Daily Devotional ~ We Are The Church
Worship: If you'd like to play a song before you begin or while you read, may we recommend "Graves into Gardens" by Elevation Worship.
Daily Verse: “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
☆Matthew 6:19-21 NLT
Let's talk about it: Right now, we are seeing something occur that has not occurred before in our lifetime. However, God is in the business of giving wake up calls and bringing His people back to Him through repentance. Right now, God is shaking His people. He is shaking His church. He is causing us to reflect on our behavior, and He is showing us where our treasure is (more on this tomorrow).
He is shaking our idea of church. Do we really understand that it has nothing to do with a building, but instead it has to do with us, God's people? We are the church. It was never meant to become a business, and the fact that there are some who will say you need a business degree to Pastor have forgotten what church is and what it is meant to be.
We were never meant to pimp out the Gospel. NO ONE supported themselves solely by the backbreaking work of others. Paul was a tent maker by trade. When he preached, he did so outside of his profession. Peter was a fisherman. He continued to fish after Christ's crucifixion. This is seen in John 21:10-11. However, both were supported by their brothers and sisters in the faith.
God is a God of intention, and you better believe He is being intentional, even now. We were never meant to wear masks and come together twice a week. We were meant to live intimately with our Lord, and with each other. We can see this in the fact that we are urged to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another (James 5:16).
So, will you go on as if nothing changed? Or will you come back to the foundation and begin to fix the cracks?
Maybe you're like me and your treasure is your family. That sounds innocent enough, but not when our relationship with the Lord suffers because of it, or when we put our family before God.
It's ok to have cracks every now and then just as long as we are willing to allow the Holy Spirit help us fix them.
Additional Reading: “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
☆Matthew 7:24-27 NLT
Prayer: Father, thank you for what you are allowing each and every one of your people to walk through in this season. Thank you for the fire Almighty God. Thank you for preparing your bride. Jesus, I am sorry for not spending more time with you. Forgive me if I have placed any idol above you, Lord, and if I have, show me so that I may place it at your feet. Everything bows to you Jesus. Every. Single. Thing. Lord, I know you still have a plan and purpose. I know you are shaping and molding us into the people you created us to be, Lord God, and I give you praise for it in Jesus name. Thank you Lord for exposing the cracks so I can take the time now, before it's too late, to fix my foundation. May your will be done, oh God. I love you Jesus, and in your I pray, amen.
Daily Verse: “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
☆Matthew 6:19-21 NLT
Let's talk about it: Right now, we are seeing something occur that has not occurred before in our lifetime. However, God is in the business of giving wake up calls and bringing His people back to Him through repentance. Right now, God is shaking His people. He is shaking His church. He is causing us to reflect on our behavior, and He is showing us where our treasure is (more on this tomorrow).
He is shaking our idea of church. Do we really understand that it has nothing to do with a building, but instead it has to do with us, God's people? We are the church. It was never meant to become a business, and the fact that there are some who will say you need a business degree to Pastor have forgotten what church is and what it is meant to be.
We were never meant to pimp out the Gospel. NO ONE supported themselves solely by the backbreaking work of others. Paul was a tent maker by trade. When he preached, he did so outside of his profession. Peter was a fisherman. He continued to fish after Christ's crucifixion. This is seen in John 21:10-11. However, both were supported by their brothers and sisters in the faith.
God is a God of intention, and you better believe He is being intentional, even now. We were never meant to wear masks and come together twice a week. We were meant to live intimately with our Lord, and with each other. We can see this in the fact that we are urged to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another (James 5:16).
So, will you go on as if nothing changed? Or will you come back to the foundation and begin to fix the cracks?
Maybe you're like me and your treasure is your family. That sounds innocent enough, but not when our relationship with the Lord suffers because of it, or when we put our family before God.
It's ok to have cracks every now and then just as long as we are willing to allow the Holy Spirit help us fix them.
Additional Reading: “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
☆Matthew 7:24-27 NLT
Prayer: Father, thank you for what you are allowing each and every one of your people to walk through in this season. Thank you for the fire Almighty God. Thank you for preparing your bride. Jesus, I am sorry for not spending more time with you. Forgive me if I have placed any idol above you, Lord, and if I have, show me so that I may place it at your feet. Everything bows to you Jesus. Every. Single. Thing. Lord, I know you still have a plan and purpose. I know you are shaping and molding us into the people you created us to be, Lord God, and I give you praise for it in Jesus name. Thank you Lord for exposing the cracks so I can take the time now, before it's too late, to fix my foundation. May your will be done, oh God. I love you Jesus, and in your I pray, amen.