I really like this portion of "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers today:
Many of us are loyal to our notions of Jesus Christ, but how many of us are loyal to Him? Loyalty to Jesus means I have to step out where I do not see anything (cf. Matt. 14:29); loyalty to my notions means that I clear the ground first by my intelligence. Faith is not intelligent understanding, faith is deliberate commitment to a Person where I see no way.
Are you debating whether to take a step in faith in Jesus or to wait until you can see how to do the thing yourself? Obey Him with glad reckless joy. When He says something and you begin to debate, it is because you have a conception of His honour which is not His honour. Are you loyal to Jesus or loyal to your notion of Him? Are you loyal to what He says, or are you trying to compromise with conceptions which never came from Him? "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it." (John 2:5).
This has been the problem with every Christian denomination that BEGAN with a genuine work of God by His Spirit! After a time, men began to question what they personally had not experienced and began to form OPINIONS based on their own experience rather than on the TRUTH of God's Word (John 17:17)! This led to "tenets of faith" that were based NOT on the TRUTH, but on OPINION of the Truth! When you are reading a newspaper, how much weight do YOU give to the columns or letters marked "Opinion Column" or "Editorial"? We KNOW that this is based on the personal opinion of the writer and may or may not contain any truth! Most of us will weigh what is said with the evidence and decide if we believe them or not! THAT is the attitude we MUST have towards the "doctrines" of any denomination or church! IF they line up with the Word of God, then be led by the Spirit to see if THIS is where you belong. If they do NOT line up with the Word of God, then run from them!
The purpose of the local church is NOT to just be a fun gathering place for Christians to go, but it is to be a place where the Word of God is taught boldly, confidently, uncompromisingly, precisely and accurately. It is also to be the place where believers can gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, be trained in the Word of God and the operation of the ministry gifts, be encouraged, edified, built up, exhorted, corrected and inspired by the Word of God and the Spirit of God to find their place in God's plan, and to be recharged after being in the world with unbelievers so that they can be sent right back out into their mission field as fiery missiles of God's Love and Grace to seek and save the lost! We are ALL called to the full time ministry - the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18)! The local church is the training ground for walking successfully and productively in that ministry. Our rewards in Heaven are based on our obedience to "Whatsoever He saith"! Remember that Jesus Himself said THIS in John 14:12:
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. KJV
12 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father. AMP
Expect to be trained in the Word and works of Jesus. When we are doing what Jesus did, THEN we can find out about those "greater works"! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with Oceans - Where Feet May Fail" (But HE never will!). AMEN!
Shalom in Him!
