Exchanging the love of power for the power of love!
Religion is based on programmed meetings about God. Christianity is based on authentic experiences with the risen Jesus.
The kingdom of God is about letting the living God be the leader, instead of human leadership. God’s order isn’t about human hierarchy and the love of power. Instead, we minister to one another and submit to one another as equals led by the Holy Spirit. How amazing it is to go beyond religious ideas and to begin to daily experience God’s mystery and His love in and through one another!
Jesus lives in each of His followers, He doesn’t need to delegate leadership and positions of power to others, but He can personally lead each one. The body of Christ doesn’t function based on human authority and positional power, but on humility and spiritual life. The body of Christ functions by Christ living in and through each member, not by human organization.
The resurrected Jesus is the only Head of His body. No one should interfere with His authority. All are equal at the foot of the Cross. So why do we set up one person above everybody else in church? Jesus personally instructed that no one is to dominate (lord it over) others in the body of Christ. (See Mark 10:42.)
Jesus came to set us free from religious control. Instead of freedom in Christ, we’ve tended to focus on buildings and programs and human authority. However, when we depend on religion, we experience what religion can do. When we rely on the risen Jesus, we experience what He can do!
Because Christ is alive and directly accessible to all, there is no need for religious hierarchy and power politics in the body of Christ. Titles put attention on men, but the risen Jesus calls us to focus our attention on Him.
I long to see church become an interactive, discipling community, not just a passive teaching center dominated by one man. We need to exchange the love of power for the power of love!
Christianity is about Emmanuel (God with us). Ekklesia lets us experience Emmanuel, directly leading us as we gather in His name. The coming of Christ is a beautiful thing to celebrate; but until He consciously comes and lives in you, it is only a casual concept
Be an animated being, not self-propelled and awed by positional power, but animated by the risen Jesus and His love living within you. Behavior modification follows heart transformation. However, the reverse is not always true. To fill your mind, but neglect to train your heart to love and do good, leaves you at the mercy of your desires. “Thoughtless choices” is an oxymoron. What’s thoughtless is not a choice at all; rather it is surrender to habit or to a whim.
Creation put a plethora of visual “Hallelujahs!” on display across the universe.
Look up at night and behold! For me, looking at the night sky is like listening to the “Hallelujah Chorus” — King of Kings & Lord of Lords forever & ever!
