Why Raymond refuses to go to church.

This is what Raymond is thinking as he sits outside of the church.  "I want to be perfect, but I keep being told this is impossible by the church.  I can't stand this.  I can't stand that I must be sinful but that at the same time I can't commit adultery.  I want to commit adultery, but I can't, yet I can't keep from committing adultery because I can't be sinless.  I see how this is a contradiction and it makes me sick.  Why are we so stupid in the church?  Why can't we see that we have to be sinless or we are going to die or commit adultery or worse.  Jesus was perfect but I can't be; at least that's what I'm told.  So I might as well commit adultery.  Why not?  I'm going to heaven anyway and I can't be perfect.  But if I commit adultery my wife will leave me and the church will back her up.  Hypocrites.  They want me to be a perfectly faithful husband, to not sin, to not commit adultery, but they tell me that this is impossible because we are gong to sin everyday in word and thought.  Hypocrites.  This is why I don't go to church."

What your church should be like

Where two or more are gathered in my name, I am in their midst.~The Lord Jesus
As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the children of God.~The Apostle Paul

The minister bowed his head and prayed.  "God, please lead me by your Spirit in Jesus name.  What do you want us to focus on today when we meet?"  The Spirit responded, "I have given Sean a song to sing that will comfort all of you because of your hard week.  Tamara has an encouraging message to share from her Bible studies this week. Let your wife close in prayer; her intercession will strengthen all of you and touch you all where you feel deep need.  When you open up the meeting, invite Sean, Tamara, and your wife to share whatever I've given them.  They will share in order everything I'm revealing to you."  Darren thanked God for guiding him.  As he got up from prayer, the doorbell rang.  It was Sean and Tamara, a young couple who lived in the neighborhood.  Amanda, Darren's wife, came from the bedroom to join the meeting.

After everyone greeted and hugged each other, Darren spoke.  "Please share whatever the Spirit is leading you to share."

Sean spoke first.  "I have a song the Lord is giving me to share with everyone."  Darren nodded.  So did everyone else.  After Darren's song there was a holy hush.  Everyone wiped tears from their eyes, thanking God for easing their pain from the week.  "That song fits perfectly with what I've been studying in scripture this week."  Tamara shared with everyone what God showed her all week long from the Psalms.  Darren and Amanda smiled at each other.  They had just talked at breakfast about the very same scriptures Tamara shared.  "Can I pray for everyone?  I feel deeply burdened to pray for each of you."  Everyone agreed.  Amanda prayed with conviction.  After she finished, they all felt God's presence, filling them individually and collectively.  They felt the Lord Jesus in the room

How To Have Unity In the Church (Part 1)

There is only one way to have unity in the church.

By "the church," I mean those who gather together under the Lord's authority, for his glory, with Him actually among them.  His presence alone, in this way, unifies.  Yet there is a specific condition that must be met for there to be unity. 

There must be a divine commander giving a divine command to bring unity to the church.

Follow me from Acts chapter one to Acts chapter two.

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. Acts 1:1-2 ESV

Here Jesus is obvious The Divine Commander giving His divine command, through the Holy Spirit.  This is very significant.  Jesus was born of the Spirit, then at the age of 30 He was filled, led, and empowered by the Spirit for His ministry.  Now, after rising from the dead, by the Spirit (according to Paul,) Jesus is still dependent on the Holy Spirit to give commands to His apostles. 

We who are born of the Spirit through faith in Christ must be just as dependent on the Spirit as Jesus was, even after He rose from the dead.  This dependence on The Spirit will reveal Christ as our Divine Commander.  Following His Spirit is what reveals the Lord's divine commands.  The divine command of the Lord Jesus to his apostles and followers was to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit.  Remember this command, and from whom it came.

All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.  Acts 1:14 ESV

Notice the words "with one accord." You will see these words again.  They mean complete unity in purpose.  No divisions.  No dissentions.  No separate opinions.  One mission expressed in one action:  prayer.  If the church knows nothing else, it should be prayer.  If there is nothing else we can agree to do, at the same time and place, it's pray.  This is the easiest unifying action we can take.  But to take this unifying action, we must have a divine commander unifying the followers by a divine command from the Lord.  They all were unified by obedience to the command of the Lord: Wait for the Spirit.  So they waited, devoting themselves to prayer until the time of waiting was over.  But notice something else that happens:

In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.  Acts 1:15-16

This will happen again and again.  Peter, or Paul, or some other leader in the church, will stand up, and in doing so, unify the body, under the Lord's authority.  He will speak words that unify everyone listening. 

Now stay with me as we move to Acts Chapter 2. (Click here.)

How To Have Unity In the Church (Part 2)

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Acts 2:1

All together.
In one place.

Unity.

