surrender to love

It’s not just one way with the Lord.

In the church we like to preach there's only one way. Yes, Jesus is THE WAY. And it is ONLY through Him that truth comes. Where things get a little confusing, and vision some what clouded, is when we begin to idolize one way the Lord speaks, or one way the Lord moves, or one way the Lord accomplishes something. We idolize an idea of God, rather than falling in love with Jesus Himself. When there is a move of the Holy Spirit, we leave changed. But when we try to replicate it just because that is how God moved before, it doesn't always produce the same fruit. He is always doing something new, in a new way. Getting comfortable in the works of God without life-giving relationship leads to religion.  Religion without relationship leads to bondage. It's never one way with the Lord because the basis of all that He does is on ONE THING: intimacy with Him. RELATIONSHIP. So as much as our ideas about tithing, ideas about membership in our churches, ideas about how a worship service should be run, ideas about theology, ideas about what is right or what is wrong….comes this very dichotomy: NONE OF IT MATTERS OUTSIDE OF RELATIONSHIP. You see I’m the best pretender of them all.  I’ve become great at pretending I’m an awesome spiritual person by proving I can live right. I can pretend to hear the voice of God by only regurgitating theological information that has been taught to me in the past. I can easily look like I have it all together when, spiritually, I may be falling apart. But am I falling more in love with an idea of God, more than I am falling madly in love with Jesus Himself? What leads me to do what I do? Did Jesus tell me to do, say, or live the way I have chosen to today? Do I worship Him because of duty? Do I worship Him out of discipline? Or do I worship Him out of delight? What is my driving force? Does loving Him bring me pleasure? I have come to conclude if love is not that driving force, everything else is meaningless.

Yesterday I watched a film that left me completely undone. "Compelled by Love" is a documentary based on the life of Heidi Baker and her impact on the world. Here you have a woman who puts Jesus in physical form. It's obvious she is living, breathing, tangibly loving like Jesus. It’s Him…..in Heidi’s body. I’ve personally never been able to see such a manifestation in a person. You look into her eyes filled with light and all you see is Jesus staring you in the face. I’m not idolizing her, but what I do acknowledge is that her life has been completely surrendered to the love of God. She has given herself over to Jesus 100%, and I can not deny it challenges me to most deepest and darkest parts of my heart. I. am. undone. A couple years ago I read her book, Compelled by Love, which was also a turning point in my walk with the Lord. It was through her life and the revelation of the Beatitudes I was left knowing my life was not my own. That I would “lose my life to find it” (Matthew 10:39). And again, today, all I could meditate on was how much I wanted Him. It’s a fascinating thing. I know the FULLNESS of God lives and moves and has His being in me. I lack no good thing and He has given me all that I need. But somehow there is a paradigm between that Truth and the manifestation of that fullness being lived out. I must come in agreement with that truth, but I must also learn the sweet art of surrendering to the truth. It’s not enough to know. As Believers, we often feel like we know many biblical truths. But is that what leads us to knowing Him? I personally do not think so. It’s surrendering to Truth, to Him. It’s unadulterated, completely abandoned surrender to the journey of falling in love with Him through intimacy. It’s scary. But there is no safer place to be.

If you have some time to give God, may this be a gift to you. Even if you listen in a quiet place for 20 minutes, I am sure it will be a blessing. It was to me.

loving the church

I woke up sad this morning. It felt ackward. I couldn't explain why. I just felt sad. So, curious to what the Lord might be doing I sat with Him on the couch and began to process my thoughts. Why do I feel this way?

Then it hit me. I'm tired of Believers slandering Believers. And I'm really exhausted from the amount of power abuse that I hear about when leaders try to "control" their sheep. I'm not talking about subtle power trips. But its manipulative condescending counsel that ultimately ends up bringing a lot of confusion, A LOT of hurt, and many times feeling alienated within your community.

Here's my simple revelation. Everyone has feelings. Treat people with honor. If you don't agree with someone, get over it. And if the Holy Spirit hasn't told you to give (your) advice, then choose not to give any at all. What's the point of idle talk (not being guided by the Holy Spirit in your speech), just so you look good and have all the answers, but yet have no fruit? If you disagree with a leader, still love them.

