Line Upon Line

"Like an emperor whose writ is absolute within his empire, the unexamined tyranny of modern time imposes its perspectives and preferences on all who live within its sway." Os Guinness

Last week I discovered an interesting book by Os Guinness. Its intriguing title, Prophetic Untimeliness: A Challenge to the Idol of Relevance, urged me to pull it from the Borders shelf and take a closer look. It's a book about time, and the times in which we live. It's a challenge to the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ to understand these times and to rethink how we can become more effective in our witness without losing our faith in the process.

There's been a lot of talk recently about the need for the Church to relate to the world. For over 20 years, I, too, have been concerned that the Church seems out of touch and disconnected from the world we are called to reach. Yes, we are to be separate; but at the same time we are supposed to be salt and light, and "go into all the world and preach the gospel." We are to "become all things to all men" so we might win some to Christ. I call it "connecting without compromising."

Os's concern is that in our quest to be more relevant, we have become quite irrelevant. This might sound like a lot of double-talk, but Os makes a good point. At the dawn of the 21st century, he wonders whether we are influencing the world, or the world is influencing us. That is, has our quest for relevance produced in us an unfaithfulness to God and His Word? It's an important question that bears prayerful consideration. Maybe we'll talk more about this another time; but today, I want to consider the subject of time, itself.

Keeping Time

"The weight, and noise, and pace of modern secular life are almost overwhelming." Os Guinness

Os begins his book by observing the degree that the clock drives our modern world. He wrote, "The tick-tock of the clock has become the background drum-beat and staccato bark of the drill sergeant who drives us across the parade ground of life." He notes that the Western world hasn't been quite the same since the invention of the mechanical clock in Europe around A.D. 1400. In many ways, Western culture is defined by its observance of time. Indeed, we have become servants--no, make that slaves--of "time." This unholy alliance--this master/servant relationship with time--is expressed in a Filipino saying; "Westerners are people with gods on their wrists."

Now, once upon a time, human beings lived their lives in rhythm with God's creation--with the rising and setting of the sun, and changing of the seasons. Today, we are "clock watchers"--those whose lives are dictated, driven, and often determined by atomically accurate hour, minute, and second hands, and glow-in-the-dark digital displays.

Time Out

Last evening, on the Fox News program, Heartland, host John Kasich interviewed Focus on the Family's Dr. James Dobson. One of John's questions begged an answer for the increasing divorce rate and breakdown of the traditional family. Dr. Dobson said that we're just too busy. We exist in a society where there's too much to do, and too little time to do it. And if we do have any time left after we've done all the things we need to do, we're just too tired to invest ourselves in the husband/wife and parent/child relationships that keep families healthy and strong.

I'm convinced that this "time crunch" is a key part of Satan's plan for the destruction of man. The "god of this world" has designed endless diversions and distractions into his diabolical world system. As a result, we are apt to live frenzied lives--constantly on the run from place to place and from one appointment to the next. The American Heritage Dictionary, Fourth Edition, defines frenzied as: "a state of violent mental agitation or wild excitement; temporary madness or delirium; a mania; a craze." I can relate to that. How about you?

No Other Gods

Jesus warned "no one can serve two masters." In the context of Scripture, Jesus was referring to serving God or serving riches, wealth, or "things." But, I think "time" might qualify as another "master"--one to whom we bow and serve--one who demands our attention and keeps us so busy, we have little time or energy left to worship and serve the one, true God.

We feel remorse and guilt about the situation. And we lament the lack of time for godly pursuits. We're heard to say, "It's hard to find time to pray," and "I'll help (witness, serve, etc.) when I get some extra time." But "extra time" and "more time" are quite difficult to "find"--especially when there are already more demands on our time than we have time for.

Os Guinness offers an answer to our time-deficit dilemma. It's not a new idea--just a timely one.

How then do we lift ourselves above the level of the finite and the mundane to gain an eternal perspective on what is true and relevant? The biblical answer is blunt in its candor. By ourselves we can't. We can't break out of Plato's cave of the human, with all its smoke and flickering shadows on the wall. We can't raise ourselves above the level of the timebound and the earthbound by such feeble bootstraps as reason. But where we are limited by our own unaided efforts, we have help.

We have been rescued. As the story of religion and philosophy shows, our own human explorations--brilliant, profound, and tireless though they have been--never have and never will break out of the silence, whether the numinous final silence of eastern mysticism or the cold, bleak silence of atheism. But we are not left in despair. God has broken into our silence. He has spoken and has come down himself. And in his written and living Word we are given truth from outside our situation, truth that throws light on our little lives and our little world. This word of God is the only effective Archimedean point to gain the leverage to raise us above the forces of gravity in our human condition.

