I find it very odd that as christians and our heritages over the last 600 years of trying the same things over and over that we have failed to see the answer.
It is actually what is called the definition of “insanity”. Doing the same thing over and over expecting different results!
What we call the church, we seem to think that we as the participants are in charge? and where do we find that in the bible?
Matthew 16:18 seems to contradict this way of thinking for christians. With our best efforts forward of trying to achieve the “Church” in our little church’s that we want to become big and bigger, we seem to be failing.
Over the last 50 years in the U.S. the church has been declining. We have done research,we have just changed programs,changed churches,changed pastors,music,and 100 other things to bring in people. But maybe there is one thing that either we havenot thought of or just don’t won’t to admit to it.
We are not to be doing it, God is!
I have been intrigued with the old testament story of the exodus. If you really understand this story in it’s deeper meaning of what God was doing with his “People” you will see the real significance of it in the New Testament. Sit back and reread the story of the exodus and the pre-exodus and listen to the condition of the people of God, what was there real issue of life?
This story reiterates my belief that God is the one building the church in his own way and time. If we read the story the Israelites you will remember that not to far into the journey that they all started to complain and whine that they were tired and hungry and wondering “are we there yet!”(lol). And even further into the journey they believed that they would be better off back in Egypt where they were forced to work for the Pharoah but yet had shelter and food to eat.
Sound familiar? We couldn’t escape the confinds of slavery if we wanted to! We are content to continually be a slave! I am under the belief that christianity as we know it is close to being over. It is this understanding of our “work” still bogs us down,or enslaves us to this way of thinking that has gotten us to this point.(this paradigm seems to be stuck with us as christians since the 16th century, which is another blog,or even an ebook!)
My goal is to show another paradigm in the coming months than the previous one mentioned.
I will expound on this theme on the “Exodus” on coming blogs, but my main goal is to write an ebook on the subject by the end of the year. So stay tuned. I enjoy the discussion of all subjects so be free to send your 2 cents to me on this. Doug
Yes, it has to be done by God in Christ. However, He will not do it directly from heaven but rather through us, by making home in our hearts and by living through us. Here’s the tough part: to what extent can we join Paul to declare “it is no longer I who live but it is Christ who lives in me”? To live for the Lord is not sufficient because I might be in myself doing things for Him. I need to learn daily to take Him as my life and let Him live through me.