DEVOTION, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012
Signs of a Vertical Church
BY
JAMES MACDONALD
20Now to him
who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according
to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all
generations, forever and ever. Amen. —Ephesians 3:20-21
Whether it’s two or three “gathered in My
name” (Matthew 18:20), a crowd of thousands in
deafening worship, or a persecuted remnant in some apparently forgotten corner
of the world, if it’s Vertical—it’s true church. If it isn’t Vertical, if it
isn’t obviously God, we should not be allowed to call it church and everyone
should leave immediately. Is your church vertical?
The ultimate sign of Vertical Church is the glory of God. Is He
receiving glory? Is His glory apparent in the life of that church? In today’s
verse, Paul points to Jesus and His church as the sources from which glory that
comes from God is reflected back to Him!
I can honestly say I worship with thousands of people every
weekend who can’t wait, who storm the lot, line up outside the doors, run down
the aisles to sit up front, because they know God is going to meet with them,
and they will be wonderfully impacted by His presence. I want church to be like
that for you, more profoundly and more often. My desire is that you would begin
to count the days until you get to go to church again, and be with a room full
of people who feel the same. I want you to wake up on Sundays and leap out of
bed because it’s your favorite day of the week. My heart is that your palms
would get sweaty and your heart would beat faster because you knew God was
waiting to meet with you and those you love most in all the world. I want you
to laugh and cry and shout and kneel at church. I long for you to have your
soul fed, and your mind exploded and your will convicted and your heart
connected to others and be massively encouraged. That’s what happens every week
in Vertical church or we die trying and call special prayer meetings to fix the
problems so it can happen afresh. I want that for you, so be sure you want it
too because this article will obliterate the possibility of ever settling for
less again. You don’t have to accept part of what church is supposed to be, you
really can have it all, from the hand of God Himself.
No comments:
Post a Comment