Where do we go from here? I am not sure where God will
take the church in the next decade, century or even millennium. God
has been at work from the beginning and there is no sign that he is
ready to stop. One thing is sure; his faithfulness is
steady and his mercies are new every morning. I am confident that he will bring
transformation to each and every believer who truly seeks his
righteousness.
Christianity
is a world religion. Christianity does not only belong to the western
portion of the world. Holt states, “Christianity is by nature a
global rather than a European faith." The early Jewish Christians experienced Jesus and took the message to
everyone on their path. Many of those believers took the message
farther and intentionally stepped out into unknown regions to
announce the message to the world. The message of faith, hope, and
love had transformed their lives and these transformed believers were
intentional in following Jesus' command to take the message to all so
that everyone might experience that transformation.
The
future is often a scary place to contemplate. God has provided a
means for growth for believers who walk with in the Holy Spirit's
guidance. Holt states it as: “Christian spirituality is a style of
walking in the Holy Spirit. The Bible gives a series of normative
principles, positive and negative examples of life experiences, and
the gospel of Jesus Christ, on which all else depends."
This truth of God's revelation grants the believer hope in the scary
life. It is his faithfulness which grants power to overcome fear. It
is his mercies that instill energy to spiritual development. It is
his grace that empowers every believer to stand firm in the
conviction of a loving God while seeking for a restored relationship
with their creator.
The
2000 years of church history of men and women thirsting after God is
a tribute to God's faithfulness and ability for quenching the thirst
of those who seek after his righteousness. Too many believers think
of spiritual formation as private and not to be shared, yet any study
of Christ and his church demonstrates that believers are never
intended to travel the road of faith alone. The refreshing flow that
quenches the thirst for God is only found in relationship. Holt would
describes the community of believers as a community with the
following traits: “unity in diversity, evaluating the criteria,
transmitting spiritualities, and learning form non-Christian
movements.” I agree with these needs of community for the purpose of taking the
message to a global audience, while avoiding pitfalls of cultural
un-righteousness.
Our time is filled with the same tests that have
challenged the church throughout the ages. There are new twists to
the challenges such as global communication, technological advances
for communication, and video capturing of events with the touch of a
phone. These challenges are enhanced by the small world in which we
live. The current world is already a global economy while societies
are moving to a global society with the merging of cultures. The
downfalls realized in this new reality is a reduced passion and
dedication. These downfalls are mediocrity, personal pride, and a
laziness toward living the hard work of spiritual formation. These
failures are not new to the kingdom and will need a direct call for a
renewed faith and dedication.
The
pendulum swings in cultures to and fro in the faith. How does the
church proceed to restore that which has been lost? The answer is in
living a personal walk with Jesus in a public way. This action
requires courage. Holt states it as, “we need much more courageous
leadership in the churches to teach and practice the spiritual
life.”
The courage of men and women throughout the ages testifies to the
truth of God and his ability to quench the thirsting of our souls.
The current cultures must do the same and live like Jesus did. The
believer must seek to be relevant to every culture while not
compromising the Bible as foundational for all rebuke and
encouragement, and for bringing people to a saving relationship with
God.
The
church of God is not a place for judgment. It is a place where the
foundational principles for abundant living are practiced and
implemented. Thus, a great need is required for the practice of
spiritual disciplines and the implementation of grace. Holt states:
“God's passion is love. All of this is grounded not in our worthy
intentions, but in God's forgiveness, God's empowerment, God's
creation.
It is through these great gifts that all believers might become a
great testimony of faith. The courage to stand strong is not in the
removal of fear, but within the faith of certainty and assurance
granted through the recognition of God's faithfulness and mercy.
We are created to have a natural thirst for God much as
we are created to have a thirst for water. The thirst for water is
satisfied by drinking water. The thirst for God is quenched by
drinking the soothing relationship that comes through knowing him.
The great members of the faith in our past are cheering us on as we
seek to discover this relationship. It is good to review and hear
their legacy of courage, discipline, and hope so that we might follow
in their footsteps and declare the message of Jesus to go and preach
the gospel to all.
You know I love ya, Don
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