Don't Like Organized Religion? Try Christianity

People who are disenfranchised by organized religion should be flocking to Christianity. I hear people say this all the time; "It isn't that I don't believe in God, I just don't like organized religion." Well then we are the perfect community for you! Christianity, especially the Church is anything but organized religion. The church is not an organization, it is an organism. Always growing, changing and adapting.

    We are not an corporation, we are a community. The church is a community where life transformation and restoration takes place. It is a community we marriages are restored, wounds are healed, and lives rebuilt. It is a community where those who are held captive by destructive lifestyles are not only set free, but who also regain a sense of identity that grounds them. The church is a community where those struggling financially are empowered to no longer be a victim to debt, unemployment numbers, or a struggling economy. We are agents of life change.

    We do crazy things like leave the comforts of home and go to another country to help strangers. We share the Gospel in countries where admitting to being a follower of Christ can cost you your life. We speak out against slavery. We do weird things like draw a red x on our hands to let people know that slavery and human trafficking still happens in our world. We feed the hungry, clothe the poor. We drill wells in Africa and ship vaccines oversees. We build schools, hospitals, and orphanages.

    We do much more than worship together for an hour or two on Sundays. We spend time with each other in our homes. We hang out at Starbucks, we go out to eat. We go with one another to the gym. We embrace one another when our children are born or our friends do something crazy like get married, and we cling to one another when we loose a loved one or when life is spinning out of control. We laugh with each other when the times are good and cry with each other when times are bad. We create drama, stop talking when a spat arises, but we're always ready to drop everything and be there for one another at a moment's notice. We share life together. Were a family.

    Call Christianity whatever you want, but don't call it organized religion. Perhaps the reason we are not an organized religion is because our foundation is not an organization, system, or structure. Our foundation is a person; Jesus Christ. The most "alive" person that ever walked the earth. So alive in fact that He came back from death! His life is in us, and we are alive in Him. And that life permeates our entire community bringing about the dynamic transformation this world has come to marvel. So I say to all of you who do not like organized religion, why not try Christianity?

The Purpose of a Lighthouse: To Guide, and to Warn

It has been prophesied that The Assembly of Praise will be a lighthouse.  But what does that mean exactly? If God wants us to be a lighthouse, then it would be helpful to understand what a lighthouse does.

In the dark confusion of the night, a lighthouse guides the way to safety for ships by warning them to avoid the jagged rocks near the shore. Least the ships sink and all on board perish. If we are to be a lighthouse, then we must both guide and warn. Sure, a lighthouse has other purposes, but to guide and warn is it's most important and primary purpose.

We must guide people to safety and the solid ground of Christ while warning them of getting to close to the jagged rocks of sin, least they perish. As lighthouse keepers, this is our primary responsibility and we must not neglect it for other things.

They may seem important to us, and even great beneficial ministries, but we neglect our primary task by giving too much attention to them.

Consider the following story from the "Way of the Master Minute" devotional: A lighthouse keeper, being compassionate and giving, regularly gave free fuel to ships that miscalculated how much they needed. One night during a storm, lightning struck his lighthouse and put out his light.

He immediately turned on his generator, but it soon ran out of fuel because he had given his reserves to passing ships in need. During the dark night, with no light to warn them, a ship struck the jagged rocks and everyone on board perished.

At his trial, the judge knew the lighthouse keeper was a kind and compassionate man, and he wept as he gave the sentence. He accused him of neglecting his primary responsibility-to keep the light shining, to guide and to warn...

The Church can so often get caught up in legitimate acts of kindness-standing for political righteousness, other programs and ministries, etc., but our primary task is to keep the light of the Gospel shining so that sinners can avoid the jagged rocks of sin and see the way to safety. Go shine the light saints. Go guide and warn.

"You Did Not do for Me..."

As I scroll through my news feed and watch CNN, the images of a dead child washed up on a beach as his family fled Syria are burned into my head. I read about dozens of dead refugees being found on a train, hundreds dying at sea as they try to escape a war torn Middle East.

There are thousands lost, wandering, and stranded as they wait to enter Europe. Even in our own country, thousands of children are coming over the border escaping poverty, human trafficking, and the drug lords.

When I see the image of that child, and hear the stories of these people I can't help but think about my grandmother; Zenaida Teresita Castro, and my great grandmother Laudalina Castillo who braved the sea to come here from Cuba as refugees. I think of my aunt and uncle who came with them as children. They too fled cruelty, poverty, and tyranny for a better life.

I think of the first Christians who became refugees in Acts 8 as they were scattered abroad when persecution came to the church in Jerusalem. I think of the Israelites who became refugees when they fled Egypt in search of a better home, a home of freedom.

I think of Jesus, who when He was born became a refugee when His family had to flee to Egypt out of fear of Herod. These "illegals" crossing over our borders, these "Muslims" who are pouring into Europe have more in common with the first Christians, the Israelites, and our Lord Jesus Christ then we might care to admit.

And I have a lot in common with them. For I am the grandson of a someone just like them; a refugee....

What should be the Church's response? I believe God has a special place in His heart for these "illegals". His children were once refugees, so was His only begotten Son... Our response is clear. He tells us in Matthew 25:42-45,

For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

Thought for today:

Next time you look into the eyes of a refugee, you are looking into the eyes of Jesus. Treat them accordingly.

Waging War with a Feast

You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies....
                                                                     -Psalm 23:5

How often the Lord's Supper is observed varies from church to church. Some churches observe it every Sunday, others once a month, some once a quarter. What is important is that we do celebrate this memorial of our Lord's death and resurrection. We do this for many reasons, one of those being spiritual warfare.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 16:28 that the Gates of Hell will never prevail against His Church. The Bible also tells us that the Church is the Body of Christ. In 1st Corinthians 11:26, the Word of God declares,

For whenever you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

Here is how Holy Communion is spiritual warfare. First, when we come together to celebrate the memorial of the death of Jesus, we are united as one.

Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of one loaf.
                                                                                -1st Corinthians 1:17
There are very few things more dangerous to the power of Satan than a united Church. When we who are in Christ become united as one, we become an unstoppable force that has the potential to do unmeasurable damage to the Kingdom of Darkness.

Secondly, as the Word says, when we observe Holy Communion, we proclaim the Lord's death. Every time Christians gather together at the Lord's Table, we remind all of Hell, that it's gates will never prevail against the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We remember the victory of Heaven, and the defeat of Hell.

In other words, we eat our "victory feast" right there on the battle field rubbing it in the enemies face. Psalm 23:5 says

You prepare a table in the presence of my enemies....

Holy Communion is that table. It is God not only giving you the victory, it is Him making Satan watch as He does it. So as you come together to observe Holy Communion, remember that you are waging war with a victory feast.

Thought for Today:

Not only is God going to give you the victory, He is going to make Satan watch.

Assembly of Praise! I Release You!

Yesterday morning, was a powerful time in God's presence at The Assembly of Praise. As I think over all that God did during our Sunday morning service, I recall how this awesome move of the Spirit started when I released the people to "abandon the pew" and come to the front to praise and worship God as they felt led.

I felt as though some of us felt like we needed to be "released" to do that; released to come to the altar. Forgive me for using a worldly analogy. But it's kind of like a middle school dance... Everyone stands around awkwardly because no one quite knows "the rules" or if they are "released" to swarm the dance floor and get their groove on. Then that one person steps out and next thing you know the dance floor is flooded and everyone has a great time and no one wants to leave.

Corny analogy I know, sorry. But that's kind of what it felt like yesterday.

We just needed to be released to leave the pew, stand at the front, kneel at the front, dance at the front, march around the sanctuary, etc. And as soon as we were "released" to do that, what happened...? The Spirit broke out in a mighty way. Praise God! God wants us to do the same thing this Sunday.

So, Assembly of Praise, I release you! Not only do I release you to leave your pew and worship or just praise God right where you are at during the music, I release you even before service! Read that last sentence again! Why wait until the Praise and Worship team takes the platform? Have you ever got to church and thought, "I can't wait until church starts so I can just worship and spend time in His presence!"?

You can! Feel free, feel released to approach the front, to come to the altar to pray and worship before the music starts, before the welcome video starts playing, even before the Praise and Worship team starts praying. You are released to step into His presence and begin worshiping as soon as you walk through the door! Don't wait for me, don't wait for us. Just enter in! Don't let the worship team lead you into worship this Sunday, let us join you as you already are in His presence

The Scars Remain for a Reason

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!   -John 21:27

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the event that changed history forever. The Son of God not only bore the full brunt of God's wrath for our sin, He also triumphed over death thus giving forgiveness and new life to all who believe. The interesting thing about the resurrection is that all though Jesus was fully resurrected with a healthy body, He still retained the scars from His crucifixion.

Why is that? I mean, if God was going to bring Jesus back to life, why not make His body completely whole? Why leave holes in His hands and feet, and a gash in His side? Jesus kept the scars of His crucifixion so He could show the world that He truly had come back from the dead. He wanted the world to know that He was not ghost or a resurrected Spirit of some kind. He didn't want people to think that He had turned into an angelic being of some sort.

He wanted people to know that He had faced trials, hardship, and even death, but came back victorious with the battle scars to prove it. As Christians, we claim that we have been born again. That we have been raised with Christ as a new creature. Even after Christ makes into a new creature, He sometimes allows the scars of what He brought us through remain. The world wants to see the proof of our resurrection just like Thomas did. They say to us, "You claim you have been through something and have come back victorious, let me see your scars."

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
You may have scars from your past. Don't be ashamed of them, for they are evidence that you TRULY have come back from the dead.

Full of Grace and Truth

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  -John 1:14

People say that Jesus was all loving and never condemned anyone.

Jesus did indeed condemn some people for their sin. In Matthew 23 He called the religious leaders "hypocrites". He told them that they were "blind fools," children of hell, full of hypocrisy and sin. He rebuked them by saying, "You serpents, you generation of vipers, how shall you escape the damnation of hell?" (v. 33). He then warned that He would say to sinners, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41). He showed just how sinful sin truly is. He said, "Don't think that just because you have been faithful to your spouse that you haven't committed adultery, looking with lust is adultery too."

Jesus was also full of Grace. Take for example the woman guilty of adultery. Not only was she guilty, she was caught in the act! The Bible however, tells us nothing about this woman's heart concerning her sin. We do not even know if she was sorry for what she did. For all we know, she could have been thinking to herself, "This is ridiculous! I'm no more guilty than these religious phonies. This is a joke." Yet, Jesus didn't even bother to make sure she was truly repentant. He simply said, "So, who has condemned you? No one? Then neither do I. You are free to go, and don't do that again." Just like that, she was free to go, pardoned, and with no questions asked. At that moment, our Lord was full of Grace.

Jesus was not a hell fire preacher half of time, then a feel good preacher the other half. John tells us that He was full of Grace and Truth 100% of time. How do we walk the balance between making sure we are living right before the Lord, and resting in the fact that God approves of us just as we are solely based on the sacrifice of Jesus whether we are living right or not? We don't. We look to the cross. In the cross we see the fullness of truth; the truth that we are exceedingly sinful without hope. In the cross we see the fullness of grace; the grace that has made us perfectly righteous in God's eyes without flaw or fault.

Truth without grace would be legalism, and grace without truth would be chaos. We must have the fullness of both in our lives. That is your hope for today. Now go restore hope to others.