the “good Christians” in the family and in the church shied away. I didn’t meet the required standards to make me acceptable enough to invest in a relationship.  Those who made an attempt to “help” only brought to me the laundry list of why I don’t belong and am not acceptable.  No matter how much I changed, they were always telling me how much I fell short.  That’s what’s so great about Jesus.  I know I fall short. Everyone does, but when we accept Christ we are on equal ground and some people fail to comprehend this.  Even I have.

However, there were those few authentic members of the body of Christ who dared to accept me as I was.  They helped me to see that I was a person of value to God and that I have gifts and a purpose and God has a plan for my life.  It was different people in different settings through the years who helped me to get to the place where I am now. I heard some life changing sermons and sat under many a great pastor and teacher. God blessed me and grew me more and more in spite of my obsession to fit in with the “popular crowd” at church gatherings.

I understand the exodus that is taking place in the traditional “church” setting.  I don’t think it’s  a bad thing at all.  In fact, I think the exodus that is taking place is not an exodus from “church” but an unveiling of the “true church”. It’s a “throwing away of masks”.  These people who do not attend regular services or have a membership of any particular denomination and list of rules and standards, they are some of the closest examples of Jesus Christ I have ever known in a group of people.  They have wisdom because they rely on the Holy Spirit and each other in His name.  They are not out for fame. They don’t rely on big degrees in biblical studies and Theology. They Have the Holy Spirit teaching them Truth like no university is able (although some of them are working on degrees).  Most people don’t even know who these believers are. They are not out to promote themselves or a cause.  They are not out to judge or point fingers. They are not out to change the world or even change lives as a goal. Their goal is to preach the gospel even to the ends of the earth. Their purpose is sharing the message of salvation. They are people who understand empathy. They are emotional but not into emotionalism. They are not out to give a perception. They are real.  They sacrifice like I have never seen the body of Christ do in my lifetime. They are not out to “keep up with the Jones'” or looking to live the “American dream”. They can even be pretty raw at times.  They love unconditionally.  They don’t run from drama for their own comfort and security.  In fact, they get right in the middle of people’s lives and experience the drama with them. They help take on and relieve some of that burden.  They are so bold and courageous. The fruit of the Spirit bursts out of them and Jesus Christ spills over them. This is what the body of Christ in action looks like. This is the church I desire to be involved with.

I don’t think that somebody should judge my level of godliness based on how many times per week I attend services or how many baby showers or parties I attend, or even how many ministries I lead or take part in. I don’t think somebody has the right to determine how mature a believer is based on how much drama they deal with.  In fact, those who walk with God should expect lots of drama. That’s what happens in warfare.  If you have no drama, you are probably avoiding conflict that perhaps needs to be confronted.  I don’t think that I should be striving to be accepted or gain the approval to fit in with my church peers.  Most of all, I don’t have the right to do that to anyone else! We live what we learn.  I don’t want to be that kind of believer anymore. I don’t want to be the one who overwhelms unbelievers and literally chases them right back to their misery!  I don’t want to cause people to run from God in my attempt to tell them that they need Him!  Oh my gosh my head is spinning at how much God has changed my thinking and how I see things!  This very dark veil has been lifted and I am seeing like I have never seen before!  I am not who I was when this  year began.

Church tradition is dying. From where I stand, it needs to.  This is not a bad thing at all! Why are so many people wasting time analyzing this and trying to change it? Why do we want to hold on so tightly to things God asks us to let go of?  Insecurity.  Security is in Christ, not tradition!  

The body of Christ is not dying. If  every believer would just step outside the box and open his eyes, he would see that the church is more alive than it has been in a long time (and rightfully so as the world is getting more evil than ever)! The reason that tradition is dying is because the true church (the body of Christ) is finally rising up from the dead!  Revival is breaking out, believers!  Don’t miss it holding on to tradition. Let go of the past!  Take off your masks!  Tear down the walls!  There are no walls that will hold what Jesus is about to do. If you refuse to tear down the walls, then you will miss everything that is happening on the outside!  Stop holding on to “the way it’s always been done”.  It isn’t working anymore because it’s too controlled by people. The Spirit is no respecter of walls!  You can’t put God in a box!  He will never fit in your box no matter how big it is!  Step outside the box and take part in the body of Christ! There are no denominational barriers here.  The Holy Spirit is One and He alone reveals Truth!  Trust Him!