Jesus was not about being right, but He became the Truth to the people. If we really want to have an influence as leaders, as the Church, we must become passionate about one another! Put away our differences, our doctrinal disagreements, our perfect formulas for winning people's hearts, and our ideologies for the simple fact that we need to be brought back to a place of loving each other. Philipplians 2 is a beautiful example of what it means to lay our lives down for one another. If you have another problem with someone, or a particular group, or even a ministry itself, be the person who rises above and settles it with those leaders. It would help to hear their hearts before we choose to make our judgments. Don't be putting it on fb or twitter, or slander an individual by spilling it out with your spouse, and especially don't go to someone who is not even a part of that group and begin to vomit over everyone how much you disagree or hate something about a leader or group.

Let's change the world differently than how we have in the past! When you want a child to be obedient, you don't tell him what he's not doing....you tell him what he should be doing. Likewise, instead of picking on the Church about every single thing they are doing wrong, how about teaching the truth of God's Word and living out how to do it right?! The truth is, people would rather tell you what you're doing wrong because then they don't have to be accountable to the truth of how to live out the gospel right. For example, instead of saying "the church doesn't believe in signs and wonders anymore. They've taken the supernatural life out of their daily walk." How about changing it to, "if you want to see healing in your church, all you have to do is believe the fullness of God lives in you, receive, believe and pray. You can do it!" But teaching the truth challenges believers, because then they become accountable to the Word. Live your life as the loudest influence for believers. And choose to honor people despite what you think or what you observe. If you have questions, ask them....don't just assume or make judgmental or cynical presumptions. Choose today to love your neighbor. Remember, were brothers, joined together by the blood of Christ. You deserve to be loved and accepted by me. It seems as if believers find it easier to love the unchurched rather than the churched. That's messed up. Jesus paid for it all. I don't need to persecute you. Hear my heart. I'm choosing to get over our differences so that Jesus is not limited through my own ideas of what I think is right. Love outside the box.....He did.

John 15:12 "My command is this, that you love one another as I have loved you."

A different way to love



We are really asking the Holy Spirit how is the best way to be living, breathing Christ in the earth today. This has been an extremely hard (and beyond) way of living. Where we personally been at is studying, reflecting, and going deep into the life of Christ in the gospels and allowing our lives to reflect the same thing. What a challenge in every way. The cost is high and the sacrifice is great.

Chicago Gay Pride Parade

The deeper we minister to own convictions, it seems the more conflict we run into, and its not from unbelieving folks. This is probably where many different Christians disagree, which is ok. Not everyone will see eye to eye, but working together despite it speaks great volumes in the least. When we observe the life of Jesus, the only ones he ever rebuked were religious people, the believing people of that day. But when I look at how he ministered to the lost it was really different. I'm not speaking about a message of tolerance or intolerance, because He would tell people to stop from sinning. But the love we observed was how He ate, He drank, He went into their (sinners, tax collectors, adulterers) homes. He loved them where they were at. And when he was confronted by the pharisees about his heretic acts, he said "is it not the sick who need a doctor?"

There's two problems we have found in the Church when ministering to the lost. The first is, the lost dont want to listen to our message of "intolerance" because they feel hated, judged and misunderstood by us. (Truth is, many of us as believers have looked to the lost as projects and not people). They indirectly hate us and have already closed their hearts to our message. What if we actually came to people like Jesus did with the Samaritan women, gave them a life reading and then told them the way to true life? There is a huge brokenness and disconnect from the Church and the lost. We believe in order to even get them to a place where they can receive our message, we must be willing to love them where they're at. The "I'm Sorry" shirts, shouldn't be mis-read. The man who started that was not a tolerant man. He didn't agree with homosexuality (like so many churches are allowing these days) but he was looking for a solution. He was looking for the mending of broken hearts to the spirit of Christ, which is always LOVE. The man who started it was accused by every religious figure about his tolerance, but when you read his story you will find that it was not the spirit he was operating under. He was truly a man looking for a reconcilation, for a solution......and we need one, really bad.