One command:  Wait for the Spirit.
One commander:  The Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, the Spirit comes, just as Jesus promised.  The crowd watches in amazement, but some mock what they see.  And who stands up to speak?  Read and see:

Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say."Acts 2:14

Again, Peter as a leader stands up and speaks on behalf of Christ and His church.  There wasn't a fight over who would address the mockers, with believers interrupting each other.  No.  When the Spirit filled them, He unified them.  And in doing so, He chose Peter to be the one, key word:  ONE, who would speak on the Lord's behalf in the church.  Now look at this:

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common. 
Acts 2:42-44

Notice three things:
1. Devotion to the apostles teaching and fellowship
2. Awe of the apostles because of signs and wonders.
3. The believers were together with everything in common.

What unified the believers was the apostles, or leaders, of the church, those divinely appointed by the Lord Himself, evidenced by the supernatural power they displayed.  In the book of Acts we'll see the same thing continually happening:  Peter will stand up as a spokesperson.  Later in Acts we'll see Paul as the primary leader, speaker, and unifier, backed by the authority of the Lord. 

The reason the church is so divided is because of a lack of Spirit led and empowered leadership.
The Spirit led and Spirit empowered leader will unlock the gifts in each member of the church so that they are no longer spectators, but participators in the mission of Christ: 

Preaching the Gospel and Making Disciples.

One leader, one representative of the Lord, filled with His Spirit, brings unity in the body so that everybody, using his or her gift, manifests the Spirit of Christ. 

This is better and higher than "democracy," yet it is not a democracy at all.  It is the Kingdom of God.

There is but one King:  The Lord Jesus.  One Father and Creator.  One Holy Spirit and Master.

The leader is indeed a follower, a follower of the Spirit of Christ.

This is the only way to have unity in the church.

Your role is to follow a Spirit filled leader, or to be a Spirit filled leader.

Could Jesus be President of the United States?

Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place." 
John 18:36

Jesus stood and faced the American crowd, Americans who last week loved Him, but this week loathed Him, now secretly wishing Him dead.  This was an open mic question and answer session for the two remaining candidates for President of the United States.  Jesus responded to the woman who questioned his intentions.  She was a mayor in the city hosting the session.

"Do you want liberty or a lie?"  Jesus said?
"What do you know of liberty!?" The mayor yelled.
"I know what your founding fathers didn't:  The only liberty in this life and the next is in me."
"NEVER.  We find our freedom in ourselves, a government of the people, by the people, and for the people!" (The crowd cheered!)
"Never indeed.  Where was this so called liberty with the natives of this country?  With the enslaved and the enslaving?  You want what you have not and cannot achieve.  I will give it to you.  But I must rule you."
"America will NEVER be ruled by one man!  We rejected the king of England in the beginning.  We reject every king and all kings now!" (Applause!)
"Do you really?  Will you really?"
"Are you asking us to undo democracy for a theocracy?"
"Is this one nation under God?"
"The principles of this country come from God.  But until God comes, we must govern ourselves and keep government from tyranny.  Absolute power corrupts absolutely."
"All authority is given to Me in heaven and on earth." (The crowds loudly boo him.)
"We, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,  have given you NO authority!" (LOUD CHEERS!)
"When did you become the source of any authority?"
"We are the sovereign nation!  The United States of America!" (Cheers from the crowd.)
"It is written, '"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.'"
"NEVER.  NEVER OVER US!  What you say is not democracy!"
"What if one came who offered you perfect democracy instead of what I'm offering?  What would you say to him?"
"If someone made democracy perfect, self government complete, we would vote for him and follow him into the dawn of the glory of America."  (Loud uproars and applause.)
"So be it.  Some one will come. He will be your Messiah.  He will give you what you want:  Your own kingdom, without God."
"We want only the God of Democracy!" (CHEERS!)
"It will be as you say."

Jesus left the stage, and the other candidate stood in his place...smiling.

"I am the one you are looking for.  The one Jesus spoke of.  The one with the perfect democracy.  Hear me and vote for me.  I'm about to change the world...."  (CHEERS!  APPLAUSE!)

The Red Skinned God (A Thanksgiving After Thought)

Yesterday we gave thanks. The early settlers were thankful for the help of the natives. All that has happened with us and them were and are reminders. God has helped us, by His Son, His Spirit, and by sending people into our lives. Every act of help affirms and confirms our purpose. So it was and is with the original help given to the original “Americans.” Those who came to worship God met Him in those they least expected to find Him. But they ignored how He revealed Himself. They thought God had white skin. Not red...or black.

Could Jesus Be President? (Part 2)

Jesus dominates this world by His Spirit. In me. In you, if you obey the Lord. His Spirit is filling the room I'm in. No one can escape Him. Accept Him or reject Him, He is here! Where He is, He rules. He cannot obey us. We cannot impeach Him. His government is not a government "of the people, by the people, or for the people." It is existing before us, and it is existing after us. Jesus needs no cabinet or advisors. He can care less about public opinion. And God's children are ruling with Him, though not in a theocracy. In expressing reality. God gave the first man and woman dominion. They gave it to Satan. The Last Man, the New Man, took it back, gave it back, and rules in us and through us. If you have the Spirit in you, dominate your territory for God's glory. Fill it with His word, His love, His power. In this way, the Kingdom of God is here. The kingdom of God is now.

