The Makeup of the Church

The Makeup of the Church

5/22/13

Modern technology has allowed us to see different parts of the world without leaving our own home offices.  This technology has provided us with a great opportunity to witness one of the greatest achievements of man and that is architecture.  Church buildings are a great example of this which was emphasized to me last month while on vacation.  And even though one understands that a building does not make up a church the structure of the building can represent the makeup of the church that worships within its walls.  That is why it is a good idea to keep the physical attributes of our senses intact as well since one cannot grasp the personal atmosphere of a scene by presenting a picture alone.

My family and I recently took a trip down to Tucson, Arizona to spend some time with my brother and his family.  We had an excellent trip and with the exception of a minor delay in Flagstaff, Arizona the trip went without any glitches.  We had good weather, good food and excellent hosts for the weeklong visit.  Both families had made detailed arrangements in order to have the smoothest trip possible, everything went according to our plans including the museums and other sites that we had marked as necessary sites to visit.

One of the places that we visited was an old mission that was located south of Tucson.  It is called the San Xavier Mission and it is a great site to behold.  Besides getting to see my brother and his family, this stop was going to be the highlight of the trip for me.  The reason for this is because I study church history and this love of mine extends even towards the design of church buildings, both interior and exterior.  I took multiple pictures of this church while we were there, too many some would say but in my opinion I could have taken about a thousand more.  This stop only heightened my love of the church and everything that she represents I just hope that I have further opportunities to visit more of them in distant lands and other faraway places before I depart this world.

My first glance of the church came as we were driving along the highway and approaching the exit that would take us into the direction of the church.  The landscape of southern Arizona is basically the same when you look around, sage brush with a bunch of dirt and sand.  So when something white sticks up into the air it is quite visible even from a short distance away and so was this church.  One also has to imagine that when this church was built there were no paved highways or roads present only dirt ones and most likely trails this far south.  This was reinforced into my brain as we pulled up to the church and I noticed that the entire area surrounding the building was dirt, with only a concrete sidewalk leading up to its gate entrance.

As I got out of the car my attention immediately became entrenched on the church and the camera began snapping.  I was giddy inside with complete excitement added on top this was what I had been waiting to see.  The question of “why was I excited?” was churning within my head since I had been in hundreds of church buildings during my life, but somehow I knew this experience would be different.  As we all approached the building my thoughts took me back to Salinas, California and the time that my family spent there.  There are hundreds of small missions and churches that line the El Camino Real and I had no desire to see any of them in my four years of living there.  So much church history that I could have learned from those places and thousands more like them, but my heart was not in tune with God’s houses at that time.

As I walked along the sidewalk towards the church I became so engrossed at the building in front of me that I had not noticed that the rest of my party had stopped to wait for one of the other kids a few yards back.  For some reason I took my eyes off the building and then noticed that I was all alone.  I stopped along the sidewalk to wait for the girls to catch up, I was anxious to get inside and see what the interior of the building had to offer my eyes.  I took another long glance of the entire outside of the complex and then I could not wait any longer so I began walking again once the girls got close to my position.  I went past the gate and entered to the area in front of the church and then noticed that there were more buildings that I had been expecting, which meant more things to stare at in wonder.  I could continue my description of the pictures that I was taking of the outside portion of the building but I shall save that detail for a later article. 

We then entered into the main building where the sanctuary was located.  The room was filled with people both sitting and standing.  It was not crowded inside by any means but there were a number of people inside all doing one thing, admiring the interior designs of the building.  I remember one lady that was sitting on one of the ends of a pew and as I approached where she was sitting I saw a soft smile appeared from her mouth, I have no idea why she caught my eye but it was a quaint moment and immediately as I returned a smile in her direction it was over.  I returned to my scanning mode of the sanctuary and began symbolically salivating as I approached the front where all of the statues and artwork adorned the walls and roof of the building.  I began to snap pictures with my camera as fast as I could get the thing to focus again and I am positive that someone inside the sanctuary had their eyes trained on my tourist like features that was present on my face as each digital picture was recorded on the camera. 

