I Finally Figured Out What's Wrong With the Church...

In response to the question, What’s wrong with the world? G.K. Chesterton replied, “I am.”  I have come to the conclusion the same can be said of the Church.  The Church is not perfect because people are not perfect.  That is not to say that there is not room for improvement in some areas, but criticism will not produce change.  Neither will turning your back on the Church bring about the desired change.  Instead, we need to be moved with as much compassion for the Church as a whole, as Christ is moved with compassion for the individuals who make up the Church.

Why is it so easy to extend grace to a struggling brother or sister in Christ, but withhold that same grace from the gathering of Believers called the Church?  I believe it is a perception problem.  We see the Church as an “entity” – something that exists by itself or separate from other things.  It is much easier to criticize or even condemn something you perceive to be completely separate or outside yourself.  However, the truth is that the Church is the Body of Christ – His hands, His feet, His life, and His love in this world.  You and me – we are the Body of Christ, and each one of us is part of it. (I Cor. 12:27).  The Church is not some entity separate and apart from ourselves – it is an integral part of who we are in Him.  In fact, God designed the Church to be a beacon of hope in this world, which is so filled with brokenness and despair. 

In Mark 1:40, a man with leprosy approached Jesus and said to Him, “if You are willing, You can make me clean.”  Jesus moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and said to the man, “I am willing...” and he was healed.   The Church is in need of this kind of compassion – compassion that moves us to willingly extend to the Body of Christ the same grace and mercy Christ extends to each of us individually.  As He will complete the good work He started in each one of us, so too He will finish the good work He began in the Church. 

So, what’s wrong with the Church?  Until this afternoon, I was.  How about you?  

Increase My Faith???

I just love Saturday mornings!  A great workout at the gym and then some time quietly reading, studying and meditating on God’s Word with no distractions.  At times like these I can almost "feel" His Word taking root in deep within my heart...

This morning I was reading Luke, and this verse just stopped me in my tracks:  Luke 17:5 - the disciples demand that Jesus, "Increase our faith!"  Jesus responds in verse 6 by saying, “If you had the faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted into the sea,” and it would obey you.

A mustard seed is so small that you can barely see it with the naked eye.  So, I find it interesting that Jesus chose to use the smallest of all seeds to illustrate the power of faith.  When I looked up the Greek word for "faith” (i.e., “pistis”) I found that it means:  a conviction of the truth about anything.  However, in the New Testament, “pistis” means more specifically “a conviction or belief respecting one's relationship to God.” 

Then, I looked up the verb “had” (i.e., “echo”).  Much to my amazement, I discovered this word means, “to be closely joined to a person or a thing through the bonds of blood, marriage or friendship.”  So, just how closely are we joined to God?  Jesus said, “I am in them and You are in me so that they will be made perfectly one…Your love for me will be in them, and I myself will be in them.” (John 17:23;26) 

It is pretty clear that there is a vital connection between the seed of faith already within our hearts AND our heart’s understanding of who we are in Him:  We are now righteous  through the blood Jesus shed on the cross and our righteousness does not depend on what we do or don't do (I Jn 1:7); the relationship between Christ and the Church is likened to a marriage - it is intimate (Eph 5:29-32); and, Jesus said, “I no longer call you servants…instead, I have called you friends.” (Jn 15:15).   

We don’t need God to increase our faith!  Instead, we need to fully convince our hearts of our intimate and eternal connection in Him because our present circumstances don't respond to our mere words, but like the mulberry bush, they respond to the seed of faith in our heart.  

Confronting My Past . . .

Have you ever done something you cannot undo?  I have.  And, it has been a huge source of shame, anxiety, and fear in my life for years.  No matter how far down I shoved the emotions associated with this situation, they always resurfaced – especially when I wanted to take steps to move my life forward in a new direction.

