"The Well-Oiled Machine - Part II"

In my last blog I mentioned the question, "Where's the beef?" This question is asked in context of the church. In other words the question is posed to the church......where is the goods, where is the substance, where is the meat, which is to say in the church context, where is the Presence of God, where is the moving of the Spirit, where are the gifts of the Spirit. In today's church environment these are pertinent and relative questions. If we cannot, or worse yet, if we do not answer these questions, the church will continue to spiral into oblivion. In relation to the church let me make some qualifying statements.

I believe in the church because of what Jesus, the head of the church said. "I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" I have some awful good memories, good experiences, and some wonderful encounters in the supernatural world in the church. The church is that city set on a hill that reflects the light of the Lord to a world that sits in darkness. We are to be a living organism reverberating with the life of God. We are to be Spirit-led and Spirit empowered to advance the Kingdom of God, and diminish the kingdom of darkness. We are to march with the sword of the Spirit in our hand, wearing the armor of God to fight the good fight of faith. We are to rule with Kingdom authority, not as subjects of the Kingdom, but as sons and daughters of the King! We are to have dominion, not to be dominated. We are to rule, and not be ruled. We are to love the unlovable, care for the forsaken, and bring hope to the hopeless. We are to represent Christ with Christ-like behavior. We are to lead the lost to the Savior, not to a charasmatic personality who has no power to save. In light of all this the haunting question dogs us like our shadow......"Where's the beef?" "Where's the beef?" With God's help and grace we will attempt to answer the question in the next blog! Tune in!