Could Jesus Be President? (Part 1)

No. Why? He told Pilate that His kingdom, key word, KINGDOM, was not of this world. That means that His rule would not fit into the category of democracy. Nor monarchy. Nor socialism. Nor capitalism. Nor any governmental category we have in this world. Whatever is like God’s kingdom in them would remain. But there would be something else. Something unaccounted for. Him! God! Not theocracy, where we SAY God is the one behind us, but really, it’s us behind us. I mean God. Ruling. Forever. Changing everything about everything. That’s how God is. He can’t “adjust.” We must adjust to Him.

The ONLY Distinction of Christians (Part 3)

“You’re extreme Olatunde! I mean, what if people don’t acknowledge God’s presence at all? Does that mean I’m not a Christian? I said the sinner’s prayer. I put my trust in God and His Son and His Spirit! Who are you to tell me I’m not saved?!”

If you’ve done all of that, people feel God with you, whether they say it or not. I’m not focusing on people’s approval or disapproval. If that is the case, then Jesus Himself was unconvincing! He Himself was accused of blasphemy and gluttony! Even of demon possession!

I’m talking about our distinction as Christians.

If we distinguish ourselves by denominations, Bible reading, church building going, or anything else, we deny Christ, with us, and in us. We deny The Name Above Every Name by which we are saved. Jesus said when two or more are gathered in His name, He is with them, in their midst. This is our distinction: Jesus with us. He’s alive, in us, and with us!

What else SHOULD distinguish us?

“Well Jesus said we’d be known as His followers by our love for one another, and our unity. What about that?”

Yes, our love and unity distinguish us, but only because He is with us!  It's Christlike love that is commanded of us, not just love in general, that distinguishes Christians.  Jesus didn’t just say, “Love each other.” He said, “Love each other as I have loved you.” He didn’t just say, “Be unified.” He prayed for us to be one as He and the Father are one, us in Him, us in Them. But Jesus and God are alive! They are here, right now, in us, with us.

It’s not the Bible that unifies us. That’s obvious!

It’s not the buildings that unify us, because we’re in many different buildings on one block! It’s

Jesus, in us with us. This alone distinguishes us!

The ONLY Distinction of Christians (Part 2)

“Why do I have to go to a seminar about Muslims!? We’re so scared of them we’re giving them what they want!” yelled Officer Peters.

“We’re being educated about them because so many of us don’t really know about their beliefs or culture.” replied Officer James.

“How much do you know about the Jews and their culture? How much do you know about Christians?”

“But those religions are more common in America.”

“But how much do you KNOW? Do you know what you’re supposed to do in a synagogue? Do you know how you’re supposed to enter the Catholic Church?”

As I listened, I understood that Officer Peters was focused on the known distinctions between "religions." I thought about my distinction as a Christian. As a follower of Jesus, I don’t wear special clothes or head pieces. I don’t have certain rituals at certain times of the day. I don’t have a prayer rug. I don’t pray in a certain geographical direction towards the sun. So what is my distinction? How could someone look at me and KNOW I’m a Christian?

We say all of the time, “Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship: a personal relationship with Jesus; with a person; with The Person.” This is supposed to be our distinction. But really, what people see us doing is reading or listening to someone read. Did Jesus come to give us a book? Did He come to give us a building in which to read the book? Are we known by our buildings and our book?

The ONLY Distinction of Christians (Part 1)

God is with me and with all of His people. This is what distinguishes me. This is what distinguishes us.

If someone says he or she is a child of God, but you don’t objectively know and feel God with him or her, he or she is lying! I will say it again. The ONLY distinction of Christians is God’s presence! This has always been the case. It was so with Moses and Israel.

Moses refused to enter the promised land without God, because God had said He would send Moses and Israel to Canaan without Him. God was going to leave them because of their rebelliousness. Moses told God that He’d rather die than go anywhere without Him. Because Moses saw himself and God’s people as the only nation on earth where God was living among them. So without God, they were nothing, and they were no one.

Nothing has changed.
I am nothing and no one without God.
I don’t want you to think of me without thinking about God who is with me.
This is my identity and destiny.

It is the same for all of God’s children.

THE END OF THE CHURCH AS WE KNOW IT!

I see flames over God’s children again! Fire! The One Who Consumes is consuming! No longer do human hands and plans make programs of earthly origin. Heaven and earth collision! Make a decision before denomination destruction! Kingdom Construction begins! It is written, “Who will abide the day of His coming? And who will stand when He appears? For He is like a refiners fire.” Flames! The names written in The Book of Life are glowing! Lava flowing! I’m knowing God as a Volcano! Feel the heat in His feet! (Touch my words!) Eyes like burning fire sear your soul right now! Jesus is looking at you and through you. What does He see? Impurity? Idolatry? Are we happy being holy? Will we flee from The One who is behind and in front of us? Where can we go when He is here and there? Prepare for the day when pulpits will be smashed!