For God so Loved the world

The mystery of the love of God is intended for manifestation. The reality of the love of God personified in Christ was made available by the death and resurrection of Christ. Jesus is now seated in heavenly places by living in His throne, His Palace, His City, His Zion, His Church who are His people. “To them God willed to make known what the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles are: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col 1:27). The mystery! A God living in human beings – the place of spiritual activity. This is the reality of God’s people. Revelation 17: 5 also refers to people as waters. (Rev 17: 15 clarifies that ‘the water which you saw, where the harlot sits, are people, multitudes, nations and tongues.’) The harlot who sits upon the people is a picture of the spirit of religion (not God’s creation but man’s invention) which has shifted the Church far from who God intended her to be.

As leaders we allowed the Church (intentionally or unintentionally), to be stuck in the ‘process of church services’ and programs rather than ‘being’ the manifested house of God. The Church became a place of ‘religious’ gathering rather than a place of spiritual activity to change the world, a place of refuge for the broken, lost and destitute. The processes of Church life, sadly, have become the mediums for many believers to access God. Branded mammon imported worship replaced pure heart worship which has the look, feel and touch of Babylon – the one cannot be distinguished from the other. A kind of worship that stirs emotions rather than worship the King. Heart to heart individual conversations with the Lord was replaced by a type of corporate worship becoming the medium for upliftment, emotionally stirrings and accessing God. Altar calls are lined up with Christians who have full access to God rather than unbelievers thus making a mockery of the birth, death and resurrection and Jesus. The Church also got caught up in studying the Bible through study aids (which is not bad) and relegated the Holy Spirit, the greatest teacher, to become a back bencher in our walk with Him. Revelation 17 warns the Church of

By Pastor Ravi Naicker

Jezebel, the ‘great whore’ who sits upon many waters. Is this why the reflection of God in a people has become blurred to the point that the world questions our authenticity? The glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea when the people of God manifest Christ – this will lead to world evangelism like never seen. The New Testament prophets walked in this through signs, wonders and miracle.

Changing the status quo requires repentance by leaders. Let us start to preach Christ and get rid of the itchy ear syndrome once again. Our gatherings should be realigned to the heart of God. We must get back to personal encounters rather than singing about Christ as if He is not in the room, talking about Him as if He is not in the room, teaching about Him as if He is not in the room – rather than simply manifest Him. Maybe, just maybe Christ is not in the room? Is God perhaps not talking to us in this time of COVID-19 lockdown? Why would a God who is sovereign allow His Church to be ‘locked out of their own buildings’? Is God perhaps not telling us ‘let my people go out of the bondage of a programmed, religiously processed Church?