The second problem we have found is that many Christians (who preach an intolerance message) do NOT actually have friends that are lost. Most believers will tell you that homosexuality shouldn't be tolerated and when we ask them if they have a homosexual friend, most do not. Were not talking about you know someone who is gay, or you have a relative who is gay. We're talking about having a friend, someone you hang out with, have gotten to know, gotten to appreciate in your life. The problem lies in that we would rather preach intolerance then actually get to know these individuals, with hearts, with minds, with feelings. They believe their beliefs are as real as our own. So how do we become all things to all men without compromising the message? Do we have a meal, hang out, get to know these individuals the way Jesus did before we cast the stone? By putting love on first, by word and action, the other stuff will follow. I DO NOT believe a message of love is tolerance. I DO believe that has been the fall of the Church in this case. But I also believe we need to put on love and the spirit of reconcilation and begin reconciling people's heart to the love of Christ. This will come in asking for forgiveness in where we have erred. And we have; we have judged, condemned and even told people they are not loved by God for their lifestyles. Maybe not us personally, but we need a man who will stand in the gap for such self-righteous accusations. Who is the accuser of the brethren but the devil himself. I am a woman that is not without sin and I cannot cast a stone at another because of it.

 I was hestitant to share all that, but I felt it was important that you hear our heart in that. To judge a group by saying they are being over-zealous and mis-led is a big accusation. But that is what is happening with the group of "I'm Sorry" believers at different gay pride events. And I can tell you that if we were to ever do something similar there would have been a lot of thought, a lot of prayer and a lot of biblical confirmation to go along with us when we make a decision like that. I understand that not every Christian is going to agree on certain things, but my hope is that honor would still be among believers even when they don't agree. We can't sustain new wine in a old wineskin. We believe, in this time and hour, God is doing a new thing if we will let him. We're going to have to think outside the box and try different things if we want to truly reach the lost.

What do you think? What do you think it would look like loving people the way Jesus did?

why I'm done playing church

because Jesus is so much better.

It doesn't mean I'm not going to go to Sunday morning worship. It doesn't mean I'm backsliden and forsaking the assembling of believers. It doesn't mean there is no value in pulpit preaching. It has its place. It has its fruit.

What I'm talking about goes beyond title, beyond business of a "ministry", beyond precedented times of prayer and worship. There's a voice calling us out to go deeper, to search wider, to seek truth outside the box and its echoing the Church of Acts 2. To not go to church, but to BE the chur

ch.

I love my fellow brothers and sisters. Hear my heart in this, less we harden our hearts like the religious people in the days of Jesus. Isn't it interesting that we rebuke and harrass the heart behind the Pharisees but fail to see it in ourselves as well? For me, the sobering reality has been that Jesus literally broke every religious rule, jurisdiction and order of that day!

What would each of our lives look like if we embraced every aspect of the life of Jesus? Did Jesus say He gave Himself partially to the Church? Did the Bridegroom say His Bride would only be half His? No. And as ridiculous as it sounds we have a large generation of people not walking out the reality that they have been made ONE with Jesus, and that He has given us His whole self without restraint! We have become a people coping with their demons rather than being delivered from them because we fear our sin more than we fear God. We are trying to empress people in the four walls of what we call "church", rather than loving God first.

Oh Church! We were called to so much more! Relevency cannot hold you. Talented musicians will not sustain you. We teach what we know but we can only impart WHO WE ARE. Programs will bring people but they may not bring the presence. Where is the presence? Where is the presence? Where is the presence?

I've commited my soul to the Lord. All my days are fashioned by Him. Whether in my home, in the secret place, or whether amidst a congregation before man, my heart will be rendered to the Lord. I will radically love, willingly obey and freely walk in the liberated life Jesus gave me. Did He not die for nothing that we still be entrapped by that man of old, that spirit of religion?

