5 ways to fight for the Church

Last week’s article set off a flurry of passionate responses and I loved hearing from you!  

I think I have always feared being in a fight and not knowing what to do or how to react. In my last blog, my thesis, if you will, was that Christ is calling us to fight for his church because that is exactly what he did. 

The article last week wasn’t meant to be a deep expose on the problems in the church. It was meant to be a personal rallying cry.

The looming question is, how do we fight?

All of my top five tips can be boiled down to one concept:

Holiness. 

This might seem like the churchy answer and maybe you want something more. There was a time when I wanted some new initiative, a book to read, or a quick solution, but I’m more convinced every day that fighting starts with holiness. To be holy means to be who God created us to be, set apart for a specific reason or purpose. 

The spiritual battle is about claiming Christ’s victory in the world today. My friend who helps with exorcism ministry always says the worst exorcists are those relying on their own power. We need to stop trying to fix the church with a novel idea before praying (please note I am speaking to myself first and foremost.)

I think the concept of holiness and conversion tells us we are made for this fight and in Christ we have everything we need in him. 

With holiness as the overall concept here are my top 5 tips for fighting:

1. Daily surrender. If you want to be a good fighter, recommit to the love of Jesus Christ in your life. Give him your whole self each and every day. Pray in front of a crucifix each morning. 
2. Daily prayer. Without time in prayer, we can’t enter into the battle. It would be like being a starving baker. How is your prayer life? Is it alive? Is it growing in time and intensity? 
3. Monthly confession. Most people don’t wake up and decide to do terrible things. They let sin creep in slowly over time. They cross boundaries. They let their guard down. They justify things that they used to detest. Christ calls us deeper, invites us to turn away from sin, and offers us a chance to start again. Monthly confession is a beautiful opportunity to start over on a regular basis.
4. Consider and pray about your gifting. How God has made you unique. You are unrepeatable and in a particular way you were created to unique reflect who God is to the world and for the church. Too often people aren’t given the opportunity to use their gifts in the Church. Find a way to use what God has put inside of you for the betterment of the Church.
5. Discern your calling. What is God calling you to do with the gifts he has given you? Start small, but ask big things of God.

These five things are a start. I know we also need fighting that includes repentance, accountability, transparency, and faithfulness to the gospel. I am convinced though on a personal level that God wants each of us fighting for personal holiness and our individual vocation. 

What would you like to add to this list? Please comment below or shoot me an email.

But does it make a difference?

I don’t know if you have ever asked the question, does it make a difference?

Everywhere we look there is a need, new project, a gofundme, a neighbor knocking on our door.

To me the question of do I give or do I get involved comes down to three questions:

1. Is this going to make a difference?
2. Does it matter if I give or not? In other words, can I make a difference?
3. Lastly, is the Lord calling me to get involved?

I wanted to hopefully help you answer these questions with our KICKSTARTER. Our Advent and Lent programs have touched numerous lives and anticipate reaching millions more in the coming seasons. Secondly, the heart of what we do in our funding comes from a broad base of people. It typically takes us about 300-400 people in our crowdfunding campaign to hit our goal. Will you be one of those today? Lastly I’d ask you to ask the Lord if this is something you should be financially committed to. We’re excited about all that God is going to do and invite you to be a part of it.

Donate today at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/redeemedonline/faith-made-simple