So a lot has been going on in my (John) head over the past week. God has laid some pretty heavy things on my heart down here in Puerto Rico. Your prayers have been heard!
As Armando and I talked and prayed last night about some things God has placed on his heart and some on my heart as well, the state of the church, planting a church, the food hand out, religiosity among the church and what God is preparing us for are just a few of those, God was getting ready to do something to me today. I'm not sure what it is God is calling me to do or how to do it or what God allowed me to hear today is going to come into play. I guess that is not my job, that is the Holy Spirits job. My job is to listen, pray and be obedient when God reveals to me what to do and when to act on it. I hope what I share with you tonight effects you like it did me. I was brought to tears on my way to work this afternoon while listening to a song by We As Human. If you do not know them they are a Christian Metal Band, not the the kind of music that usually brings you to tears. But God allowed me to hear beyond the metal and the music and he revealed to me the message he wanted me to hear. I am going to share that message with you in hopes that you pray on it and do what ever it is that the Lord tells you. I will be honest it is a hard mesaage. It may hurt a little. It hurt me whne God told me. But God knows what we need as the Chruch.
First I was listening to the song Zombie, again this doesn't really sound much like a Christian song or one that would bring you tears, and it didn't but it was a lead into the next song. I'm going to share with you what God told me through this song, Zombie. Read the lyrics and let the Lord show you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qquwVf_6tC0
Zombie- Notes added in ( )
Pretty plastic bottles
Lay beside your bed
With every dose you swallow
You lose your head
( everything the church does to try to survive, big productions, concerts, lights, sound, program after program....)
(And how) is your heart still bleeding?
(Where) did the human go?
(Yeah) they might keep you breathing
(Oh) but they numb your soul
(They make your church look good and people come and the chairs are full but there is no Spirit, the power of the Lord is numb and they get the way of the power the Lord wants to bring the church)
Oh, where did all your fire go?
(The church used to be on fire. Revival happened. The Fire came down from heaven once through the church, but not any more. Your fire for Jesus in the church is out)
You're on the inside
And I know you're fighting
On the outside
Your flesh is dying
But this is not your funeral
Wake up, wake up, wake up
Wake up the zombie
So long over medicated
Thinking nothings wrong
Cause you're so sedated
This is not your funeral
Wake up, wake up, wake up
Wake up the zombie!
Wake up the zombie!
(WAKE UP CHURCH! You are fighting so hard but you are fighting with the wrong weapons and the church is dying. But you are not going to die. WAKE UP! Wake up this sleeping giant. WAKE UP CHURCH!)
You started forgetting who you really are
I'm getting kinda worried
You've been gone so long
(And how) is your body sleeping?
(Where) did the human go?
Has it stopped the healing?
(Oh) Have you lost you control?
(Church you have forgotten the power you have through The Holy Spirit. You have forgotten who you are, your identity is in Christ and Christ alone not what your church looks like, sounds like or how many people come to hear the next big Christian artist. Have you lost control and let the world define the church instead of Jesus?)
Oh, where did all your fire go?
You're on the inside
And I know you're fighting
On the outside
Your flesh is dying
But this is not your funeral
Wake up, wake up, wake up
Wake up the zombie
So long over medicated
Thinking nothing's wrong
Cause you're so sedated
This is not your funeral
Wake up, wake up, wake up
Wake up the zombie!
Wake up the zombie!
-Zombie By We As Human- Taken from http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/weashuman/zombie.html
Then God had me listen to this song and it wrecked me!
The notes are purposely written with you and not us or we. God shared this with me from his point of view. I am included in this, when you read the word you remember I am included. This is not from me but words the Lord gave me to share with the Church.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkB0W-F_7Nk
We Fall Apart- Notes added in ( )
The worlds on fire but we're all smiling
Though it's all our fault
But life is short so we resort to laughing through it all
(The world is falling apart and the Church just smiles through and says Jesus will make it better just trust him. But it is your fault Church that the world is falling apart because preaching a good message without living out that message leads to destruction. You go around faking who you are and try to overlook the problems of the world by saying Jesus will take care of it, lets put on a bigger show and make church more exciting if we just make people feel better it will all be ok.)