Remember, it is the unlikely that God has always used to do the greatest things.  Just read your Bible. Don’t take my word for it!  This way He always gets the glory and He alone is worthy!

I am a drama queen because I serve the drama KING and His Story (The Holy Bible) is full of drama. 

There are no Words

I’m going to try my best to write about what happened to me today that has totally altered the direction of my walk with God.  Everything that has happened this year has led to this point.  It was gut wrenching and I’m still trying to process it all but it started at the register at Target when I got cash back that I really didn’t need (or so I thought).

So, there I was at the exit.  And as usual, there was a homeless person there holding a sign.  But this time it was different.  Often I pass by (usually because I don’t carry cash on hand or I’m in a hurry or I don’t want to hold up traffic or to be really honest, I am apathetic).  I felt God’s voice speak to my heart to give this girl the cash I got back at the store. So, I did.  But, this time I didn’t just hand it over and go like I have done the very few other times I have done this.  I held on to her hand and looked her in the eye and said, “This is not from me, it is from Jesus because He loves you.”  At that point, a weird connection took place.

Then I drove away.

But as I drove, I began to struggle.  I felt this deep urge to turn around and go back and I began to tell God about my plans.  If anyone ever heard God laugh, I think I did in that moment.  I also heard him say, “But,  these are my plans…go back!  Ask her to lunch.”

I thought, “Michael is going to kill me!  I’m picking up a homeless person from the side of the road!”  I was so nervous.

She willingly came with me as I took her out to lunch and began to hear her story.  I looked at her. She was so beautiful past all the dust and dirt that covered her.  She was so young. She was my daughter’s age.  I thought, “How can I leave her on the side of the road when this is over?”  Well, long story short, that is what she wanted and what I had to do.

I reached out to a person from our church to help me with all of this.  He came, we talked (the three of us prior to her leaving), and hopefully it made a difference.  After she left, however, I felt compelled to meet with him and talk more about this.  What I didn’t know was that my meeting her today was just the spark that started a blazing hot fire.  Our meeting had little to do with helping her and much to do with me facing my own demons.

When I met up with the person I had called for help, (we’ll call him Mark).  We began to discuss the conversation we had with the young woman I will call Mary.  We didn’t agree on everything the other did/said. But, the conversation was so filled with the Spirit of God that we were able to understand one another.  I am amazed how a conversation about Mary’s situation led to something altogether different. Somehow, God connected these dots and all of it just came together.

Mark told me things that had I met with him a month ago, I would not have handled well because my heart just wasn’t ready to receive it.  However, the journey I have been on this summer, (the focus on John 15, the 40 Days of fasting and prayer – all of it) prepared me for this moment with who I would have thought of as probably one of the most unlikely people I would have felt safe being so transparent with.

Without going into a lot of unnecessary detail, God gave me courage to stay the course as He opened doors through conversation which required me to swallow my pride and put my neck on the line. I was confronted with some truth that a month ago, would have sent me packing.  Instead, because God had prepared my heart, I was able to take it with grace and accept it for what it was.  I was able to confess and get rid of some junk that has held me back from serving God to the capacity I know I am called to.  

I felt like I had wasted my walk with God for the last 20 or so years due to my own immaturity as a believer.  But as soon as I said that, God spoke to me instantly.  He pointed out to me that nothing is wasted. He showed me where I was when I first met Him.  He showed me where I was 10 years later, and 10 years later, and today (okay so I’m now giving away my age).  

