I had such a wonderful dream the other night. It was one of those dreams that you never wanted to wake up. The dream was so fulfilling and moving; almost impossible to describe. I dreamed I was worshiping in a perfect church.
The first thing that caught my eye was a special feeling in this place. People were smiling and hugging each other. There was a joy and love so thick you could cut it with a knife! There was no denying it was real. The people’s eyes had a special glint and the smiles were so radiant.
The children were so pleasant too; well mannered saying please and thank you; not running around but well behaved and very respectful. Also, they were dressed so nice; plain and simple and they to had smiles too. You could feel they wanted to be there.
The singing was just marvelous. Everyone sang whether or not they had good voices. What a testimony of what was in their hearts! The music was like I never heard. Sometimes very soft and then it would almost lift you off your seat. The leader had a commanding presence that pulled you into the song. This experience I cannot rightly describe, but it was great.
The preaching was long and powerful. The Word of God came thundering to our ears like a thunder bolt. Each heart was touched by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The Word was plain and simple yet each listener was stirred to a greater commitment and a heart of thankfulness because Jesus Christ was Lord. There were many “amens” and “praise to the Lord” uttered by the people. Truly this was a worship service. And, at the invitation, the Spirit moved people to many different commitments.
The Lord’s Supper was given after the preaching of the Word. This part of the service was not hurried but very spiritual. There was weeping as the people partook as they remembered the death of Jesus Christ. There were sobs of true repentance for sin as people examined themselves. Then, something even more impressive happened as we concluded the Lord’s Supper. Every Christian vowed and made a commitment to not bring reproach on the Lord’s church this week.
Lastly the offering was received. I never saw anything like it. Everyone was a tither. People were praising the Lord for their blessings this pass week. One testimony after another, and it went on for a very long time. They were truly worshiping and praising God.
I heard neither complaining nor grumbling because of a long service. The church was packed, not an empty seat anywhere. When the service was over, people again began to shake hands and hug. You could just feel the joy in that place.
Then, I woke up. In the darkness I just lay still for a very long time. Then came the “why” question. Is the perfect church just a dream or could we someday be in the perfect church? Why do we have to wait until we get to heaven; why not now?
See ya in church,
Bud
The church of today must find a way to reach our world for Jesus Christ. I did not pick this time in history to live and neither did you. But, here we are and what a challenge we face.
The first challenge we face and maybe the biggest one is the mistrust of religion today. Our religious world has been corrupted by greed and low moral standards. The church is not respected because professing Christians are not committed or consistent in their life-styles. What they preach and what they live are two different messages. Until this changes, we will never overcome this mistrust of religion.
Another thing that the church faces is that unstable homes producing children who grow up without purpose or meaning in their lives. The church will never have an impact in our communities until we can produce good, stable homes. Our greatest contribution to our generation is our children. They are not being taught good work ethics because the parents are not stable. They are not being taught good morals because the parents are setting bad examples. And, the church is just as much the blame as our schools, colleges, etc. We are producing children unprepared for life.
Another challenge the church faces today is the memberships lack of commitment. Half committed Christians cause more damage than good. The church is not evangelizing the lost because the saved are not living victorious lives. Until the professing Christians are convicted of their luke-warm attitude toward their relationship with God, we will have the same results, churches without influence or power over sin. We, the church are a body and only as strong or successful as we are spiritually healthy. I ask a question. Where or what has happened to the great testimonies we heard in the past? Is not God doing any thing in the body of Christ? We are not committed because there is no ownership in two areas. First, ownership of the church; it is my church. Second, taking ownership of personal sins. It’s not always someone else’s fault. When the Christian takes ownership, the churches will grow once more.
There is another challenge facing the church of today, the preaching of the Word. Convictions come through preaching. Today our congregations want to be entertained just so that they will feel good. Only the proclaiming of God’s Word in its fullness can fulfill a hungry soul. Too long we have used substitutes to proclaim the plan of God. The church of Jesus Christ needs to get back to being the church. In season and out of season, preaching the Word.
Our challenges are many today. The church that does not reach out will die out. We know that and pay lip service to the fact. Good programs are worthless without people. We grow because we reach people. Some how, we must overcome our challenges of today. Every generation has had their challenges and we have ours. But, no one seems to be addressing these challenges today. Let’s be honest and look at attendance, tithing, discipleship, and the true fruits of the gospel.
See ya in church,
Bud
It’s a new year and we are still here. Praise the Lord! We have one whole new year filled with opportunities and possibilities. I just love new beginnings, don’t you? The old is gone and the new has come.
The Bible teaches a great lesson about seed time and harvest. We are all sowers or reapers in one way or the other. It you sow negative, you reap negative. If you sow positive, you reap positive. That is just how it works, and we can’t change that principle.
Listen to 2 Cor 9:6 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will reap generously”.
What kind of seed are you going to sow this year? What we forget so many times, is that we are sowing constantly. We sow through our actions. We sow through our words. We sow through our friendships. We sow through our families. We sow through our jobs. In fact, you can not make or act on a decision without sowing either positive or negative seed.
As every farmer knows, growing a crop takes time. Much of this year’s harvest will be last year’s planting. Once a seed is planted and germinates, it has to grow. If it’s negative, you get a negative crop. If it’s positive, you get a positive crop. I can’t emphasize that too much.
So knowing this principle, you may have some things happen this year that are not very pleasant, but remember, you planted the seed. On the other hand you may have some wonderful things happen to you this year because you planted the seed.
Knowing this principle, seed time and harvest, has a very important lesson for all of us. We can’t undo last year, but we have a whole year ahead of us. So then, be careful of the seed you plant. Don’t just be a reactionary, but be a positive seed-planter. Remember, we reap what we sow.
Have you ever observed someone who seems always to be happy and full of joy? They never seem to get in the jams or fixes that you do. Did you ever stop to think maybe there is a reason that person is different? Is it because they have a better job or opportunity than you do? Is it because of their education or environment?
No, they have learned the principle of seed time and harvest. They plant the right stuff and they get the right crop. It seems too simple but it’s true. You reap what you sow.
This is such a great teaching and so easy to put into practice. It starts with a new attitude and new determination to have new results. It takes time and patience but the results are worth it. Ask yourself what is it worth to be happy? Then ask yourself am I unable or unwilling? The answer will determine this year’s crop.
Oh, by the way, do you know where this important teaching comes from? That’s right, God’s Word. Isn’t that interesting?
Chaplain Bud