Quiet Time

An Archimedean point is a vantage point from which an observer can objectively see things in their totality. Where can we find such a place that allows us to view the world for what it is and see our way through this maze called "life"?

There is such a place--it is called the presence of God. David referred to it as "the secret place of the most High." It's the place where time stands still. But this divine place is not found casually or by chance. One has rightly said, "God does not honor the casual inquirer; He honors the diligent seeker." The Word of God urges us to "seek Me while I may be found," and "you will find Me when you search for me with all your heart," and "ask, seek, knock," and "God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."

We need to spend time with God so we can hear His eternal, timeless Word--the Word that gives life and brings direction, strength, and comfort to the hearts of those who seek Him. But it will take time to find that place of other-worldly wisdom and rest.

I receive an email daily devotional called, Insight for Leaders, which is based on the writings of A.W. Tozer. Today's edition "just so happened" to expand on this thought of spending time in God's presence. In his book, The World: Playground or Battleground?, Tozer wrote:

Dr. Moody Stuart, a great praying man of a past generation, once drew up a set of rules to guide him in his prayers. Among these rules is this one: 'Pray till you pray.'...

The habit of breaking off our prayers before we have truly prayed is as common as it is unfortunate. Often the last 10 minutes may mean more to us than the first half hour, because we must spend a long time getting into the proper mood to pray effectively. We may need to struggle with our thoughts to draw them in from where they have been scattered through the multitude of distractions that result from the task of living in a disordered world....

If when we come to prayer our hearts feel dull and unspiritual, we should not try to argue ourselves out of it. Rather, we should admit it frankly and pray our way through. Some Christians smile at the thought of "praying through," but something of the same idea is found in the writings of practically every great praying saint from Daniel to the present day. We cannot afford to stop praying till we have actually prayed.

Let me leave you with one final thought--I wonder how much time each of us really has? Only God knows for sure. But it's up to us to make the most of the time we do have and use it to serve the plans and purposes of God. We ought to pray as the psalmist prayed, "Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should" (Psalm 90:12 LVB).

Amen, to all that!

think on these things...

Psalm 39:4-7 (LVB)
Lord, help me to realize how brief my time on earth will be. Help me to know that I am here for but a moment more. My life is no longer than my hand! My whole lifetime is but a moment to you. Proud man! Frail as breath! A shadow! And all his busy rushing ends in nothing. He heaps up riches for someone else to spend. And so, Lord, my only hope is in you.

Ephesians 5:15-20 (NKJV)
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

"Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care?" Chicago

Next the Devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the nations of the world and all their glory. "I will give it all to you," he said, "if you will only kneel down and worship me." "Get out of here, Satan," Jesus told him. "For the Scriptures say, 'You must worship the Lord your God; serve only him.'" Matthew 4:8-10 (NLT)

In September 1995, trumpeter/singer/songwriter Phil Driscoll gave me his copy of a book that had ministered to him. He thought its message might speak to my heart, too. Well, Phil heard from God. The Rhythm of Life: Putting Life's Priorities in Perspective, by Richard Exley, helped me see the importance of balancing work, rest, worship, and play. There are many quotes from this book that I'd like to share with you, but here's one powerful truth that all God's kids need to take to heart.

The more we focus on our needs, our desires, our rights, the more unhappy we become.... For all its laughter and surface gaiety, our world is not a very happy place. That really shouldn't surprise us. I mean, how can we expect to be happy when we violate almost every principle of the Abundant Life? We work too long, play too fast, laugh too loud and worship too little. We are hendonistic, always looking out for number one. We are materialistic. We buy things we don't need and can't afford to impress other people we don't even like. Like a bunch of pack rats, we are constantly carrying home the latest gadget in a misdirected effort to satisfy our gnawing emptiness. Our only hope is to learn to love God and people instead of things.

Ouch! The truth hurts, doesn't it? On the other hand, the truth of God's Word brings healing and wholeness, too--if we choose to hear it, believe it, and act on it!

think on these things...

1 John 2:15-17 (NKJV)
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

James 4:1-4 (NKJV)
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Exodus 20:1-5 (NLT)
Then God instructed the people as follows: "I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt. Do not worship any other gods besides me. Do not make idols of any kind.... You must never worship or bow down to them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not share your affection with any other god!"

"The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable." Anonymous

He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NKJV)

While going through some boxes of notes, papers, and "stuff" I've accumulated over the last 20 years, I found a clipping from the January 14, 1979 edition of Parade magazine. Under "Words to Ponder," there appeared a quotation attributed to Abd-er-Rahman III of Spain, c. 960. Here 'tis:

I have reigned about 50 years in victory or peace, beloved by my subjects, dreaded by my enemies, and respected by my allies. Riches and honors, power and pleasure, have waited on my call, nor does any earthly blessing appear to have been wanting my felicity. In this situation I have diligently numbered the days of pure genuine happiness which have fallen to my lot: they amount to fourteen.

