A Happy Church in Christ?

Jesus has given us all we need to live joyful, victorious lives, and it was His intention that we should experience and enjoy an abundant harvest of good fruit. This fruit is not just in relation to the quality / quantity of converts we have, nor is it just in relation to the character of God (fruit of the Spirit) shining through our lives.

The harvest we reap is not from our works alone, but comes also a result of our lifestyle.  So what is this good fruit?  What should we be harvesting?

The fruit I refer to is of course love, joy, peace, patience, self-control, but also prosperity (not necessarily wealth!!), and blessedness, words that bring hope and encouragement and comfort etc.,  amongst others.
The Bible refer to us as 'bubbling springs in the desert', it is this fruit that is the 'bubbling' in the spring. This fruit is what should be unhindered by the pressures of life and  bursting forth wherever we flow.

As the Body of Christ though, we still do not seem to have grasped the freedom that is ours in Jesus Christ. It is this freedom in the Spirit of Jesus, freedom from human and religious legalism, religious regulations, and the imposition of expectations.  It is these freedoms that we can enjoy only in Jesus, and that brings such fruit as a natural result.

Expressing our own personal freedom from the depression and drudgery of a pointless and hopeless life, and other bondages, is essential if we are going to fulfil the great commission given us, and attract people into the Church.

The fields are very ripe for harvest, but it would appear that many of the workers, unfortunately, have taken a worldly perspective of current economic hardship, financial depression, and have joined in that recession!!

It is important that as the physical expression of Christ's body here on planet earth, we be moving in the power and love of God, and be living in faith that rises above worldly concerns and offers a real alternative to the suffering world. If we are not having an effect within society, then we are failing our one true purpose.  We must affect society in the realms of poverty and injustice, bringing release to the bound.

Whether denominational, traditionalist, radical, progressive, 'house-church' movementist, or some other expression of the Body of Christ, there seems to be a drought as far as 'bubbling springs in deserts' is concerned. I speak of these 'bubbling springs' of course as the fruit we should be manifesting, love and joy, peace, prosperity, blessedness, power, etc..

The downtrodden in society need us to bring release to them. It is they that need healing, loving, blessing, prospering, and releasing, but until we experience 'bubbling springs' within our own lives it will not splash out and affect the world. If we do not experience it in our life how can we pass it on?

WHY NO 'BUBBLING SPRINGS'?

Why is it that within the church we do not seem able to live consistently in the fullness of joy, love, and power, that is our privilege in Christ?
For some of us, our experience of the joy and peace claimed and enjoyed in Christ is not our 'lifestyle'.
Our walk in the power of God, if we are honest, is quite often only exercised at the whim of God, when He particularly wants to bless another.  Our walk in the love of God (meaning a practical outworking love), is frequently dependent upon how we 'feel' (about our lives and self) unless, again we are particularly stirred by God for His purposes.

Our walk in the joy of God, again, is dependent upon us.  Are we satisfied? Have we been blessed?
If we are honest, many of us lean on the joy and experience of others to bring us into a joyful and encouraged place with God. Whilst I acknowledge this is a part of body ministry, it should be the exception not the rule.

I am not saying that all power, love, and joy, within every part of the Body of Christ is expressed in this negative manner.   What I am saying is that we can take the initiative in living a lifestyle that is seeking God in all our situations and circumstances. There is no need for dramatics and public display, for meetings with (or without) high profile or 'name' speakers, for God to move and exercise power.

Neither is it necessary to wait for Him to bring a particular need literally to our doorsteps.  If we are walking in the fruitful lifestyle that Jesus set us the pattern of then we will see needs all around us that WE can minister to.

For many of us, our experience of dynamic divine character expressed within us is interspersed with bouts of extreme depressions and crises.
Some of us still struggle with the old philosophy that to be good Christians we are not permitted to enjoy life and have fun. Even today, many years into the charismatic renewal and the new dynamic moving of the Holy Spirit, there appears to be an attitude amongst some that says that we must find our cross in order to be burdened by it, or we must find the thorn that will be a real pain in the.... side.

Quite often one can still get strange looks if one enjoys some light relief. It is as if suffering, misery and boredom are necessary, maybe as a sign of piety, in order to 'earn' our way into the Kingdom of God.

There is also still much evidence that within some churches there is still no knowledge of the freedom and benefits that are held for Christians in the Kingdom of God.  There is little knowledge generally about cutting off from ties of the past and hereditary problems.  Little is practiced in regard to prayer, and blessing, and speaking positively into another's life.

This is not a word of condemnation against denominations that have not moved on with the Spirit of God, rather, as I will explain later, it is a comment reflecting upon those of us who would claim to 'know better', or have 'it'.

Regardless of the reasons for our condition of suffering, or lack of fulness (however it is manifest), we must face up to our responsibilities as Ambassadors of the Kingdom of God.
We must ask ourselves, and answer truthfully, without seeking excuses or justification, questions that are important to God.

How much does our manifestation of spiritual dryness, expressing itself as 'depression', rate as one reason why the church within the U.K. has had little impact within society as a whole?
Is the lack of positive evidence and the negative witness of our lives alienating people from the salvation and release that is rightly theirs?

Are we prepared to accept responsibility for shortcomings in this respect?

We must be willing to respond, with repentance where appropriate,  for not having dealt adequately with existing problems. We must be disciplined and make a determined resolution to encourage others, and above all else, work out our own difficulties.

Being a Christian need not, and should not, be a gloomy or morbid way of life. Nor should we have to make excuses for a God who doesn't seem to move where there is poverty, sickness or injustice.

Christianity is not a sombre or powerless religion or philosophy. Neither need it be a life of penance and suffering.

The reality is, that if we have a genuine relationship with Jesus, if he is truly our Lord and Saviour, then our lives should be quite the opposite. Depression and drudgery should be as alien and repugnant as swearing or violence.

As we walk day by day, we should be seeing His power at work in the people that we meet, and their circumstances, as we bring the Kingdom of God into their lives.