So..I haven’t posted in about a year as I recently noticed. As of late God has been blessing my life through music. I am part of a band of worship leaders and musicians who seek merely to share music and change the world as such.
It’s been amazing to see what God can do with 5 or 6 mediocre guys. Not only does He bring people together…but it’s much more than that. God has allowed mankind to express themselves without having to use words, and yet the odd thing is, that we understand eachother better because it is as if we are speaking from our hearts rather than our heads and lips.
There is so much that God is, that I will never understand, but always be astonished by. It is sad however to see places that call themselves “churches” be so easily deceived by acts of Satan. “Centering Prayer” has recently been adopted at my place of worship, and though this sounds like it could be something biblical, it is definitely not….and it is painful to see those that claim to love Christ…so easily distracted by this. Just as Israel created a golden calf while God was chillin with Moses on the mountain, several churches are doing the same thing with false doctrine and with things that appear to be Christlike….yet are not.
Scripture says that Satan will come as an angel of light…not as a pitchfork demon out for blood.
As a co-worker of mine put it, “Satan will tell you that hell has an awesome golf course….but he doesn’t tell you until after you’ve added your membership that this golf course is made of lava, full of sulfur and the golfballs hit YOU rather than you hitting them.” Though a rather funny analogy, it is a very true point. Satan will mirror Christ so closely that it will seem as though we are following Love…but then will take us off by one degree of truth…and one degree which we all know can be the difference between a space shuttle landing on the moon vs. missing completely…is all Satan needs to win a battle.
It has been a difficult road deciding where to worship. No longer do I desire to lead or share gifts with the place I have come to resent. When I returned to my home church for a visit, I felt no attachment and did not miss “big” church…as there was rarely any truth spoken there anyway.
I found Christ more in a small bible study for two weeks, where truth wasn’t afraid to be spoken, than in 8 years of sermons from those afraid to shepherd. Society has taught our leaders that the way church works is that a pastor is merely at church to say “jesus loves you” and then direct small groups to lead. Scripture shows time and time again, all the disciples AND Jesus…doing just the opposite. Jesus spoke truth to those who “had ears to hear” and those that needed to expound upon ideas or have truth explained to them simpler…came to Christ after class was over and asked the teacher questions.
THAT is how we are supposed to speak truth. Speak it plain, and speak it in God’s power, and feed the people meat. Why do God’s people compromise for the sake of bureaucracy and high church attendance for monetary profit? Is that not the same money-changing that Christ knocked over in the temple?
Frustration is hard to deal with. David had 5 rocks, and yet probably knew he only had to throw one to defeat Goliath. I feel as though I am staring at a great evil in my home town, personally offended that this great “warrior” would dare mock my God and spit in His face, yet I do not know whether to throw this rock I hold in my hand….or whether this rock is from God at all. Am I searching for this of my own will or is God still teaching me how to use a sling on the bear and the lion before a giant is to be felled?
I find that I am thirsty, craving truth, craving passion for God’s Word, yet finding it difficult to locate the body of Christ. The Church (big C) is rising up, though scattered, and I long to stand ready in the armor of God, yet it is getting harder and harder to find the warriors Christ has placed on this earth. Where is the one that healed the blind with mud, that He might do the same to all those that have been blinded by lies? I long for His return….
Prayers, patience, guidance are all my prayers for the days to come.