I have often compared myself to others who take off in ministry in their younger years.  This is wrong.  This is the enemy.  First of all, it’s not even about me at all.  It’s about Him. It’s about His glory.  When I look back at the obstacles I have had to face, I see such amazing grace!  I can’t compare myself to others because they haven’t had the same life experiences I have had.  I should never compare myself to another person to determine my worth or my success.  It’s apples and oranges. God is the only one who is qualified to define me.  I am not even qualified to do it myself.

Comparing myself to others always takes my focus off of God and puts it on me and this is sin.  It leads me to the pit of self-pity and I hate that pit and I don’t want to go there anymore. It stirs up so much unnecessary drama that I so much want gone from my life. I have experienced a lot of abuse in my years but I think the worst damage as an adult has been self-inflicted. 

All summer,  God has been confronting me with some unhealthy aspects of my life.  I used to say that drama follows me wherever I go no matter how hard I try to avoid it.  But, the surest way to get rid of it is not to even acknowledge it. Give it no credence whatsoever.  I don’t need to defend myself. I don’t need to retaliate.  I just need to be confident in the One who died for me and who I am because of His grace.

When I was confronted, I was embarrassed because I knew Mark was right. God had been dealing with me about it all summer but I didn’t have to confess it to anyone until this point.  I thought it was my dirty little secret but what I didn’t know was that up until God revealed it, I was probably the only one who didn’t see it. I was humiliated at this open confession of my behavior and that I had allowed it to go on for so long.  I was ashamed.  I was broken.  But………..

Jesus covered me.  He took my shame.  He lifted me up.  He delivered me.  The best thing is…HE TAUGHT ME.  I feel such a sense of freedom from captivity, a self-imposed captivity because I denied what I needed to admit and confront myself.

I don’t know what will happen with Mary but, I  do know this.  God’s purpose for putting her in my path today was very planned. It seems as though Jesus revealed Himself through the least likely. Oh how I wish I could tell her.  It was meeting her that opened my eyes to my own spiritual homelessness and refusal to make choices to change that.  

I am praying and hoping that our paths will cross again.  I am praying that God will open the eyes of Mary’s heart as He did mine. I have faith that one day I will see her sharing the story of how God changed her life as she is used to reach others like her and see Him change theirs too.  He has already changed mine because of her.

Before all this happened today, I had coffee with a friend and I told her that God can even speak to us through those who don’t believe.  I had no idea He was about to do this and drastically change my life in just a few short hours from that moment. He uses the least likely, least qualified and most unexpected people to do the most amazing things!  Just read the Bible if you don’t believe me.  Although I have written much…I just don’t feel like I got the point across.  I just don’t know how to truly express what happened today.  I feel like all of what I have written makes it so much smaller than it really was.  There really just are no words.  Oh how He loves us! To God be the glory.  Amen.

40 Days to Become – Salt and Light – Week 4

 

 

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5: 13-15

 

 

I thought in the beginning of the 40 Days to Become I would write every day.  Although I did some journaling in my personal journals, I wasn’t really inspired daily to write here.  But, I am working on what will probably be a series of posts because it’s very long.  To give a sneak peek, I have come through a process and made a discovery.  As I have been traveling on this journey, I have been struggling to know what I am striving to “become” and I wasn’t seeing the fruit of the 40 days to become.  I just kept asking, “Become what?”.

The pastor who initiated this mentioned in one of his messages a couple weeks ago that we are on a journey to become righteous.  I chewed on it for several days. I thought we were on a journey to become vessels to glorify God. Is that what it means to become righteous? I thought, “Doesn’t the blood of Jesus make us righteous? So, what does this mean for me?  How can I become what I already am in Christ?” That’s the key to it all.  I don’t live out what I believe and know that I am – righteous – because of Christ.

During this time, I did the opposite of what my goal was in the beginning of this journey.  My goal was to press on and not look back.  But, something happened that stirred up so much of what I was trying to put behind me and before I knew it, I had taken my eyes off of the prize and started dwelling on all the broken relationships and the people who have abused, betrayed, rejected and neglected me…even and especially loved ones. I find it interesting that whenever I see something in me I want to change, I am always confronted with the very thing I want to move away from.  God puts me in the fire to purify my heart.

