Relentlessly in love!

When the ray of God's grace pierces through the cracks of a religious system, the goodness and wide open spaces are enough to either offend the "successful" products of the religious system, or release them into a roller-coaster journey, in the pool of the ACTUAL fullness of His Glory.

Within the confines of GOOD, there is always an unknown when walking by the Spirit. That  is the peace-filled excitement of being a FOLLOWER of Christ. Sadly, however, many want to LEAD HIM.

I have no doubt that the Spirit moves in many institutional churches. It's a pitty, though, that He is prohibited from moving any further than the pastor's office and the passionate band practice (those are truly glorious and supernaturally intoxicating moments, but I've seen and been in the wake of its destruction..."But wait! Holy Spirit, I will take the Glory from here and administer it in an orderly fashion when the meeting starts."

Bitterness?

Maybe 3 years ago, but my choice of adjective right now would be...relentless! Relentlessly in love with Him and His bride.

"He has put our lines in pleasant places".

Holy Spirit is a positive charge of abundant, reckless, exciting wind of transformation.

I have asked myself before, "Surely His grace must be a global phenomenon by now, within the church", but I look to my right and find a crowd of brothers and sisters splashing each other with the moisture of a puddle of mud, when within themselves is a crystal clear fountain of uncontrollable living waters.

I used to be selfishly aggressive  and spiritually egotistic when trying to understand why other PEOPLE were not understanding things the way I was.

But now I find myself being painfully prodded by His love for His bride. The barrier between Christ and His bride was once impossible to break...so He came down and smashed it, once and for all. But now there are barriers he cannot tear down, because WE continuously put them up in our thinking.

It's not PEOPLE who need to be torn down, it is, among others, the religious spirit that needs to be exposed and torn down.

Make no mistake, it is this very spirit that martyred 11 of the apostles and killed Jesus Himself (amongst many others). It is a relentless spirit that has divided many families, broken many friendships and pulled many who tasted of God's goodness, back into a poverty-stricken mindset...slave mentality.

Sure, the scent of freedom may very well set those who have been trapped in the choke-hold of religion, running off to actually find where, in fact, those gracious boundary lines are. Surprisingly, they will still run into God's grace in that place, but the stench of sin will frustrate them and they will return.

What are we to do?

We are to love them, follow them, build them up in the faith and pick them up when they recognize the smell of "pig sty" on them:

"But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God's love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life!

Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith. Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven." (Jude 1:20-23 MSG)

I am not bitter, but I will not hesitate to expose the malignant cancer of religion that eats the life of the church from within! Jesus didn't mind His P's & Q's when it came to this either, He loved all people, but He recognized the thread of destruction.

You belong to Christ - "His name is Jealous, and He is a jealous God". 

You HAVE BEEN redeemed!

He will NEVER hold your sin against you!

His Kingdom is WITHIN YOU. Despite how you feel or what you've done, my brothers and sisters, HE has decided to make His abode; His home; His place of residence IN YOU!

His love for you as an individual person is beyond what you could ever imagine. He Has washed you and presented you holy and blameless...HE has made the executive decision to call you His FRIEND!

Much love and grace to you!