Come. Come join the rollercoaster of freedom. Its so much better to Be His. You were not built by man's hands. You were made for His glory. Be free to be His glory. Be ALL His. You don't have to be afraid. Were all wanting something real. We all want Him. Its sometimes hard to let go into the unknown. But He's saying its ok. Its ok my Love. I've given all that I am so you could do so.

church

why i believe sunday service shouldn't be catered to unbelievers....

i have a friend, whom we'll name Stacy. Stacy has a relationship with Jesus and really desires to know Him more. In fact, she's been searching for a church now for the past couple months that offers a real authentic, passionate love for God in everything they do. Burnt by religion, she aggressively began a search to find something supernatural - something that would offer her more than what the rest of the world offers. And as she searched she noticed her heart growing hard and bitter, not really understanding why. Stacy hasn't been to church now in 3 weeks. She deeply desires to be a part of a family but everything just seems too political, too structured, too big and too organized.

A lot of people would categorize Stacy as someone who was not mature in their faith enough to look past the faults of the church to get to Jesus. But as you get to know her you see there is a deep longing and burning in her heart to learn, grow and excel more than anyone who've ever met. In fact, at her last church she helped service the worship team, but as things became more dry and boxed in, she decided to inquiry of the pastor of why things have become so ordered. her answer? "If we lose order in the worship- we lose control of the people." What did this say to Stacy? It said we care more about manipulating people through organized religion so they behave the way we want them to than we do about the people encountering and be transformed by the presence of God. ouch.

So why do we even gather on Sunday mornings? What's the purpose of it all, really? Hebrews 10:25 asks us to not forsake the fellowship or the gathering of believers (the saints) and even to come together singing spiritual songs, worshipping with one another (Ephesians 5:19). But the Bible seems really clear, we cannot have fellowship with one another if we don't first have fellowship with Him. "But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)

So what is this really saying about when we come together? The focus isn't AT ALL on unbelievers. Not one bit. Nowhere can you find one scripture that supports a "service" even catered to unbelievers, or by definition "seekers". So does this mean being "seeker sensitive" is unbiblical? I would dare to say, yes! Jesus didn't even talk about such things. In fact, He tried to mess organized religion up in His 3 years of ministry. He told us that the ekklesia, the Church, was called to "go out" and make disciples, to persuade men by our good works so they can see Jesus glorified (Matthew 5:16). Go out from where? Well from our gatherings of course.

But what about people like Stacy? How will she know how to live, to persuade men with her life that Jesus is real to her? What about others who only know how to preach organized religion but not live their life in radicall real relationship with Jesus? What's different in what we offer from the rest of the world if we have no authenticity?

Ephesians 4 says, "And Christ Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ". This is what empowers us to out from where we gather to be light to the rest of the world. And though most of our "churches" and "services" operate like an monarchy - one leader with elders under him, then service hosts under them, then congregants under them....and even children considered to be under them :( I really don't see that system really displaying what Jesus asked us to do. But we're asked to each bring our gifts when we gather - that we were each called to His service, for His glory. (1 Peter 4:10-11) I think by man's definition, being the Church could look pretty messy.

Think about this for a moment. "The wind blows where it wants to. You hear its sound, but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going. That's the way it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8) Wind usually messes things up alittle and sometimes there's no explanation for it. Why does man feel the need to explain every move of God? We are so uncomfortable with messy supernatural things! We have such a need to feel comfortable in a "controlled" atmosphere. I'm not saying lets forsake all order and do as the Corinthians did, walking in the supernatural power with no wisdom or love - but does that mean we lose that raw and radical realness in our services for the sake of that order? Ultimately what brings greater satisfaction?

If the church doesn't wake up soon to this reality, our gatherings will get smaller and smaller. The unchurched will not be fooled (in fact you don't see unbelievers coming to church anymore, new members are usually old members somewhere else). And now even the churched are leaving, in hope to find a people radically pursuing God. It may just mean we let go of our agenda, our programs set for the day, or lose ourselves in worship. Actually it changes the whole face of things...it changes the whole force behind why we gather. We no longer come to get, but to give. And we leave EVERYTIME transformed, ready to take the world on as our inheritance because we know we can and there's an undeniable trust in who Jesus is in us. Isn't that what we're all really seeking? If that's what "seeker sensitive" means, then I want that! - But nothing less.

tired of "church"

I recently went to a workshop for church leaders that was entitled "how to have exceptional sunday services". I enjoyed the workshop, but I really can't help but shutter a little inside when i hear such a title. There are many reasons the idea of us focusing our energy on exceptional services doesn't sit well with me, but the largest issue I have with it is something I have only experienced more recently.

