11/27/2006 Entry: "The Manifesto"

Where is God?

Where is God? What part does God really play in our lives? Yes, we have our “holy” music, our “holy” buildings, our “holy” sacraments. Oh, and we mustn’t forget our “holy” days. The day we show our religious devotion, and walk out the door to leave that which is “holy” behind.

We “seek” God once a week. We sing to Him and follow another’s lead. We repeat another’s prayer, and kneel in hopes someone will recognize our piety. We follow. We listen to another’s voice. We read the words placed on a screen, and watch some skits that help us understand. Our stomachs growl and we stare at our watches, in hopes the preacher will notice our boredom so we can be first in line to eat. We teach our children to bless their food with their cute rhymes, never too long.

Yes, we have religion and then we have our lives. We have our special days set aside for God and the rest belong to us. But what happened to the days of old when men put their faces to the floor? They wanted to know God for themselves, but could they? In hopes to reach Him they would climb the highest mountain. Anything to be closer to where He may be…They wanted to talk to God. They wanted to pray for their families, their friends, their nations. They were desperate for revival, and wouldn’t leave until they met with Him. They wanted to hear His voice for themselves. There was no futile distraction that could knock them off course. There was no man’s voice that could not stop them, or suppress their passion. Their heart was set. They would seek and find.

But who are we? What have we become? What do we really seek? A holy day once a week, where we can put our soul at ease for the sins we have committed. It’s as if we drag ourselves out of bed, feeling we are doing God some service as we sit and listen to someone talk about this God that once moved among people’s lives. We give some of our money to contain Him. Don’t offend me or I will find another building where I will never have to think about my sin, my motives, my life. Don’t you dare say my lifestyle is wrong or I will take my money elsewhere! Ah, yes, we will give to that poor
missionary. We send them to do what we won’t. We let them speak what we fear to. We send them to stand w here we would break. We send them to reach the un-reached and tell of this “great hope”, our “blessed savior”…still, do we care to?

How much time have we spent this week seeking? Oh, no, we have no time, or do we? We pour out our time as water onto the desert sand, it is consumed with endless hours spent on our couches staring at a box. It houses our dreams, our fantasies. We watch and listen to the people tell us we need more... Buy their product, and it will make us feel alive. We will live happier, more comfortably. We look, we buy, but in time the new always wears out, we need something more. Again the cycle repeats and we go along for another empty ride aboard the carousel of greed.

We continue…we stare. Look at all the beautiful people, the rich, the
celebrated, and we long for what they have. Then we sit and wonder why their lives crumble, and their “perfect” marriages fail? Their families are broken just like ours.

We continue…we watch. We are mesmerized as the created take the throne of the Creator. We will create better than God, we will endure pain, cut and reconstruct our bodies to be “beautiful”. Then we will be lovely, we will be pretty, we will be wanted… we will rise above God and form life and destroy those who have no voice, those “unwanted” lives He gave to us…we will fix this mess our Creator has made…

We continue…we stare…we are entertained. They shake their fist at God, and curse Him. We pay…we want more…entertain us more…we too join in this folly. We work harder to buy more things to find the life they sell…in hopes to find what “Christianity” promised, but never gave us.

We continue…going to church EVERY SINGLE SUNDAY… but why? Do we really believe…we turn up the music, drowned out our fears that maybe “the way, the truth, and the life” isn’t true after all…what if we are wrong?…So, what are we really seeking??? Have we ever experienced God beyond the four walls of our church? Do we really seek Him? Yes, we need that source of accountability and fellowship, but have we replaced a relationship with God for ceremony and missed what its all about? The freedom…the peace…breathing in and knowing you have purpose… "abundant life"…Our silence tells the truth…

Do we even know…time ticks, our lives fade, we must stop…we must THINK…how did twelve change the world yet our churches are full and “Christianity” has become more of a joke than anything. How can this be? How come the world runs from the church instead of to it? How come they refuse to listen to us? How have we lost our power? How did we lose our respect? How were the days lost when people esteemed the church as a refuge, a safe place? Was it that our hands reached out to others and began to take? Was it greed? Lust for power? Religious pride and arrogance? Was it that we condemned others while our words dripped with hypocrisy? Selling truth for personal gain? Was it that we loved the applause of man rather than pleasing God? What was it?

Where is God? Does He play a part of our lives beyond the day we set aside for Him in our week? Does He exist beyond the pages of that dusty book that sits on our shelves? What do we believe? And do we really know this Jesus? Does He really step into our lives and make a difference? What do our lives speak beyond our t-shirts and stickers and all the noise we make?

Mankind is in great need, far greater than at any other time in history. The church is in need! We are in need! We must cry out to God for mercy and change! We must “humble ourselves, and pray, and turn from our wicked ways” (II Chronicles 7:14) The time is HERE, the time is NOW for us to seek God!

We must AWAKE out of our sleep, (Romans 13:11) for truth hath fallen in the streets, and we must no longer cower in the face of adversity.

