Why Oh Why?

For almost two years now I am on a journey on rediscovering church. When I look at church the way it is today, somehow it doesn't add up. Something is amiss. We are just not the church that Jesus intended for us to be.

Church is supposed to be a movement, not an institution. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood entrusted with a mission. We have been designed for the mission (Matt. 28:18-20) yet we are doing the opposite. Instead of nurturing others, we want to be nurtured hence we look for better churches, better facilities to fill that want. Instead of reaching out, we seek to want to be "collected", to belong, and so we shop around for a better brand of church where we feel we can belong. Instead of reaching out to the lost, we are gathering saints into our churches. Oh how far have we strayed from our Master's original intent!!!

When you were born again, you had a personal encounter with Jesus. Someone may have told you about Jesus but the experience of being born again was a direct connection between you and Jesus! Oh the joy that floods your soul. You were fired up for Jesus. You read His Word like your life depended on it. You shared the good news. You attended church services with joy and great expectations. Today, is the fire still burning? Or are you singing to a different tune? I see Christians changing church like their spiritual health depended upon it. This is but a delusion. Our growth, like our experience of being born again, is directly linked to Jesus. There is no middle man. Here's the truth ... I can preach a thousand sermons, we can all sing a thousand hymns, and together we can attend a thousand church services, but apart from the Lord it will do no good. It’s not outer change we need, but deep, inner transformation by the Holy Spirit.

Why oh why do we feel we need to change church to maintain our spiritual vitality? Why oh why are we always putting our self before God? Can we too not pray, "Lord, not my will but yours be done?". And can we not just the Name of God to justtify our self indulgences?