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Weekly Wisdom Winnows
by Lisa Mendenhall
Are you assembling or disassembling? Do you find yourself making excuses as to why you "don't have to be at church every time the doors are open"? And saying things like, "I have done that before and I got burned out!" Or things like, "That is legalistic thinking, I am free to do what I want!"
I believe with all my heart that these are just excuses for our flesh! Now think about it. Don't you think your inner man, the real you, the part connected to God Almighty loves being in the presence of God? Loves hearing the Word of God? Loves being around the other brothers and sisters in Christ? What part of you don't like these things? Your stinking flesh! Lets address some of these fleshly thoughts;
[1.] Getting burned out. This does not come from being in church all the time and doing things for God. Burn out comes from doing these things aside from the power and anointing of God. That just tells me that you are not spending any time in the Word of God and In His Presence for yourself in your personal time. Because the Word clearly states that what is in you will come out. If you were full of the Word and sensitive to the Spirit of God then you would be saying things like, "My flesh may not like it, but bless God I am going to church! I am going to do what I know is right and needful for me whether I feel like it or not! I am going to be a blessing to God because He has done so much for me. The only way you have this attitude is if you have spent time with Him so you can see what He has done and then you are grateful. So simply stated, burn out comes from running on empty spiritually, not by what you do or how much you do.
[2.] Legalistic thinking, free to do what I want. Yes you are free to do what you want, because Jesus paid a very high price for your freedom. But He freed you from the power of the devil and out of the world system and its thinking, so that you can be free to SERVE HIM, the one who gave you EVERYTHING! It is not bondage, going to church and being in the presence of God and His body. It is JOY and if it is not then maybe you need to check your attitude. I am not saying your flesh is going to want to go all the time but that is where you have to draw the line. Start telling your body and mind what it is going to do and how it is going to think. Again you have to have the word of God and the power of God working in you to be able to do this. Make an attitude adjustment, start thinking like this, I GET to go to church. Not I HAVE to go to church. Your attitude will determine your altitude. How high you climb in God and in your life.
In Hebrews 10:24-25 it says;
The Amplified Bible (verse 24)
And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities,
Good News Translation - Second Edition(verse 25)
Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.
Why do you think God makes it clear we are not to quit or get slack in going to church? There are even some churches who quit there Sunday Night services saying things like, "people need their family time" etc... Now don't stone me, hear me out. I am NOT judging other churches, okay? I am just trying to make a point!
Why can't people lay aside other things instead of church? I believe these scriptures are saying that we should be spending MORE TIME in church not less. Read it again, look it up in different translations. In the Good News, verse 25 says ALL THE MORE AS YOU SEE THE DAY.....
Do you think God is saying these things to just be a tyrant? To give us more laws to go by? NO, this is for our sake and for the sake of the body of Christ. Read the words....consider, give attentive, continuous care, watching over one another, stirring up, encourage...all these are things we do for one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.
There are things we get under the corporate anointing that you can't get alone and on your on...Now I am not saying that you can't receive from God on your on but I am saying, "GOD SAID"....these are for our good and for the good of the ones we love and are suppose to be putting ahead of ourselves.
I also believe that for some of us we stay so busy that this is the only word we hear and see. Very few of us take time to put the word in ourselves. So if we go to church 3 times a week we are only getting fed spiritually 3 meals in 7 days. If you ate like that with food you would starve to death!
And think about this, how often does your mind get still and quiet enough to hear from God? Not very often I bet. This is a time to be able to hear Him speaking to you. There is also protection in being constant in a church. It helps to keep the wolves at bay, which is a whole other subject.
Please consider carefully the words I have written. God did not put these words in the Bible just to fill pages. They are for our sakes. And please do not take offense, I am talking to myself just as much as I am talking to others. Just ask the Lord to let you see the truth in this matter. As the days grow closer to Jesus coming back there are going to be a lot of people growing colder towards the things of God. The Word says so...God said He would spew these people out of his mouth. Those that say they love God and have a form of godliness but denies the power thereof. Who do you think He is talking to here? CHRISTIANS! So take heed and listen closely for God to reveal the truth of this to you. It might very well keep you from falling away from God and letting the wolves come in your door. Be blessed!
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'To separate the chaff from (grain) by means of a current of air. To rid of undesirable parts. To separate or get rid of (an undesirable part); eliminate: winnowing out the errors in logic. ...separate grain from chaff...separate the good from the bad...examine closely in order to separate the good from the bad; sift...' (www.dictionary.com) 'This study gave me direction and focus for my teaching. God had placed a longing in my heart to teach the body of Christ how to separate from carnal thinking and rid themselves of old ways that hinder their Spiritual growth. I desire to see them live victoriously, by the 'higher ways' of God's wisdom.'
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