I was in heaven, and I was mesmerized with the layout of the artwork that had been strategically placed in very available space within the sanctuary itself.  I went to every corner of the sanctuary and spent as much time at each stop as I could until the person behind me began to get impatient with my slow pace.  I reluctantly moved ahead and began the same process at this stop once again, the people behind me was not enthused about my progress.  At that moment I really did not care about what they were thinking I just wanted to stand in that position and stare at the portraits and try and understand what each one meant and why they were painted along with the reasoning behind their artwork.  I could hear the tour guide talking, who was harboring a large tour at the same time, in the distance about the very things that I was wondering about, but could not pay too much attention since I was captivated by the beauty of all that I was witnessing.

As we continued through the sanctuary, and my camera continuing its quest to cover each inch of the interior, I went and sat down on one of the pew rows for a few minutes.  My mind began to race with thoughts about who all might have been in the same place that I was sitting and at the same time my heart sank knowing that some of those people might have died not knowing what it meant when it came to the reason why this church was built.  I guess that in every church building that we enter into and sit down on the pews or chairs, there have been different people that have been there with the same thoughts and conditions as I.  This thought kind of jolted my insides a bit, knowing that once again human history has allowed for people to leave this world not knowing what true life means for them.  I continued to sit there and look around at the wonderful views of the place until once again I had been so captivated in my own world that I had failed to notice that everyone else in my party had left the building and I was all by myself.  This was not a problem but a signal for me to surrender my position and let another person gaze at the artwork from that specific spot. 

There were brochures and pamphlets located everywhere on the church campus which had historical details printed about the mission and the purpose and reasons for its construction.  Detailed history notes were hanging from each wall even in the small rooms where prayer vigils were being conducted.  The church is still an active church with services being held every day, I wish I had the opportunity to meet the parish priest I would have had a thousand things to ask him and talk with him about the church.  My tour of the complex was nearly completed a few hours later, but I hated to leave this place.  There was something about the presence of this church that was located in the middle of nowhere that was sticking to my insides, and I had no idea but God was about to show me something about His church; another one of those dumb me, realization moments was about to begin.

After we had left the church building, we walked over to another set of buildings that housed a small café along with some other souvenir shops.  We came across one of the famous Native American movie actors that lived in the area who operated one of the small stands within the courtyard of these buildings.  Our party spent a few moments talking with him and listening to some stories behind the jewelry that he was selling, all quite interesting but we did not buy anything at this time.  We all eventually began to make our way back to the cars to depart.  I decided to take one more look around the complex before I got into the car and it was at this point in which God decided to show me a thing or two.  I had spent at least thirty minutes staring at the front of this complex and had not noticed a detail, maybe I had but my mind did not register it until God decided to point it out to me.  And as soon as I realized this specific detail, God began to show me what He wanted me to understand. 

At the beginning of this article I have included a picture of the front of the church campus.  If you notice the entire building is painted white, it really does stand out with a blue sky backdrop.  But what I noticed about this complex was that there are three different colors of white.  I was shocked when I had not realized this detail before and it struck me with a chill when God showed me that it is the difference in colors and the variety of colors within the church that makeup His church and not just structured buildings themselves.  

I can understand that different shades of white had to be used since renovations, additions and routine and upkeep procedures required a new coat of paint at certain times.  Or was it because additions to the complex occurred?  All of these and many more explanations could be given, but it was the color representation that matters and not the outward color of the church building itself that mattered.  The different colors of white were a symbol that when the church grows it will automatically attract different kinds of people and only thriving churches attract new people within its walls.

The colors inside the building are not the statues or paintings but the people that go in and out of the building.  The church building is just that a building it can be decorated in any fashion but in the end it is still a building.  It is the occupants on the inside the building that counts and also represents the life of the church, not the building.  The same concept holds true about us in the fact that our outside buildings (bodies) are not what matters but it is what is on the inside that counts. 

