The Tribune

By Minister Patricia Johnson-Pratt

Prayers and Inspiration Network

I WORRY about the salvation of the Church, yes I said it, I worry.

A lot of fluff and not enough faith; a lot of praise which is good, but not enough prayer; a lot of personal experiences and belief, but not near enough of the Word.

Routines, traditions and man’s ways are being carried out instead of the official order and commission of God.

People aren’t doing things based on the leading of the Holy Spirit, but are simply impulsive. It’s as if we are in a whirlwind. Whichever way the wind blows that’s the direction we are lead in – crazy, right?

What is God’s commission for humanity?

In Matthew 28:19 it says: “Jesus undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: ‘God authorised and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age’.”

In other words, children of God, the called of God, go out and teach, equip and prepare. But this is not happening, people are lost, unlearned, slipping out of the church and back in to the world. The church is fading, becoming dimmer and dimmer.

The glory is believed to be only a sound; it is believed to be the expressions of our emotions through crying and self-taught and in some cases copied actions, but the glory of God is the Presence of the Almighty God. We are missing the fact that once the glory of God is revealed an agenda is tossed out the window because now God is in full control.

2 Chronicles 5:11-14 says how “all the priests regardless of which group they belonged to had consecrated themselves and where all on one accord”, and it goes on to say that, “as the priests were leaving the Temple, it was suddenly filled with a cloud shining with the dazzling light of the LORD’s presence, and they could not continue the service of worship.”

When the glory comes we don’t do the same things, we don’t look the same way, talk the same way, preach the same way, love the same way; my God, there is a massive difference after an encounter with the Holy One.

We have replaced the glory with what works for us and not what is of the Holy Spirit, and we can plainly see that once the music is stayed and we leave the gathering, the coming together, the self-induced high fades away and we are worse off than when we came, more lost than we were before. God in Heaven help us. Why aren’t we getting this?

Even when we look at the body of Christ now in its physical state we see how now more than before how many in the body of Christ have become sick and have even transitioned from this life, and all too often we blame it on obeah, witchcraft and things of that nature. Then I read 1 Corinthians 11:29-30 where it says, “For if you do not recognise the meaning of the Lord’s body when you eat the bread and drink from the cup, you bring judgment on yourself as you eat and drink. That is why many of you are sick and weak, and several have died”.

My God, could we have brought sickness upon ourselves and in our midst for first not understanding the Holy Communion, and secondly for not accepting that our lives are not in proper alignment with the word/will of God? But we take part in this sacred practice anyway, thinking that we can get one over on God. Have we really been taught about Holy Communion and the Word of God enough to say that we really understand?

Hebrews 4:12 says that “the Word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword.” Active –meaning that it’s tireless, diligent and influential, and alive meaning that it is in operation or growing.

The Word of God is clear; it is literal. And now if you don’t understand one version you can always find a version that is more understandable to you. We can no longer sit in churches/ buildings on our set aside day of worship and miss the Word of God, the glory of God or the power that God wants to reveal itself in the earthly realm.

I’ve said all of that to say this: if you are in a place where the Word of God is not being taught or carefully explained, the Word will not become alive or active in your life and you may find yourself taking part in things you don’t fully understand, and therefore end up bringing curses upon your own life.

Once we fully understand the Word of God we can apply it to our lives and see how it ties in to our present conditions and also see what instructions and directions are given through the Word for us to overcome.

Your comfortable state, associations, familiarity or traditions should not be the tie that binds you to a place, but the Word of God being pushed and the agenda of God being carried out should be what motivates you and keeps you connected to a place and a people.

Once your spirit is being fed and your flesh is being starved to death it will eventually take place; this is one indication that you are in the right place. If the message doesn’t make you jump and shout all the time, but it sometimes causes you to re-evaluate your life and the path you may be on, it may also indicate that you are in the right place.

Once transformation is taking place and maturity is evident and all other godly things are visible, this too may be an indication that you are in the right place. But if you are dying in your going out and coming in, if you have more questions and very little answers, if you are confused more that you are certain of a thing, and if by chance you are at the same level you started at two years ago, then by all means something is wrong.

Need I say the overall purpose of God for humanity is not being fulfilled in your life? Get up, get taught, get equipped, get prepared, and once you are equipped, prepared and well taught, go out and inform others, lest we all wonder around in places and become connected to people and stay in relationships that have only been intended to last for a short time, but we turn it into a lifetime commitment where we end up serving people instead of God.