Before I knew it, I had spiraled downward, back into the same pit I have been falling into over and over again for years.  I get out of it at times and I start walking away but something always happened that caused me to go back instead of moving far away from it. It’s almost as if there is some kind of sense of security in that pit. It’s deep, dark and nobody can get to me to hurt me there. But this pit is so full of terrible things and so empty of anything good. People don’t do anything to hurt me when I’m there, but what they did in the past still allows them to inflict pain because of my choice to dwell there.  There is no love there. There is no hope there, there is no peace there. There is only darkness, pain, isolation, loneliness, suffering, pity and worst of all emptiness. But that emptiness makes room for God to fill me with His light and love.

I have asked God to help me to overcome this once and for all. I have realized the main reason I keep going back to that place.  It’s because I don’t put my hope in God (Psalm 43:5).  I don’t feel safe to let go and give it all to Him.  I was afraid of what He might do with it.  Giving certain things to God means I might have to sacrifice relationships that I want to hold on to.  It means that I would have to trust Him.  It means that I might have to accept that even though I pray for a miracle and the hearts of those who are hard against me would change towards me and that the relationship might be restored; that may not be God’s plan.  I keep going back because I think, “what if it’s not His plan”?  What if God never tells me I can have them restored? Is this being anxious for nothing?

What if?

This is worry.  This is fear.  This is self centered. It is idolatry.  I trust in these relationships to feel complete somehow.  My trust should be in God alone – should be- but, it isn’t.

This is what God tells me about this attitude of my heart.  This is the Rhema God gave to me for this situation.  Paul was under house arrest for the sake of spreading the gospel when he penned these words:

Philippians 4: 4-8

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

So, what if, indeed, God never restores these broken relationships?  Well, He is all knowing and perfect in love. If he never restores these relationships it’s because He has a better plan.  I need to trust this. My focus is to remain on Him (whatever is pure lovely and admirable). It will bring Him glory and joy begins where I end and He begins. The only thing I need to focus on in this life is glorifying God.  I must stop making it about me.  Why in the world is this so hard to do? I am here to be a witness.  I am here to glorify God by bringing hope to the hopeless by sharing God’s message of salvation through Jesus  Christ. This glorifies God.  The only relationship I need to be concerned with is my relationship with Him, my Abba.  When that is right, then everything else is right even if it doesn’t feel good. I can have joy in the midst of the worst circumstances as long as I don’t focus on the circumstances but on the God over them! This is God working all things together for Good (Romans 8:28).

Well, as always, God has heard my cry and He has answered again.  He is always there and He never gives up on me.  He showed me His glory as I asked. He spoke clearly to me through my quiet times. He spoke to me through devotional reading, Bible study and music. He spoke through walking, running, people, creation.  He speaks to us in so many ways if we just take time to pay attention.  We only have to open our eyes and ears to see His glory. Everything I heard and observed fit together so perfectly.  This is always, always the case when I come to the end of myself and fall at His feet in repentance and humility.  

Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, my sins are already forgiven, but He reveals to me where my weaknesses are.  He calls me to repent, not because I need to be forgiven. He declared that finished at the cross. The call to repentance (turning from going in the wrong direction to going in the right direction) is to create in me an awareness that I have stopped abiding in Christ.  It is a call to turn from the thing(s) that distract(s) me from that so I get my life aligned with His purpose for His glory. The end result is that I will find joy in the midst of the worst circumstances.  My joy will be Christ in me.  My peace will be in the only relationship that matters and the only one that will never fail.