Our bodies are a temple for God and we have forgotten this concept in such a manner that we have focused on the temple, the thousands of artifacts that we deem important to our lives, and not God.  It is ok that the building is beautiful and it is ok that the building is simple and quaint, but it is not the building that counts.  The building will pass away but it is what is inside that building that matters.  It is so important that we take our eyes off of the building and all of its pretty fixtures, because they can easily become idols in our lives.  It is important to focus on God that resides within us or not within us that really matters and it is this point of order that we need to reexamine our inside and figure out what others are learning about us as they enter into our realm (temple area).

Restore your building and allow the master carpenter to repair the scenery of our insides so that the ones who look upon us will see Him and not the objects that we have been given.  God is in the restoration business and it is never too late to allow Him to change your insides of life.  It is not the paint job that matters but the inner makeup that shows off the inner sanctuary of your life.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time at this mission and I hope to return to it sometime in the near future.  I also will remember what God showed me through my visit and how much more important church and church history is in my life.  Also, I shall never forget that even though the building may be attractive it is who dwells within my temple area that matters and the question that I must ask myself on a regular basis is as follows:  Is God visible enough in my life to show a dying world the true safety, hope, restoration and security of His love for all mankind?

DLB

Stop and Smell the Roses

Stop and Smell the Roses

5/14/13

Our hectic lives prove to everyone that our time is short when it comes to seeing what all that surrounds us.  God has placed many objects of beauty on our planet for us to enjoy and not just bypass.  It is our responsibility to get the work done that is assigned to us but it is also our responsibility to stop and look at the roses that God planted for us as well.  God is not all work and no play so why should we run our lives contrary to what He believes?

Some of you may know that I am an avid sports nut and that there are not many sports out there that I did not play or know something about.  I am not an expert on any sport nor did I play any sport professionally but I did grow up with sports and I did play many of these sports that I loved and even had the opportunity to coach a few teams along the way as well.  When I was a teenager I believed that tennis was the best sport on the planet that is until I discovered my love of soccer within me.  I continued my quest of tennis by playing the sport, learning the sport, watching the sport and falling in love with the sport.  Ask my parents, there was not an opportunity that I missed to be on the court.

Tennis was a popular sport that was covered during the 1980s since the majority of the great players were produced from the United States.  I am not biased about this call but with the exception of a few other European figures, American tennis in the 80s was at its peak.  The digital age had not arrived yet and live television was still in its toddler stages but it was a way to watch tournaments being transmitted within a few seconds of its happening.  I knew when all of the major tournaments occurred and who won them the previous year, I also knew who my favorite player was and in some cases I reflected his temperament at home and definitely displayed this attitude while I was playing.

However, this article and note is not about me or my favorite player it is about a certain point in a certain match that I wish to use as an example.  One of the players in this example match was named Jimmy Connors who is an American and was quite popular, and good, during this time period.  He played well enough to be ranked #1 in the world and was considered to be one of the all time best players of the sport and with all of the time that he and other players took to compete at that level, each one of them deserved to be in the limelight once in a while.

I understand the amount of time and effort it takes to rise to the position of being a professional sports person and I also realize that it takes a bit of luck and momentum in order to rise within the ranks of that person’s particular sport.  Sometimes it is hard for people to understand at what level these athletes must maintain in order to keep their positions in their profession and it is difficult for others to recognize that sports can be a profession in its own right.  And as with any profession, the participants must stay well equipped and fit enough to not get left behind the other up and coming stars.

The tournament was the U S Open and it was one of the later rounds that Mr. Connors was participating in.  Of course the crowd was on the side of Connors since he was the favorite child of the States at that time but it was also the level of play that made this setting more interesting when this particular point was played.  It was not at the end of the match nor was it a real pivotal point in the match but it did demonstrate this concept of stopping for a moment and taking a break even while you are working.

The tournament and match that I am going to use as the example occurred at the U S Open.  This tournament is played at the end of August in New York City which means that the temperatures can be hot and muggy.  These weather conditions can take a toll of the players and provide little or no resting periods in between points and games.  It is a grueling array of conditions that the players train in so that it can be possible to overcome the obstacles that are presented during their match.  This was the case on the game and point in question and will serve as the setting of the article.

