This blog will not be popular. It may even stir up the hornet's nest. I have no option but to share what I believe to be the heart of God for this time in the church and in our nation.
Scripture cannot be any clearer than this:
"When the righteous thrive, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy." - Proverbs 11:10.
We have just witnessed one of the must barbaric weekend's in modern times. Close to 30 innocent people were unmercifully slaughtered in Texas and Ohio. Wickedness ruled the day. As I painfully watched the news I listened to pundit after pundit analyze the moment and blame ideology, mental health, political opponents, and gun control for the heinous crime perpetrated on our people. As I listened and tried to make sense out of this something rose up inside of me.
"Where is the Kingdom of God?"
The answer that came was not what I expected. How can we expect unbelieving men and women to act with sanity and respect for human life (MURDER, ABORTION, ASSAULT), when we, as a church, resort to "religious terrorism." Let me explain:
For many years now I have watched the Body of Christ shame each other under the banner of love. I have read social media posts, blogs and "watchdog" websites excoriating fellow believers for differences in methodology, semantics, and minor theological dogma. I have even witnessed many who call themselves experts telling others to distance themselves from other believers whom they have disagreements. They have used dangerous words such as "false prophets," "heretics," and "wolves in sheep's clothing."
Many in the Body of Christ are more concerned about their "sacred cows" than they are building the Kingdom of God. Before I get attacked with nasty comments, I want to state that I believe there are false prophets and heretics in the land. That is obvious. But, I don't believe that we have called out the right people. We seem obsessed with the takedown of those who are endeavoring to build the Kingdom while the rest of us sit in our ivory towers judging them. I have this picture: As His sheep, we focus on looking at the backside of the sheep in front of us. The ugliest, dirtiest part of the sheep. We should be looking to the Shepherd not a sheep's behind. Is it any wonder we are fixated on destroying the very thing God has blessed? It IS perspective. WE NEED TO GET OUR NOSES OUT OF THE BUSINESS OF THE SHEEP IN FRONT OF US AND LOOK SQUARELY INTO THE EYES OF JESUS. Jesus said that He only did what He saw His Father doing. How are we to know what to do if we are engrossed with the dirty behind of the sheep and not watching Him? But....let's be honest. That is where we fixate.
So, we write ugly words that purpose to destroy (and then we gloat when we do harm to them in any way). We encourage others to break away from unity. I have even heard it said from the pulpits of some of our most influential pastors; "We should stop singing the same worship songs that so and so does, because we disagree with them." There is a world that is literally dying. There is a nation struggling for redemption and restoration. There are disenfranchised people looking for a home.
We have the answer. We have the power. We have the authority to change this culture, but what are we doing? Answer: committing acts of religious terrorism against our brothers and sisters, murdering in the name of Jesus. The world is only committing copy cat crimes that the church has already perpetrated against her own.
In love and admonition I declare these words over the Body - "KNOCK IT OFF."
The scripture above states that "when the righteous thrive, the city rejoices." Come on. Read that again. Thriving is the absence of warring. We are making a change, but it's not the right one. Proverbs also states that "when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy." I contend that "wicked" is the presence of evil that overcomes the masses, not necessarily individual people. I believe that the Body of Christ can intercede for this nation to bring about revival. Intercession, at its core, is necessarily the giving of ourselves - pouring ourselves out.
THIS HAS TO BEGIN IN THE HOUSE OF GOD.
We will see our land healed when we decide that those we have murdered with our words and actions have a place in the Kingdom beside us.
We will see our land healed. We will see the Kingdom of God come - as in heaven so on earth. This is a Kingdom promise and mandate.
There is a remedy for the evil acts we witnessed this past weekend. It begins inside of each of us. It's the manifestation of the Kingdom of God in the earth. We are His Kingdom. Lets covenant together to build Kingdom in each other rather than destroy. That's the enemy's strategy, not God's. Let's agree to embrace each other in the bonds of peace. If we have disagreement, go to that person. If you cannot, say nothing, pray,
and let the Lord take care of it. DON'T TAKE THE IMMATURE ROUTE and broadcast dirty laundry for all to see. There is much shame in that approach to Christianity. In fact, it is not godly one bit.
Yes, some may say I paint too broad a stroke. Not true. This is simple, yet specific. Without unity and peace within our ranks, we will be a helpless, powerless army destined for destruction. Could it be that what we see happening in the nation is only a mirror reflection of what is happening in the church?