Perhaps the greatest cause of church abuse
today is misidentification.
Everybody suffers when we don’t see who’s who. If the eyes of our heart do not hold people as God has made
them thru the cross and resurrection, then the eyes in our head will surely
lead us poorly. We will live
blindly. We will live
deceived. How, then, can we live
and act toward one another in keeping with who we are? I know of no other place where this is
more tragic than when the church gathers together.
But what if we chose what we know, the true view? What if we chose reality, even though
it is invisible to our earthly eyes?
(See 2 Corinthians 4:18.)
Then we would live in the Truth, we would live accurately, we’d be
walking by and with the Spirit, and the Kingdom now in us would be stunningly
evident to us—and to all.
That
wouldn’t be too bad, would it?
Posts
Memo this to all Christian school teachers, parents and church leaders immediately... some of them never got the original memo and have caused great harm!
ReplyDeleteMy intercessory prayer, not original but it works, Eph 1:15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints (the people of God),
ReplyDeleteEph 1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.
Eph 1:17 [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him,
Eph 1:18 By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),
Eph 1:19 And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength,
Eph 1:20 Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places],
Eph 1:21 Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come.
Eph 1:22 And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church], [Ps. 8:6.]
Eph 1:23 Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself].
You're right, Lorraine. If we, let alone those who teach our children, actually saw our Christian kids as Christ has made them, not only would we walk with them as they have become in this world, but we'd be dazzled by the truth a lot more often. I'm for that!
ReplyDeleteKal, that's one of my favorite things to talk with God about, as well as one of my most important prayers. Thank you for reminding me of it.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful word my friend...proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with you proclaiming this good news
ReplyDeleteHoly Spirit perspective... how can we go wrong? After all, He knows each one of us so well.... Thanks Ralph !
ReplyDelete"When we walk in the truth, as He is in the truth, then have we fellowship one with the other and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from ALL sin." When I realize He has cleansed me from ALL my sins, past, present and future and has done the same for fellow believers, what a difference that makes. As Jeffery Marshall wrote, it's all about perspective.
ReplyDelete