Have You?

Colossians 1:19-22 - For it pleased the Father that IN HIM all the fullness should dwell, and BY HIM to reconcile all things to Himself, BY HIM, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of HIS cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now HE has reconciled in the body of HIS flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in HIS sight—

Alienated and enemies. That’s what we are before entering into a relationship with Christ. 

Churches don’t determine who we are in Christ. Having gone to church since childhood doesn’t do it. Being infant baptized doesn’t do it either. Our denomination...nope.  It’s all about a changed heart, a conversion in spirit. In Christ alone.  

I heard our pastor tell a story about a person he once knew. When pastor got saved, he was on fire for God and he began to “preach” even before the call of God in his life to become a pastor. Quite often his friends got mad at him. 

Well, this friend didn’t like what he had to say and asked why his pastor never said those things. Because the truth was not preached. Pastor said, could be that’s why he’s a drunk today. 

A lot of churches fail to take it one step further and preach the truth. They don’t want to offend. Or some hold people captive with rules and regulations, works that do not save a person’s soul. What a shame that some people will be on their deathbed wondering if they have been good enough to go to heaven. But we can have that assurance, if we seek and hear the truth. Through Christ alone. Has He entered your heart? Have you allowed Him in? Have you been transformed by His truth? Have you been set free? 

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Wow, after I wrote all this and was determined not to get lengthy, a day at church added to all this. 

In Bible study the point was made: many churches don’t preach anything but the goodness of God; sin is not brought up. Many believe that if He’s a good God and loves us why does He allow suffering? He allows suffering because He loves us (like a father disciplines his son for running out into a busy street without looking...). It doesn’t seem logical to our human minds but if you look closely in the Bible you’ll see He was always causing trials to bring people back from trusting themselves or kings or others to trusting Him. 

Then pastor mentioned this in the sermon: Rejecting the Word of God (The Bible or Christ, who is the Word of God) in heart and spirit is rejecting Christ. If Christ is planted in us, like a seed is planted in the ground, He grows within! 

Me again: it must be a heart change. It can’t be just an acknowledgment with our mind to something a pastor has said and we agreed to. It must be something that has changed our hearts. Again, have you experienced a time when your heart was truly changed? 

Then coming home from church I was listening to my worship music. One song was Garments of Praise by Robin Mark. It was a reminder to me that in the midst of trials it is strongly suggested we lift up praise to God to relieve any spirit of heaviness. Trust Him always! If we know and have this relationship with Jesus, we know He can lift our spirits! It’s why He was sent to this earth, to reconcile all things to Himself. In Him we have joy and peace. Here’s the prophetic word of the Old Testament that the song is based on (for both the Jews and the Gentiles). I will praise my God!! Let His name be glorified.

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me [the yet to come Savior] because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

https://youtu.be/T6cNIHUhTqY

You Gotta Know

1John 1:2-3 - ...—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

I’m still awed by a message preached by our pastor’s son. I’ve seen him mature in the six years or so since joining my little church. He was not as confident when he first spoke as he is now. He practices what he preaches. He lives out his faith. I am not saying this to promote this young man, as I'll explain later.

Eight to ten years ago he stepped into the sanctuary of my old church one Thursday night during a little prayer group. He apologized for interrupting and we asked what he was there for, could we pray for him. He’d come to pray about a message he was going to be giving to high school boys using our church gym for basketball. So we prayed.

Then he prayed! Something very powerful came over me. His prayer touched others as well. We found out where he went to church. I did an internet search when I got home but realized the church was “too far away” for me. (I guess I was starting to feel somewhat unsatisfied where I was attending church...) 

For three years he came to mind occasionally and the same powerful feeling came over me. I visited one Sunday while staying the weekend with a friend who lived in the area of the church. It didn’t impact either of us like I thought it might so I tried to push it all aside. 

My feelings for my church were growing more distant. I wasn’t getting enough anymore. Something just wasn't right. I came home from a Bible study with a heaviness I couldn’t shake. I entered the house and the words, “It’s time for you to leave and here’s where I want you to go” entered my spirit, as if I'd heard an audible voice. I knew instantly what they meant with just the little information I received! It was time to leave my church and go to this little church that was “so far away!” 

And I did. And it’s where I am right now. And we’ve moved even farther away!! 

Again, I'm not promoting this young man. God orchestrated my need for change, any surrounding people and circumstances, the change and any growth that may have occurred from that change. He puts the pieces of puzzles together, sometimes in amazing ways. I have gotten away from the church system to a church family. Is it perfect? No. No church is, no man is. But God is and if He chooses to use a young man or a small church for His glory, that’s where I want to be. We have many in our church and many who come to preach in our church who also do so by the power of God. And the Holy Spirit shows up.

This young man said these words. They aren’t anything new to me. They aren’t new to him. But they might be new to someone else. 

You can know that you know [God], but you gotta know that you know Him. And you know what? You can know Him again...and again, and again, and again! - Aaron Fischer

I’ve said this many times. It’s not a religion this walk with the Lord. It’s not a denomination. It’s not a church. It’s not just saying I know who He is but rather I know Him. It is a relationship with the God of all heaven. Our Creator. Our Redeemer. No one else should be revered. No other name under heaven can save (Acts 4:12). Only Jesus. Not knowledge from the head or a book or a church’s or pastor’s teaching, but through the power of the Holy Spirit’s work in us. We have to meet Jesus. 

1John 1:6-7 - If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.