It's the battle within the good and the sin
With both sides standing strong
It's the permanent scars
How broken we are
It's the things that hurt us all
(The Church is constantly fighting this battle of good and sin. You are all broken people needing Jesus no more or no less than another. You all hurt.)
But isn't it beautiful
The way we fall apart
It's magical and tragic all the ways we break our hearts
(But isn't it great. You mask your falling your discord, people leaving the Church Jesus designed for the church man designed, the pain, the scares, the dirty, messy mixed up world with great sermons, events, big productions, loud music, lights, false emotions and any thing else you can think up that will make you feel good about yourselves so we feel like we are doing something great but in reality you are not! You are sitting there church falling apart and you don't even realize it anymore!)
So unpredictable
We're comfortably miserable
We think we're invincible
Completely unbreakable
And maybe we are
Isn't it beautiful
The way we all fall apart
(Church you are content in your misery. Misery has become the new normal and you are no longer miserable. You no longer see the Church for what it is. You have forgotten the power you have. You have forgotten the message you are charged to spread and the power that message has. You have forgotten who Jesus is! Not the knowledge of Jesus but who he is. Church you think just because Jesus is the founder of the church that the Church will never fall apart. You think that the church is invincible and unbreakable and you may be right about the Church Jesus designed but that is not what you have been building. Yes a kingdom has been built in your church but it was not for Jesus. You make your falling apart look so good!)
You're a liar but I'm a coward so I can't throw a stone
We're so imperfect but so worth it because we're not alone
(You all are sinners so stop blaming, stop condemning, stop segregating stop judging others before you judge yourself. You are all imperfect but you are not alone, Jesus is right by your side calling out for you)
It's the wars that we wage, the lives that we take
For better or for worse
It's the lion we cage, the love and the rage
That keeps us wanting more
(You keep Jesus in a cage, just in your sight so you have motivation, just enough to keep going and never giving up but Jesus wants out! Let him out, let the Holy Spirit bring down fire from heaven and watch the church explode.)
But isn't it beautiful
The way we fall apart
It's magical and tragic all the ways we break our hearts
So unpredictable
We're comfortably miserable
We think we're invincible
Completely unbreakable
And maybe we are
But isn't it beautiful
The way we all fall apart
The world is dark but all it takes
your love to spark
To set my heart on fire once again
(Yes the world is evil and dangerous and scary and messy but all it takes is for you church to act like Jesus, love like Jesus and a spark of that love will set off a fire so big no man can contain it and the Holy Spirit will infiltrate, The Name of Jesus will be lifted high and God will be glorified)
But isn't it beautiful
The way we fall apart
Isn't it beautiful
oh, isn't it wonderful
The way we fall apart
It's magical and tragic all the ways we break our hearts
So unpredictable
We're comfortably miserable
We think we're invincible
Completely unbreakable
And maybe we are
But isn't it beautiful
The way we all fall apart
Isn't it beautiful
The way we fall apart
( This is repeated because many of you will hear these words and to you they will just be words. And you will beautifully fall apart)
We Fall Apart by We As Human Lyrics taken from http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/weashuman/wefallapart.html
I know this is heavy stuff. Now you know why I was brought to tears. God broke my heart today by showing me what not only the church has done wrong but what I have done wrong. I am a mess. God may not be calling you to Puerto Rico or another country or state but he is calling you. He is calling all of us who believe in the name of Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. Church we MUST WAKE UP! We cannot sit here any longer thinking everything will be ok because it will not! The solution is not building another church but rebuilding the one Jesus already made because we have started to destroy it. We have a clear outline in Acts of what the church is supposed to look like. Come on Church lets wake up the zombie and make it live again! We have forgotten who we serve! The One True King! He deserves way better than we have given him recently. Don't know what to do, Read and Pray on Matthew 22:34-40 and Matthew 28:19-20, The Lord will show you what to do. I need to study and pray on these verses more just as much as you all. Lets all wake up and change the world!
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