Brandon and I have currently been pioneering "church relationship" ministries since '07 when we realized a huge need in the area of networking churches in order to see regional change in our communities. And as easy as that sounds, the task has been an extremely hard one, and at times, absolutely exhausting. None-the-less, the Lord has us forerunning ministries that require the Body of Christ to work together in order to thrive......and we know its the love of God that compells us to keep at it even when there is no budge.

It's unfortunate that in the more we worked with church leadership (not all, but a lot) how ingrown our vision and aspirations have become. And though many churches prayerfully and financially support others on the mission field, its few that actually do the same for their fellow localized Body. For instance, we often see churches thriving in light of being "missions" minded, supporting people over-seas and aiding them in furlough, etc., but when it comes to working with other churches or leaders in their own region there's just not enough time, energy or emphasize on what that would even look like for most. And though we recognize we are the ekklesia, "the called out ones", we rarely have the availablity to go beyond what our "own" family of God is doing to aid in what God might be doing regionally. This has been very true for the prayer movement in the city of Rochester. If you don't know any of the history of the prayer movement in this city, you should know that for YEARS men and women of God have been trying to get sustainable 24 hour prayer and worship happening, with many houses of prayer falling and dying. It's been an unending task that has been on the heart of God, but its people continually burning out. It's because in order to have true regional reformation it will not come through one man, one church, or one stream.....it will come through the entirety of the Body of Christ working together, being in covenant-relationship with one another. This is the heart of God.

So how does this correlate with my point in the beginning? Here's my case, in which I hope the heart behind what I'm sharing is heard openly.....if we are the ekklesia, which isn't a building, a business or even a sunday service, but an "assembly" of believers loving God and loving each other radically....how would we change our approach on how we "do" church? Really. Would we even have seminars titled "how to have exceptional sunday services" or would we rename them something like "how to host the presence of God on a sunday morning"? I don't know. But something needs to shift in our minds. Something needs to shift in the way we think about church.

I am fortunate to go to a healthy-cultured church, so this is no means attacking churches. I am FOR the Church! God is just so ever-redining my places of worship and enlightening my own idea of what it really means to be the Church. Tell, what do you think? What are your thoughts?

Obviously what I'm writing is a generalization and every church has its own culture, values and traditions and the article is based upon experience and not what every church does. But its written with an open heart to challenge our thinking. Please receive with a willingness to grow together in the things God desires to show us all. Even as leaders, we should remain teachable.

religion stinks

You know, there's this one word out in the church and out in the world, but depending on what stream you're a part of, has different meanings. Good or bad, we hear the word and all pre-conceived notions or past experiences come flooding into our mind like a tsunami. Doesn't matter what its true definition is, or what it even means to the individual you're talking to, whatever definition you've given it in your mind....it's probably there to stay without much hope of changing. Why? Have you figured out what I'm even talking about?

Religion. Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. And truth is, the world and the church equally hate religion with a passion.

Ever had someone call you religious? I cringed inside one day as my boss asked me, "Crystal, you're a religious person. You should meet so and so, cause they're religious too. I bet you'd have alot to talk about." Oh great. You know what I'm thinking? Yippee, now I get to talk to someone who is as opinionated as I am! For some reason the rest of the world sees religious folk as a people group more than a person who lives out their values. It's less about living out what you preach, and more about always having the right answers, usually involving some sort of condescending way of talking to "non-religious" folk.

And there's the Church. I don't think I've ever heard anyone in the church call themselves religious. It's kind of interesting that, though the rest of the world would call us religious, we would never call ourselves that. because, we too, have a stigma with religion. Was it not the Pharisees, the religious folk, that we're rebuked by Jesus because of there religious vows and lack of love? Well, who wants to be that? Not I. I'm not religious. In fact, some of us we're hurt by religion. Know any Christian out there that refuses to even go to church because of one incident that happened that turned them off? or maybe someone said something offensive? or maybe they felt judged.....either way, why go to church with a bunch of religious folk when I ain't? Right?

