My church?

Yesterday, while tailing behind a car, I read this message from its car sticker: "Wrinkled with burdens? Come to church for a face lift." Catchy phrase but wrong theology.

That phrase "Come to church" caught a hold of my attention. Reminds me of the story of the Good Samaritan. Imagine walking by and there you see a man who's been injured and you say, "Want some help man? There's a church in town. I am sure they will be able to assist you. Those guys there are cool. It's a great church. Bless you." And then you walk on, leaving him behind just like the priest and the Levite did earlier. At the end of the parable, Jesus asked, "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" (Luke 10:36).

A lot of us Christians are like that. We think of church as something external, some place, while in the mind and intent of God we are indeed the living stones that forms the church of Jesus Christ! We are the church! Paul said "Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit in which the Spirit of God abides?" And the church that Jesus came to build is not about a physical place of worship like in the days of the Old Testament. Neither is it about a gathering of Christians on a particular day for a particular service. Church is .... "When 2 or 3 are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." In other words, church is not "some place out there" but rather church is you and it's me and especially so when we gather together. We cannot separate church from us because we are the church! And the wonderful news is ... WHEREVER WE ARE, CHURCH IS! Be it a Monday or a Tuesday, or any other day, be it in my house, at my office or wherever, I am church! That's why the phrase "Pray for one another" is such a powerful statement! People don't have to wait until Sundays for help. Neither do they have to go to a church to find God. Right where and when you are, pray for one another. If WE would just play our part in this overall BODY of Christ called the CHURCH", daily ... and I mean DAILY ... people can be helped and added into the church!

Last Monday, someone "played church". And someone was added into the church without an evangelistic service. It happened in a house. And in the parable of the Good Samaritan, and in response to the question Jesus asked, "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The answer of course is the one that "played church".

Next time someone comes to your for help, don't invite him/her to church. Pray for and pray with that person. Be the church of Jesus Christ that you are.

Hello neighbor!