A Treatise on Church Growth part ten

And the question Jesus asked at the pool of Bethesda remains today. Will you be made whole? Will you, spiritually sick, lame, blind christian, will you be made whole? You may have been lying in your sick bed (church, denomination) for 38 years, will you rise, take up your bed and walk? Will you leave the comfort of your traditions? Will you allow Jesus (The Lord Saves) to touch you in such a way (through his word, by his Spirit) as to cause spiritual energy and strength to become imparted to you? On a daily basis? Will you allow the healing of your walk? Jesus would say to you today, right now at this very moment - rise up out of your bed of legalism, comfortable traditions, familiar experiences and walk!

Walk wherever he leads you, even into the unknown, Abraham. You cannot "come and follow Me" unless you will walk where I walk. Will you? Even forsake your denomination or church if they refuse to be made whole?

But where will I go? I've been taught that all other churches are spiritual wastelands and I've also been taught that I must be in fellowship with other saints and properly submitted to my covering in order to survive as a christian. Does not God know how to cover you? Will he deny you the fellowship of the saints? No. Just know and be sure you are hearing His voice, following the chief shepherd and another you will not follow. Always remember - your first and foremost covering will always be the blood of Jesus.  This will always be our ultimate protection and covering. There are two extremes to avoid - those who remain in a church to their own hurt and those who leave to their own hurt. But if you are led by the Holy Spirit to leave a congregation of people, he will give you the grace to see it through. It can be a very painful time. Do not leave with bitterness, anger or hate for your brethren or leadership. Do let love show you the truth. Sometimes forgiveness will mean sticking it out, staying and seeing it through till he leads you elsewhere. At other times God will clearly be leading you onward and upward to realms your church will never know. Sometimes he will lead you out of a church though they have done you no harm, rather you have reached a point of maturity beyond which they will not let you pass. Though at the time, the valley of decision can seem like you are being led backwards, down, not up to new realms but to get to that higher mountain on the otherside you must go through the valley first.

to be continued...