WHOA NELLIE!

SINCE I AM A MEMBER OF THE "CHARASMATIC MOVEMENT", I think I can speak to this. One thing I have noticed lacking in so MANY of our churches is LOVE. 1 Cor 13:1-2: If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have LOVE, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have LOVE, I am nothing.

I may stir up a hornet's nest on this one....but I am going for it anyway. This has long been something I have noticed in our non-denom, Charasmatic, Spirit-filled, whatever you want to call it, churches. I noticed the first time I visited one when my children were but a few months old. Right over the entrance to the sanctuary: NO DOUBT ALLOWED IN HERE. While I realize there is a scriptural principle here....this is what I noticed: You were not allowed to be imperfect and admit you were struggling. You had to name and claim it and if you did or didn't and "it" didn't work....you were marked as not having enough faith. What a load to put on someone. BTW: "It never works....God works."

It only takes the faith of a mustard seed (that's pretty small), AND, by the way.....GOD DOESN'T ALWAYS ANSWER YES! He always answers....but He is not obligated to answer yes. Now, I am sure many of you are saying that you go to a non-denom church and it's very different that I describe. Praise God for that. Then this message is not to you or for you.

This may come as a surprise to some people, but I believe that God is Lord. Do you know what Lord means? It means He is the boss. It means...I AM NOT. I certainly wouldn't want to serve a God who is not more powerful than me. O.K......so now I'm leaving myself open for the "but we have the same power as Jesus and can command all things" crew to rise up. Let me ask you, "How's that really working for you?" Tell the truth now.......I KNOW how that's working for you because I've tried and learned the real truth. He is God and I am not! I really like this position.

O.K....I'll save the real meat on all that for another time. What I have noticed consistently, is there is a lack of servanthood among the brethren. The Word tells us we are to lay our lives down for one another. The Word tells us to cover one another's sins; to love our brother as we love ourselves; to serve one another; to be hospitable; that love is full of action and deeds.

When I was a member of the Baptist church (I can speak to this because it's my background) I saw people taking care of one another. If someone was sick, everyone was at the hospital with the family, including......if you can imagine!!!!! THE PASTOR! If there was a death, new baby, sickness, just a bad day.....people would rally around and bring you dinner!

Now, I'm not patting my back, just speaking because it's the truth......my family are usually the servants in the church. We are our visiting, cleaning, cooking, praying, etc. I think people think we are weird. We actually ENJOY doing these things. They are NORMAL to us.....and they should be normal to all Christians.

Here's one way to check your love level: when you have a dinner at church, are you really giving your best? I AM NOT TRYING TO PUT A GUILT TRIP ON ANYONE or say you should be like me in any way. I am saying.....BE LIKE JESUS! Give of your best to the Master. LOVE GIVES. What are you giving?