Being real with yourself and God…

As we go about our day looking to make an impact in people’s lives as well as our own life.  We all want to live with purpose.  I will tell you the truth with working six nights and at times my mind wonders.  I am not putting the Lord first because I get caught up in what I need to do at the moment.  This past week I was on cruse control getting 5 to 6 hours of sleep each night.  With work and home responsibilities it all got me away from what matters most and that is my personal relationship with the Lord.  Listening to worship music and sermons to get me back on track again was good but not enough. We cannot burn bright for the Lord with someone else oil.  One day I would listen to one pastor then someone else the next day an evangelist and they were all random sermons that I listened to.  Each one spoke on something else and it was just what was happening to me at that time, but my time with the Lord had become stale and not getting better each day.  Friday morning came and I was feeling bitterness and restlessness. I felt that I have not done anything that whole week expect show up to my work show up for prayer time and even sometimes sitting there with the Bible in front of me and really not engaging.  I felt as I was cold and away from God that Friday morning all I wanted to do is sleep in and not see anyone.  As I sat with the Lord, God spoke to me and said do you want to watch people connect with me or do you want to come up higher and connect with me too?  It hit me right at the heart level and I understood what I was doing, I was only being a spectator to all those wonderful preacher and worship leaders I was watching but not truly engaging in a personal relationship with Jesus.  Let me pause here and say this had nothing to do with my salvation it has everything to do with relationship.  In other words it is not about how we feel it is our position with the Lord as it is written in 1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. As believers in the Son of God we need to cultivate our relationship with God daily, just as you cultivate any relationship in your life.  Unpause, I responded to the Lord, I Love you Lord and I want to connect with you.  So the Lord said grab your book (The Holy Bible) and walk with me, I did and I connected with the Lord.  God lead me to Matthew 12:18-21.  “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.  He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.  A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.  In his name the nations will put their hope.”

Global Christianity…        

The question came to me what is the status of Global Christianity. The amazing growth of Christianity in 1806-1926, this geographical expansion of the kingdom.  1990-2000 was the greatest numerical expansion of the Kingdom.  In these same years 300,000,000 people converted to Christ and 200,000,000 out of the converting were independent Charismatic Churches.  The Independent Charismatic Church is the fastest growing stream.  There is 2.2 billion Christens on the earth one billion are in western counties and 1.2 billion are in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.  God created the Church for all the lost and to reach the lost people in the world.  The heroes of the Church are the people in the mission field or anyone share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  These people have different roles and are moved by the Holy Spirit at their jobs, in local outreaches, and to their friends and families.

Who are we lifting up…

To many times Church left up people that are famous in pop culture and parade them in front of the Church such as musicians, sport athletes, and successful business personalities.  As the leadership of the Church is thinking having a successful personality in front of my congregation will attract more people to my church and want to follow the Lord Jesus.  The thinking is seeing a famous person following the Lord will make Jesus more attractive to follow because if that person is doing it so can I.  This type of think is shallow and gets the people of that Church off the main focus of the purpose of the Church or the calling of God in their lives. The Pastor’s and Leadership teams of the Church sometimes do not even mean to do it, but they really have only let the world in to their Churches.  The Pastor must not parade athletes or well know people in front of the Church people only because they are athletes or famous people. All it does is weaken the body of Christ.  What the Pastor should be parading is the missionary that are doing the Lord work in another Country or if that famous personalities that is doing the Lord’s work in the market places or on the sport field.  Let me be clear I know athletes that serve the Lord and lead others to the Lord as well as musician but to many times I have heard “our Church has this athletes and this musician that sings in our praise ministry.”  When they should be saying our Church supports missionaries in XYZ Countries and has support groups for market place ministries, discipleship programs at our Church, and most important we have pray and outreach programs that are reach the local area.  Please understand as a Church must equipped the Saints.  Those are the heroes of the Church and that is who we should draw the body of Christ attendance to those persons doing the Lord’s work.

Building the Church…

The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only transformation agent on the Planet.  You want to grow your Church as it is written Matthew 28: 17-20 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

John 21:15-17 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

As you do want Jesus said I believe this will happen to you and your Church, Acts 2:47 Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

-Donnelly Cameron