Sink into God's arms... Relax.

Friday, January 07, 2005

:: The BanE! thE Pain! Of the Church and its people!!! ::

God . . . has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. �XEphesians 1:3

I was just reading this article about this tennis player, Arthur Ashe who contracted aids through blood transfusion. He had such a horrible "stroke of luck" which effectively smashed his dreams and his life! But what should've left with a broken man was a man full of praise!

"Ashe could have become embittered and self-pitying in the face of his disease, but he maintained a grateful attitude. He explained, "If I asked, 'Why me?' about my troubles, I would have to ask, 'Why me?' about my blessings. Why my winning Wimbledon? Why my marrying a beautiful, gifted woman and having a wonderful child?" "

Wow! But isn't it true? I'd like to use the analogy of the 50% filled cup.. By saying its half empty or half full, you are technically correct! However, it shows you what you're focussing on! If you're obsessed about not getting enough, of not getting your way, not getting security - you look at the empty part and complain about the short fall... But if all your life, you've just been looking for the blessings of God on your life, even a single drop will cause you to rejoice!!

I guess we face alot of problems in life too huh? Sometimes we don't get our way - the church service might be dead, or relationships don't go the way you want, .. and we ask questions like, why doesn't the pastor do more of this? Or why can't we all sing louder? Or why doesn't this person like me?... I hope we don't start justifying such questions by claiming to want to have the best for God!
If the people with the barest minimum can worship with all their hearts, and feel blessed by a horribly translated sermon... that means that God's presence clearly doesn't depend on how we feel...
He's everywhere, is how much we're willing to focus on Him, and not the rituals and ambience of His House...
Yup, what are the rituals and ambience in church for? Does sub-standard rituals and ambience chase away the presence of God? Can poorly-skilled church leaders chase away the presence of God?

��If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.�� Let us be wary of the spirit in which we judge people and their spirit... Though we might be doing the honorable deed of improving our aspects of rituals and ambience, Are we out to condemn and destroy, or are we out to build and construct the love that binds us all together? The Fruits of His spirit are laid out clearly for us... Be wary of WarMongering, the devil is a sly one, he's a master of reasoning out his devious plans to divide the church.

We build each other and encourage each other. Why judge the level of skills when the ultimate One we're pleasing judges by the heart of His servants?

WWJD John 12:47
��As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.

Matthew 7 Judging Others 1��Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3��Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

So if we know that there's something that can be changed, but we are not to judge, how do we help better a church service for example.
The key is in the spirit which you try to correct it in! Don't forget you're dealing with your fellow brother and sister-in-christ who have feelings and are after God's heart.

Heb 3 13
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

This means going to people as friends... not as a disgruntled customer...
We don't go to these people and start airing our grieviences, but we go to them with a solution at hand, offering to help, not destroy the spirit of another.

But I guess it all goes back to what or who do we focus more on?
Is something Half empty or is it half full?

With regards to how church services are,
Am I looking for ways to please myself or am I looking at the way God pleases me?
Singers can always be better than the previous singer, sermons can always be more funny or relevant than another.. what are we seeking for in trying to improve our church? Are we trying to make things suit our generation? Are we trying to make the church more welcoming for new comers? OR, are we trying to please God...
Its the root of your spirit that counts .. what are you focussing on?

Arthur Ashe had probably a much less filled cup than most people, but to him, that little bit of blessing is worth so much to him that his cup overflows with unending joy! Even with reality of death on his side, the devil can't overpower the joy of His spirit...

he just can't....

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3:37 PM
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