You will be hurt in church /8th & final
Have you ever needed a re-do? Rededication? A restart? Having an on-fire spiritual life will bring reverence and reality to your being that will reciprocate holiness to God. The God-life brings flavor! It is sweet AND good for you. There is life through the Spirit. This kind of life sheds condemnation. It sets us free from the law of sin and death. When the law was powerless, Jesus was powerful. Where the law lets us down, Jesus lifts us up. There are essentially two kinds of church goers in the Bible that we’ll give as examples here. We can choose from Dio or Deme…a bad example and a good example. We can be like Diotrephes who loved to be first and spread nonsense about godly people. His unwelcoming spirit and maliciousness drove people out of the church. OR. We can be like Demetrius who had a good reputation, was well spoken of by everyone, and spread truth and peace despite Dio. There will always be hard headed and cold-hearted people. There will always be those who have a burning hatred for God and His people, but we are taught and commanded this: “Do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Peace to you.”
A Courage Question to end this series for you and for me: How are we doing when it comes to living in accordance with the Spirit? It is my experience that He has supplied for my needs in every hurt. He’s moved me forward when I didn’t think I could budge. By His love, He hydrated me and poured over me without limits. Hopefully you’ve also experienced this too. If you have not, you can.
Will you pray with me?
Lord, I completely come to You and ask You to work things out in my life. I know the church cannot meet every need. Turn the bad things for Your good agenda. I know You are what’s good and the bad that’s happened to me can be used in Your hands for the overall plan I am to be a part of. Thank You for new chances. Amen! I know that I cannot please God if I am pleasing everyone around me. I can’t do it all. I’m not suppose to do it all. But I will do something! I don’t have to have peoples’ “likes” to continue living out my purpose. I belong to Christ. His Spirit gives me life. It provides the details of life that I need. He forgave. So that supplies me with the ability to forgive others. In agreement with His Spirit, I pray for Christ to give new life to my body and the body of Christ everywhere. The gates of hell will not prevail against His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against me. My temple represents God’s work. My participation in the great commission represents God’s passion for people and the world. I am thankful for a place to call my spiritual home. Where I can celebrate this new life and give or serve in some way. Where I can learn and teach. Where I can bless and be blessed. I am not a slave to fear. I’m not a slave to power struggles, unloving people, or controlling spirits.
If Jesus were walking in human form on this earth today and was headed to the cross, His sufferings would be captured and the pictures would be shared all over social media. Jesus has already become our all in all. Let’s share that fact. He was hurt by people who should have loved and adored Him but still He was a picture of true love in all that He said and did. HE IS OUR MAIN MOTTO! Let’s ask Him to help us be a picture of good for this world. We’ve shared in His sufferings and begun to share our own sufferings with others. Let’s share in His glory. And like any good bride, let us make ourselves ready for the wedding, ready for His coming. Come, Lord Jesus- We are going to a place where every tear is wiped from our eyes!