Have you ever noticed that, according to the Bible, the first command God gave Adam and Eve was to .. ‘Be fruitful (increase the blessing) and multiply (begin a family) and replenish (bring forth much people) to fill the earth and subdue (master) the earth. Rule the fish of the sea and the fowl of the air and have dominion over every living thing that crawls or creeps upon the earth.’ The first command was not to refrain from eating the forbidden fruit .. The first command was to spread the ‘blessings of God’ on their lives, over the entire earth.
Why is it that most of us tend to focus only on what Adam and Eve did that was disobedient, and fail to focus on what Adam and Even did NOT do? What was the sin of Adam and Eve? Was it the failure to spread the blessing or was it the act of eating the forbidden fruit? The Bible says .. ‘For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners’ .. Is not a sinner one who fails to obey the commands of God? Does not sin include both our failure to do what is right and our act of refraining from doing what is wrong? What good does it do to not lie if we fail to tell the truth? In the book of Revelation, doesn’t Jesus tell the churches, not only what they must not do, but what they should do as well?
What are the commands of Jesus? To love the Lord God with all our heart, mind, and strength. And to take care of our neighbors the way we take care of ourselves. To go into the world and spread the gospel. To use His name and His authority to .. Raise the dead. Heal and cure the sick. Cleanse the unholy. Speak with new tongues.
After completing 21 days of fasting, our church held a ‘miracle’ service. This service was to fulfill the commands of Jesus. The service was led by the Holy Spirit and allowed God to have His way. There was laying on of hands. There was speaking in new tongues. Our Pastor invited God to do whatever He deemed necessary to bring about obeying the commands of Jesus. There was awesome praise and worship followed by a service that was filled with expectations of God’s presence and His anointing, deliverance, and miracle-working power. There was a camera and a sound system recording all that was happening during the service, so that whatever was happening in the church could go into all the world and preach.
There are hordes of churches that practice and promote living a sin-free life. And while this is honorable and right, it is only partly honorable and right. Because many of these churches do not practice and promote the commands of Jesus to go into all the world and preach the gospel (Mark 16:15-18). Many churches even fail at walking in and practicing a lifestyle of love. They do not practice and promote the baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues or praying in the spirit (Acts 1:8, 1 Cor. 14:39) . Nor do they practice and promote the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit. They do not teach nor practice what Jesus practiced .. Which is the power of God to lay hands on the sick so that they can recover, or to cast out evil spirits in the name of Jesus. Nor do they practice and promote raising the dead. Nor do they practice and promote speaking and meditating the Word of God over our lives, daily. Nor do they practice and promote living by faith as an integral part of the Christian lifestyle.
In these last days, it is imperative that we not only attend church, but that we are hooked up to the right church. The complete church. The church that allows God to be God. The church that’s only concern is obeying ALL the commands of Jesus (what not to do as well as what we must do) and following the leads of the Holy Spirit. The church that understands that it is just as imperative (if not more) to do as Jesus did, than it is to not do what the devil does. The church that is lead by a Pastor that has no problem with laying aside the agenda to allow God to take over the service and receive the all the glory. It is not enough to attend church or to pretend church or to play church. It is time to BE the church. United in mind. United in heart. Supporting all that the church is with time, money and effort. What kind of church are you hooked up to?
CHOOSE YOUR READ LANGUAGE
We Are Connected – WELCOME! GOD LOVES YOU! Touch Him Today
2018 TOP 15 CHRISTIAN TEEN BLOGS
TOTAL BLOG HITS
- 1,281,343 hits
LOOK UP
ARCHIVES
META
PRAISE the LORD!
FELLOW-SHEEP – My sheep know My Voice
OUR FAITH FOUNDATION
2013 - French Bibles - Senegal, Africa, 2015 Urdu Bibles - Pakistan, Khmer Bibles -Cambodia 2016 Nepali Bibles - Pokhara villages
LORD JESUS CHRIST
GO INTO ALL THE WORLD
2013 Stop Abuse, SEED Ministry, 2014 100 Urdu Blogs for Women, Zion Heritage Centre, 2015 Cancer Journey Asia Pacific 2015 Nepal Earthquake 2015 Pokhara Christmas Village Outreach 2016 Pokhara Village Ministry 2015/2016/2017 Myanmar Theological College and orphanages 2017 Simbu Church
PRAYER
Have you been changed by prayer?
