The Power of Love (Part 2 of 2)

(Continued from Part 1)  Let's face it: people are hurting IN THE CHURCH, people who have probably spent most--if not all--their lives IN THE CHURCH.  Their silent tears are going unnoticed, and they're crying out for help in a place that's supposed to offer them aid but unfortunately doesn't because the people in the so-called place of healing have made them feel like they CANNOT be transparent about what's happening in their lives.  So where then they do go?  To all the people, places and things that WON'T judge them.  The bar, the drug dealer, the strip club, the prostitute, their workloads, the Internet, and the list goes on.  It's sad when people find more safety in ANY place other than the house of GOD and among ANYONE else than the redeemed of the LORD, doing ANYTHING but the will of GOD.  But that's the state of affairs in our nation's churches.

Hurting people will expend all their resources (i.e. money, time and effort) trying to escape what the church fails to heal via the power of the Holy Ghost.  Eventually, their wells run dry; and when all else fails, suicide usually ends up being their only conceivable way out.  So with that said, WHAT then are we going to do about it?  HOW are we going to change this?  Because it's not enough for us to be the thermometer that accurately reads the temperature of the environment.  If we're indeed going to be Kingdom people empowered to do Kingdom work, then we must aspire to BE the thermostat and SET the temperature.

The Power of Love (Part 1 of 2)

Not too long ago, a friend of mine on Facebook posted a touching status update about a story shared by one of the pastors at his church.  This pastor's son committed suicide because he got tired of wearing masks for church people.  How sad!  The pastor talked about the importance of having courage and having the heart of GOD towards others by building them in love instead of killing them with judgement.

It's so sad that our churches are filled with religious people who have cold hearts towards others.  I heard something not long after reading the aforementioned Facebook post that REALLY impacted me.  Ironically, it was at a forum discussing the topic of "INTIMACY."  There was a woman of GOD in attendance who stated, "It's been said that hurt people hurt people.  And that's true.  But I know I've been healed, and I like to think that I've been healed to heal people."  THAT REALLY BLESSED ME!

Much of this coldheartedness prevalent in today's church is a direct indication of a lack of healing.  And it's not always because there's no ministry of healing taking place within an assembly. Some folks just don't want to be healed!  And some of these people are ministry leaders or just people of influence in the congregation.  They're so caught up in masking their own pain and suffering that they have no discernment regarding the suffering of others, neither do they carry the anointing to bring healing into the lives of those who are sick, hurting and broken.