UNLOCKING THE DOOR...or...WITHHOLDING THE KEYS? DAY ONE...

As I begin this three-part series, let me first say, it is, I believe a very personal view of  where I see the modern day church....LOCKED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS...TRYING TO KEEP THE WORLD OUTSIDE AND BELIEVERS SAFE AND SECURE IN THEIR FAITH.

 Now with that said, I would think that many of our fellow believers might truly feel this way and see no harm in living accordingly. But perhaps, as your read on, my discourse may change your view of what the church is doing and what it should be doing. For most of us in the Christian faith, we come to church to learn of God, inscribe His word on our hearts and get that warm, fuzzy feeling that comes when all is well and we find ourselves loved and accepted by those of similar ilk. But that was never the intent of the Savior to have us lock ourselves away and just enjoy each other and the good times of worship and praise.

I prefer to think of church as a war room, or at the very least, a football huddle. Allow me to explain. Before any general goes to war, he gathers his other military advisors, gets the latest information of the enemies' troops, locations, strengths, movements, etc. Then, when all the intelligence has been deciphered, he and his trusted entourage of advisors begin to lay out their plans for the next battle or the next beachhead to defend from the oncoming enemy...and as for the football huddle, the QB calls his teammates together; assesses the last play and its success or failure ; the needed yardage for a first down or TD and the type of defense they may expect to face; then with all this info, he calls the play...a play that the team has run many times, practiced recently and has had success with in the past...THEN THEY BREAK THE HUDDLE AND GET BACK TO THE GAME!

Jesus gave us such a play just before His heavenly departure.  In Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus has given his disciples these instructions ,  "Then the eleven disciples went away to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw Him, they worshipped Him. But some doubted. Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.    1) Go therefore and  2)make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 3)teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

So as Jesus is getting ready to go back to His heavenly home, He gives His closest friends and followers 3 keys so that they might spread His kingdom in this world, knowing this distinct promise that  HE WILL BE WITH THEM ALWAYS! But here is where I believe the modern church makes it first and probably biggest mistake; WE  FAIL TO GO...for the DESIRE IS NOT IN US! Yes, we know Jesus as our Savior; but our hearts do not burn with the same intense, all-consuming fire for the lost that Christ demonstrated to us throughout His earthly ministry.

WE HAVE NO DESIRE BECAUSE WE NEVER CAUGHT HIS FIRE!

Rather, we sit in our beautiful churches, locked behind closed doors, all the while surrounded by the opulence of stone and stain glass windows of Jesus, ministering to the lost....and we are complacent in our actions to sit in our comfort rather than confront the lost with the Good News that their SIN DEBT HAS BEEN PAID IN FULL!!! We have made a commitment to comfort rather that a declaration to the Divine, who called each of us to GO out into the world to seek and to save those that are lost.

As I close this thought today, I would like you to see that the key you hold in your hand that will open the locked door of the church to the world in which we have been called to GO is the simple key of DESIRE...without that key, placed in the locked door of God's house, we will become stoic, fixed and forgotten.  For as one generations dies and is no more, it is the next generation that must pick up the Lord's banner and continue to fight the good fight for lost souls.

I don't know about you; how old you might be or the status of your health, etc. But this I do know as I have begun the last portion of my journey on God's green earth....some days, I just don't feel like doing much of anything...no laundry, no cooking and no golf; however, I don't let myself feel that way for very long; 'cause if I do, pretty soon I won't be much earthly good and my time here will surely come to an end. So as to prolong my stay, I eagerly look for ways to desire to still be of use to my Heavenly Father; WAYS THAT I MIGHT GO AND SHARE THE GOOD NEWS....and like those football players that break the huddle with a unified clap of the hands as they run to the line of scrimmage for the play given to them by their QB....I stay in the game and look to my Savior to help me turn the key of desire so that I might share my love for Jesus....JUST ONE MORE DAY...JUST ONE MORE PLAY...LORD HELP ME BE OBEDIENT AND....GO !!!!

Breaking the Huddle...Ready to GO for Jesus

WPQ

Poem for the day....

It seems every day I'm searching
Using my heart and soul and mind;
Seeking the path God would have me walk
Soul-searching that I might find.

The path that leads to fulfillment
And keeps me close to Him;
That won't allow might heart to stray
When I chase my latest whim...

But keeps me tuned to the Father's will
My heart ablaze with His holy fire;
That keeps me ever longing for
A soul filled with heavenly desire

To share with the down-trodden
On the man in the 3-piece suit;
That life can withstand any problem
When Jesus is your ROOT!

 
So don't fret the woes tomorrow brings
Just trust in Him and you will see....
Jesus is always just a prayer away;
His answer comes...SPECIAL DELIVERY!!!
 

WPQ © February 2023