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tradition

So Where Do You Go To Church?

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I am going to be very clear about this topic, as I feel it is beginning to take more of a hold on people than we may realize. Don’t let the politics of an church or institution destroy your worship. Trust me, I could be a rich person for every time that someone has told me “that’s now how we do it at our church”! Please be careful to not let your life be made into religion or institutionalized when God has made the way to be free from that. If you would like the perfect test of how institutionalized or how much a church is open to everyone, just try attending a church of another denomination than your preference. If you find yourself being closed off to how the spirit of God can move because of being afraid of how you are received, then the power of a doctrine or tradition of that church may be greater than the liberty of Gods freedom to work in the people. If the church is open and loving to your anointing, know that there is nothing holding you back from yielding to God and having an amazing place to attend.

I am in places all the time where I am loved greatly until the very moment when I was asked the classic questions, such as: where do you go to church, who is your pastor, what do you all believe, what version of the bible do you use, etc. Some of the reactions have been null if at all, while in other cases I have been witness to the countenance change and addition of opinions/attitudes.

If I had a recommendation to give you as God leads my thoughts, it would be to be proud of the God that blesses you and your church rather than the institution itself. A church will fail you at some point (no matter how many people attend or outreach programs they have), but God will not! People will surprise you when they was cold on an indifference of what they believe versus you, but God will never leave you or forsake you.

On a very personal note, I have found in my life after attending many if not most of church varieties over the years that one thing is always present in a church that is growing and on fire: there is an abundant love for every person and no respect of person, period. I still know people even today that refuse to attend one church and only prefer their own institution, and it breaks my heart that we all cannot be open to work, worship and serve God together. Hear me if you dare, please please please do not fall into the pitfall of men’s ideals! Paul was not mad at the fact that roman Orthodox Jews condemned the Gentiles; in fact he was sorrowful by realizing that the only people that Sony have a free life in Christ are those bound by their own laws and ideals.

I am not attempting to start a revolution nor making an announcement of a denomination from my interpretation; I am as Paul, who claims to know nothing (free from institutions or mans binding ideals) but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He said as he was referring to his metaphor as an athlete, “I look not to the right or left”, or in other words He was to the value of the prize of Christ alone.

Let nothing steal the joy of your life in Christ! Find a church that doesn’t promote being a church that’s good at abiding in denomination, but that is filled with Gods love for everyone (and actual signs of it!).

Tradition Will Make The Gospel Of None Effect

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Matthew 15: 1-9

[1] Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
[2] Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
[3] But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
[4] For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
[5] But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
[6] And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
[7] Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
[8] This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
[9] But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society. Every type of group (family, community, church, religion, organizations, etc.) has traditions. If we are not very careful, we will make the Gospel of none effect by tradition. In Matthew 15 we find the Scribes and Pharisees are in opposition against Christ because the Disciples didn’t follow their tradition of washing their hands before they ate bread. Their intent was to find fault with Christ. Jesus ignored their tradition because He knew it was not scriptural. Knowing their hearts, he did however speak to them of a commandment they were not keeping. Notice the commandment was from God whereas the tradition was of a carnal nature. Jesus told them they were not honoring their father or mother but were giving their estate to the Temple so they wouldn’t have to take care of their aged parents. This freed them from their responsibility. But Jesus told them they had made the Commandment of God to Honour their father and mother of none effect by their tradition. I have visited many churches over the last few years and have found each church worships somewhat differently. Should I be offended that one church may worship God differently than I or should they be offended if I worship God differently than they? No, tradition should not matter but only that God is worshiped in spirit and truth.

I don’t want to worship in vain which means that my worship would not be accepted by God although it might meet the standards of man. I want to worship with my heart no matter how it may impact my flesh or those around me. I might look foolish and act differently from others but whatever God wants I want to be willing and ready to do. The Pharisees were offended at Christ because He didn’t follow their tradition. It is okay if others are offended as long as I am following what He wants in my life. If those around you get offended because you are obedient to God’s call on your life, then let them alone and press forward. This is what Christ did. He let them alone and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon where there was a Canaanite woman with a daughter who needed healing. If you are willing, God has much in store for you to learn and obtain. For years, I was wrapped up in traditions. I wasn’t listening for God to speak or for God to give me knowledge but I was taking the knowledge that another person had passed onto me instead of seeking God’s will and guidance for my life personally. Don’t be guilty of doing something because this is the way it has been done for years but ask God, Lord what would you have me do, where do you want me to be, what do you want me to say, what do you want me to do. Lord, I want to be what you want me to be. Please forgive me for not being effective in my life and in my worship of you.

Find A Good Place Inside And Out

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When it comes to having a fruitful life in God, one of the key pieces is the environment that you are surrounded in. We have wrote about this a lot lately and spoke on this topic it at multiple churches. It’s something we need to do, and do each and every day. I want to expand out on that a little bit to talk about the surroundings of you and your life.

I’ll just be honest with you today. If you are not in a spiritually fruitful church, you will definitely find it harder to grow in your personal life than it should have to be. Having a church with a good spiritual foundation and a willingness to work and reach out will produce a multitude of blessings and impacts upon people’s lives. However, more often than not, we are speaking with people that are in environments that are not providing that fresh spiritual revival that should be happening each and every time the doors open.

I’m not one to recommend that people go “church hopping” to be satisfied, so please let me make this clear. If you find yourself in a church where you are not able to grow due to the environment surrounding you, pray first for another place to go! Don’t just start visiting every church that you know; for sometimes our irrational actions will send the wrong messages to people. Ask yourself first in an honest way if you are doing everything you can to promote growth for yourself and for your church. If we can answer that with certainty and hindrances still prove to be in front of you, seek God for somewhere that you can grow (not somewhere you can go). Find an environment where the love of God is fluent and that you are able to be who God has called you to be.

Don’t let tradition and religion destroy your gifts and callings. Continue to strive to do the best that you can, and seek God in a way that when you feel the call to go and be a help to a new church that you are not going based on your emotions but upon the leadership of the spirit. And when the time is right, God will move for you. It won’t be a forced thing, but something that you know that God has performed. If God opens the door for another place for you to grow, God certainly wouldn’t make it a hard situation from where you are going from.

My whole point is this: Seek God first before we act out of ourselves! Find a place where you can grow and not just exist!