jESUS LOVES CHILDREN
2014 Pakistan kids, Bihar School, Nepal VBS, Myanmar orphanages, 2015/2016 Nepal VBS, Myanmar orphanages, Bihar school, Pakistan kids,2016/2017 Pokhara village tuition Centres - Chitiawan, Jumla, Choprak
ISRAEL PROTECTED Zech 12:6-8
2014 Friend Zion Heritage Center, Jerusalem
CATEGORIES
- A CLICK A BLESSING TODAY
- ADMIRATION OF HIS CREATION
- ALL GOD'S PEOPLE
- BIBLE DAILY DEVOTIONAL
- BIBLE LANDS
- BIBLE VERSE SCRIPTURES IN PICTURES
- CHILD OF THE WORLD
- CHILDREN'S CORNER
- CHRISTIAN DIM SUMS
- CHRISTIAN FAMILY BLOGS
- CHRISTIAN FAMILY FUN AND HERITAGE
- CHRISTIAN FOUNDATIONS OF BELIEF
- CHRISTIAN LIFE AND THE WORD
- Christian Life and the Word – Encouragement
- Christian Life and the Word – Face your Feeling
- Christian Life and the Word – Know the Truth – Live the Truth
- Christian Life and the Word – Lightbearers for Jesus
- CHRISTIAN MISSIONS
- CHRISTIAN NUGGETS
- CHRISTIAN TAGALOG BLOGS
- Christian Teens Blog JF
- CHRISTIAN TEENS BLOGS
- Christian Teens Blogs – He is my Peace
- Christian Teens Blogs – He is my Peace, Light and Refuge
- CHRISTIAN URDU BLOGS
- DIFFERENT STROKES
- Different Strokes – Managing the Miraculous
- Different Strokes – Retirement Ramblings
- FAITH CHILD
- GOD'S PROMISE – JESUS CHRIST
- GOOD NEWS FOR YOU
- GRANDPA'S STORIES FOR BOYS
- HE LIFTS US UP
- I JUST PRAYED FOR YOU
- I LIFT UP MY EYES
- IN HIS SERVICE
- JOYFUL 'TOONS
- LAST DAYS
- Light and Refuge
- Maranatha
- PRAISE THE LORD TESTIMONIES
- Prayer for ChristainBlessings Encouragers
- PRAYER REQUESTS
- PREACHER'S KIDS COMICS
- SETTLED IN HEAVEN
- Shaping Spiritual Solutions!
- SHARING STRUGGLES
- SHARING STRUGGLES , Shaping Spiritual Solutions!
- SoS SATURDAYS
- STRONGHOLD SMASHERS
- TAPESTRY TREASURES
- WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE
TAGALOG TALK
2012 launched , July 2015 Re- launched
TEENS SHINE FOR JESUS
2014 Teens Blog launched
FAMILY BLOG
January 2016
URDU TALK till 31 Dec 16
2011 started, 2013 100 blogs for Women, 2015 100 Blogs for women
RECENT COMMENTS
-
RECENT POSTS
- Nuggets – Messages from the Messiah's Life: The God of the Living December 6, 2019
- Nuggets – Messages from the Messiah's Life: Taxes and Tithes December 5, 2019
- Nuggets – Messages from the Messiah's Life: True Character Revealed December 4, 2019
- Nuggets – Guard Your Heart December 3, 2019
- Nuggets – Fear of the Lord December 2, 2019
- Nuggets – My King of Old December 1, 2019
- Nuggets – Power of the Holy Spirit November 30, 2019
- A tale of two Christians: Romans 14 November 29, 2019
- Mind, body, and God’s will: Romans 12 November 29, 2019
- This grace in which we stand: Romans 4-7 November 29, 2019
You know Art, this is exactly what the original blog was all about. Change .. Transition. Leaving behind what needs to be left .. Reaching ahead to what needs to be taken .. Forgetting agendas and remembering our cues must be taken from and led by, the Holy Spirit. Here in my neck of the woods, the churches are coming together as one (no matter the denomination or lack thereof). Forgetting our differences and focusing on the One that unites us all, Jesus Christ. There are quite a few churches involved and it is, well, just the coolest thing ever! lol Thanks for your kind words.
Fantastic blog, Debra. My own home church is going through a major transition. While we have always been involved in mission work, we are becoming a church that is “missional.” While difficult to describe, it is easy to see… and that difference is phenomenal!
Shalom, Art
Pingback: The Complete Church…
Amen PTL. It is up to us, as individuals first, to step up to the plate and be all that He has called us to be and then take that with us into the church.
The thought that God has so graciously provided for everything we need in Him and in His Body the Church overwhelms me.
His grace and mercy, His Love, healing, power, deliverance from sin and the effects of sin, and the environment (the Church) to grow into His likeness which He begins when we accept His grace and mercy and will continue to the day of Jesus Christ. .
It says a lot about dysfunctional people who say that they do not need to attend church because others are imperfect as they are. It is pure disobedience to the Word which says forsake not the assembling of yourselves together which is God’s plan where we work out our differences to be more like Him.
Yes, the Lord’s plans(including the Church) for us are always complete but we often prefer to revel in sin and our own inadequate plans to spoil His plans. We then blame Him for the effects of our disobedience – no peace which passeth all understanding.