A FIGHT FOR OUR OWN FAITH

You know what happens when you inadvertently leave boards placed here and there upon your nice lawn.  Left there long enough the grass will die; yet all will still be known as a part of the yard.

Boards of religion have been left atop the green ambition of spiritual life.  The result is death by smothering even though we continue to call it church.  This is one of the most serious and disastrous issues of our day.  Churches are abuzz everywhere we turn; yet something is hauntingly wrong.  Many, many bodies are engaged while the spiritual inclination throughout is on prominent decline.

I am a part of this problem.  Too, I am growing to understand the solution has always been and always will be found only in the Son of God.

Religion has selfishly replaced relationship to God with activity in church routine. We have so many good works (just as there are good boards) which have, in places, subconsciously become church gods while Jesus, His Spirit, and prayer have been smothered out.  I would not know of a time where more religious activity and expense abound while, simultaneously, proportionate impact is meager.

I am crazy about the church and am hoping it will allow me to stay within its fold. That's how much I dearly love it.  However, our message today has moved little from the message of Jesus.  We fight the same battles.  It isn't wrong to fight them.  It is a mistake to assume they no longer exist.

Jesus was constantly dealing with factions which had developed a love for their most serious devotion according the the flesh-ego.  His constant attempts to eradicate society of such a menace only led the menace to try to eliminate him.

The good news is that the grave completely backfired.  Rather than providing a home for the dead it gave birth to eternity in person.  The world has not and will never get over the stunning move of the Spirit regarding this gigantic shock. Never, never shall we accept this move of God with a shrug of indifference.

We must continue to fight for our own faith because habitual religion and its constant opportunity for activity can lull us into romantic slumber rather than sacrificial faith.

Society has taken on the false doctrine that if we go to church in correct form we will go to heaven because we did church right.  Attendance coupled with elementary or advanced works have taken us along many roads other than knowing Jesus.  This was a desperate problem in his day and we disciples must be alert to this matter now.

Are we fighting to keep our kids in church or keep them in Christ?  Are we doing battle over what we believe while having lost track of the bigger need of whom it is we believe?  Have we grown unhungry and unthirsty for the spiritual because our flesh is pedaling as fast as it possibly can to keep up with our array of wonderful Christian deeds?

I join with you as we experience being in kindergarten in the church day after day after day.  We are newer today than we were yesterday.  Every tomorrow brings us another newest day yet!

Live like it.  Love like it.  Think like it.  Look like it.  We aren't called to keep the church going.  We are called to be given in enamorization over its leader.  Jesus will keep the church going.