This past week, a new opportunity presented itself.  However, in order to seize this opportunity, I had to decide whether I was willing to disclose my past (i.e., tell the truth) or hide it (i.e., lie).  The deep-rooted fear about this situation made me physically ill, but I decided I would tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may. Then, I told a good friend about my decision because I knew if I did so, there would be no turning back…

Right now, I am overwhelmed with emotions so it is a bit difficult to write this, but I finally confronted my past – I owned it.  And do you know what?  I discovered the truth: my past actions do not define me anymore than my present actions do.  

God says, “I will remember your sins no more.” (Heb 10:17).  It’s not that He did not see what I had done, because He saw it.  Instead, when He saw what I did, He chose to remember only what Jesus had done for me on the cross.

This week, when I confronted my past, I heard these words for the first time in my heart, not just in my head:  “neither do I condemn you.”   With these words echoing in my heart, I found the courage to boldly take a step toward moving my life forward in a new direction. 

Jesus said, “you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”  Today, I am free!  I am no longer hiding in the shadows of guilt and shame, but moving forward in the marvelous light of His truth.  And what I have experienced is available for you, too.  

Stop hiding in the shadows and step into light of His truth.  You, too, will discover that there is no one standing there to condemn you.

Rack Focus Faith

Rack focus is a common camera technique used in both film and television to shift focus from a foreground subject to a background subject by turning the focal ring on a lens.  This technique is used in almost every television show or movie where the focus shifts from one object or person in the foreground of the frame to something or someone in the background.  This technique creates quite a dramatic effect for the viewer!

Tonight, as I was reading a very familiar verse in the bible, I was reminded how rack focus, when applied to my faith, can have a very dramatic effect on my heart and mind . . .

Proverbs  3:5-6 says:  Trust in the Lord with all your heart; don’t rely on your own intelligence.  Know Him in all your paths, and He will keep your ways straight.

What does it mean to "know Him in all your paths"?  Our daily lives are filled with competing commitments and some very trying circumstances that can cause us to focus our attention on the “stuff” right in front of us.  It’s during those moments, when we are focused on our present circumstances, that we begin to rely on our own intelligence as a means to deal with what is right in front of us.  

However, rack focus faith challenges us to shift our focus from what is immediately in front of us and see, perceive, and discern Him. When we focus on Him instead of our immediate circumstances, the effect on our hearts and minds is far more dramatic than the mere visual technique that rack focus creates in a movie. 

When we fix our gaze on Him - in the midst of our pain, confusion, despair or any of life’s challenging situations - we will find peace in the midst of the storm, clarity instead of confusion, and hope that will anchor our soul through even the most difficult times.  This is what it means to "know Him in all your paths" or to "acknowledge Him in all your ways."  Rack focus faith allows us to see, perceive, and discern His Presence in the midst of our all that is going on in our lives.

So, the next time you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by your circumstances, just apply the simple photographic technique of rack focus to your faith and watch your present circumstances fade into the background and Jesus and His love for you come into the foreground and into focus!

NO LIMITS!

I was reading the book of Matthew this morning in a new translation (Common English Bible) and I saw something that inspired me do a little “digging.” 

In Matthew 13:58, the author notes:  “He (Jesus) was unable to do many miracles there (his hometown) because of their disbelief.”  The original Greek word used in this passage is “apistia,” which means an obstinate withholding of belief in the divine power and promises of God.   

I don't believe people wake up one morning and decide to withhold their belief in the power and promises of God.  Instead, I think it happens over time as we allow our present circumstances speak to our hearts and convince us that they are more real than His power and promises.  

Although our present circumstances may be real, His Word reveals an amazing truth:  God's power and promises have no limits, but my willingness to believe!  In fact, it was Jesus who said, "all things are possible for the one who believes."  (Mark 9:23)  

God, help me to walk out this truth in every area of my life...

GOD'S HIDDEN TREASURE:

                  THE PEOPLE OF CHAI ZI 

Jesus said, "the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up.  Then, in his joy, he goes and sells all he has and buys that field." (Mt 13:44)  First, just to be clear, you do NOT have to sell all that you have to purchase eternal life.  Jesus paid the price for our salvation once and for all!  When I read this verse, I believe the "hidden treasure" Jesus is speaking of are those people in the world who have not yet heard how much He loves them.  