Not quite. You see, both are wrong.

If the definition of religion is a "noun", meaning "organized religious belief" than shouldn't we correctly put religion back in its place? Should the believer, not only live out what they say, but also move in a spirit of love so that our relationship with Jesus (which is a verb, not a noun) not be seen as good or bad religion? I know it is inevitable that some will always see you as religious, no matter what you do. But should we not be Jesus here on earth today? You know that song, "give me that old time religion....give me that old time religion...." Is that what we really want as the church? Truth is, though some of us would not like to call ourselves religious....some of us ARE....and we're stuck. We're stuck in the old. We're stuck in a box. And though we'd never tell anyone we really fear man more than God, we adapt to how things worked in the past, using the same ways of worship, same ways of reaching people, same ways of praying, same ways of doing ministry. but I know some are dying inside. There's a BIG "IF" in their mind, wondering if there really is more to God than what they're experiencing.

So why do we like to institutionalize God? - Both the unchurched and the churched. Because we can then remain comfortable. For the unchurched, they can do what they want with no consequences. If I put God in a religious box than I can sub-compartmentalize Him. If He is not real in my head than He's not real at all. Thats why preaching religion to someone, who couldn't care less about it, just won't work. It means absolutely nothing to them. On the other hand, being in the church, we probably know how to institutionalize God better than anyone. Isn't this why most of our American churches have become so ingrown? It's about me, me, ME! What

can I get from church? But Jesus said come with your gift so that you can give give give. So, if we don't get what we want on Sunday morning, we stop going. Who wants to be a part of a fellowship that doesn't meet my needs? because isn't THAT what God is suppose to do?.....meet all my needs? Yep, we're a bunch a chicks sitting there pecking at the leaders, saying "feed me, feed me, FEED ME!"

You know what religion does to us all? Makes us stagnant babies in spirit, unwilling, and too stubborn to change our hearts about anything. You may think I'm just venting, and maybe I am. But with "increased understanding comes increased sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief" (Eccl 1:18) and I'm fed-up, just like Jesus when He over-turned the temple tables in His sorrow. Religion does nothing for no one.

......But Jesus, who IS love, does everything for everyone.

Being Made One with Jesus: Identity Crisis Part 1

This is more than “knowing who you are in Christ”. This is coming into the understanding of being married to Jesus.

(Ephesians 6:12) We do not fight against principalities or powers, but certainly satan needs flesh in order to operate. He needs a face. And “principals” are our ideas, our reasonings, things in our own understanding. So this verse is talking directly about how satan can use us, cheat us, lie to us, and cause us to even be used by him!

When are principals are not lined up (or married) with Jesus, than we are “sick” spiritually. It will be hard to grow and we will feel like we are always going around the same mountain.

Things that cause SICKNESS in the church:

Religious Spirit

Competitive Spirit

Pride

Fear (especially fear of man)

Lack of revelation “people perish for lack of vision (knowledge or revelation)...” Proverbs 29:18 - this is an understanding of the mysteries of God. ]

Symptoms of a Religious Spirit:

You worship 3 gods. You see Jesus external. (The God-head, the Trinity, seeing God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit as separate beings and not as One.)

Deut. 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD”.

What is your take on creationism? If God knew us while the foundations of the earth were being laid, what does that say about who we are?

The word “knew us” is the same way a husband and wife know each other. Its more than just knowing are names, its a oneness that was happening with us and God before the earth was even created.

What does that mean about the day creation happen? Could it have been that we were with God, in God, creating with Him?

Yet, after the fall, the plan of God still does not change. And though there is great adversity for this not to happen, he still desires that we would be One.

READ: John 17 - Jesus prayer is that we may be made One, just like Him and the Father are one. What does that mean?

Is God only the Big guy in the sky? Is he external to us? or does He live in us? What did that chapter mean for Jesus?

