(Highlighted Scripture: St. Luke 13:11)
The church has reached the Golden Age as it relates to ministry. The church is now more creative and more innovative than it has ever been. The church is more well versed and well rounded regarding the operations of ministry. Many of our ministers are more knowledgable and business savy than ever before. The church has even perfected promotions and marketing strageties pertaining to ministry work. Additionally, the church has even learned how to utilize technology in order to enhance ministry. However, this has been both a virtue and a vise to the church. It has been both good and bad...both helpful and harmful...both an upgrade and a downfall.
This has benefited the church greatly, as it has allowed the church to perform relevant ministry in these 21st Century times. Simultaneously, it has hindered the church because it has caused the church to have an adverse shifting of the mind. Many in the church have slowly become more business minded rather than kingdom minded. Many in the church have become more financially driven rather than purpose driven. Almost unknowingly (in some cases), many in the church have misprioritize their core values, as more emphases has been put on the next business endeavor, rather than the next evangelism endeavor. Without even realizing it (in some cases), many in the church have become more focused on business ventures rather than missions and outreach endeavors. Money drives and fund raisers have now become more important than soul-winning.
In our foundational text we find a woman with an infirmity. This infirmity has caused her to be bowed or slumped over and she can no longer stand up straight nor walk uprightly. This woman respresents the "False Church". She once stood for God, but she has now allowed herself to be overtaken with the works of the flesh which has opened a door for the iniquities of her heart to be manifested in her life. As a result, she has now been bound and weighted down by sin and strongholds. She can no longer walk uprightly before the Lord, for she has lost her once glorious status as the "Bride of Christ" and has now become a harlot unto the world. She no longer upholds the holy standard of living and righteousness, that God originally called her to. She can not stand up straight but rather she is bent over and her face is now positioned toward the earth. She now looks upon the ground and her vision is now in the dirt.
The earth/ ground/ dirt represents the flesh. According to Genesis 2:7, God reached down into the ground of the earth and from the dust of the dirt, he created man. So we see this woman no longer does as David declared, in Psalms 121:1 & 2..."I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help comeh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth". This "False Church" no longer relies on the strength of God, but rather her own strength. The "False Church" no longer depends on the anointing of God, but rather her own charisma and talents. The "False Church" no longer leans on the ever lasting arms of the Lord, but rather her own business savy and expertise.
In our highlighted scripture (St. Luke 13:11), we understand that this woman had been with this infirmity for 18 years. An infirmity is an ailment caused by mental and/or physical weakness, or a lack of strength. This is exactly were the "Body of Christ" (the global church) is today. The church is now carrying out ministry in the realm of the flesh rather than the spirit, and as a result, has lost power with God. The church has rendered herslf powerless, to effectively carry out the assigment mandated to her by God. The church still has the form and image of God, but not the power and anointing of God (2 Timothy 3:5).
The Lord ordained ministry to be the vehicle where by the Kingdom of God would be established in the earth. However, it appears that more and more ministers are working hard to establish a kingdom for themselves, here on earth. It seems that more and more of our pastors have become more interested in building buildings, rather than building people. More and more pastors have become more focused on the growth of membership rather than the growth of discipleship. The modern church has lost sight of what ministry really is. Ministy is meeting needs. However, in this modern church era, it seems that the only needs being met are those of the pastor's. We must understand that church does not exist for the benefit of the pastor only, but it exist for the benefit of entire church body (Acts 2:44-47).
Many in the church has strayed away from God's original intent for ministry, as they have polluted it by chasing their own lustful ambitions. We as ministers must remember that God doesn't do anything, just for us. He does it for the sake and benefit of His people. In His infinite wisdom and sovereignty, He just chooses to use or work through us to do it. We (the ministers of God) must ALWAYS point the people back to Him! Ministry is suppose to promote and uplift the name of the Lord and cause the hearts and minds of many, to be turned toward Him, through the preaching/ teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the show His of love. However, ministry is being turned into name branding and self promotion in the modern church. We have less and less true ministers of the gospel and more and more brand names of the gospel. The today's version of ministry is not being used for the advancement of the Kingdom and the glory of God, but rather self advancement and self glorification. However the Lord delcared, in St. John 12:32..."If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me". And because the flesh is being up lifted more than God, this has prevented God from unleashing major revival in the earth. Souls aren't being won to Christ as they should be, because the modern church is spending more efforts exalting flesh and not God!
Another thing that stuck out to me from our highlighted scripture, is the number 18. This woman from the text had this infirmity for a total of 18 years. The number 18 is a multiple of 6. It is 6 three times (6 + 6 + 6). The number 666 is the mark of the beast or anti-christ. And because the modern church has begun to operate in ministry through the realm of the flesh, it has taken on and is carrying out an anti-christ agenda, without even knowing it. Many in the church are doing what they call ministy, in the name of the Lord, but they are operating under the influence of an anti-christ spirit, and don't even realize it. Anytime we begin to make ourselves the main attraction, rather than God, we have fallen into self worship. This is the working of the anti-christ spirit. Although the anti-christ himself has not been revealed, the anti-christ spirit is already at work (2 Thessalonians 2:3-7). Anti-christ means, against christ or away from christ. Which simply means the agenda of the anti-christ is to turn hearts and minds of people away from Christ Jesus, and entice them to chase their own lustful fleshly desires. When this happens, we become self pleasers, rather than God pleasers. The Bible declared that this day would come, as detailed in 2 Timothy 3:1-4, "(1) This know also, that in the last dasy perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient, to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (4) Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God".
By indulging in self worship, many in the church have strayed away from the path and plan of God for their lives and have fallen captive to the sinful works of the flesh which have unlocked the iniquities of their heart. As a result of not being true standard-bearers for Christ and not walking uprightly before the Lord, the modern church has become a stumbling block to many in the world. This has caused many in the world to be turned away from God rather than drawn to Him, as they have seen to many people that claim to represent God, do and say some ungodly things. This has left them with a bad taste in their mouths and helped harden their hearts toward the Lord. Poor representation of Christ has brought shame and embarrassment to the "body of Christ" as well as dishonor to the Lord's holy name.
From the midst of the "False Church", God is calling the "Real Church"! God is now summonsing a people to come forth and be the church He ordained them to be. God is looking for someone that will walk up right and stand firm on the principals of His holy word and not compromise. God wants a remnant of folk that will rise up in the midst of a "False Church" and stand for holiness and Godliness. God is beckoning for somebody to stand when others are taking down and straying from the path of righteouness.
Are you apart of that remnant? Are you one of the people that God is searching for? Are you one of the individuals that God is now calling and beckoning for? If you are, then, answer the call! God is waiting on you! Stand up and be a reflection and an example of Christ in the earth. Yes, He understands that we're not perfect, but He just doesn't want us to be fraudulent. If we say we represent God, then, He wants us to live like it. He wants us to represent Him in the "beauty of holiness" (Psalms 29:2). He knows we have our ups and downs...our hick ups and hang ups...as well as our faults. However, according to 1 John 1:9, God wants us to come lay those short comings down at the alter, and allow Him to wash us, cleanse us, purge us and deliver us! God wants to make us, shape us, mold us and prepare us for true end time ministry. We may not be "perfect" for the job, but if we bring our imperfections to Him, He will make us "right" for the job!..........WILL YOU STAND?!?!
Please revisit WWW.WEEKLYRHEMA.BLOGSPOT.COM next week for another Rhema Word from the Lord. Until then, may God richly bless you!
"ADVANCING THE KINGDOM, ONE SOUL AT A TIME"
