Is That All There Is?

When you compare New Testament Christianity with the lifestyle of today's Christian; there is no question there is a vast difference. If Christians were truly honest with themselves, they would have to admit they not reached their full potential in Christ. And they would also have to admit they have not grown spiritually in years!

It is not my intention to condemn or put anyone on a guilt trip. None of us (including me) have reached our full maturity in Christ. Phil. 1:6 My concern is that most of us have become satisfied having our 'ticket' to heaven that we no longer see the need to exert any effort to deepen our walk with Christ. 

Poet Wilbur Reese wrote:

I would like to buy three dollars worth of God, please.

Not enough or explode my soul or disturb my sleep,

But just enough to equal a cup of warm milk, or a snooze in the sunshine.

I don’t want enough of Him to make me love a black man, 

or pick beets with a migrant worker.

I want ecstasy, not transformation.

I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth.

I want a pound of the eternal in a paper sack.

I would like to buy three pounds of God, please.

For Paul, Jesus was his everything, it was his life. "To me the only important thing about living is Christ..." Most of us cannot testify that Jesus is the most important thing in our lives. Our life is not built around Him.  People look at our lives and they are often disappointed at what they see. No power. No joy. No peace. They do not see much difference in our lives and theirs. It is time that we:

Rise up, O men of God!

Have done with lesser things.

Give heart and mind and soul and strength

To serve the King of kings.

The Church - Trauma Center?

Let's do a little word association. What immediately comes to mind when it say the word, "church?" Many people think of a beautiful white building at a physical location. Others may think of the warmth of the people who attend each Sunday. Some may think of beautiful music, a pipe organ, and a inspirational choir.

The point is we all have our opinion of what the church should be (or do). If you move to another part of the country and begin looking for a new church, the odds are you will look for a church similar to what you just left. There is nothing wrong with that but too often we have the concept that church is about ME; how will the church minister to MY family? How will the church meet MY needs? We have even invented a term for choosing a new church: "Church Shopping." I guess it is like buying a new car; which one do we feel most comfortable in? I am not implying that we not receive blessings or benefits from attending church but that is not to be our focus.

But how do you think Christ sees the church? Of course we know that He loved the church so much He died for it.  Eph.5:25  But hat verse gives us a tremendous insight that the church is not about us but others. When Jesus ministered here on earth, He basically told His disciples to do the things they saw Him do. We are to carry on His ministry today. 

Luke 4:18-20 is Jesus Christ's mission statement: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free  and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come."

I believe that the Bible teaches that the Church is to be a trauma center for people to find healing and wholeness. We come into contact if people everyday that are hurting and need the healing that only Jesus can bring. We are to be the Body of Christ, reaching a lost world.