Zondervan hosted a free webinar through their newly launched community called, The City. The title of the webinar was “The Gift of Church.” Through the webinar, I found myself coming back to 2 central things that just resonated within me: (1) Do we (as the Church) remember that the Church was/is a gift of God’s grace; and (2) Do we truly see it as a gift from God to us? Let me elaborate for just a bit…
Lately, I have been doing a lot of sifting. You see, I receive a tremendous amount of material from various parachurch organizations, outlets, companies, and advertising outfits. When you add up newletters, flyers, brochures, catalogs, ezines, blogs, book review requests, magazines, and commentaries – I can honestly say that I receive much more than I care to. So here in the past few weeks, I have been sifting it and have actually requested to be “removed” from much. And my reasoning is this: If the materials, themes, concepts, and purposes do not edify God’s Church, His people, His Kingdom – it isn’t worth any time or consideration.
I know that there are many deceivers. I know that there are Churches that have hurt people beyond belief. I know that corruption has entered into the Church and has negatively affected the people, the leaders, or some combination of both. I believe men and women have been ordained without God’s approval but by man’s authority. Yet, this is no way should impair or impude the fact that God has gifted His true Church and He promises to build it so that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. It has been said that apart from God’s own presence and will, that the greatest asset of the church is its people. It is also said that the greatest weakness is its people. Perplexing – isn’t it?
I still believe, and hope, and have faith in God’s vision for His Church! The Church is God’s own people, ministering in His Name, working out His purposes for the world – today. Don’t get caught up in the hipster titles…disregard the pop movements that continually come down the pipeline…begin to weed out those who try and marginalize the Church’s role in the 21st Century. Think of this: Can you imagine this world if we didn’t have God’s gift of the Church for the past 1,960+ years? What kind of a world would we be living in right now?
Thanksgiving is 7 days from today (1 week). Over these next 7 days, be purposeful in trying to find 1 thing, each day, to be grateful to God for. Why not start today in thanking God, for the rest of the day, for His Church. It is a gift from God!
-Pastor Porter
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