Knowing God.

L.O.V.E.

We over complicate God. 

We want to know everything, we want to know why bad things happen, we want to know what our plans are next, we question and think and discuss and analyze.
Maybe we need to stop analyzing and discussing, and just do what the Bible says.

I just want to know God. 

I look around at all the different seasons;

 the depressing, cold winter days; and the bright, beautiful white winter days,

the sweet smelling spring days; and the long awaited fresh spring days,

the scorching hot, summer days; and the peace at the end of perfect summer days,

the brisk, crisp fall days; and the windy, dark fall days.

And I stand in wonder of God the Creator of all these perfect, beautiful seasons and 

I just want to know God more. 

I listen to music or stare at a flower.

I sit with a friend or taste of cup of caramel coffee.

I discover a new part of Scripture or wake up to a new day. 

I think of all the ways I am thankful and 

I just want to be around people who want to know God too.

I feel like we who proclaim to be Christ following, Bible believing, truth telling Christians over-complicate what it means to walk this journey we call "faith" and we fail being the body of Christ, which is the very calling we were made to do, every part, working together.

We can be completely oblivious to others around us, not even aware of what others are going through or feeling. We can neglect the teachers, evangelists, prophets, apostles, even our leaders and put our pastors on a pedestal.

We stay in our own little bubbles and have to coordinate schedules just to have a quick visit with a friend. We over complicate going to church instead of actually being the church.

That means creating space in our chaotic lives to spend time with people.

That means creating space in our busy day to breathe in the wonders of God. 

God is a God to be honored, to be feared, to be revered and obeyed. We are too insignificant to be in relationship with Him, but through Jesus Christ, we can know Him and be in relationship with Him everyday.

We can know Him more through a simple cup of caramel coffee with a friend.

We can know Him in all these beautiful seasons and these moments of life. 

We can know Him more through scripture, 

a conversation with a girlfriend,

a song, a poem, a piece of art, a flower,

a personal encounter,

the innocence of a child discovering snow or staring up into the sun for the first time. 

We know in our heart He exists and He is very real. Some may call Him a "higher power" but the truth is, He is God, the only true God.

And He wants to know me. And He wants to know you. 

The more we breathe in His wonder, the more we can respond to His grace. 

And that my friend, is what it's all about. 

If we want to know God and obey His commands then we'll naturally share His love with people around us. We'll be the part we were meant to be. For goodness sake, when did going to church become such a chore and building relationships become such a drag and reading the Bible become such a bore.

God didn't complicate it for us. He sent His son to love the world and then He told us to do the same. I put a challenge to the church to change.

Let's not sit and do church, let's be the church like the Bible teaches.
Let's breathe in the wonders of God and build relationships with others.
Let's rise up and live out the Word of God together. 

So here I am, right here publicly proclaiming I can't be the church by myself.

I don't know how to be the church by myself. I can't by myself. I fail when I try to do it by myself. I feel weak by myself.

I feel frustrated when I see so many individual bubbles.

I want to scream when I hear people say they're too busy.
I want to cry when I see a pastor missing the whole point of scripture.

We have enough "one hour worship, coffee and donut" churches doing church and not enough people being the church. 

I love God, I love the Bible, I love church, I love people but I hate keeping a seat warm every Sunday. The Bible calls us to get up, to GO and make disciples, two by two like the twelve did, go to every town and proclaim the love of Christ. Pastors it's not a checklist. It's relationships. It's building the next disciples. Let's be challenged to change. Let's join together and be the body of Christ reaching the lost for His eternal kingdom. 

Know God. Love others. Simple.

Seems simple. But we need each other. I need my right hand. My left hand can't work alone. Pastors have such an opportunity to raise up and form a body and reach their community for Christ. God wants to raise up those pastors. God wants to form those churches.