Not long ago I had a conversation with someone about God and
all that is happening in the earth today.
Our thoughts were centered on our “want” for all people to be
saved. But then something happened. We
disagreed on something. I was shocked, and
their words caught me off guard. I’m
sure my facial expression showed it, too.
I won’t say what the topic was.
That’s irrelevant. But, what is
relevant is how we relate to other people…people in and of the world. As followers of Christ, we are only passing
through this world. Heaven is our
home. We are in the world, but that
doesn’t mean that we should be like the world. How then, as Christ followers, are we to reach
the lost?
Over the past two plus decades that I’ve been following the
Lord, I’ve noticed something. When followers of Christ set themselves above the
world, whether knowingly or unknowingly, they cannot reach the world
effectively, if at all. We have many in
the church who think they have it all figured out. They have money and everything they would
want or need. They have set themselves
above others.
Reverence for God is paramount. Reaching the lost is paramount. How do we do both without falling into sin or
legalism? We, as the collective Church,
cannot seem to get this. Jesus was
accused of being a wine bibber and keeping company with sinners. And yet, He
still did not sin. He set the example for us. Many are following in His steps, but many still choose to set themselves
above the world.
I have attended churches that will not allow folks with a
sordid past be in any type of leadership for whatever reasons. I almost find this humorous. Who then should
lead in the church setting? All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…
Romans
3:23-24 Paul, who called himself the chief of sinners, wrote the majority
of the New Testament!! Has that fact been forgotten by the Church? (We must be
repentant followers of Christ who are committed to Him.)
One of my favorite sayings is that you shouldn’t look down
on another person unless you’re reaching out your hand to help them up.
Several years ago, I seemed to hit a road block on my path
with the Lord. I was down and out. I didn’t understand what was going on. I
needed healing for massive hurts. The Lord led me to a couple of ministries. I
was amazed at what I learned from God through these people. But then, people
who I attended church with began to speak poorly of these teachers of God’s word…not
knowing that I listened to these people. I began to pray and ask God to show me
if I was being deceived. God simply asked me, “Did listening to these people
bring you closer to or further away from Me?” My answer was “closer.” He said,
“Don’t worry about what those people say.”
Looking back, what I find interesting is that these people didn’t care
about what was going on in my life (or anyone who wasn’t in their circle…cronyism).
What they cared about was lifting themselves up because of their “knowledge” of
the Word. They were so “high and mighty” that they couldn’t see others around
them who needed the love and encouragement of God. They were only concerned
with putting down the teachers who were “not doing things the way they would do
them”…according to their rules and regulations. They had knowledge of the word,
but the question is: Were they living out the word? Were they allowing themselves to be led by
the Holy Spirit?
When I look around this amazing world and beyond, I see
creativity that at times I cannot comprehend because of the vastness, detail,
and immaculate order. There are no two people who are the same, no two trees,
blades of grass, birds, insects, etc. God’s creativity knows no bounds. In words that cannot even
come close to describing Him…He. Is. Amazing!!
Now, I ask you; why wouldn’t He be creative in reaching the lost?
Another of my favorite sayings is: There’s more than one way to skin a cat.
(Not that I’d skin a cat…oy vey!!)
Years ago, I was picking blackberries on a hot July summer
day. I was deep in prayer…one, because of snakes…and two, because I believe He
was speaking to me in those moments. I have never spoken about what He spoke to
me until now, nearly twenty years later.
As I searched, He would lead me to the blackberries. I found so many blackberries that were hidden
by branches, leaves, cobwebs, and such.
One berry in particular was deep in the branches and hidden away all by itself
… a big plump, juicy, beautiful blackberry. God spoke to me and said, “This is
the extreme I go to to find all who are willing to follow Me.” I remember this
like it was yesterday. His creativity is fascinating, unfathomable…and knows no bounds.
We can know the word, set up rules and regulations for what
our human minds know from the word. But, if we don’t follow the leading of the
Holy Spirit(which sometimes doesn’t make sense to us…His ways are not like our
ways) and apply what we learn from the word to a lost and hurting world, what
good are we for the kingdom
of God
GRACE
Grace is the answer. We can “be” who God created us to be to
a lost and hurting world by relying on His grace. God’s grace will not lead us into
sin. His grace will not set us above the world and keep us from interacting
with sinners. His grace “fills” the spaces where we are lacking…or weak. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient
for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I
will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in
persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, I am
strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-11 More
rules and regulations are not needed in the church. More understanding
is needed…understanding of God’s word (not man’s)…understanding of the needs of
others (not our own)…understanding of grace. We can know the meaning of
something until the cows come home. But, if we don’t understand it and apply
it, what good is our knowing?
I’m going to go out on a limb here because it just won’t
escape my thoughts right now. When I see
2 Corinthians 12:9-11…in this moment…I see “2 Corinthians” = God’s word… “12” =
(God’s or divine) governmental perfection…”9-11” = a call for rescue or help in
an emergency. In this moment, God is speaking that His people desperately need
His help.(We are pretending to be strong when truly we are weak, sleeping, and
lukewarm, but not admitting it.) His
ways (government) are perfect. His word is the living word (He may show you differently than He shows me). He’s showing us that it’s ok to be weak.
That’s why we need Him. You might say,
“Angie, that’s way out there!” Well, that’s ok. I see some things differently
than you and you see some things differently than me. As long as we’re serving the same Jesus…Son of the living God, Savior
of the world, we don’t have to agree on everything. We won’t
agree on everything. We just need to
work together to save the lost. It’s not about splitting hairs about who’s
“right” and who’s “wrong”…who has the most “education” or “knowledge,” who has
the “most” and “best” programs. It’s
about reaching out to the lost and hurting.
It’s about knowing, understanding, and applying God’s word by being led
by the Holy Spirit. If I see that you do
not understand me in a creative way that God has shown me (like the above), I’m
not going to hold it against you and demonize you for it or force my views on
you. I will, more likely than not, drop
it, if
salvation does not hinge upon the topic at hand.
The church is so ‘busy’ being busy right now and has been
for such a long time. But, are we truly doing all that the Holy Spirit
is asking of us? I believe that if we
were, we would see a different world around us.
People, it’s time to get real. It’s time to set aside petty
differences. It’s the petty differences
that are keeping us from making a difference in this lost and hurting world.
Knowing the word is not enough. Understanding the word and acting on it by
being led of the Holy Spirit is what will make the difference. Don’t set yourself above others. We’re all on the same playing field in Christ. God is the only One above us.
When you’re out and about in your world, look around and ask
God to show you someone in need and then follow His lead. It might be as simple as smiling at
someone. You never know what is going on
in someone else’s life. Don’t forget
where you’ve come from. You were once
lost and didn’t know Christ. Don’t
assume you have it all down because you were born into a Christian family.
Remember: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…ALL.
