WAKE UP!!

Sunny wrote this after our gathering on Saturday. Excellent insights.

What do we need to see within the Christian community....First we need an acknowledgement that we do not simply live in a physical realm right now, but also a spiritual realm that is at battle about us, and that, although we may not physically SEE the spiritual with our eyes, it greatly affects us. Until we come to a belief in that, we will not equip ourselves to defend our hearts and minds. We are made in God’s image, that is, in spirit, and as Christians, have supposedly taken on the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. However, I speak to very few Christians who have a basic knowledge of the Holy Spirit, His role and authority, and His access to us and His reality. In my opinion, I think many Christians are of the understanding that we live on this earth separate from God, and when we die, depending on our salvation, we either take the southbound elevator and burn in hell forever, or the northbound to receive our harps and wings for an eternity of rest. My response to this thinking is, “WAKE UP!” God is offering you eternal life in the Spirit RIGHT NOW, start living like it. “Church” is not about the building, the programs, the number of members. It is the body of Christ, and as that body we are to function as Christ did on earth. Our churches have a responsibility to disciple, to speak truth even when it’s not warmly welcomed, to prepare us for the battle. How can they prepare us when often they themselves don’t acknowledge it, or act like that knowledge is only for them...they dare not let the congregation in on the wicked little secret that there is a being seeking to destroy them every moment and that the congregation has access to God’s power through the Holy Spirit. You don’t lead a horse to a trough and give him water from a cup. No, you lead a horse to water so he can drink of his own free will. You give him immediate access to the water, to life. As I think about this, I’m reminded of the churches before the reformation. ‘The people’ didn’t have access to God’s word because the Catholic church thought they needed to be the final authority in translating God’s word to them. These poor souls were at the mercy of what the church told them. Of course the church didn’t want to teach the people how to drink of the life-water, they would lose control and power. So what happened? The church became more and more corrupt in their ways. Martin Luther, as he nailed the 95 Thesis to the door, resembles Jesus as he entered the temple in anger and overturned the tables because of the corruption going on, because the people were being mislead concerning forgiveness and righteousness. Isn’t this a bit similar to what’s going on today when we talk about the spiritual realm that is going on right now, not just in heaven? If we don’t acknowledge that, there’s no way we will have a belief in Satan’s effect on us right now. The business of church in general would not be serving its purposes if it discipled people in the freedom that comes with housing the power of the Holy Spirit and using their God given authority according to Christ’s blood. No, the church (in general) persuades us to ‘build-up’ the Kingdom of God by focusing our efforts and talents into ‘bringing in the flocks.’ Nothing wrong with that, at first glance. The problem comes when the flocks enter the church gate, they are often not fed properly.