MORE! Together!

So this morning I'm struggling with longing.  You know that feeling in your heart for something more.  We as humans seem to always have this desire for more. It is part of our DNA some how.

Lately for me it has been a longing for revival in my church. I grew up in a more conservative church. There isn't as much stigma now, but when I was growing up there were several rules focused on outward things that had no real bearing on salvation, but were treated almost as such.  I could tell many a story of people being shunned or treated badly because of things that were totally not related to salvation and some of those things completely out of the person's control.

Now things are not as strict as they used to be but, this culture of legalism still exists to a level and brings a environment of church culture that is difficult sometimes to explain to a non-believer.  I know all churches have their own culture to an extent.  Some of you may have the exact same thing in your church.  I see how easy it is for us a humans to add our own twists on the Bible doctrine and end up with a ridged mangled view of what God really intended.

The reason I long for revival, is because I long for the Holy Spirit to drive the church not human rules.  I long to have an environment of God so present in every service that I know that whoever I invited would get a serving of God's love straight up, instead of an agenda.

For a few years I stepped out of my church and sought out other things.  For me my church had become a dead routine, with focus more on culture and rules and mediocrity.   I felt there was no life, just pretending.  Now I know that is not completely true.  There are always some that just do things to feel better about themselves going through the motions, but there are always people as well that are seeking with true hearts.  Everywhere, this exists.  There is no place where Christian church is perfect.  But for me I had hit a wall.

I eventually began going to a non-denominational church.  It had  written over the door "Helping people take their next step toward Christ... Together".  This is their church mission.  Their whole service was focused on people that are seeking God, Not members.  Members had a more in depth service during the week.  The whole weekend was the members of church reaching their community. Dedicated to sharing Jesus in a relevant way to the people around them.  They would have baptisms of hundreds  a certain time of year.  The environment was alive!  Now they had their issues like every church, but their focus was different.

So I long for revival, I long for a shift of focus, I long for a re-arrange of our narrow thinking as humans, to God's thinking.   We focus on feeding ourselves a lot sometimes as Christians, but miss the ones around us spiritually starving daily, longing for something more in their lives.  As Christians we know the answer is Christ! How can we help them take their next step toward Christ.... Together!?

Every church no matter the denomination has the potential to do this. Isn't this what Jesus commissioned all Christians for? Yes we all have different talents and gifts but together as a body our one and only mission is to do this very thing, Help Others Find Christ!

So I want more.  Yes More.... More Of Christ! in me and my church. I put my hope in God and His word to show me what I can do to help.

• Psams 119:81 : "My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word" NIV

What do you long for?  Whatever it is, Christ and His love is the only one that can fill that void.   As Christians, How can we long for God so much we long for others to know Him too?  How can we help people take their next step toward Christ?  That is our Mission if we choose to accept it!  What a beautiful one it is!  One that every Christian all over the world can stand behind.  Together!