Fourteen "happy days" out of 18,250. Amazing!

There's this little, nagging thought that follows us through life--the suggestion that, "if I only had this, or that, or the other thing, then I'd be happy." Yet, there have been those who seemingly "had it all," and came to discover that true happiness is not found in fame or fortune. That's a lesson worth remembering as we journey through this world to the next.

think on these things...

Luke 12:15-21 (NLT)
Then he [Jesus] said, "Beware! Don't be greedy for what you don't have. Real life is not measured by how much we own." And he gave an illustration: "A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. In fact, his barns were full to overflowing. So he said, 'I know! I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll have room enough to store everything. And I'll sit back and say to myself, My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!' But God said to him, 'You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all?' Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God."

1 Timothy 6:6-11 (NKJV)
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

Hebrews 11:24-26 (NLT)
It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of the Messiah than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the great reward that God would give him.

Matthew 5:6-10 (LVB)
"Happy are those who long to be just and good, for they shall be completely satisfied. Happy are the kind and merciful, for they shall be shown mercy. Happy are those whose hearts are pure, for they shall see God. Happy are those who strive for peace--they shall be called the sons of God. Happy are those who are persecuted because they are good, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs."

Matthew 28:1-9 (NLT)
Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to see the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled aside the stone and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow.

The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. Then the angel spoke to the women. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples he has been raised from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember, I have told you."

The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to find the disciples to give them the angel's message. And as they went, Jesus met them. "Greetings!" he said. And they ran to him, held his feet, and worshiped him.

think on these things...

1 Corinthians 15:20-28 (NLT)
But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, Adam, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man, Christ. Everyone dies because all of us are related to Adam, the first man. But all who are related to Christ, the other man, will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised first; then when Christ comes back, all his people will be raised.

After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having put down all enemies of every kind. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. For the Scriptures say, "God has given him authority over all things." (Of course, when it says "authority over all things," it does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) Then, when he has conquered all things, the Son will present himself to God, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.

Romans 6:4 (NKJV)
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Matthew 12:38-40 (NKJV)
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.'' But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

think on these things...

Jonah 1:17; 2:1-10 (NLT)
Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. He said, "I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the world of the dead, and Lord, you heard me! You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves. Then I said, 'O Lord, you have driven me from your presence. How will I ever again see your holy Temple?' I sank beneath the waves, and death was very near. The waters closed in around me, and seaweed wrapped itself around my head. I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was locked out of life and imprisoned in the land of the dead.

"But you, O Lord my God, have snatched me from the yawning jaws of death! When I had lost all hope, I turned my thoughts once more to the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God's mercies. But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone." Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit up Jonah on the beach, and it did.

Isaiah 53:8-12 (KJV)
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

"Christ took our sins and the sins of the whole world as well as the Father's wrath on his shoulders, and he has drowned them both in himself so that we are thereby reconciled to God and become completely righteous." Martin Luther

"Learn to know Christ and him crucified. Learn to sing to him, and say, 'Lord Jesus, you are my righteousness, I am your sin. You have taken upon yourself what is mine and given me what is yours. You have become what you were not so that I might become what I was not.'" Martin Luther

think on these things...

John 1:29,35-37 (NKJV)
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!'' The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

1 Peter 1:18,19 (NKJV)
...you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

Isaiah 53:6,7 (NKJV)
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not his mouth.

Revelation 5:11-14 (NKJV)
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!'' And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!'' Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!'' And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.

"But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."
2 Timothy 3:10-12 (NKJV)

"John Wesley got down from his horse and began to pray, asking God to show him if his lack of persecution was due to unconfessed sin. While on his knees before God, an unsaved man passing by recognized him as the man he disliked. He picked up a brick and tossed it at Wesley. It missed the evangelist, but Wesley saw it as an answer to prayer. 'Thank God,' he exclaimed, 'it's all right. I still have His presence.'"

When we faithfully follow Christ, we will encounter opposition. Jesus said, "If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:18-21). Persecution comes to discourage you, to frighten you, to divert your attention and energy from the will and purpose of God, and to destroy the work of God. 

It's not a question of if persecution will come to the believer, but how we respond when it comes. Persecution is an opportunity to trust God and prove the integrity and power of His Word. When faced with persecution for righteousness' sake, we must remember to:

COUNT IT ALL JOY
When Peter and the apostles were persecuted after the healing of the lame man at the temple gate, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ (Acts 5:41). Jesus instructs us to "rejoice and leap for joy" when we are falsely accused and ill-treated (Matthew 5:10-12). See also: James 1:2,3,12; 1 Peter 1:5-9; 4:12-14; Romans 5:1-5; Hebrews 12:1,2.

