Does the church of Jesus Christ (or the body of Christ) give evidence to our culture that the church is composed of people connected to God??  I'm saying no.  A large number of people seem to have rejected the church, they think they've rejected Christianity; but have they ever seen Christianity as it supposed to be.  I'm thinking not. 

What is it you want from church?  Isn't it to be part of a body that helps you experience connection to God; a body of friends joined together for a purpose larger than ourselves, a SUPPORTIVE group that you can share the sins or the doubts you struggle with and who won't reject you for it.  A group that enlists your aid and provides a context for the type of service to God that enriches and encourages you but is not demanded of  you or tries to guilt you into.

Well, that is, I think, both what the world is seeking and the need of the church today; a body where a person IS drawn into a connection with God and a connection with people.

But how will that help me (YOU)??  (Life is, after all, really about me [YOU]).  Because I(YOU) want fulfillment and that is what the abundant life is about, isn't it?

The Church can provide a context for fulfillment in a way no other entity or group can because the Church (test me on this, is this true) is God's context for His connection with earthians.  Is there anything that can take the place of church as it is presented in the Bible?  I think not.

Here is how (tell me, PLEASE, if this is not true) to meet our deepest need and form a deep and real connection with God.  When we, through faith, sacrifice our need to pursue a connection with people in order to help others receive a connection with God.  This seems like a conundrum, a puzzle.  Our hearts yearn for a connection with people; a significant other and other significant others for friends and still other other significant others, DON'T WE??  Look at the level of energy people put into seeking relationships, it's huge isn't it.  Look at the damage caused by people in seeking to be connected.  There is a thirst and hunger in the human soul that will not rest and will sacrifice everything we own for connection and that is as it should be; but the only thing that will ever satisfy is connection with God.

Here is how the church can deepen its connection with God and how we can deepen our connection with God.  By sacrificing our desire to pursue a connection with people by seeking to give our lives away in serving others to do anything that we can to draw others into a feeling of connection with God.  Think about it.  It is painful to sacrifice our connection to others.  But what stops us from being connected to God, sacrificing our desire to be connected to God by pursuing connection to people (or whatever we think will make us happy). 

I submit the abundant life is found in a connection with God that enables us to have peace when everything falls apart.  I submit that the abundant life is found in the fulfillment of sacrificing all to serve God and seeing that service bear fruit.  I submit that connection with God is found in Him bearing us up and filling us with His power to serve people to their being set free to serve God alone.

God wants to fill me (YOU) with power and the pathway to that power is setting everything else aside to serve Him.

Please pray for me as I seek to give my life away in serving people to the building up of the body of Christ. 

I'd love to serve you and pray for you in any way that would help you feel more connected to God.  What do you struggle with, I'd like to pray for you.  Where do you need to grow so you can be a better servant; man, I do too, let's go together.

I'd love to share with you a workable (I believe)strategy for you to serve the strengthening of someone else's connection with God to the blessing of you receiving a greater measure of the abundant life. 

Oh man, I believe God wants to give the church what it needs through me and you; and that is REAL exciting to me.

I'm pumped

Michael

02/24/2004

Author's Note: "Faith, not religion" discussion group just a group of friends seeking to manifest faith and to be free of the negative aspects of religion. Religion puts form above people, happiness above fulfillment, judgement above serving; that is not what we want. We are seeking faith that seeks to serve individuals as a part of our serving Chirst and to deal with the log in our eye. The log in our eye is what stops us from loving or serving the unattractive or bound by sin. The log in our eye reveals what in us is not Christ. Come join us but be aware, we want a culture that calls BS (bogus stuff) on pat answers, platitudes, and empty religion. We may not always be right but we want to have fun on the way and end up with a faith that can have peace and love the unlovely. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/faithnotreligiongroup/

Posted on 02/24/2004
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