Twelve years ago, I "discovered" God's hidden treasure in the remote mountain village of Chai Zi, located in Qinghai Province, China.  While videotaping their annual Nadun celebration, I was invited to the master's home for a meal.  At the time, I had no idea how God would knit our hearts together...

In 2001, I returned to Chai Zi with several friends, and we celebrated the purchase and installation of a well pump, which carried the water from the river up the mountain.  They welcomed us back to the village with a parade, songs, and of course, and amazing meal!  I had no idea  it would be eleven years before I would return to Chai Zi once again...

On May 10, 2012, I arrived back in the village of Chai Zi at the very moment the villagers were struggling in the pump house trying to get the water pump to work.  Several months before my arrival, they had collected money from every family in the village and gave it to a government official with the hope that they would be able to replace the broken pump and leaking irrigation pipes.  Unfortunately, the official took off with their money and the villagers were left to fend for themselves.  Needless to say, the timing of my arrival in the village caused quite a stir!  

But, I do not think it was a mere coincidence that I arrived at exactly the moment they were trying to repair the water pump.  Proverbs 16:9 says that, "the heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."  Before I left the United States on April 28th, I must have changed my itinerary more than a dozen times!  Right before I left, I settled on arriving in Chai Zi on May 10, 2012.  However, after traveling up an incredibly steep and dangerous mountain earlier that day in search of Chai Zi, we discovered that the village was 18 kilometers in the opposite direction.  By that time, it was late in the afternoon and a storm was moving into the area.    Once we made it back down the mountain, we had all but given up on making it to Chai Zi... But, we were about to see what it looks like when God establishes your steps!

After getting lost again, we finally located the village of Chai Zi at about 6:30 p.m. on the evening of May 10, 2010 - at the exact moment the villagers were working on the well pump!  For the villagers, my arrival was an act of Providence.  In fact, my friend who was interpreting for me, told me that they were calling me 'living buddha.'  (By way of background the Tu practice both Buddhism and animism.)  Unsure of what they meant by this, I asked my friend for clarification.  He told me that, from their perspective, the timing of my arrival in the village at the moment of their greatest need meant that God truly cared about them.  Well, we could certainly agree on that point!  

While these beautiful people may be "hidden" from much of the world because they live in the remote mountains of northwest China, they are not hidden from God.  He sees them.  He knows them.  He loves them.  To date, I have not been able to share the Gospel with them in words primarily because the Tu have no word for Jesus in their language.  In addition, they have no cultural or religious frame of reference that includes a God who loves them - so much so that He would sacrifice His one and only Son to keep them safe, rescue them from danger, make them well, and restore their health.  Nevertheless, I am convinced that they have seen and recognize God's love for them because He put His love for them into my heart and I have expressed that love in my actions.  Although initially skeptical of my connection with these people, my friend who traveled with me recognized the love of God in my heart for the people of Chai Zi and that softened his heart!

I believe God's most powerful weapon is His love in action! His love transcends spoken language and speaks right to a person's heart.  Although the people of Chai Zi do not yet identify Jesus as the source of the love they feel from God, today they know that God truly cares about them.  And there is no greater foundation on which to build than His love...

If you would like to join me and demonstrate the love of Jesus in action to the precious people of Chai Zi, please send your tax deductible gift to:

Forward Church

3500 Highway 34 E.

Suite 15

Sharpsburg, GA  30277

OR

You can contact me directly at: 

tricia.cunningham@yahoo.com

We are raising funds to purchase and install a new well pump and replace the leaking drinking water and irrigation pipes in Chai Zi.  The drinking water project will cost $1,500.00 and the irrigation pipe project will cost $11,000.00.  Total cost:  $12,500.00 (U.S. funds)

Po han le bah (Thank you!)

Tricia