Every Day is Laundry Day

Every Day is Laundry Day

Tho we are many....
I read about Katrina and the aftermath. I see TV interview of a fire in Racine that takes down an apartment complex in Racine. Tragedies? Yes. But why? Why does God allow this. If it's just evil. Why? He could stop it. Free will? Yes. But then it's just a waste. A waste of lives. And then it is JUST TRAGEDY. I don't think it's just free will. Just like the drunk driver who kills a young person who was just "in the wrong spot at the wrong time." I believe that "all things work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to His Purposes in Christ Jesus." I see GOOD. Now when i say GOOD. This isn't like... "i've seen you look better, but you look good." Or "how was that meal." It was good. Those things sound "adequate" or "satisfactory". This GOOD the Bible speaks about is "the way God designed it to be"... "the way He needs it to be"... "the way He purposed it to be." I will not say perfect, because he made us and we aren't perfect, but he said we are GOOD (at least he said that about Adam). GOOD-ness is a fruit of the Spirit. Something that happens in us as we allow God to grow us, water us, lead us and direct us. When we submit to his plan and "abide in Him" then we produce fruit that lasts, like GOOD-ness.

I see hints of this Church (or body as it were) coming together in UNITY to be Jesus to these people who lost their lives, their loved ones, their stuff, and even their pets. They are the hungry, the homeless, the thirsty and the naked the Bible talks about. They are the widows and orphans we are supposed to feed, love, and care for. We think that Church happens on Sunday. It doesn't. Church happens every day. Because Church is not something we do, or a service we go to, it's the end result of why he is rescuing all thos that are lost, that can't find their way back to Him. UNITY. Being the Body. Being one like Jesus prayed about in John 17 (I think). "Father, help them to be one like we (Father, Son, & Holy Spirit-my addition) are one." Do you realize that UNITY is the answer? You may ask "what is the question?" Doesnt matter. Unity is the answer to getting things done. To getting Jesus to come back (he's coming back to a spotless bride w/o stain or blemish or wrinkle). To truly minister to people.

This denominationalism was us trying to figure out how to do Church. Interestingly, it caused us to move further away from Being the Church. Remember in the Old Testament? When the people were building the Tower of Babel? Why were they building it? To make a name for themselves. Why is that a problem? Because we arent supposed to be trying to make a name for ourselves. We are supposed to be serving/loving God and serving/loving each other. Not build our pride. The Godhead didnt like that too much. They were concerned. They said, "if we let them do this, there is nothing they can't do." What does that mean? Certainly they won't ever reach heaven. But that word also means sky. Couldnt it be that they wanted a building that was a monument to man's ability? I think so. But why was God concerned. The people had figured out something. UNITY is the answer.

You might say here: "Mike, you've gone off the deep end. Isn't that a stretch?" Is it? So if man can build a tall building, there is nothing we can't do? In other words, if man builds a tall building, he can do anything? We have succeeded in building some very tall buildings. I might say our buildings might even be taller that the one in Babel. Have we succeeded at reaching our "WE CAN DO ANYTHING" phase of humanity? Hardly. But listen to this: what was the solution God came up with? DIVISION. Why? Because they had figured out UNITY. He separated them by language and distance so that they couldn't do this again.

Interestingly enough, UNITY is what He is asking us for. Something we will be judged for. Why?

It tests our humilty. Are we humble enough to not agree on everything or are we full of pride?
It tests our love. Is our heart for these "neighbors" of ours (which is EVERYONE) enough to overcome our annoyances, our frustrations, our desire to judge and condemn others?

These are 2 things the Bible (hence God) says over and over again. Cloth yourselves in humility. God give grace to the humble. Humble yourselves and seek my face and i will heal your land. And Jesus said of our 2 greatest commandments, "love God... and love our neighbors". To give to the least of these.

So what do you think? Unfortunately, even though I think we can DO the UNITY thing, we need to do it with the right heart. Not just to make a name for ourselves or for our local church or for even Christians in general. We need to do this because we NEED each other. We have work to do that we realize we are ineffective w/o each other. We love each other and HATE to be independent. We HATE to be lone rangers. We long for the Fellowship of the Saints.

I dont have the answers. I only know that if we pray for UNITY, God will grant it. If we seek opportunities (like Jerry and Tracey did with this apartment complex in calling all the churches together to minister to these people who have needs... some gave time, some gave money, some gave "stuff") to come together and try to stay in love, God will bless the works of our hands, and there "will be nothing [we] can't do".

We need to avoid doctrinal discussions, strife, judgements, gossip, slander, back-biting, and all other forms of tearing down that we seem to enjoy doing. Truth is we don't enjoy doing it. We just do it because we have this sinful flesh that likes to feel better about ourselves and the best way to do that is to put someone else down. We need to seek to encourage, to give love, to give hope, to become a family, to keep short accounts with one another, to understand that I don't understand the place (stage or walk with God) that my other brothers and sisters are at nor do I probably DON'T have the revelation from God of the call on THEIR life. We need to love and encourage first. If correction of the brethren is needed, it should come from those that love them, that DON'T want to be the one to correct them because they don't want to hurt them, but love them enough to know God is asking them to go and encourage them to repent and to help them when they "turn a different direction" to not go back to what they know. Loving people should be our first inclination. We need to practice that. IT WON'T COME NATURAL.

UNITY is the answer. It's the GOAL. It's really the end result when we submit ourselves to God and to each other. It's GOOD. It's the way it's supposed to be. It's the way God intended it. The Original Plan and the Final Outcome.

God is so GOOD. I'm glad he's in charge.

posted by laundryboy @ 5:26 PM