A series of recent posts I’ve really enjoyed that kind of relate to one another have to with revival and things that are killing the church.
The first is from Serving Grace Ministries, Patrick, and he’s been writing about revival. His latest is Prepare the Ground. Also Fix the Leak First was really good. In Prepare the Ground he says, “Let me ask you this question. When was the last time, if ever, have you seen a person, lost to their sins, so convicted that they burst through the doors of the church building crying, “What must I do to be saved?” Amen, I have felt that precise thing, followed up by despair, as in what have we done to the church? And repentance, I intercede for the church often. There’s the vision of who we are and what we ought to be doing and then there is the reality. That discrepancy hits me in the gut sometimes.
I was blessed last year by examining some of my ideas about prayers for revival, like what am I really asking for? What do I need? What would change? Somewhere in the midst of that process, God directed me to focus on my own revival, renewal, refreshment, stoke your own fires. So I am having a “revival” of my very own.
The second series is from Pastor Randy, the Top Ten Things That Are Killing the Church. He’s done an entire series addressing each one in more detail. They’re all good, they’re all very edifying, so it’s hard to pick one that presses on me the most, but I think choosing religion over relationship is a real problem. I am all about relationship, personal, intimate, invested in. One problem with “religion” is that we tend to learn things based on traditions, rumors, pre-conceived notions of who God is and many of those things can be based on misunderstandings of deceptions. I sometimes say one of the hardest thing about building relationship is unlearning all the things you may have been told or taught.
I know a woman right now separated from Christ because she still believes the bible says “cleanliness is next to Godliness” and she’s a terrible housekeeper. It’s almost comical in its silliness, but that is exactly how our brains function, and wounding left to fester like that grows and gets all entwined within our psyches. It can be really difficult to pluck out a deception like that, they can have deep roots and often are symptomatic of people who got bits and pieces of religion…but nothing of relationship.
Jesus Christ says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” In order to really know the truth we need a relationship with the truth and the Truth is actually a real person, One who gave His life to know us.
patrickhawthorne01 said:
Thanks, IB…
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insanitybytes22 said:
No,thank you! I’ve really enjoyed reading them. 🙂
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Wally Fry said:
Patrick’s series has been really enjoyable, and many more ought to share it. Also, thanks for pointing to Pastor Randy’s place. I haven’t read much, but it seems like good stuff.
“Religion.” Yeah, religion kills churches for sure. You know I have spoke highly of the church I attend, and likely always will. I think overall we do much more that is pleasing our Jesus than what displeases Him. Nonetheless, we can get as wrapped up in tradition and religion as anybody. It’s very comfortable and easy to rest on that. True change and revival is difficult, uncomfortable, and often painful.
Thanks for this, IB.
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Mel Wild said:
Amen and amen. I especially loved the last line… “In order to really know the truth we need a relationship with the truth and the Truth is actually a real person, One who gave His life to know us.” That is so…spot-on. 🙂
Thanks, too, for referring the blogs. I already follow Patrick but hadn’t seen Pastor Randy’s blog before. The series sounds very good. Blessings.
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Pastor Randy said:
Relationship requires effort, responsibilities and accountability. Religion only requires blind acceptance. Another, I should say, YET another great post. Always love reading your thoughts because they are drenched in wisdom and wit…and the wit is also drenched with wisdom!
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Brandon Adams said:
“Relationship requires effort, responsibilities and accountability. Religion only requires blind acceptance.” Holy smoke. Did you come up with that?
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Pastor Randy said:
I don’t remember if I heard that somewhere else…but if I had not heard that somewhere else, it had to have been the Holy Spirit…I’m not that good to come up with such insights!
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hmoon said:
May God shine the light on the truth and might we come to really know Him! Good read! Thanks for sharing!
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MJThompson said:
Indeed, as you rightly stated, “the hardest thing about building relationship is unlearning all the things you may have been told or taught”. In many years as a Counselor, the constant ‘problem’ clients seek to remedy is the ‘unlearning’ of preconceived ideas about marriage, commitment, and love.
Too many expectations turn to disillusionment when the least little ‘crack’ in one’s foundation appears. As Jesus warned about building a house on the sand, life built upon any false belief system (no matter how slight) NEVER allows the fulfillment of desired anticipations – merely regret. As with all interpersonal relationships, so also, our personal relationship with God is dependent upon TRUTH.
Lies and deceit infest people’s ability to fully trust, which causes suspicion rather than true love. The resulting lack of commitment is built upon an equally false foundation of resentment – which goes unidentified for years because many people focus on their ‘rights’ rather than their responsibilities.
Am I my brother’s keeper? Most of know we are, but only when its ‘my brother’s’ turn to be godly – he’s MY keeper. Instead of do unto others, we tend to only treat others the way we perceive their treatment of us. Then, as if THAT ideology isn’t bad enough, we relate to God with the same mindset. We wait for Him to prove Himself ‘worthy’ of our love and commitment.
The biggest false belief system is the one that is so self-centered that its focus is on what I do to prove myself worthy to God – a completely BACKWARDS approach to every relationship. Too many people fail to understand that marriage (or ANY right-relationship) is NEVER a 50/50 proposition – but a 100% commitment by both parties.
Grace is ‘proof’ of God’s 100% commitment to us. It is also an enabling of our ability to reciprocate 100% to Him and every other good relationship we encounter. Conversely, deceit has many people quite unwittingly 100% committed to WRONG ideas and understandings about relationships – so much to ‘unlearn’, they don’t even know that they’re wrong!
“…because they did not receive the love of the truth… God will send them strong delusion…” – 2Thes. 2: 10,11.
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SLIMJIM said:
I was blessed by those articles
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insanitybytes22 said:
Me too! 🙂
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