Pax Christus vs Pax Romana

In the first century, the Roman Empire kept the peace by the power of the sword and the cross.

With the sword, they could enforce the law and with the cross they could punish those who defied the Empire through intimidation and public humiliation.

In Christ's Kingdom, peace is also maintained by the power of the sword and the cross.

But in His Kingdom, the Sword of the Spirit sets people free, transforms them into the image of Christ and separates truth from error and light from darkness.

In His Kingdom, the cross crucifies our flesh, puts to death our sinful desires and unleashes the resurrection power of Christ so we can experience His new life within.

The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, and the Word of God is Christ. He speaks freedom and life. [see John 1:1; Heb. 4:12; Eph.6:17]

Pax Christus or Pax Romana - your choice.

As for me, I choose the power of Christ's sword that sets us free and the cross of Jesus that transforms and resurrects rather than the sword that kills and the power of humiliation.

What about you?

-kg

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"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." - Hebrews 8:12-13

"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." - Eph. 6:17

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God....and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." - John 1:1; 14

EPIC FAIL

Over the weekend I came face to face with a very uncomfortable truth: I’m hardly willing to be inconvenienced for Jesus, much less to die for Him.

The scenario by which I came to realize this about myself is hardly relevant. Although, God’s process of revelation to me was quite elaborate and poetically executed. But the point was made and I cannot deny that this is true.

I want to die to myself. I believe that it’s essential to my walk with Christ. I understand that without my death to self, Jesus cannot live within me. Yet the sad thing is, I have not been practicing this in my daily life. I have placed my own personal comfort above the needs of others.

So, what now? I know that I am not the Christian I thought I was. I have seen my face in the mirror and I recognize my own hypocrisy, but what can I do about this?

It’s tempting to think that what I need to do is to become more spiritual. I should read my Bible more, or pray more often, or go and serve the poor more often, or maybe fast for a few meals. That should fix the problem, right?

Wrong. I know this because I’ve done all of that before. Yes, this has happened to me more than once. I’ve fallen short, missed an opportunity to be salt and light and flat-out blown it over and over again. In those cases I responded by doing more stuff for God, or trying to become more spiritual than I was before. All that it ever accomplished was to make me feel better about failing my Lord and helping me to re-apply the illusion to convince myself that everything was alright. But it wasn’t, and it isn’t.

Here is the truth: I am commanded to lay down my life and surrender everything to Jesus. I want to do that, but the process is difficult for me. I need to constantly surrender my life to Jesus every single day. Some days I accomplish this, other days I fail miserably.

This realization is God’s gift to me. He’s showing me the truth so that, together, He and I can nail yet another part of my flesh to the cross.

Jesus is trying to invade this space. I need to get out of his way and let him live and breathe in me. The process is ongoing. It involves a constant, daily surrender to Him.

Listen. Surrender. Repeat.

 

-kg

 

 

 

 

YOUR CHURCH MUST DIE

I used to say that the Church in America needs to go out of business. But now I believe that the best thing that could possibly happen to the church in America is for it to just lay down and die.

Forget about business as usual. Forget about that new program or the next church growth seminar. Forget about hiring a new pastor or cranking up the volume on the worship team.

Seriously? Just die.

Jesus was pretty clear that no one could possibly follow Him unless they first took up their cross daily and died to themselves. That’s what the Church needs to do. She needs to die.

Without death, there can be no resurrection. Without death, the life of Christ cannot be released into the Church.

We all know you can have better worship bands and still not have Christ in your midst. You can also have a great preacher and still not have Jesus at the center.

In fact, you can have all the best programs, staff, doctrine, leaders, facilities and an unlimited budget and still not have the heartbeat of Jesus at the core of your Church.

So, that’s why we all need to die. So that Christ can live in us and resurrect us from within.

As a wise man once said, “unless the Lord builds the house, the laborers toil in vain.”

Another wise man said, “I am the vine and you are the branches. Without me you can do nothing.”

So, maybe it’s time for our churches to die. Neil Cole, in his book “Church Transfusion”, even goes as far as to suggest that every church hold an actual memorial service to celebrate all the good things that our old way of doing and being church used to stand for. Dig a hole in the ground and drop in everything that symbolizes that old way of church. Say a few words. Sing some favorite songs. Enjoy some pies after the service. Go home and mourn for church-as-we-once-knew-it.

Next week, host a Baby Shower. Talk about what this new life might look like. Pray together and ask the Lord to show you as a people what His will and His plans and His purpose for your church might be.

Don’t use this as an opportunity to manipulate people into doing things your way. That’s the old church formula that you buried the week before. Instead, listen to Jesus. Really. Pray and ask Him to speak to you as a Body and wait for His direction. Not just to the senior pastor (like you used to do) but to the entire Body. As Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd, and my sheep hear my voice”.

Scripture tells us that, “if anyone lacks wisdom let him ask” so go to Jesus and ask Him. Then, do whatever He says.

If our churches in America would honestly lay down everything they have been clinging to and die to their old ways, then the power of Christ which is made perfect in weakness would be released within us. The resurrection of the Church would begin. And this nation, and the people of God, would be empowered to live surrendered lives of service to one another and the world.

Let’s all lay down and die. The Church needs a resurrection. The World needs a resurrected Church. We all need Jesus to live and breathe in us today.

-kg