BeyondSeeLevel

It’s not uncommon for a member of a congregation to NOT be totally satisfied with everything in it. It’s good in this area, but needs work in that area. If it’s not the preaching, it’s the singing. If it’s not the hospitality, it’s the lack of outreach. If it’s not the leadership, it’s the followship. It’s always something wrong. Some people are so dissatisfied with their congregation, they even contemplate leaving to find what they feel is “better” or what they need. I will not begin to pretend that those things don’t matter, because they do. But I will say this, the way some ‘worship services’ are set up in local congregations all over the world, inadvertently have shifted the focus of worship of God on to our cultures, preferences, comfortabilities and likes. They’ve become religious arenas to do what we like, instead of what God likes.

The only person in the audience during worship, is God. We have members that lead in our assembly experiences to serve in different capacities. Sometimes we have a tendency to respond more to their performances, instead of being focused on the fact that God is observing us for our own individual worship to Him — the intentions of our hearts, our focus and the sincerity of our worship to God. When we come into the House of God, we’re all 100% responsible for offering up a worship to God regardless to what others are doing or not doing. Keep this in mind, just because we offer our praise and worship up to God, doesn’t automatically mean He accepts it. I think some of us would be totally shocked if we realized what God thinks and feels about our worship to Him — not the expressions of our worship. We sing good. We give good. We’re committed in service and consistent in attendance, but God is weighing the intentionality, sincerity, focus and hearts of our worship. He looks past how we perform and position ourselves in church, directly at our purpose and heart posture in Christ.

Sometimes, our lack of spiritual maturity, play a bigger part in our discontentment than we may realize. Perhaps we need to reprogram ourselves to think more “worship” than “service”. We say “Service was good.” “Church was good.”, as if our opinion of acceptance solidifies the genuineness of our worship and makes it a sweet smelling aroma in the nostrils of God. We assume that our participation in church or service mean that we’ve worshipped. It doesn’t. And we think that just because we attended ‘service’ means that we’re automatically serving God. It doesn’t. God is looking for a heart posture. And unfortunately, many of us have become the objects of our own worship to God. Our preferences get in the way. We can’t even enter into the presence of God because that preacher is or isn’t preaching; that person is or isn’t singing; that brother/sister is here or not here; that sound system isn’t working right; that greeter didn’t make me feel welcomed; the list is endless.

No congregation is perfect. If it was, it became imperfect the moment we got there. Sometimes, you have to work with what you got — kind of like what God is doing with us. He uses us all in spite of our flaws and failures. Then we must pray that God sends our congregation what or who it doesn’t have. You may be surprised if nothing changes but the people that are already there, including you.

Church folk will complain all day long about what we haven’t even committed ourselves to praying to God about. Shame on us! Our agitations should provoke prayers and Kingdom contributions, not criticisms and abandonment. We should have intentions to be part of our congregations to make a Kingdom contribution. Especially when we feel something is missing. Some of us are planning our exit strategy because we’ve come to receive, but we’ve yet to make a priority to give and serve. We think it’s about us everywhere we go. What we want. What we need. What we like. What we don’t like. It’s not. It’s about God! And when we make Him the priority, He’ll make sure that we have what we need.

Before you leave, spend time praying for yourself and your church. Ask God to grow you into a place where your worship experience with Him is so intentional and so engrossed that what’s going on around you won’t even matter. Who’s worshipping next to you or before you won’t matter, because you’re so focused on His presence and expectations of you; not your expectations of everyone else. Then pray that God sends your congregation whatever and whoever it needs to be more effective at helping people come to salvation and edifying souls. God may just start with you.

I’ve been discontent. I’ve complained. I’ve criticized. I’ve wanted to leave. But my prayer for myself was to keep the main thing the main thing…. My own worship to God and my Kingdom contribution. I want to be a solution to a problem. I want to make a difference, not just a dent in my church. I had to check myself and start praying for my own attitude and my perceptions. I had to address my own worship before the Lord. Then I started praying for my church and those that lead it. And all I can say is “Wow”. God moved! Not to please me. But to grow His church one member at a time to do what He’s called us to do. And He started with me 1st.

