| | how do you explain to someone else that apple pie is so much better than pie made of mud? this individual has never seen or tasted apple pie before, but loves mud pie. so what do you say? you can probably describe everything about apple pie. you can probably explain what it looks like and how you feel when you eat it. you can probably talk about how it smells. if youve had apple pie, you would know exactly what im talking about. but to this person who has never had it before, how would they be convinced that this apple pie is so much better than the mud pie that they love. how would they be able to let go of this mud pie and embrace the apple pie. honestly, i really dont think that there is any way we can do it with words.. they simply need to get some apple pie and eat it for themselves. after that, they would probably never eat mud pie ever again. why? because they would have realized how foolish it was for them to eat this pie filled with mud when there is something so much better out there.
what am i trying to get at... im obviously not talking about applie pie and mud pie. i recently had a talk with someone about all these things in the church that are so taboo or have stigmas attached to them. talk in a nutshell, the church is a place for "sick" people.. sick meaning sinners. we are all sinners, whether its more visible than others. but that doesnt mean we condone the sin, we are in constant pursuit of becoming more holy; more like christ. so although many people put a worth in a church by how many people are "holy", what about how many lives are changing? because honestly what does "holy" mean viewed in an external way. no one is holy in comparison to the holiness of God. we are all trying to get there.
so that being said. are lives being changed inside your church? are people excited about jesus christ, the lord and savior who came down to earth from his heavenly throne to die for wretched sinners like us so that we may have a relationship with the father and live eternally not just with him but as children and heirs? does this stir in our hearts more joy and more passionate worship? are people making a stand and living differently? are people asking the spirit for gifts so that they can be used to bring higher and greater glory to the father? and if this isnt happening.. then the question needs to be asked.. why not? whats really going on inside of our church.
if someone doesnt know what apple pie tastes like, just explaining it to them wont help them to KNOW. they would receive the information that you give them and retain it, but their lives would not change. they would simply understand that there is something called apple pie that exists out there that may taste better than this mud pie that they really love. they will never fully understand, until theyve tasted and theyve seen, the goodness and the surpassing greatness of this apple pie. after having eaten mud pies your whole life, your life would change after eating one apple pie.
if lives arent being changed and challenged in our churches, we need to really ask ourselves if our churches are truly about JESUS. I firmly believe that it is only JESUS through the holy spirit that can change lives. Jesus says that he came not for the healthy, but for the sick. we must all realize that we are sick, and that we need him. is your life filled with jesus? is his love changing and restoring your life? or are you satisfied with the mud pie that you eat day after day. if youre still eating that mud pie, and you want to know what apple pie tastes like, all you need to do is first let go of that mud pie. throw it away and come to the applie pie. the glorious applie pie and just feast on it. just allow jesus to change your life. ask Jesus to give you a taste of that apple pie. you wont regret it.
-dk
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| | Posted 9/29/2009 8:22 PM - 165 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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