I've refreshed this blog post from July 8, 2016, but I could have written it just as easily with what's going on around us today, July 4, 2020. Will we never learn? We understand the celebrating and the grieving, but will we ever understand how healing begins?
And you know what, Church? It's our fault.
We've relinquished our spiritual responsibility to lead, teach, and train, and we've compromised the Truth.
The serious problems that need to be addressed and fixed in our nation will only get worse if we, the Church, continue to ignore the root of the problem - our sin.
Mine. Yours. Ours.
If the Church is to turn this battered ship around, we must bend the knee, cry out to God, and repent of our sin. We must turn against the vile winds of destruction and begin sailing with the healing winds of the Holy Spirit.
A powerful movement of God's Spirit is needed, and will begin if we, one-by-one, will repent and turn our hearts back to the God we claim to worship, love, and serve.
Just like Israel, we have received warning after warning, and we still we choose to ignore and act like nothing is wrong. How much longer will the Lord linger and be patient with us to live out His Gospel, love on His people, and steer those who are lost in the direction of the Savior?
Just four days ago we were united in celebrating our independence as a nation.
Today, we are united again as we grieve as a nation. From friendly fireworks and backyard barbecues, to fearfully running from sniper bullets.
Oh, what a difference a few days make.
Watching the protests in New York City and the pandemonium unfold last night in the streets of Dallas, my heart broke. [Sound familiar?]
What are we doing? What are we becoming? There is no stability, moral fiber, or common decency anymore. Where are the REAL leaders? We have plenty of REAL agitators, but REAL leadership is no where to be found.
As I followed the camera man running through the streets to capture whatever he could to tell the story of what was happening, all I could think was, God, where is Your Church? Where is the Body of Christ?
What is She doing? What has She become? Why has She lost Her vision, purpose, stability, moral foundation, and even Her common decency? Why does She not have the influence She once did?
The reason is, as someone put it so well today, the Church is fractured. She's broken. She has lost her first love and is seeking to survive a broken heart without the healing power of Her Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
The bacteria of sin has been allowed to fester and to spread freely inside Her without any form of treatment or prevention. It's become dangerously infectious, and now, I believe, has spiraled into a sepsis state.
Sepsis is a form of infection that is very hard to treat. My mother died from sepsis. Once the infection is in the blood stream, there's little hope for recovery. The only way to heal from the sepsis running through America's veins is by the healing power of the Almighty.
Listening to the vile and crude things oozing from the mouths of those in the streets last evening, protesting against the very institution [of law and order] that was there to keep them safe. While the agitators screamed in their faces, these men and women in uniform stood along side them in the streets with more restraint than I could have ever mustered up. It made me nauseous.
Today, we are united again as we grieve as a nation. From friendly fireworks and backyard barbecues, to fearfully running from sniper bullets.
Oh, what a difference a few days make.
Watching the protests in New York City and the pandemonium unfold last night in the streets of Dallas, my heart broke. [Sound familiar?]
What are we doing? What are we becoming? There is no stability, moral fiber, or common decency anymore. Where are the REAL leaders? We have plenty of REAL agitators, but REAL leadership is no where to be found.
As I followed the camera man running through the streets to capture whatever he could to tell the story of what was happening, all I could think was, God, where is Your Church? Where is the Body of Christ?
What is She doing? What has She become? Why has She lost Her vision, purpose, stability, moral foundation, and even Her common decency? Why does She not have the influence She once did?
The reason is, as someone put it so well today, the Church is fractured. She's broken. She has lost her first love and is seeking to survive a broken heart without the healing power of Her Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
The bacteria of sin has been allowed to fester and to spread freely inside Her without any form of treatment or prevention. It's become dangerously infectious, and now, I believe, has spiraled into a sepsis state.
Sepsis is a form of infection that is very hard to treat. My mother died from sepsis. Once the infection is in the blood stream, there's little hope for recovery. The only way to heal from the sepsis running through America's veins is by the healing power of the Almighty.
Listening to the vile and crude things oozing from the mouths of those in the streets last evening, protesting against the very institution [of law and order] that was there to keep them safe. While the agitators screamed in their faces, these men and women in uniform stood along side them in the streets with more restraint than I could have ever mustered up. It made me nauseous.
And you know what, Church? It's our fault.
We've relinquished our spiritual responsibility to lead, teach, and train, and we've compromised the Truth.
The serious problems that need to be addressed and fixed in our nation will only get worse if we, the Church, continue to ignore the root of the problem - our sin.
Mine. Yours. Ours.
If the Church is to turn this battered ship around, we must bend the knee, cry out to God, and repent of our sin. We must turn against the vile winds of destruction and begin sailing with the healing winds of the Holy Spirit.
A powerful movement of God's Spirit is needed, and will begin if we, one-by-one, will repent and turn our hearts back to the God we claim to worship, love, and serve.
Just like Israel, we have received warning after warning, and we still we choose to ignore and act like nothing is wrong. How much longer will the Lord linger and be patient with us to live out His Gospel, love on His people, and steer those who are lost in the direction of the Savior?
I dare say, not long.
Now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2, NKJV).
Awaken my soul to the desires of Your heart, O Lord. Give me the strength to step forward to lead and re-route this ship. Hear my cries unto You. I repent of my sin, my straying, my shirking of my responsibility as a part of Your Church to be Your eyes, hands and feet in a world so distraught, and infected with spiritual sepsis. If it's Your will, Lord Jesus, heal our land. Search our hearts and fill them with Your love, Your compassion, and Your truth. In Jesus' name and for His sake, Amen.
My Pleasure,
Melanie
Now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2, NKJV).
Awaken my soul to the desires of Your heart, O Lord. Give me the strength to step forward to lead and re-route this ship. Hear my cries unto You. I repent of my sin, my straying, my shirking of my responsibility as a part of Your Church to be Your eyes, hands and feet in a world so distraught, and infected with spiritual sepsis. If it's Your will, Lord Jesus, heal our land. Search our hearts and fill them with Your love, Your compassion, and Your truth. In Jesus' name and for His sake, Amen.
My Pleasure,
Melanie
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