Over
the last couple weeks I have started having some good conversations
with some of the young people here in Nigeria. And I believe that the
Lord may be starting to stir something in them. A hunger for
something more real. Not unlike the youth in America, they are tired
of the old way of doing church. Tired of legalism, judgment and
condemnation. And they are full of love, grace and freedom, leaving
behind the old ways and just following the will of the Father,
breaking free of the rules, regulations and religion constructed by
man. It is barely even beginning to stir, but I can sort of just feel
it coming and it makes me excited. It gives me hope for them, for
their country, for all of us. If we can just figure out how to break
free of these things and just fall on our faces before the Lord and
gain His heart for the future, then anything will be possible, we
will be able to break down the walls around our hearts and the hearts
of others that have been erected because of the wounds
inflicted by people in the name of Jesus.
the last couple weeks I have started having some good conversations
with some of the young people here in Nigeria. And I believe that the
Lord may be starting to stir something in them. A hunger for
something more real. Not unlike the youth in America, they are tired
of the old way of doing church. Tired of legalism, judgment and
condemnation. And they are full of love, grace and freedom, leaving
behind the old ways and just following the will of the Father,
breaking free of the rules, regulations and religion constructed by
man. It is barely even beginning to stir, but I can sort of just feel
it coming and it makes me excited. It gives me hope for them, for
their country, for all of us. If we can just figure out how to break
free of these things and just fall on our faces before the Lord and
gain His heart for the future, then anything will be possible, we
will be able to break down the walls around our hearts and the hearts
of others that have been erected because of the wounds
inflicted by people in the name of Jesus.
The truth is He doesn’t want us all to run around following a bunch of
rules, acting like homogenized robots. He created us to be us, we
will all have a different way of following him. But if we are seeking
his will and his face that is what he is asking of us. If the church
can begin to let go of our differences and just fall on our face and
ask Him to have His way in us and mean it and be open to it even if
it doesn’t look like what we think is best. Then I think we will see
the walls of division come down and a new era of freedom can sweep
the land. Ok that was as much for the American church as it was for
Nigeria. I don’t know if it is because it is exaggerated here or if
it is just that I am on the our side looking in. But it seams so
simple to just let go of the silly things that we latch on to and get
caught up in. Stop telling people they are going to hell and why. The
fact of the matter is that sin is sin. We have all fallen short. But
you can’t scare people into a relationship. You may be able to scare
them into coming to church on Sunday, to sing in the choir and to
tithe, but chances are that if they are just doing in out of fear of
hell or something then they won’t move into the LOVE and GRACE that
Jesus offers us. They will spend all of there time trying to avoid
something, instead of seeking a relationship with some one.
rules, acting like homogenized robots. He created us to be us, we
will all have a different way of following him. But if we are seeking
his will and his face that is what he is asking of us. If the church
can begin to let go of our differences and just fall on our face and
ask Him to have His way in us and mean it and be open to it even if
it doesn’t look like what we think is best. Then I think we will see
the walls of division come down and a new era of freedom can sweep
the land. Ok that was as much for the American church as it was for
Nigeria. I don’t know if it is because it is exaggerated here or if
it is just that I am on the our side looking in. But it seams so
simple to just let go of the silly things that we latch on to and get
caught up in. Stop telling people they are going to hell and why. The
fact of the matter is that sin is sin. We have all fallen short. But
you can’t scare people into a relationship. You may be able to scare
them into coming to church on Sunday, to sing in the choir and to
tithe, but chances are that if they are just doing in out of fear of
hell or something then they won’t move into the LOVE and GRACE that
Jesus offers us. They will spend all of there time trying to avoid
something, instead of seeking a relationship with some one.
What we need is LOVE, we need to show them UNCONDITIONAL love. No matter
where they are at in the process. This means we love them with no end
in mind. We don’t love them because we want them to come to church or
because we want them to be like us or because of anything other than
that they are who they are. We need to focus on doing our best to
love people into the Kingdom, not scare them out of hell. Because if
they come for love, they will find more and more of it as they draw
closer to the Father’s heart as they go deeper in relationship with
Him. What we need is to gain a piece of the Father’s heart so that we
can share it with all of those that cross our path. We need to spend
time with Him . Being filled with his love so that it will just pour
out of us. Even as I am writing this I am convicted in the fact that
as much as I don’t like the way that they do things here I don’t
exactly have it all together either, I am still learning all of this
as I write it.
where they are at in the process. This means we love them with no end
in mind. We don’t love them because we want them to come to church or
because we want them to be like us or because of anything other than
that they are who they are. We need to focus on doing our best to
love people into the Kingdom, not scare them out of hell. Because if
they come for love, they will find more and more of it as they draw
closer to the Father’s heart as they go deeper in relationship with
Him. What we need is to gain a piece of the Father’s heart so that we
can share it with all of those that cross our path. We need to spend
time with Him . Being filled with his love so that it will just pour
out of us. Even as I am writing this I am convicted in the fact that
as much as I don’t like the way that they do things here I don’t
exactly have it all together either, I am still learning all of this
as I write it.
You can all be praying that God would bless our time together in such a
way that it will keep me coming back for more and more every day. And
that He would open up the hearts and the minds of the church in
Nigeria to what He has for them and where he would like them to go.
way that it will keep me coming back for more and more every day. And
that He would open up the hearts and the minds of the church in
Nigeria to what He has for them and where he would like them to go.
