Melissa wrote- woke up this morning with this thought in mind... what would our cities look like if we were just as passionate and spent just as much energy as we do on how well our worship sounds, how beautiful our buildings look, how eloquently we teach, how well our services flow... on pursuing and stewarding relationships in and outside our churches by taking time to enjoy and experience Him in each and every person we meet, building and raising up leaders by providing resources even platforms for others to share their talents through, and establishing a culture of honor within our community and sphere of influence... now there are those who will read this and think what’s wrong with caring about or being passionate about how our services are ran, or worship sounds...There is NOTHING wrong with any of those, but what is the point of stewarding and investing in our talents if we cant love the one next to us, if we cant even make the time to celebrate an others success or even hug someone in the midst of their distress, Paul declares if I can fathom all mysteries and knowledge and have faith to move mountains but have not love I am NOTHING....and LOVE IS NOT AN INDIVIDUAL IT’S A RELATIONSHIP! I believe we are to be good stewards of our gifts, our possessions, even our callings ...but at the end of it all when He says "Good and faithful servant" is it going to be "you sang so well", "wow you knew how to do church", or "thank you for loving me in them", "wow, thanking for always stopping for the one".... Matthew 25:35 -40For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, YOU DID UNTO ME.’......... You see KINGDOM is about relationships, its about doing what Mother Theresa once stated when asked why she chose to serve the poorest of the poor “To discover Christ in the most distressing disguise”….Acknowledging and taking time to enjoy Him in each other is what changes our churches from religious gatherings into life filled celebrations , our cities from crime filled oppressed neighborhoods into safe beautiful family oriented homes , and even the nations from destructive hostile lands into peace restoring providers.. Our inheritance is not our talents or any of our earthly possessions, yes those are great gifts, but what we will spend eternity enjoying is ONE ANOTHER, THAT IS OUR INHERITANCE! And that is how we manifest Heaven, by acknowledging CHRIST IN US- the hope of glory! The hope of glory, of his opinion, of the invisible become visible, is not our being able to preach really well or even our following all the rules, BUT it is His LIFE put on display in us..it is LOVE BECOMING TANGIBLE AND REAL THROUGH HUMAN FLESH! That is the HOPE OF GLORY and that is what the gospel is all about our awakening to His reality, His image and likeness revealed in human form, HERE AN NOW!
Posted on: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 06:34:58 +0000