If I've seen it once I've seen it a thousand times..

If I've seen it once I've seen it a thousand times... at least. God's people have been conditioned to set their priorities in backward motion. The modern Christian traditions that are so focused on "going to church," and "church service," and all such things; have caused the body of Christ today to put 'church' first, and God somewhere after that. I'm not saying that every single person is doing that, but I am saying that it is an overwhelming reality for the majority of God's people. There is only one reality of Jesus Christ in this world, and it ISN'T 'church!' It is rather the holy Ghost that he sent back to be received by believers after he went back to heaven (Jn. 7:38,39; Jn. 16:7; Acts 1:4,5; Acts 2:4,33). Maybe someone has forgotten, but this is the Gospel of the kingdom of God (Mat. 3:2; Mat. 24:14; Mk. 1:15). And "the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power" (I Cor. 4:20). Yes my friend, "the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy IN the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 14:17). And what about that power? Jesus told us what that is too: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you" (Acts 1:8). So someone will say, "You focus too much on the holy Ghost, and not enough on Jesus." Really? "Now the Lord IS that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (II Cor. 3:17). I believe the Gospel is all about Jesus, but Jesus went back to heaven and hasn't returned from there as yet. But he did send back the holy Ghost "in his name," which is to say in his stead (Jn. 14:26). The holy Spirit of God is in fact the ONLY presence of God or his Son in this world (Jn. 14:23). And as the scripture said, "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." That means liberty from sin and sinning, which is why Jesus came to this world to begin with (Rom. 5:19; Rom. 8:1-4; I Jn. 3:8). Our entire calling is to be purified from sin and filled with God's holy love, so that our works will be wrought in God, and him be glorified thereby (Acts 15:8,9; Mat. 5:16; Jn. 3:21; Rom. 5:5; I Pet. 1:22). But somehow today's Christian religion has the cart way out in front of the horse. In fact in most cases they aren't even connected to one another. What I'm saying is that very little of the worship and service of God among his people today is motivated and moved by the only source from heaven that exists; namely God's Spirit.

The Spirit is allowed to move only in spots because it is preceded by and mixed with so much of man's 'church' garbage that stifles and quenches it (Eph. 4:30; I Thess. 5:19). God has his own program for his people, but nobody is reading it because they are too focused on their own program for the worship of God. Seems I read somewhere, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God" (Rom. 8:14). I also remember reading somewhere, "When... the Spirit of truth comes, [it] will guide you into all truth" (Jn. 16:13). That must be what this means: "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the [congregations]" (Rev. 2:7). And I know I saw somewhere where it says, "Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh: (Gal. 5:16). Ooooh, that must be what led to this: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as HE is pure" (I Jn. 3:2,3). And that must be what this was talking about: "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be YE holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy" (I Pet. 1:15,16). Uh huhhhh, I guess that is why someone wrote this too: "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, WITHOUT which NO man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). I wonder if any of that has anything to do with this: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Mat. 5:8). Now that all looks like really important stuff to me, so where is all the admonitions about having pompous religious buildings, youth ministries, religious outreaches, religious seminars, fund raisers, set programs for worship, and all the rest of man's superfluous and wearisome "church" stuff that dominates the landscape in Christianity? Don't bother looking for any of it in the Bible because none of these things are mentioned there. But it sure is mentioned in all the "churches" today, and is also held in higher esteem than the very life's blood of God's people, which is his Spirit in us, if we have it.

It's the same old story actually, like it was when Jesus referred to it with this sharp rebuke: "And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God" (Lk. 16:15). Yes friend, religious man justifies his crippled spiritual condition with an over abundance of 'church' work and service, whereby he tries in vain to cover his evident spiritual nakedness (Rev. 3:17,18). So what is the result of the children of God being taught to "weary themselves for very vanity?" (Hab. 2:13). Well, I can show you from the Bible what the result is, and also that this is no new dilemma for God's people: "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin" (Isa. 30:1). This "covering" of 'church' zeal has done nothing but "add sin to sin" in the body of Christ, even as Isaiah said. Need more confirmation of this you say? Okay, how about this? "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting" (Isa. 1:11-13). The truth is that God's people have never been short on worship and service, but rather on God being pleased WITH their worship and service to him; as Jesus also affirmed: "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Mat. 15:8,9). It would do a whole lot of folks a whole lot of good to soberly consider the counsel of the ancient prophet Samuel: "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (I Sam. 15:22). And all I have left is, Amen.