Just Zeal Ain’t Gonna Get It. Wake Up All Ye Believers. It’s Time to Know God.
Grab your hot cup of cocoa and warm gingerbread for this read.It’s kinda long. This message is precisely for those who art in the Body of Christ. Though many may not find this as an encouraging blog, I assure you that if you look honestly within self and your churches, this blog is meant to encourage you and set you on fire for the Lord. As you know, I’m not a “tone it down” writer. Did God “tone it down” to the church in Laodicea? (Rev. 3:14-21) (TYHS) Let me start with Paul’s reality of many, even TODAY that say they “know God”:
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. (Romans 10:1-2)
Paul was a unflinching writer of what he had done, what he had seen and what he had heard. It is for these reasons that he could say: “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”(Romans 10:3-4) Paul came to know God. He did not just go from city to city preaching and writing to Believers for entertainment like a Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus show. Lord knows if we are honest with ourselves, we know in our hearts and minds that we have become a congregation that does not know God in the way He wants us to know Him. We can’t even share our confessions with one another in church (James 5:16) without being whispered about. Some rely on being entertained in the church by too many circus acts. These are just a few things showing that we are not submitting to the righteousness of God. That’s a no-no. And now we move on to the real stuff. 😛
A Real Moment
There are many a time I’ve fallen short of knowing God when under attack by family members, church members, and illnesses. Let’s call the shortness self-sufficiency- the natural stress response when we all tend to forget that God is in the midst. Get the hence, Satan. In this world, there are too many (Believers included) who are the protégé of evil, and way too many shepherds misusing (double-tonguing) the word of God as though they were a professional at using every wind instrument in an orchestra. It is exhausting and sickening to know, to see and to hear of these non-Christ like behaviors that continue to go on in the church. If we knew God, our behaviors would be different. Amen. Daniel fell sick for a reason knowing the outcome of disobedience for the Lord’s people. (Read Daniel 8)
I came to the conclusion that there are many members sitting in many churches crying out to know God. There is a suppressing of the knowledge of God going on. How do we stop suppressing the knowledge of God? By faith first. Paul said, But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (vs. 8-9) And “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (vs. 17) Begin with faith when you preach, teach, and learn the truth of and about God. (TYHS) EVERY BODY in the church needs to wake up and start believing in this truth 100% that Paul shares with us. We have the zeal, yet we are not feeling the burn of the knowledge of God. Not only do we show that we have not faith in God, but we also show that we have not faith in each other in the church.Stop playing church.
I wish shepherds knew what is really on the mind and hearts of their members. I wish members knew what is really on the mind and hearts of their shepherds. This would eliminate gossip, the uncommitted and hardened hearts within the body of Christ. All are afraid to speak the truth in love to one another. Until truth is communicated within the body of Christ, we present-day Laodicean’s (most churches if not all) will continue to be naked without the covering of God. Personally, I’d rather have hurt feelings instead of walking around both blind and naked all the time in church. It would do us good to heed this message for “These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” (Rev. 3:14-17)
Because we are lukewarm, we are sickening to God and he has become very nauseated with the church. It is natural for us to spit out anything bad tasting from our mouth, is it not? God prefers us to be either for Him or against Him, does He not? When you have a close friend, is it your wish for them to be for you or against you? Jesus is the Believer’s husband, we are the bride, should we not agree to “ride or die” (to be down with your husband/wife no matter what, through it all the good and the bad.) with Him? Yes there are members (individually I might add) who are committed to “ride or die” with God; the problem is that we, the church as a WHOLE have become spiritually uncommitted and we lack the knowledge of God.
Stop the “Self-Sufficiency” teachings that teach us to rely on self first. Stop the “Leadership Training” that limits the gifts of others within the church. Stop avoiding and frowning upon the testimony of Christ that others have to share. Without testimonies, over half of the bible would be missing.
Stop having church favorites. The church is NOT a catering business in which one caters to a select few because of so-called church positions. The church is not a business entity period. We need to use the heart of God. He is no respecter of persons.(Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:11) He gives visions to many in the church. Did he give visions to only one person in the bible? We all have to share these God-given visions with one another. If shepherds open the doors of truthful communication in love with all church members, gossip would not rear its ugly head from the pulpit and the pews. The church is not a venue where the ‘I scratch your back, you scratch mine’ mentality should be taking place. Favoritism shows a lack of knowledge present within the body of Christ. We all have to work together using the knowledge of God. In many churches, even the zeal is gone. BB King would say “the thrill is gone.” Change the setting of your hearts to show favoritism towards the mind of God.
The church is not a theater. In many churches, people who ACT as though they know God can come across as friendly to visitors, but have a problem being friendly with their own members. Stop it with the wearing of a Christian name tag in the church for visitors to see. Let us stop with the man-made teachings and the micromanagement in the body of Christ. Stop these things because they are not in line with His word. (Read Isaiah 29:13 ; 1 Timothy 6:20-21; Titus 1:16) May we begin to obey the word of God. His question found in Luke 4:46 pertains to us today : “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
We are just like Israel, up and down, all day, every day. ‘But to Israel he saith, “All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.” (vs. 21) We need to get back to the bible to have God’s kingdom mentality. The Lord said “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:19-20) Just zeal ain’t gonna get it. Wake up all ye believers, it’s time to know God. There is going on in the world a widespread planting of in-home churches as in the days of old with many that know God and those that truly want to know Him.
I came across this message while looking for something else: It is written by Steven H. Atherto. I’m not sure why it popped up in my search. 🙂
http://www.thefishermenministry.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/How-should-the-Church-Operate.pdf
Prayer Moment– Lord, we repent of our sins committed within your churches. Help us Lord, we who are offended by this message to come to know you spiritually and to become obedient to your word. Come into our church doors Lord. Set us on fire with the knowledge of you. Cover our nakedness in Jesus name. Amen.
Biblical Thoughts 