I understand that in order to “become” I have to abide in Christ.  In order to live righteously, I must continue to abide in Him (John 15: 5-10). When I start going down that pit, I need to make a choice to turn away from the thinking that puts me there and turn my focus on His glory. That has been the message He has for me through this entire journey.  He is the vine and I am the branches.  If I abide in Him and He in me, there will be fruit brought forth from my life. Apart from Him I am unable to do anything “righteous” or good at all.  Because of Christ’s finished work on the cross I am forgiven.  My salvation is secure.  I will be with Him when I pass from this life to the next.  But, in order to live out the righteousness in me, I need to keep pressing on and running the race to win the prize in Christ.  

Philippians 3:12-14 

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus

I am a redeemed and holy child of God.  I am a priest.  I am no longer a slave to sin because Jesus paid for me to be free.

Romans 6: 15-18

 ¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! ¹⁶ Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷ But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. ¹⁸ You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

It’s time I started to do better at abiding and living out the righteousness that lives within me. I cannot tell others that there is light at the end of their suffering if I am sitting in a dark and empty hole of self-pity and isolation.  I must grab on to Christ and never let go.  He alone can get me out and keep me out of this same pit I keep falling into over and over again.  One day at a time.  I must trust in Him because He alone is worthy and able. I am so glad that when I let go of Him, He never lets go of me.  His hand is always there, holding on and ready to pull me out of the pit when I finally grab on and trust Him. Only then will I become salt and light.

A New Journey Begins

Saturday, June 28, our church began a 40 day journey to become.  A little less than week prior to this, our pastor explained this journey.  I wasn’t present that day.  I just felt like I was not supposed to go.  So, instead of going to church, I stayed home and spent time praying and listening to God.

I felt God leading me to write everything that came to me.  It began revolving around John 15:5, but, as I kept writing, more verses from John 15 came to me. Through my writing, it seemed as though the message I felt God’s Spirit speaking to my heart was that the church has lost sight of her purpose. My heart has been grieving for so long because I knew something wasn’t right but I just couldn’t place my finger on the problem.  I felt a need to just pull back and clear my head and listen to God that day.

What I started to put together (as I was writing) was that God wanted to share His burden for the church and how she has lost sight of her first love.  She has become more about people and less about the Father.  Christians are so busy doing things but are we missing the point?  I have been very frustrated by this for some time and have had my own opinions on this topic, but I never took time to listen to God’s heart about his view on things. My opinion was more about me than Him. His perspective has changed that.

Christians can go to one church and hear about how worthless we are and how we fail God as Christians. They can take a pounding that leaves them feeling hopeless and defeated. This is not what God wants. Then again, they can go to another and hear about how Jesus wants us to always be healthy and wealthy and happy. People either become incredibly critical, materialistic, and/or self-focused when the messages preached are always about what “we” need to do to change the direction of our lives. This is not what God wants either. So, is this really where our focus is supposed to be?

If we want to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit, (love, joy peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control), then should’t we be placing our focus and worship on the Holy Spirit of God? Shouldn’t church be about the glory of God instead of people?  When did it become about us?  These were my thoughts as I pondered John 15:5.  “I am the vine and you are the branches, if you abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.  Apart from me, you can do nothing.”

When Michael (my Hubby for those who don’t know) returned from church last week and shared with me the vision my pastor had and is leading us in through this 40 Day Journey to Become, I was blown away at what he told me because it was exactly what I was writing that day. The scriptures used are different but, the message is the same.  We need to stop doing. We need to become. We need to be seeking after God’s glory, not our own.  We need to become the church God created to bring His Kingdom to Earth. It’s about Him.  It’s about how amazing He is.  It’s about His sovereignty, His majesty, His power, His presence through the whole earth.  It’s about abiding in Christ as He abides in us through the Holy Spirit of God! It’s not about what we can do.  Apart from Him we can do nothing. It’s time for all of us to wake up and stand in awe of the glory of God. That’s it! That is just the end all!  There is nothing more for us to do! When we stand in awe of God, He will be glorified.  The lost will be saved!  His Kingdom comes to earth through us as we abide in Him and He in us!

With all of this said, I have felt a strong leading to study John 15 during this 40 day period.  From this point forward, I will be journaling here as I go on my personal journey with our church to become.