*Tressa Jo

When Jonah fled on a ship to Tarshish, he brought something with him. He brought a storm. That storm was so intense that it affected every sailor on that ship. The sailors fought to keep the ship from sinking. They tossed cargo into the sea to lighten the load. But that didn’t work. Jonah confessed that the storm was his fault. He had disobeyed God. Neither tossing cargo overboard or Jonah’s confession calmed the storm. The storm became stronger and stronger and the sailors became desperate because they knew their lives were in jeopardy because Jonah was on the ship. They asked Jonah, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” Jonah said, “Pick me up, and throw me into the sea, and then it will calm down. I know it is my fault that this great storm has come on you.” But even then, the sailors didn’t want to throw Jonah overboard. They tried to row the ship back to land, but they couldn’t. The sailors cried out to the Lord and eventually threw Jonah overboard to save their lives. The sea calmed. The storm was over. Their lives were no longer in jeopardy. Jonah was no longer in the boat.

The sailors on that ship came to realize what many of us have come to realize today. They realized that sometimes the drama in people’s lives become your drama when they get too close. Their storms become your storms. Jonah wasn’t a bad person. But he brought drama with him because of the choices and decisions he made that went against God’s commands.

Jonah confessed that he was the cause of the storm. But oftentimes, the people that come into our lives that bring trauma and drama won’t confess or even realize that they are the cause for so much chaos–not even when you tell them. Nevertheless, we have to make a decision whether or not to keep that person on our ship and risk our own demise or throw that person overboard.

This is why it is so important to use godly wisdom and discernment when allowing people into your lives and into your personal space. Because they don’t just bring themselves. They also bring energies, spirits and demonic influences. And when those energies, spirits and influences get close enough to you, they will attach themselves to you. Your entire world can be turned upside down. Not because you’re doing something wrong–but because you’ve allowed the wrong people into your life.

I once had a very significant relationship with an individual. I wanted this person in my life. But the relationship was abusive,toxic and dysfunctional. It seemed that every time I allowed this person into my life all hell would break loose. But as quick as they left, things would get better almost immediately. My peace would return. My stress would subside. My finances would improve. My overall life was better when they weren’t there. Eventually, I had to come to a realization and except that they were the reason for the storms in my life during that season. I remember the final conversation I had with this individual to close that chapter of my life. I told them that if I didn’t let them go, everyone in my ship would be destroyed.

Listen: You may have to tell someone, “Get off my ship!” to save your own life.

*Tressa Jo

In the Bible, the Rich Young Ruler asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus told him to sell everything he had and give to the poor. The Rich Young Ruler became very sad because he had great possessions. Jesus then said that it was easier for a rich man to go through the eye of a needle than it was for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Why? One lesson that we all have to learn in life is, the fact that anything we can do for ourselves–any strength that we have, has the ability to create in us a degree of pride that disables our willingness, ability or understanding of the magnitude of our need to trust God. Whatever we can do for ourselves, we don’t ask other people to do for us. Neither do we need other people to do for us. The Kingdom of Heaven is not flesh and blood. Therefore, if we don’t come into an understanding of our spiritual need for God, we never truly come into an understanding of what we actually need God for (everything). Neither do we pursue God for the things we can’t do for ourselves in the Spirit because we rely on our own strengths and abilities. This is why our flesh is our enemy. It’s seeks to keep us separate from a trusting relationship with God. True faith. Outside of faith and trusting God, it’s very possible to develop a pseudo relationship with God where we only seek Him to fix our situations, but we never come to a place where we humble ourselves enough to position ourselves for God to fix us. God extends His love and mercy towards us by allowing life’s strengths to fail us. Our physical health, our finances and our relationships–anything that gives us fleshy, wordly power and security. These are the things that our flesh innately rely on. It’s only when these things fail us that we seek a Higher Source. Which is actually The Source. All other things are resources. Make sure you don’t allow the blessings of God to become the very things that keep you separated from Him. Don’t put your trust in the blessings. Put your trust in God.

