Category: Church

  • Hide and Seek – Hiding From God

    Children playing hide and seek at dusk

    When I was growing up, we used to play hide and seek outdoors after dark. It added a new element to the game. Hiding was much easier, and seeking was much harder. The shadows and darkness offered wonderful new places to hide from view.

    One time, we played using flashlights. When the person who was “it” shone their light on you, you were out. That didn’t work as well, because the person who was in it would invariably shine their light everywhere in the hope of catching someone. They didn’t really have to find you, just get lucky with the flashlight.

    After that one time, we went back to simple hide and seek in the dark. Playing in the dark, without a flashlight, it’s much easier to remain hidden from view.

    Sometimes we play hide and seek with God, only we don’t really want to be found. We don’t want to face Him with our sin, so we hide in the darkness. We rationalize that if we stay hidden from Him, we don’t have to deal with our problems.

    The problem (and the blessing) is that there is no place to hide from God.

    Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I lift up the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will bruise me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not too dark for You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. Psalm 139:7-12 

    It’s a problem because we can never really hide. We’ll always be accountable for our sins in one way or another, we can only escape His wrath for so long. It’s a blessing for those who love Him, because it means we’re never so far gone that He can’t find us and wash us clean.

    Are you hiding from Him? Turn back; He sees you anyway. 

    Until next time, rejoice that there is no hiding from God.

    Be blessed
    Kev    in

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  • The Church has a blessed future

    An old Moravian church - image public domain

    Can I confess something? I get angry and frustrated with the church sometimes because she is full of people who are guilty of all the stupid and sinful things that people do, (including myself and you).

    I wonder, “Why did this one do that?” or “Why didn’t they do that?” The people of the church have done some incredibly stupid things since Christ left. Crusades. Bad teaching. Inquisitions. Self-centeredness. Unscrupulous “healers”. I could go on and name a hundred more things without thinking.

    Sometimes the people of the church tell a good story, but the reality is different. We talk about caring on Sunday, then cheat and steal on Monday. We talk about being welcoming, but woe betides the visitor who sits in Grandma’s pew. We talk of freedom, but then we walk in bondage.

    It doesn’t matter if it’s a house church, a pretty little country church, or a megachurch congregation with attendance at every service larger than some communities I’ve lived in. Regardless of theological stripe or denomination (or non). It happens across the entire spectrum of the visible church.

    I guess that means I get frustrated with the people in the church, rather than with the church. When I take the time to stop and think about it, I remember that the people of the church aren’t supposed to be perfect yet, that comes later. Jesus loves us just the way we are. He’s changing us day by day, but He loves us. 

    When I stop and think about it some more, I remember that I love the church herself, complete with all of her problems, confusion, and tension. The true church is the body of believers worldwide and is the bride of Christ. She’s imperfect but she is growing more like Him every day, and when the marriage does happen, all will be made whole and right. 

    In the Middle East 2,000 years ago, there were elaborate rituals before a wedding. The groom or his family often paid a price for the bride. 

    The betrothal was an extended period during which both parties were to remain pure. During this period, the groom often went away to prepare a home, either by adding onto the family home or building one from scratch. When it was done, great effort was made to have the groom sneak back and claim his wife. The exact timing was to be a surprise. After his surprise return, there was the formal wedding and a time of feasting and celebration.

    Knowing a bit about these customs helps us appreciate the wonderful picture of believers as His bride.

    He’s gone away to build a home for us.

    In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:2-3

    There’s going to be a wonderful banquet.

    Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. Revelation 19:7-9 

    The similarities are far more extensive than that. It would take a book to cover them all in detail, but the people of His day understood what Jesus talked about when He called the church His bride. They knew of His deep and sacrificial love for the. They understood that He would come again.

    Until next time may you come to a deeper understanding of what it means to be part of the true church and eagerly await the return of your groom. Let’s also remember that all those people in the church who frustrate us are His bride to and learn too love them as well.

    Be blessed
    Kevin

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