17His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.”
Let's talk about that compared to the modern church.
I'll give you my take on what I feel needs to happen. The church of today is not the church Jesus had plans for. The church is the followers of Christ, in full faith of who He is, what He did and what He does through us daily. We cannot say on Sunday morning, I'm going to church because it would be like me saying I'm going to be me today. As you are you everyday, as a believer, you are also the church everyday. You don't do church, you are the church. If we are the church then, the buildings we visit for worship are just buildings. They aren't even holy, consecrated or set aside for God because He isn't interested in things made by our hands. What He is interested in, is our heart. By faith, that's where He resides. Not a place or location but in every believer that has the faith.
So what is the dilemma? Corruption, consumerism, worship of money, worship of status, self, pride and more, which festers and grows inside the walls of those buildings we call the modern church. Can we admit, without reservation that a building consumes resources that could be used to further the kingdom. Does it not require money to upkeep and maintain? Does it not promote ranks and hierarchy within? Does it not pay persons to stand between you and God to deliver their version of truth, which creates chaos and false teachings and blasphemous actions within.
The great lie that has been taught, is that we need to be taught, inspired and shepherded by a preacher or leader. Our great shepherd is Jesus alone. We lack nothing if we believe we have all through Him. All knowledge, all understanding, all revelation and all things pertaining to His kingdom are at our disposal, we just need to ask and it shall be given.
However, the church has been dragged into the pre-Christ era of law and rules and hierarchical ideas. The leaders of the Temple in Israel killed the Man who brought forth truth and forgiveness in a manner that bypassed them. Yet, today we have set the same system forth. Condemnation, judgement, and lowering of our value, to the point where we beg for leaders to show us the way. We've become so addicted to someone standing in the gap between us and God that we refuse to enter the King's court for fear of failure.
We read, we have all righteousness given to us through Jesus, washed clean, spotless and whole. So why do we proclaim our lives as anything else other than clean? Why do we feel dirty and unworthy? Isn't that contradictory? Of course, it's taught in all the churches that you're still a sinner in need of constant forgiveness. That's how the teachers of the law condemned the masses and it's still going on today. Through condemnation, control can be implemented. Through unworthiness, one can be dragged through the system that gives you a promise of weekly relief.
Before Christ, animals were sacrificed for the sins of the people. They took the animals to the priests for sacrifice, to atone for their sins. Today, the same system is at work. Come to church to worship, to cleanse yourself of your sins this week. It may not be advertised as such but it is inflected in sermons and teachings.
Come to the altar to confess, bring your tithe, serve. A guilt hovers around the non-participants in silent judgements and well placed sermons on the subjects.
We must shake off the guilt, for Christ has already paid for it to be removed, once and done. If we can grasp that concept of complete forgiveness, cleanliness, wholeness and Godliness, then we can free ourselves from a system that has trapped us into believing us as wrong.
A system of guilt and shame is poured over the church. It's time we release ourselves into the truth of what Jesus did for us. Stop relying on someone else's message to get you through the week. Drop your guilt and shame and know you are a Son of God.
Believer in faith, go out and be Christ. Don't hold back. Be the change we need to transform this world into the kingdom of God. Believe you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Believe you guiltless, clean, white as snow. Believe you and the Father are one through Christ. Believe in the truth and look to the old no longer.
Let's change the church from being attendance driven to being the hands and feet of Christ. Let His love reign, advance through us and take over the world. Tear down the walls of institutions and traditions and let Christ break forth into the world through you.
To God be the Glory!