The center court of the U S Open is decorated with flower bed boxes that are located on the junction of the court surface to the walls that lead up to the stands.  The cameras always find time to focus on these flower boxes because the flowers that the boxes contain are in full bloom and are very pretty to look at.  One point of the match was being played and it was proving to be an extended point.  When the weather conditions are hot players do not like long rallies that produce long points because it takes so much energy to complete each point, so shorter and faster points are generally desired.  But this point was a one of the longer ones and the rally continued for almost one minute, which does not seem like it would be too long but running and flailing your body around for that long in the heat can get tiresome quickly.

The players were hitting what seemed to be strokes that should have ended the point but somehow each player reached the ball and returned it for another volley.  Finally the opposing player hit the ball towards the sideline of the court but Connors was not going to quit easily so he ran over towards the ball and did his best to return the ball.  He missed the ball completely but the momentum that he had built up to try and return the ball carried him over to the side of the court where he lost his balance and fell right into one of the boxes of flowers. 

The crowd went nuts because of the length of the point and the effort that each player gave in order to win that single point.  Connors sat in the box of flowers for a few seconds and then looked up at the opposing player who had crossed over the net to make sure that Connors had not hurt himself in the fall.  Connors said he was fine and then began to look around for his racket.  The opposing player then turned around and walked back to his side of the net towards his position for the next point.

After Connors located his racquet he continued to sit there in the flower box for a few more seconds and then turned his attention to a flower close to him that he had not crushed in his landing.  He picked it up and looked at it for a second and then placed the flower under his nose and took in a deep breath.  Afterwards he let the breath out and then said to everyone as he was getting up “sometimes you just have to stop and smell the roses.”  While the opposing player did not see the humor in the situation the crowd and Connors did.  Connors was not hurt and he returned to his position and began play once again.

I have watched many tennis matches during my life and that match was the only time that I have witnessed a player fall into a garden box of flowers during a match.  I am sure that it has happened before and that it will happen again but it is the fact that sometimes while you are going along in your business day or daily life there comes a time where you need a rest and it is wrong for us to ignore this concept, no matter what type of conditions we are involved in completing.

There have been many pamphlets, articles and books written concerning how nature and its beauty produces chemical reactions within our bodies that when encountered somehow send these chemicals to parts of our insides and relaxes our body in a natural manner which refreshes our lives so that we may continue our arduous journey.  One of my email groups that I am a part of is a group that sends only scenic pictures, wilderness pictures and other outdoor pictures.  And when my eyes focus on these scenes my body automatically sends relaxing messages and a calming effect comes over me.  I cannot explain this phenomenon but I do understand its affects on my body and I can immediately feel the results.

God has placed these roses in our paths for a reason and that reason is for us to enjoy them and the beauty and relaxation that we feel when we observe them.  God expects us to work hard for the things that we have in life, for He worked hard to develop His world long before we were around.  So why would God want us to have the same opportunities as He did to rest?  He expects us to keep His commandments then we must also respect and keep His examples of work as well.

Stop and smell the roses even if that rose is a joke or funny situation, stop and take the time to relax for a bit and renew ourselves from our hard working lifestyles.  There is always a reason that God says to do something or not to do something, and looking at the beauty of the world that God made is one great example of this.  I have to admit that I have not kept up my end of the bargain when it comes to smelling the roses, and I plan on changing that in my life.  This action promotes life and happiness not only for me and my family but also to my God who has provided me with the chance to smell the rose.

Yes, this is a part of the restoration process.  It allows us to remember what God has done for us and that everything He has done has a purpose for our lives and it is our responsibility to live within His purpose for our life and to be a witness as we enjoy His presence.  God loves us enough to create the relaxing moments in our lives as well, do not ignore them, embrace them and restore your faith and trust in God.

DLB

The Church in Camouflage

The Church in Camouflage

5/5/13

For those of us who have hunted, we understand that we need to blend in with our surroundings when we are trying to obtain food for our families.  Animals have a keen sense of eyesight, hearing, and smell that dwarf our senses in which we need to figure out a way to fool them enough in order to complete our mission.  The Church has taken on this type of attitude with their ideology of wanting to blend into the world settings yet at the same time try to make a stand against our enemy that operates in the world.  It is not our job as Christians to blend in with the world, but to stand out and set an example of God’s restoration and love for His people.