RESIST REVENGE AND RETALIATION
Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit-filled life (Galatians 5:16). When persecuted, the fleshly response is to fight back. Instead, God wants us to avoid sinning in word or deed. Rather than retaliating, we must crucify the flesh by the power of the Spirit. See also: Hebrews 4:15; Ephesians 4:26,27; 1 Peter 2:21-23; 3:8-17; 4:1,2.

COMMIT THE INJUSTICE TO GOD
Proud people take matters into their own hands. The humble trust God to work all things together for their good--knowing that no weapon formed against the servant of the Lord will prosper (Romans 8:28-39; Isaiah 54:17). See also: 1 Peter 4:19; 5:6,7; Philippians 4:4-7; Hebrews 5:6-9.

WALK IN GOD'S LOVE
We need to be imitators of God, and walk in love (1 John 4:19). Rather than reacting in the flesh when we are mistreated, we must learn to respond with God's love (Romans 12:19-21). We must be quick to forgive (Matthew 6:14). Jesus instructs us to love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who have taken advantage of us (Luke 6:22-35). See also: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (AMP); Ephesians 5:1,2.

PATIENTLY WAIT ON THE LORD
Through faith and patience we experience the blessing of God's promises (Hebrews 6:9-12). Once you have given the matter to God, resist taking it back. There is great blessing in believing and waiting for God to work! See also: 1 Peter 5:10,11; Galatians 6:7-10; Isaiah 40:31.

think on these things...

John 15:19,20 (NKJV)
"If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, `A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also."

Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV)
"No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,'' says the Lord.

"Bearing wrong is a glorious part of Christ's sufferings; a glorious part of being conformed to His most holy likeness; a most blessed fruit of the true life of faith." Andrew Murray

"Sometimes I think the Church would be better off if we would call a moratorium on activity for about six weeks and just wait on God to see what He is waiting to do for us." A.W. Tozer

think on these things...

Isaiah 30:15, 18 (NLT)
The Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says, "Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But the Lord still waits for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for him to help them."

Isaiah 40:28-31 (NLT)
Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

After I posted my March 31 weblog entry, "Searching for the Perfect Church," a faithful Line Upon Line reader wrote the following:

Good morning.

I just read your posting on 'the perfect church'. Is this your idea of a joke???? What you describe as the perfect church is God's ideal, yet the reality is VERY far from this ideal.

I personally know dozens of believers who have left the church because they had been wounded by other Christians. I guess we all have. I know I have. They can't seem to get past the hurt, disillusionment. Their disillusionment can blind them of the reality of who Jesus is and bitterness sets in and robs them of their future in Christ.

Perhaps I took your posting too seriously. Maybe you meant it as a joke. I hope I haven't offended you. You know how much I appreciate you. I was just telling someone the other day that your postings have become my newest addiction...

Here was my response:

Nope...no joke. Call me a dreamer.... I dream of what could be, what should be, what can be, if people would only start acting like Jesus is really Lord (novel idea, wouldn't you say?).

I do know the hurt of which you speak (I have been lied to, abused, slandered, and used)...and I know the reality of the state of the Church (I've been in this 30 years and I've seen most everything)...and I am convinced that the world is in the mess it's in because the Church is in the state it's in (I believe the mess is more the Church's fault than Satan's fault)...but, I also know the power of God to take hopeless situations and work MIRACLES. All things are possible to those who believe!

Yup, it will be a miracle alright. :^)

But if you believe in the power of prayer (and I know you do), we have to take seriously the prayer Jesus prayed [as recorded in John's gospel, chapter 17, verses 17-23]:

"Make them pure and holy by teaching them your words of truth. As you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself entirely to you so they also might be entirely yours. I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony. My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father-that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are- I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one. Then the world will know that you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me."

Yes, it will be a miracle if the Perfect Church is ever to be seen--but as long as I believe in God, I believe in miracles!

think on these things...

1 Corinthians 1:1-10 (NLT)
This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes. We are writing to the church of God in Corinth, you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did all Christians everywhere--whoever calls upon the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and theirs. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you his grace and peace. I can never stop thanking God for all the generous gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. He has enriched your church with the gifts of eloquence and every kind of knowledge. This shows that what I told you about Christ is true. Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you strong right up to the end, and he will keep you free from all blame on the great day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will surely do this for you, for he always does just what he says, and he is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Now, dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so there won't be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

Matthew 19:26 (NKJV)
But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.''

Mark 9:23 (NKJV)
Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.''