A Hospital, Not A Country Club

“The church is not a country club for saints but a hospital for sinners”

-          Can’t find source

When I read this quote, it cuts my heart.  It challenges my attitude towards church and the way I treat myself and others.  Without thinking about it, I can go to church, take part in the rituals, have a few conversations in mind that I need to have in fellowship…but no heart for the hurting. 

When I see church as a country club, I close myself off from genuine conversations.  I’ll make the small talk, put on a smile, and leave lonely because I shared my heart with no one.

When I see church as a country club, I can play the social game where I have the easy conversations, and ignore situations that seem messy, challenging, or uncomfortable.

When I see church as a country club, I don’t extend myself to welcome, to listen, or to show compassion.  It’s easy for me just to focus on my situation, wishing for the compassion of others, yet failing to see how much compassion those around me need. 

But that’s not what the church is.  We learned that we are part of one body.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

1 Cor 12:27

We each have a part in this body.  We are each crucially important to each other.  I need you.  You need me.  We each have talents, gifts, and insights that help each other grow closer to God.  I have nothing to gain by putting on a smile, but failing to share my heart.  God has put us in each others’ lives for a reason:  

...to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Eph 4:12-13

• What are some of the gifts that God has given you?

• How can you use these amazing gifts to help your brothers and sisters draw nearer to God?

• How can you contribute to making the church more of hospital for sinners than a country club for saints?

Kimberly Bonner

Geneva, Switzerland

 

Throne Of Grace

I was reading Hebrews yesterday, and the Word says:

Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may recieve mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Heb 4:16

The THRONE OF GRACE - the throne where our king Jesus sits and reigns.
The throne that will not refuse anyone who approaches it.
Before this throne is there miracles take place and personal lives are changed.
Before this throne of grace is where intimacy with God is experienced; my walls of fear and doubt collapse; the grace clothes me in something new over and over again; the provider claims Lifetime Guarantee and you don't want anything else, no lame copies of the real thing.
Before this throne is where I want to laugh and cry, forever.

It is so encouraging to read God's invitation to intimacy with Him with confidence.
With confidence means without a shadow of a doubt, no matter what I need to unload there in front of the throne of grace, because that is exactly what He wishes: To trust Him when He says:
"Come, find rest in me. Come for help in your time of need. Come, I am completely yours. Open your heart, relax, be free; this place is your perfect protection. Only this close to me can you experience all that I AM. Come, approach my throne of grace with confidence."

Yes, ...and then in the middle of every next experience of intimacy with God it becomes clearer and clearer that this is the only thing that really matters. There is where I realize that all other things present in my life, are irrelevant. God is enough to take me thtrough my days.


Iva Pilaš
Zagreb, Croatia

• Who are you before the Throne of Grace?
• What does this intimacy give you?

What Wonders Await?

Many times we forget how precious we are to our LORD - that He revealed himself to us, wants to use us and be with us forevermore. 

Moses said to the LORD “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”

The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”

Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.”   Ex 4:10-17

Even after so many miracles which God has performed for us in our lives, don't we get like Moses and keep saying 'oh but I have never done that or this and I have never been this or that'? Think of your: “I have never…..” that you keep repeating to God and at the same time build your trust and confidence in God that says in response 'Is it not I the LORD that...........'

Over and over again, no matter what my fears and tribulations and excuses I might have, God says 'I will help you', and he will help you to go and do beyond your thoughts and feelings. 

It amazes me what an amazing God and Father we have that even when we doubt like Moses did, He still finds a way to fulfill what he envisions for his people, like he did in this case by using Aaron. He said to Moses 'Now go...' but He also said 'Take the staff in your hand.' 

The staff was something all shepherds should have and it was a sign that God appointed Moses to perform miracles. Our shepherd is Jesus we need to take Jesus with us and remember that God appointed him as our Savior and that he was raised for us. We don't need to go alone; we have his staff with us to help us succeed against challenges and sin, and to witness miracles.

Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? ²³ Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”  

Ex 5:22-23

6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”

² God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord. ³ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself fully known to them. ⁴ I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. ⁵ Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.

⁶ “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. ⁷ I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.⁸ And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”  Ex 6:1-6

What a powerful passage. When I read passages like this I am in awe.

I constantly need to remember and give the proper honor and praise when God says: I am the LORD... There is such power and authority when He says that. 

• Have you asked 'why' lately and 'for what'?  
• Are you acting as if it was God's fault  that troubles are coming upon you, or as if the LORD has forgotten about you?  
• In this passage we find a lot of I, I will, I am; so it is our choice to choose God's I will and I am or our own 'I am' and 'I will'. 
• He has made himself fully known to us, and we know now of the power that he is able to use in our lives, so be comforted and have confidence in our Lord. 
• What wonders await for us, my sisters?

Kela Karaj
Tirana, Albania 

Is Jesus Lord...

... of our speech?

“Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh”. Romans 13:14

 

Parts of this lesson are borrowed from a sister whom I truly respect. I thought that when I became a Christian that I put my careless speech to death but I realize that sometimes I am allowing its resurrection and often without realizing it.

One thing that I believe is truth is this: If Jesus is Lord of my life, then I am his slave and I no longer live to gratify myself but to please God. If I choose to be a good and faithful servant then He rewards me with eternal life and also a peace that passes understanding during my life.

But how can I be this kind of servant? I believe that I am being transformed into the likeness of Christ but only if I allow myself to. Transformations are often times difficult and lengthy, but day by day I can be different.

³³ “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. ³⁴ You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. ³⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. ³⁶ But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. ³⁷ For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matt 12:33-37

Jesus says here that we will be judged for every careless word. I believe that God forgives me my sin because I am a Christian - but is my speech reflecting that I am a follower of Jesus? I still have to live a life that shows accountability because as this scripture says that the mouth speaks what is in the heart.

What does my speech say about my heart? Do I have disciplined speech?

¹⁷ Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life,
    but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

¹⁸ Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips
    and spreads slander is a fool.

¹⁹ Sin is not ended by multiplying words,
    but the prudent hold their tongues.

²⁰ The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,
    but the heart of the wicked is of little value.  

Prov 20:18-20

There is so much in this passage from the wisest man that has ever lived. So much that talks about how we choose to speak and therefore what is in our hearts.

From this passage I get that I must exercise self-control when it comes to my speech. Do I talk too much and therefore say things that I shouldn’t? Do I think that I have all the right answers about everything when it comes to someone else’s sin or do I pray and look to the Word for answers? Am I gossiping about and slandering others?

You know the Greek word for slanderer is “Diavolos” which means from the Devil. Am I using my speech in a way that Satan wants me to or in the way God wants me to? 

“If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God…”  

1 Peter 4:11a

Finally, a passage that is familiar to most of us. However, am I taking it to heart? Can I say that all my speech is useful to others? Is it uplifting or am I cursing and complaining all the time?

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Ephesians 4:29

I am tempted to say that God gives me freedom and I can say what I want to say. But is that really the truth? I think I am free to choose in which way I want to live but my choices all have consequences. Am I prepared to live with those?

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men^[a] 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.  

1 Corinthians 6:9-11


Melanie Reid, Düsseldorf