Let this manifesto serve as a call to rise up and boldly challengeeverything within our senses. These are definitely the last days, and it certainly appears as though true Christianity is on the verge of extinction. TRUE brothers, sisters, and followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us UNITE as ONE! Let us be what God has called us to be! No longer can we stand on the way side and watch sin devour our fellow man, our neighbors, our friends, our families, our loved ones, and ourselves! (I Peter 5:8) JOIN US! UNITE! Let us join together and seek the face of God for revival in our
lives and this nation. JOIN THE REVOLUTION!

Replies: 7 comments

Thats right, and I was just ttly agreeing with you :)

You inspired me! I just thought I'd write what I was thinking.

Much Luvs~Shell

Posted by Michelle C. @ 11/30/2006 05:50 PM CST

Michelle-i was in no way implying God has left us, rather we have left God. Yes, Christians as well as non-Christians reached out to help people during 911 but my point is that the "church" as a whole has lost it somewhere and the world as lost its respect for Christians in general...our churches are packed every sunday...and if 12 guys can change history it doesn't seem we know the same Jesus...yes, there is a remnant . i understand that but im talking about as a whole...and by the way, everything i write is out of what God shows me in my own life mostly...so God spoke to me about this as well, but point is...there's a difference between church attendance and really SEEKING God.,..and OUR LIVES will show it, OUR LIFESTYLES will show it...there will be fruit. thats all :)

Posted by sara delight @ 11/29/2006 11:18 AM CST

it really stinks b/c i have a gift to write song lyircs and poetry but i cant sing worth a flip...i have sang in front of crowds but that was mainly to get the message of my lyrics across...

sometimes it feels like my gift is wasted...does anyone know any like songwriter that doesnt sing and doesnt know music websites??? i have no problem singing my own songs i just feel like if they were sang good then the message would sink in better!

peace!

ps...also does anyone know any copywrite websites...poetry.com is great but only gives a limited space for words...and a lot of my poems are long!

Posted by AK @ 11/29/2006 11:18 AM CST

thats sooooo true!! im going to admit that that used to be me....raised in the church and went to church b/c it was a had to circumstance....i went to socialize not to ease my hunger of knowing Him!

i still have few issues that im trying to work on....but i feel like im slowly but surely growing in the Spirit.... i want to pursue more ministering to the youth but there are some things in my life that hold me up!

i personally dont want ANYONE i mean ANYONE to go thru what ive gone thru in their life!!! i feel a need to work in Christ to stop anyone i come in contact with from hurting like i have...

to the point where you dont know who you can trust b/c everyone close to you, well you just cant trust.....to the point where you dont want to go home...to the point where you go to an inhabited concert and literally PRAY THAT IT WILL never end b/c when it ends, you have to go home...what is home??? to endure manipulation, betrayal, backstabbing, two faced ppl, emotional, verbal, physical abuse...to want to cry out to anyone who will help but ya cant... to cry and sooth your OWN self to sleep every night...

to have your family corner you...to go thru hell on earth but no one sees it b/c its fronted by them to make their image ok...to watch your siblings go thru the same manipulation but to not be able to stop it...

im not saying that ive got it the worst b/c i DONT...im thankful for what i went thru b/c it made me who i am today...the point im trying to make is that there are ppl crying out for help but silently!!!!!!!!! not everyone can call for help they just want YOU, ME, US to seek them out and thats when they'll talk!! that was MEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeee!! sometimes one's emotion can eat them up more than a slap on the hand can!!

Trustin In Him

Posted by Trusting In Him ;) @ 11/29/2006 10:28 AM CST

Where is God? What role does He play in our lives? Is He just the icon we follow in our tradition of Sundays?

God is always there and always with us. He is with the homeless man who needs money, He is with the child crying because his parents fight, He is with the young girl facing the option of abortion. He is our Father, our King and our comforter. God is not confined by church walls, He lives with us, and He is with you now as you read this.

Sara, the church is still a refuge to alot of people, maybe not to the point that it should be but it still is. Remember 9/11?
Churches were packed with people with questions about death and just some of the hardest questions to answer. I live 6 hours from ground zero and I live with people who were personally effected by that day. Neighbors, friends, teachers. They had lost parts of their family forever, and were now in shock. They ran to the church for answers. So now... years later, what has happened? Has reality kicked in and have we forgotten this tragedy? It can be counted as loss, but think about the people who DID get answers, the thousands who found the Lord in tragedy.

True Christianity can not be taught, it is something we experience. It is something we have to strive for and want with all our heart. No one is perfect, we all fall short of perfection, but we need to ask God to take what there is left of our hearts and make it new and make it His and to use it. We need to wake up our of our sleep and get our game on! (Ok, that was your whole point...oops, but yes, I just ttly agree!)

I want to be a revolutionist. I don't was my name to be famous, but His. I don't wan't my legacy to live on, I want the message of hope to be my life's story. Let's make a change.

Much Luvs~Shell

Posted by Michelle C. @ 11/28/2006 07:51 AM CST

sara...you're stinkin amazing. that's all i can even say about this post. i can't find any other words!!! you simply amaze me.

Posted by lindsey @ 11/27/2006 05:17 PM CST

I'm so glad I read this, I really needed it. Thanks!

Posted by brittany @ 11/27/2006 12:54 PM CST