To Be or Not to Be

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I pray that you consider the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit your close personal friends and you visit with them daily.

 

 

          Today I want to talk to you about "To be, or not to be" - that is the question.  Once upon a time (though this is no fairy tale - it is an accurate telling of a truth) God created something beautiful.  He took people from every race, gender, culture and geographical location and gave them a common love for and desire to serve the One who died for them, who took their sin and shame upon Himself, who set them free from bondage and gave their lives meaning and purpose and set them apart.  To these He gave power over the evil one to resist his ways; He gave gifts and talents and called them to each be what the other lacks, to be a cohesive unit with the one purpose of promoting the Kingdom of God on this earth until He takes them to their real home in Heaven.  He called this people the church.  And it was good.

 

     Then man did what he always does in this fallen world.  He decided to take God's perfect plan and fix it.  Some of the church decided just to focus on the virgin birth and virgin mother.  Some decided just to focus on water baptism or the Day of Pentecost or some other aspect of God's Word and separated themselves, saying, "We are the true church".  These made their own rules and guidelines for their "members" to follow and put those set free by Jesus back under bondage to their "church".  Others decided to make up whole new things to believe in - false gods and idols, and called themselves "churches" too.  Today's church has become unrecognizable to God and something most non-believers try to avoid.  Who can blame them?

 

     God intended the church not to be a place to go to engage in scripted behavior and call it worship and give your money to man to promote his creation.  God intended the church as something to be - people who gather in one accord to worship in spirit and truth and to use their gifts, callings and finances to bear one another's burdens and advance the Kingdom of God.

 

     Are you the church, do you just go to church, or do you avoid it altogether?  Many of those who "go to church" have no more relationship with the Savior than those who avoid it.  To be or not to be, that is indeed the question.  Let's be what God designed us to be, beloved ones.  Let's be the church of the Living God and show forth His love on this earth.  Let's do our part to show those who avoid church and those who "go to church" what the church was meant to be.  If you love and serve Jesus, you are part of His church.  You belong.  In the beginning, God created...and it was good.

 

 

Love in Christ, Raelynn