As we study God's word, the bible, we soon realise there is one common thread that passes through every book and indeed word written. That is the desire for God, The Creator of All things in heaven and under heaven desperately wants to be in relationship with His creation.
We naturally all know the verse from John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave his one and only Son...". Without sounding too cliché it is so easy as Christian to miss the mark of what being a Christ follower is all about. Being in Relationship with the Creator.
This has to take pre-eminence over everything else we do as Christians, yet as a person who has known the Lord now for just over thirty years, it seems we in the church are exchanging relationship for program. Let me explain! Almost everywhere I visit, that is churches and church gatherings, there is a lack of God's manifest presence in the meetings. Immediately, I know many will have alarm bells ringing and say "He is just looking for the obvious miracles in the meetings". But this is not true, whilst I understand the Lord is able to speak and touch people in ways that we cannot see or demonstrate at times, I believe also that when the Lord is present and move upon people there has to be a response or reaction. Perhaps it is the response that is lacking rather than the presence? But I don't think so.
When we try to fit God into our box, that is our timeframe for worship or study or prayer etc, then we are not in relationship but in a program. And whilst we must have structure in our gatherings it is also true to say that the structure should serve the objective of giving people an expression of service unto the Lord and the Lord an opportunity to speak and transform us.
Many churches have exchanged the presence of God for a program, often a program that they have seen work successfully elsewhere or they know can produce results. Once again this model of imitating someone else's success is a result of the pastor or leader not willing to spend the time in building relationship with Holy Spirit to gain God's own vision and desires for their life. All over the world today we see church programs being copied because of their success elsewhere but where is the relationship part of "copy and paste" of this kind?
As Christian believers today, we must take the time and put the effort into our relationship with the Lord, so that He can develop and build the man and woman of God that He wants to rule and reign with Him. Let's take time for God's Spirit to transform us and mould us, let's stopping simply doing and take the time to BE His creation, His children, His heirs that He so longs us to be.
God Bless
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