The Daniel Fast

The Rainbow Pen!

 

Inspiring Christ's People

 

 

The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.... Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. (Psalm 24:1,7-10 NKJV). "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," Says the Lord of hosts. Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! (Zechariah 4:6-7 NKJV).

People first started calling the followers of Jesus the Christ using the nickname Christians in the great Syrian metropolis of Antioch. That word means Christ's people. When people speak of the Christian Religion they use the word Christianity or Christendom. Jesus the Christ is the same yesteryears, yesterday, today, now, tomorrow, forever, and always. Let us therefore focus on His people - people of every race and place and time. These are people for whom following Jesus the Christ is the most important thing in life. Another expression for all Christians is the Church. When people hear or see Church, they sometimes think only of a building, a place where Christians gather. Sometimes when people see Church, they may think of one particular group or denomination of Christ's people. Make little use of the word Church. Just focus all your attention on Jesus the Christ, and on those who follow Him as a lifestyle - His people!

Much of world history has been driven by what Christ's people have done. The story of Christ's people is full of surprising changes. There are continuing twists and turns. But Christ's people have always stayed the same. Remember what Jesus the Christ said, "I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not overpower it." The words of Jesus the Christ in the book of Matthew chapter 16 verse 18 have been proven true, over and over again. Many times the history of Christ's people has seemed about to come to an end and Christ's people have seemed to be fading away. They have often forgotten the words and ways of Jesus the Christ. They have often acted like ordinary people. They have often been pressured by their enemies, pushed out of their homes, and even persecuted to the point of death. Yet, many more people are following Jesus the Christ today than ever before. But many had predicted just the opposite!

Imagine Christ's people as a profound community of spiritual growth and of miraculous expectation, and personal transformation. Imagine this and bring it into being, reclaiming the Great Commission to make disciples and the Great Commandment to love people. The community of Christ's people would be a place in which faithful pilgrims journey together with shared vision that leads them to embrace the unchurched and each other. In the process, to find immense fulfillment and meaning for their lives. Based on shared vision and mission, the community of Christ's people can guide members into deeper and broader evangelism, an enhanced experience of community, and a renewed  hope for personal and spiritual transformation. This will lead to greater participation of the unchurched and an increased awareness of the miraculous, more relevance and more meaningful to the churched and to the unchurched, and more meaningful to its members.

The transformed community of Christ's peoples will change the lives and lifestyles of the faithful. It will fortify their commitment to discipleship and deepening their faith, and to strengthening their experience of the Gospel of Jesus the Christ. How do we stand some two thousand years after Jesus the Christ delivered the Great Commission? Christianity is still a minority faith, just 3 of 7 billion in world population. Various sources put it that not only is Christianity still a minority faith, it is also still under assault. Such a condition is to be expected, because Jesus the Christ never promised that His followers would win the world with the preaching of the Gospel or establish a utopia. Only the return of Jesus the Christ in person will achieve that. Moreover, He never promised that His Church would be immune from attack: “The world... hated Me... therefore the world hates you.” Though opposition to Christianity comes in all periods of history, it assumes new forms in each age.

External forces contending with the Church have been social-cultural, technological, economic, political, and spiritual. A threat to true Christianity is the pagan religions and cults, Eastern philosophies and religions. However, it may be said that the cults tend to breed where Christianity has failed. Christ's people are always just one generation away from extinction. You may wonder how you can add to the history of Christ's people at various times. Decide to expand focus on Christ's people to all continents of the world. Include the Eastern Orthodox Christians and other Believers, and not just focus on Roman Catholics or Protestants, evangelical or charismatic Christians. Only love lasts forever. Look at places where Christ's people used to be majority and strong but faded away to virtually nothing - Lebanon, Turkey and Europe. Just tell others the Good News of salvation, and Christianity will continue to thrive till Jesus the Christ returns in glory!