All of God, everything He is, all power, all wisdom, all authority, was in Jesus -ONENESS. And now He is praying that we would be the same. So the moment we acknowledge Jesus in us, we are saying all of God, everything He is, all power, all wisdom, all authority IS IN US!

Does Jesus really inhabit us? And do we believe it?

READ: 1 Cor. 5:17 - Being a “new creation” is way more than just giving up the old life you used to live. It literally means YOU ARE NO LONGER YOU! Now you are Jesus, living, breathing, walking Jesus.

This is why Paul say, “imitate me as I imitate Christ” He understood who Jesus was inside of Him.

You find you spectate in a gathering or during worship, struggling to enter in.

You sub-compartmentalize your relationship with God.

You see things in different categories:

i.e. devotions, worship time, prayer, work, play

The idea of ‘separation of church and state’ is a religious mindset. why?

The Greek word for church is Ekklesia, which means “the called out ones”. You see a church really is not a church at all, they are only assemblies or congregations, if they are not being living, breathing, Jesus.

READ - Matt. 23 - Jesus called the Pharisees a “brood of vipers” for speaking against the spirit. A religious spirit can be considered an anti-christ spirit. Its the one Jesus despised in the Pharisees. THIS IS VERY SERIOUS. A religious spirit will fight against the Holy Spirit, they can not work together. Which is why it is so crucial to deal with this spirit in all of us!

You find it awkward to pray out loud because you don’t think you have the right words or feel they are inadequate.

A religious spirit would have you compare your prayers to one another rather than depending on Jesus to help you learn to pray. The disciples said, “Jesus, teach us how to pray...”

Your standard is always Jesus, but a religious spirit would make your standard each other.

You feel guilty (condemnation) when you don’t spend time with God or when you fail.

Fear of failure.

Fear of man.

For if we are IN JESUS there is no condemnation (Romans 8). What does this say about CONDEMNATION?

When we condemn ourselves, we are actually outside of Jesus. For He can not bleed everyday for your sin. He did once, and it was sufficient. It brings cleansing for the rest of eternity.

Are we are own Savior that we should deny the power of Jesus’ blood by condemning ourselves?

Jesus was the 13th generation, we are the 14th generation. And our children and our children’s children are all the 14th generation. Why? Because Jesus doesn’t have grand-children or great grand-children. He only has sons of God. When he said “It is finished”, He knew His blood would be enough for all generations that would follow.

Unable to bring/share Truth in a spirit of Love.

It needs to become, for all of us, less about being right, and more about being Jesus.

READ: 1 Cor. 13

“...now abide faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is LOVE.”

Why is Love the greatest thing ever to exist? Or the greatest attribute we could have?

When ALL things comes into the knowledge of Him (and they will one day!) and the earth is destroyed and everything unknown becomes known, we will no longer need FAITH and HOPE, all we will have left is LOVE.......for God is LOVE.

Everything we have done up to this point is pointless if there is a lack of love. Love can sum of the purpose of heaven and the very thing God created us for.

You settle for comfortable living.

A religious spirit can keep us stuck for years if we are unwilling to become uncomfortable. You may be blessed, highly favored, incredibly comfortable with your family, home and material goods. But Jesus can really challenge us in this area. Being too comfortable can actually stop us from pressing in. It stops us from “counting the cost” and is easily provoked by uncomfortable circumstances. And rather than trusting God, it internalizes things and makes them about us, rather than about Jesus.

For example, maybe before buying something we ask, “Jesus, do you want me to have this?” Just because the money is available doesn’t mean Jesus wants us to use it. And sometimes He does:)

I’m not saying it is more spiritual to be in poverty, but I am saying God is faithful to perform His word in our life if we ask. For example, there are times when you will decide to do something, without asking God, but will ask God to bless it. Does God’s blessing mean he approves, or better yet, had planned that particular decision in your future?

READ: Eccles. 1:18

Paul said with increased understanding, there is increased sorrow.

Why?

Unforgiveness

READ: John 20:20-23

It is here that there is a correlation of the infilling of the Holy Spirit and forgiveness. What’s this say about unforgiveness?

It can rob us of hearing and being Jesus....