How to build a church? Simple...

How to build a church? Simple... Serve those in need with truth and power. When needs are met, when the spirit moves... People flock in.

In other words... Churches are built not by church building! If the church itself is the goal, why bother? Are there not enough social clubs? Meetinghouses? No, churches are built when members focus on the three things of ministry... Service, truth, power. 

When a group of people are filled with passion for the hurting, and desire for holiness, driven with a heartfelt need to please our creator... That is contagious! The public is hungry for truth, for power, for a new start on life. They know that what they need is deeper than fancy words, great singing, big crowds, fun, entertainment. They seek Jesus, life, deliverance from their past. They have real needs that can only be met by God's power and truth.

Forget about building churches... Just "feed my sheep". If that is our focus, there are no buildings large enough for the hungry.

Why is this? Why is a prophet not honored in his own town?

Why is this? Why is a prophet not honored in his own town? Why do those that know him best reject him?

Idol worship.

The people who watched a prophet grow up also watched their faults, their mistakes, their humanity. They KNOW how human that prophet is! Their eyes are on the messenger, and they forget we are all human.

It is oh so easy to see certain people as better than us, more deserving, more capable, more holy. We begin to attribute success to that persons own positive qualities. We see them as part of their own success... That is idol worship! And when they fall, when we find some imperfection in them, our idol image is crushed. We reject them as unworthy and move on to the next idol.

But no! The mistake is ours! We thought they themselves had something to do with God choosing them, as if they are special. We forget that we are all sinful by nature, and without God, nothing good is found in us... Nothing. We are all just as capable because none are capable without God.

A prophet is unwelcome at home because people focus on the messenger instead of the message, worshipping the person as an idol, as someone better than themselves. By doing so, they miss Gods gifts to them.

Both examples Jesus gave were foreigners blessed by God. These foreigners looked to God, not the messenger. They accepted a great gift from an imperfect human. God answers when we focus on him, not his representatives... But him.

Jesus proclaimed this over 2000 years ago. We can be free!

Jesus proclaimed this over 2000 years ago. We can be free! No longer held captive by our past, No longer blinded to the truth, no longer oppressed by the evil in our world. Instead, free from all this!

Jesus healed blind eyes, opening them to see. He also opens the eyes of our understanding so that we can see the light of truth. No longer stumbling around in life blindly trying to make our way safely, but truly seeing the path before us.

Jesus set the crippled free from their physical deformity or disease. He also sets us free from the captivity of our own past. Habits, thoughts, sins, mistakes, addictions, depression... All those things that hold us and limit us with chains of regret... Gone!

Jesus set the oppressed free, those tormented by evil spirits dominating their life. He also sets us free from the oppression of today. Society, peer pressure, voices, thoughts, despair, fear, attacks, all these fall under his authority.

Today is the day! We can be free and those who Jesus sets free, are free indeed! This is the nature of being "born again"... A fresh start, erasing the past and being given a clean slate.

Have you ever thought... " if I could only start over!" ? You can! That's the gospel, the free gift, it is a fresh start bathed in the truth, power, and righteousness of Christ. If Jesus said it, its true. You can be free today.