Christ Centered or Church Centered ... Why Does It Matter? By John Fields

It's all a matter of how and what keeps us standing once we get off the ground. Before she was married to Christ, the Bride, also known as the Church, was equivalent to Gomer in the book of Hosea. He was a devout prophet of God and she was a prostitute. What did she bring to the marriage? To say she brought scandal and disrepute would be understated.

 

The good from the marriage was one sided. He helped her at his own expense, yet, he loved her. Though she cheated on him and continued her harlotry he continued to take her back as long as she repented. But her continuous adultery proved she did not love him like he loved her.

 

Now to us ... we're in our marriage because Jesus lowered Himself and loved us enough to endure us. While we were still in our sorry state, He died to save us, if we'd only accept the gift of His sacrifice. Many of us did ... THANK GOD!

 

But we're being transformed and are to be growing, seeking to bring more love and honor to the Groom. We're Eliza Doolittle before the Professor's lessons ... worse ... but Jesus still loves us anyway! From our perspective the musical on our end would be called, "My Pitiful Lady." But ... again ... THANK GOD ... that isn't what He sees through His loving eyes!

 

Don't speak to me of converting people to the Church! When THIS Peahen preens it is a bird without feathers of its own. The beauty and splendor that is the Church is ONLY via the grace supplied by our loving and overwhelmingly good God.

 

God is good but the Church is not ... other than being treated better than she deserves as she grows and matures over, literally, a lifetime. Nevertheless, she is the apple of His eye!

 

So, when you reach out to others don't do so saying, "Our Church is better, closer to the truth, better at doctrine," even were it proved true ... SO WHAT? When was "close" ever the measuring stick for salvation other than in the imaginations of the spiritually proud or immature?

 

It starts with Christ, continues with Christ and ends with Christ. So, if you're ever looking in the mirror, you better focus on the wonderful nature of the One standing just behind ... JESUS! ADMIRE HIM!

There But For the Lord ... Go I!

As Paul seeks to compare the law that governs both Jews and Gentiles he pointed out that, "None are righteous ... NOT EVEN ONE!" We forget this valuable lesson to our detriment. How evil and vile is even the least sinner before God's righteousness?

 

Utterly ....

 

"What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written,

 

'There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one. Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving, The poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; Their feet are swift to shed blood, Destruction and misery are in their paths, And the path of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.'

 

“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin." Romans 3:9-20

The next time you want to barter before God with your supposed works and goodness realize something, seeking to be justified by law means UTTER guilt because of how utterly righteous the One is we stand before. One breaking of law, just one sin, makes us as guilty as being the person spoken of above!

 

"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." James 2:10

 

God saves us START to FINISH. All we touch and handle turns to death and dust. Even when we seek to handle what is sacred, like the law of love ... we mess that up as well. Only Jesus, Only Jesus, ONLY JESUS!

 

Remember the old hymn and live by it. "Just as I am without ONE plea ... but that THY blood was shed for me!"

                                                  … John Fields 

Nobody Likes Uncertainty

Have you ever endured a hospital waiting room while expecting weighty and potentially life-changing information? Those minutes dragging on can seem like an eternity. I’ve been in rooms where good news caused cries of thanks to God and celebration, but also in those in which all fell down to their knees and prayed as they wept. But those moments of doubt and insecurity leading up to the conclusion are some of the tensest and unsettling in life.

 

There is plenty in this life that is in flux. What will we do about our health? How will a job situation resolve itself? How will you take care of your loved ones properly? How do I know that I’m safe with God?

For many, that last one is a huge issue. But it needn’t be. Have you seen all the scriptures that point to the confidence we should have in Christ?

 

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” Romans 8:1-2

“Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” Romans 14:4

“But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:4-7

“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:13

Are you in Christ? Then there is NO CONDEMNATION! You have been set free! God makes you stand by HIS strength. It is the mercy of God keeping us safe. That was what saved us at the beginning and what keeps us going. Why is it called Good News if we are not able to live courageously and without doubt? We are told that we can KNOW that we have eternal life. Do you?

 

Focus on the things that are weightiest. Focus on those things that are the most solid. When we dwell on these things, we will have the strength to make it through life’s traumas, difficulties and uncertainties.

                                                   

… John Fields 

Perfect Love is Our Standard

Our standard as God’s children is to be higher than the world’s.

I’m looking forward to meeting my little granddaughter for the first time next month. I think she will be the most beautiful grand-daughter in the history of grand-daughters (no offense). It will be easy to love her. We have a host of goodies ready to swarm her and her parents with. You know how Sheriff Brody said they were going to need a bigger boat when he finally saw the shark in “Jaws?” Well … they’re going to need a bigger house! It is easy to do nice things for people you love and who love you in return.

But we are to be our FATHER’S children. He gives rain and crops even to the Hitler and Saddam types. His will is that He wants to redeem even the worst of the worst for something far better than the choices that turned them into the evil people they eventually became. He has a time set for justice for them and us all. But until that day comes He still awaits them in love, hoping that they will be reached before it is too late for them.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48

God is perfect in love and requires us to set THIS standard as the love standard. If you think you are not able to do this well enough … you are right! That is why we clear out space and let a new occupant move in and live within us. His Name is the Holy Spirit and He knows how to unlock supernatural love within us. Make room for Him and, humanly speaking, you will obey God in impossible ways. But NOTHING will be impossible for Him!

                                                                             … John Fields

A Good Example - Becoming Who We Preach

In the past I have written of the importance of not doing what we do to be personally glorified in being seen by men. But I also demonstrated that this is not the same as others seeing our walk and being helped to have a better example to follow so they can better comprehend what Christians do.

In order to see genuine Christianity in action they must see genuine Christians. What I mean by that is that any number of people can ACT like a Christian without being one. The old joke comes to mind here about a crazy man who dresses up in feathers, wears a beak and goes about clucking around the chicken coop. However similar he may or may not be to the chickens he IS NOT a chicken.

To be a Christian is not just about actions but about transformation. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:10 we are to be, “always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” When people see us acting like Jesus it needs to be because we are BECOMING like Him.

When we BECOME Christians it is because we have been clothed with Christ and are living out the realty of the words of an old but beloved hymn. We see in this song the progression from self to Jesus.

Oh, the bitter pain and sorrow that a time could ever be, when I proudly said to Jesus, “All of self, and none of Thee.”

Yet He found me; I beheld Him bleeding on th’ accursed tree, and my wistful heart said faintly, “Some of self, and some of Thee.”

Day by day His tender mercy, healing, helping, full and free, brought me lower while I whispered, “Less of self, and more of Thee.”

Higher than the highest heaven, deeper than the deepest sea, Lord, Thy love at last has conquered: “None of self, and all of Thee.”

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

We cannot BE Christians unless Christ is living in us. Don’t merely act, BECOME!
                                                                        … John Fields