23 Feb Turning Life Into Formalism

We humans have a terrible track record for taking things which are full of life, exciting, and where God is moving, and turning them into systems, traditions, programs, patterns. We turn life into something formal.

We can all think of any number of moves of God in history where such good was happening, and the “movement” continues today but without the power it once had. We all do it.

The Bible talks about having “a form of godliness but denying it’s power.” I think we can read scriptures like that and relate to them. We desire to serve God, and have a heart for what is right and yet also have to fight off human tendencies which war against what God is wanting. Even at the beginning of new things, we can tend to make them be like old things we feel comfortable with. It was precisely this type of thing which stopped many Jews from recognizing the Messiah when He came.

The same is true of the move of God in the world today restoring apostles, and apostolic relationships. It’s tempting, and even subconciously normal to just assume this is a formal thing God is doing. If we didn’t stop and properly consider it, we could easily think that there needs to be formal associations of apostles, and official recognition, and processes in place to “ordain apostles”… and so on… and so forth.

Before the restoration of apostles has even gotten going properly, it is already being held back by old fashioned thinking, and formalism.

Let’s take a moment and remember what it is all about. It is relational. It is of the heart. Our relationships are to be real, living, sacrificial and overflowing with deep love. These are things you can’t teach in an apostolic conference. But they are things a real apostle can impart.

Apostles are called to teach the Body of Christ how to love one another, and to help the church be mature. They do so as fathers. This work is not found in the building of any organisation, or especially of self promoting thier own work, but with a big heart for all of God’s people. Being big, flashy or famous are not proofs of apostolic call. Having a network of churches isn’t a proof either. There are many people who have done those things.

Pray for understanding to come regarding what real apostles are, and ask God to let them be raised up. Pray for the confusion in the Body of Christ to be settled.