*Tressa Jo

Any concerned parent, grandparent or spouse will always want to make sure their loved one gets enough to eat. They know that having a good appetite is a good sign of good health. So whenever their loved one is not eating, they start wondering what’s wrong. Are they sick? Are they stressed or depressed about something? Why the loss of appetite?

If you’ve ever known someone to be diagnosed with a serious or terminal illness, if they stop eating, there’s cause for concern. Why? Because we know that in order for the body to be strong enough to function properly and get better, they need to eat. And you don’t just give them anything to eat. You give them what you know has the ability to give them the nutrients they need that promote good health.

Even the healthiest person needs to make sure they eat enough to maintain good health. As a matter of fact, having enough to eat and what a person eats, plays a major part in the quality of that person’s health.

Likewise, as we purpose to make sure we get enough to eat for our physical bodies, we must make sure that we get enough to eat for our spiritual bodies. The same can be said about our spiritual strengths and well-being when it’s not being fed enough. We get weaker, more susceptible to disease and injury. But we may not even realize just how weak we’ve become until life ushers in a series of hardships, struggles and troubles. We start to realize that we’ve been infecteded by the spiritual toxins around us. We know when we try to lift the loads of life and we find ourselves straining to bare the weight. We’re too weak. We start catching other people’s demon diseases when we thought we were immune. Our bones become frail, weak and pained. And what once gave us a strong, upright spiritual posture has now become ravaged with injuries and now has us walking with spiritual limps and crutches.

Consider, the spiritual meal you ate today. (If you ate at all). Understand that whatever feeds you will lead you. If the Spirit isn’t dominating what you consume (spiritual vs carnal) the Spirit can’t lead you. You’re weak. You’re malnourished. You’re susceptible to the enemies diseases and attacks with little to no strength to fight. And all it will take is a strong enough force from the enemy to crush your bones.

The enemy will always interfere with our pursuits for spiritual things. He doesn’t want us to study the Word of God or to pray. He knows that this is his kryptonite and our Popeye’s Spinach. It’s our power! It’s our strength. It’s the only Source we have that equips us for battle in spiritual warfare.

As children of God, we must make sure that we make Bible study and prayer a priority. We must also make sure that our work doesn’t take precedence over our worship. Mary understood this in Luke chaper 10. Martha was consumed with working in the presence of Jesus. But Mary was at the feet of Jesus listening to the words He spoke. She positioned herself to feast on the Word of God. She was making sure she got enough to eat.

Mary didn’t let the business of her surroundings pull her away from listening to Jesus. In verse 42 of Luke 10, Jesus says, “Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Don’t let the work of ministry or the “preparation that need to be made” take you away from hearing the Word of God because that’s the only things that can’t be taken away from you.

*Tressa Jo

Saying “Thank You” is almost an automatic response for most people. “Thank You” is uttered to express appreciation for being the recipient of something; a compliment, a gift, assistance, etc. It’s simply me recognizing that you gave me something. But do you realize that saying “Thank You” is not the same as being “Thankful”. When you are “Thankful” you are full of Thanks. And whatever you are full of on the inside will somehow show up on the outside. Yes, your “thank you” recognizes that you are a recipient of something and it recognizes the one who has given you that something. But true “thankfulness” not only recognizes the recipient and the giver; true “thankfulness” recognizes the sacrifice and efforts of the giver. And that recognition is manifested in you making an effort to express some kind of effort or sacrifice in return.

We say “Thank You God” every day. But are we “Thankful”? Are we simply, recognizing the gift and the giver our gifts? Or are we recognizing the sacrifice? If you are recognizing the sacrifice, are you compelled to make sacrifices in return? Or are you comfortable always being the recipient, but never compelled to be the giver?

Christ died “for” my sin. Thank You, Jesus. I will die “to” my sin.

Christ forgave me of my sin. Thank You, Jesus. I will forgive others.

Christ looked beyond my faults and saw my need knowing that I didn’t deserve it. Thank You, Jesus. I will be patient, loving, long-suffering toward others and consider their needs, even knowing that they don’t deserve it.

Christ “gave” His life for me. Thank You, Jesus. I will deny myself and give my life for Him.

The Sacrifice
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Thankfulness
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Don’t just say “Thank You”. Be thankful.

*Tressa Jo