So I’m sitting in Rock’s house, talking about the direction our new group of the Church of Christ is going, and I’m finding myself drawn to the different incredible aspects of life that God works in through the trials and difficulties we face in life.
For instance, Rock’s hair was mentioned, and he said that a reason for the vow he took was the fact that he was already growing it out and decided that, after reading about the different forms of vows in the Bible, he’d just not cut his hair and make a vow around its length. In other words…he made a vow because he didn’t feel like cutting his hair. Isn’t that SWEET? [Edited: I misunderstood what he said. Sorry, Rock. Rock made that vow because he felt LED to by GOD, not because he was lazy. Although it would be pretty cool to have been lazy and then gone and found all kinds of reasons to justify it. Anyway, I’ll leave in my misunderstanding, because it will show how bad I am at listening…but also because I don’t feel like changing any of the note. Read on!]
Kinda brings out that ironic form of reasoning in ever human. That reason that wastes away any set-in-stone logic and completely fills it in with the freedom (and sometimes along with freedom comes insanity) of Christ. We literally are FOOLS to follow this Jesus, for in the eyes of the world, Jesus is a FOOL. I mean, come on! “Love your enemy, and pray for those who persecute you?” Yeah right!
So when I’m wondering why this walk is crazy, and isn’t making sense, and how much I’d like to further my own comfort, ease, flabbiness, etc., I can remember Rock and what he’s gone through, and how STRONG he’s become through it. I can’t find a better example.
And now, involvement in a new group of Christians who want to meet together, free of the bonds and restrictions of the institutional church, and we’re looking for leadership. Honestly, I think people are having a hard time breaking free of the mold they’ve lived in for so long, with government structure and hierarchy and human leadership. Now I’m not saying that it’s wrong to establish older, wiser men to handle problems and such, but hey, if we’re in need of a system of government in order to quell angry or discontented people or to make sure people aren’t trod upon or whatever, then we’re obviously doing something wrong. Shouldn’t love be at the center of our relationships? Wasn’t Christ’s only new commandment “Love your neighbor as yourself”? I mean, doesn’t that pretty much sum up your life? If that’s what you do, then you’re golden. You’re living the way God wants you to, and no one will ever have any guff with you.
In order to justify putting leaders in God’s place as the heads of our church, (God would be the Head of Christ’s Church) we feel the need for support. So that kinda means that we don’t feel like we’re getting support from God, right? Because, after all, He should be the only support we’ll ever need. I dunno…maybe we’re just uncomfortable with the fact that we’re being lead by an omnipotent, omnipresent, invisible deity that we can’t touch, see, or hear with our earthly senses. What does THAT mean? We’re not being realistic? We’re uncomfortable with having no direct feedback the way we like it? Or are we too scared to have to deal with an all-powerful God?
How many times did Edison try to get the correct filaments to flare up in his original design for the light bulb? 20,000? 200,000? A couple million? Either way, he spent countless hours experimenting, right? And after he hit upon that one working filament, what did he say? That he found 200,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb. So what am I saying here?
We don’t need to experiment. If we do, all we’ll find are countless way to ruin Christ’s church. What we need to do is follow. Follow what God has to say to us, and do whatever He leads us to do. Pretty simple, really. And when we can do that, without questioning, or adding/subtracting, or waiting/rushing, you know what will come out of it? A Church. A holy, Christ-reliant, worshipping Church of Christ, made up of people who love others before themselves.
Talking with Terry, we got to Egypt somehow. Ancient Egypt had more false gods than you can count, and they all had something to do with one thing on earth (besides the irony of that god ONLY having to do with earth…) And what I thought was how very cool it is to have a God who is intimate with us, covers everything we know (and what we do not), because He made it all anyway, and
we’re actually attacked for our faith in this powerful God. When we’re attacked spiritually, physically, mentally, by evil…it’s probably because we’re doing something right. Otherwise, what would be the point?
The many gods of men do not outweigh the power of the One God of Israel; of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; I Am; Jehovah. And what of His Son- The Bright and Morning Star; the Stone that the builders rejected-the Cornerstone; the Lamb of God; the Christ- the Son of God.
Never underestimate my Jesus. You’re telling me that there’s no hope – I’m telling you you’re wrong. Never underestimate my Jesus. When the world around you crumbles, He will be strong, He will be strong.
May God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit live in you forevermore. Amen.
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