I understand that the entire gun issue is considered to be a “hot” topic right at the moment but this article is not going to be about guns per say, instead, it is going to deal with the process of blending.  These words will not be about the hunting or gun safety, for that is a human setting and is not what God desires for us to understand concerning this subject.  However, God does want us to understand that there is a difference from man’s way of thinking and His way of thinking when it comes to the concept of standing out from the crowd. 

Today the popular thing to do is to run with the crowd and while that belief is not a new concept it is one that has taken hold in our society with an equivalence of a death grip.  Doing the right thing has been flashed across our eyes and argued over for quite some time and while the idea of people adhering to the laws of the land and doing what is right is a wonderfully imaginative and utopian way of thinking we have discerned it is not a method that humans like to follow on a recurring basis.  It is our nature to test the borders of the unknown and to stretch the mind’s thought patterns while examining ideas that go contrary to what has been previously established that have been deemed off limits for further interpretation.  The mind’s dexterity is a God given talent that we take for granted and then ignore this detail to further the humanistic agenda of the world instead of using it to complete what God has started within man.

Approximately fifteen years ago or so my dad and I took a trip to El Salvador.  The trip was going to be taken around Christmas time and given this fact the weather in Colorado usually meant a cold environment; however, at this time, the weather had been not been too terribly cold and up till this time had pretty much followed the typical weather patterns for the change of seasons.  There were no real weather concerns on the day that dad and I left for El Salvador so we really did not think too much about the clothes issues.  Dad and I knew that it was going to be a short trip to the local airport and that there were no pressing weather alerts in the near future so we dressed accordingly to the weather conditions that would be presented to us upon our arrival in El Salvador. 

For those of you that might not be aware of the location of El Salvador, it is a country that lies in Central America on the Pacific Ocean side of this region.  The country has a tropical climate in which it follows a rainy season and a dry season and with being a Central American country warm weather abounds almost year round.  These weather patterns are common and usually do not change.  Dad had been to El Salvador many times before and knew exactly how to dress for our stay in the country.  The manner in which we packed perfectly suited us for our stay in Central America but since the ten-day weather forecast was not a popular option at that time in the 1990s there was no way to ascertain what was coming from the Arctic region upon our arrival back to the States.

The trip was an interesting one for me since I had never been to Central America before but one with no major hiccups while we were there; however, no major accomplishments were made either.  Dad did get to speak at a small community church and preached Kingdom to them, which they really did not grasp that concept but it was a door that was opened to their spirits; great local food was also consumed and I had the opportunity to witness some of the countryside living of the people.  When the length of our trip was completed, dad and I said goodbye to the missionary that hosted us then boarded the plane for our trip back to the States.

We arrived in Houston after a decent ride from El Salvador and departed the plane to go through the routine steps of U S Customs.  Customs is usually not a problem and our time in Houston Customs proved to be short lived and both of us were soon on our way down the terminal towards the gate of our connecting flight to Denver.  We had a considerable amount of time before our flight to Denver so I decided to walk around a bit and see part of my old stomping grounds, we had lived in the Houston area back when I was in junior high and high school so parts of the terminal brought back a few distant memories of mine so I wanted to explore a bit.  Even though I was confined to the terminal, September 11^th had not occurred yet so I was a little bit freer to roam away from our gate.

After a while I returned to the gate and I realized that dad was staring at the TV that was in our area.  I then turned my heads towards the same TV that dad was staring at and quickly recognized that the weather report was being broadcasted and that a large Arctic front was pushing down through the western portion of the United States.  This included Colorado and from all indications it was bringing snow ahead of the front and then bitterly cold temperatures soon afterwards.  It dawned on us that we had no coats for the arrival in Denver and with the weather conditions in Colorado no outbound flights to Grand Junction were going to precede either, but one step at a time we agreed.

Our flight to Denver was delayed a little due to the backed up air traffic flow in and around the Denver area and also it allowed the ground crews in Denver to improve the conditions of the runways but for the most part all went according to plan on this leg of the trip.  The landing in Denver went without a hitch and our plane landed into a solid white landscape and within a few minutes we would unknowingly realize just how cold it was outside.  After de-boarding the plane dad and I made our way towards the gate of the final leg of our trip which was to Grand Junction and sure enough as soon as we arrived at the gate it was posted that all flights to Grand Junction had been cancelled until the morning.  This meant spending a night in Denver and enduring the cold in our tropical clothing.  The airlines made us arrangements with a hotel and we then were instructed to take our bags and go wait for the hotel shuttle outside.  This was when reality hit both of us about the cold weather and the current lack of jackets, there is nothing like a frigid blast of cold air in light clothing when the doors to the outside open.

Those of you who know that if you have to wait for a hotel shuttle the wait can be quite some time and if the weather conditions are horrid then the wait can be even more special.  Such was the case for dad and I while we are standing in about five degree weather with approximately a foot of snow on the ground and both of us are dressed in pants and Hawaiian short sleeved shirts and light weighted plants.  Yes, many people who were headed for the same hotel destination witnessed our dressing behavior and had a good chuckle at our expense.  Dad and I stood out like a sore thumb and it was obvious that whoever saw us would immediately know that we had not been prepared for this part of our journey.

The mark that dad and I made on the current weather conditions proved to be funny to some and rightly so, dad and I both laughed at us as well.  This was obvious the next morning when some of the people on the shuttle admitted that they were the ones laughing because we stood out so much.  Once they heard the true story they understood our clothing conditions and some even said we were brave to stand out on the curb for so long.  The flight to Grand Junction was uneventful yet cold.  We were picked up at the airport and promptly driven home to our house without any further excitement.

Switching gears here a bit for the remaining moments, in the south it is a common method to have what is called a deer lease.  This is where a person or group of people gather in a certain area of the woods for a certain period of time and then try their best to fill their tags for food for the coming year.  Thousands of people hunt this way in the south and it also provides a way for families to spend time with each other as well.  The same laws and concepts are in place when people are using a deer lease and the customs of camouflage also play an important role in the determination of a successful hunt.  Some of the hunters would place themselves into a camouflaged tree stand and wait for the animal to approach their immediate area, others would have seats in tall trees along with the majority of those sitting on the ground under a tree or in a group of bushes waiting for the opportunity to surprise the animals when they came into range.

If you have ever been hunting in a different part of the country other than where you normally reside, one will notice that the camouflage patterns of hunting clothes are different.  The majority of the patterns might be close but the colors could be switched or vice versa.  Different parts of the country have different layouts and the camouflage must adhere to nature’s patterns in order not to be noticed.  We the Church have followed the popularity of the camouflage views of pattern fitting and have we have adopted and perfected this hiding plight to attract people all the while smiling at them as we approach them with the mission of Christ.

It is preposterous to believe that the Church has resorted to using this type of philosophy while presenting ourselves as an alternative to the world.  Yes, I am going to talk about the Church and how she is seen by the world again for it is a presentation that we are ignoring and it is a spiritual and authoritative condition that we have been fooled into believing as the truth.  It is also time for us to be aware of this state of existence and shed this type of reputation that we have embraced.  The Church cannot afford to camouflage herself in worldly disguises and then expect to be an effect and truthful light to the world.

There is an abundant amount of evidence to support the claim that the Church has purchased this type of spiritual camouflage with the intentions of using this type of disguised look and in turn using the benefits of worldly standards then have the notion that she can perform her spiritual duties while all along using the world’s covering tactics to attract converts.  This is a perfect example of being divided and trying to serve two masters, it cannot be done and the concept of blending in with the world or to agree with the overall worldly trends represents this fact of idolatry that will soon wipe the spiritual life of the Church helpless.  This camouflaged method of presentation and acting showing cowardly motives towards the true and ultimate mission of the Church needs to be recognized and called out to those who have adopted this approach. 

There is absolutely no way that the Church can honestly believe that we can blend in with the worldly standards and still remain spiritually viable in our responsibilities.  The responsibilities of the Church are to separate people from the world and to shed light on the darkness that surrounds them and the only way that we can effectively approach this mission is to stand out from the world and not to look like it.  How can something or someone be accepted to a new and different idea with open arms if those that are approaching them are covered in clothing that conceals their appearance and looks like current trends?  Put yourself in their place for a moment, if someone approached you in this manner wouldn’t you feel a bit uneasy about listening to what these people had to say? 

Not only do we present ourselves as a lie to those we are trying to reach but we also open spiritual doors up to infectious beliefs of the world that we may too one day ascertain to be the truth.  Camouflaging the Church is a very dangerous game and many of us have allowed this process to take hold within our congregations and personal lives.  And at some point in the person or people that we have led into the church, will recognize your activities and come to the conclusion that they have been duped into something that is in itself a lie. 

See, our enemy will allow this type of action by the Church to occur simply because he understands that people will follow the example that the camouflaged Church is presenting to others all the while knowing that the hurting people will eventually recognize the truth of the situation and further distance themselves from the truth concerning their spiritual condition.  Jesus never hid Himself to the world in any manner, He stuck out like a sore thumb and He would not have had it any other fashion.  You will then be labeled as a hypocrite and thus the mission that you have been destined to completed will effectively be destroyed.  Jesus’ mission was clear to Him and He made His mission clear to everyone around Him as well and so should the Church act in like manner. 

For the Church to accomplish our mission we need to shed the camouflaged spiritual appearance and leave it for the physical hunters.  We are not hunters and nor should we conceal ourselves as we walk into our surroundings either.  We are people that stand out and proclaim the unwavering truth about life and to be separated and different from worldly practices.  We cannot approach people who do not know God in these blending in conditions and here is the reason why. 

A camouflaged person or group is just that hidden from the truth.  When we approach people with our camouflage on and try to form a relationship with tem or to try and witness to them, the scene will result in total failure.  This type of presentation has not been the example that we have been shown to present and if any church has presented the gospel in this manner they are producing a lie.  Jesus had nothing to hide and neither should we.  The Church represents an open book that is supposed to provide hurting people with the truth of the gospel and not take on a form that represents any type of hidden spiritual conditions. 

Our mission is to turn on the light to the people and to shed this light to all mankind.  It is time for us to shed our camouflage and to once again restore the concept of truth to others.  It is our duty to stand out in our Hawaiian type shirts in the freezing snow and draw the attention to those who are hurting.  The Church can no longer afford to hide herself in the world any longer and she will be ripe for destruction if she continues this course and nothing would be more pleasing to our enemy if we follow the same path as the world.  In short, if the Church continues her path in a camouflaged state then the world shall continue its path towards destruction and if the Church sheds this camouflaged present state, God has promised to restore our land.

The Church must once again grasp and understand the concept that there are only two options to choose from.  One option is the world and everything that it stands for and the second option is the ways of God.  And because of the two separate and opposing spiritual kingdoms that are represented there will never be any distinguishing characteristics found of our enemy in God’s Kingdom.  Man may present himself with the ways of the world within the church, but it will soon be exposed which will bring further pain in the Church and in the world.  Their separation is eternal and spiritual and can never live in unity.  The Church cannot live in both and must choose which to serve.  Man’s ways shall never line up with God’s ways, even if they are considered to be good.  God has His laws in place for an exact purpose and only through His laws can man find his way back to the heart of God.  These laws and ways of God stand out against the backdrop of the world, do you?

The mission that Jesus gave us is to change the world into the likeness of Him.  We cannot effectively do this by camouflaging our appearance in order to attract others.  We must separate ourselves from the world completely so that when we encounter the worldly standards we can honestly represent what Christ has to offer.  We are not to condemn the world for their actions but we are to embrace those who wish to know about Christ His ways and to turn from the self indulgences of the world.  You never help hurting people with lies and you accept their conditions as they are presented and then you allow God to change their lives through the honest and acceptable Word of God.  God does not hide His words, Christ did not hide through His life so why should we any different than our examples.

DLB