On the outside a church is just a building. Some have paint glass windows and pretty doors. Some are large and some small, but each was built as a place of worship…a place for God’s children to gather and sing praises to Him. If we take a look inside, every church is different, but most of them share one purpose: to serve the Lord by reaching out to lost souls and sharing the truth of God’s love.
To the outsider the church has little importance and is maybe nothing more than a landmark for giving directions. They haven’t entered those doors and felt the presence of the One who loves us most. They haven’t heard the preacher preach and have his words (God’s words) touch their hearts as though He’s speaking directly to them. They haven’t seen the smiling faces, felt the warm handshakes or heard the welcoming voices. They haven’t heard the songs sung there, every “Hallelujah” and “Amen.” The church is more than just a building when it’s members are doing more than filling the pews. The church is God’s people reaching out to those in need of hope in a world full of despair. It is (or should be) a reflection of Jesus Christ
To many the Bible is just a book; a collection of stories meant to guide us, but filled with words beyond our understanding. We used to see Bibles everywhere…motel rooms, our doctor’s office, in waiting rooms everywhere… and perhaps on the coffee table at Grandma’s house. Some Bibles we’ve seen have worn pages with markings and notes on every page, while others are tucked away or covered with dust.
If we take those Bibles out and take a look inside, we’ll find more than a bunch of meaningless words. We’ll find out how the world began and how, with just His words, God brought us into being. We’ll read stories of faithful men, women and children and how they loved, prayed, fought and reached the goals God set before them. We’ll learn of kings and queens, prophets, angels and animals facing floods, famines, trials and tribulation beyond anything we face today. Through its pages we’ll hear from God Himself, see His miracles and feel His presence as we read.
By looking inside God’s Word…each one breathed by Him…we’ll find the truth that will set us free: That God so loved the world, He gave His Only Son…allowing Him to become the final sacrifice for our sin…that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have eternal life…That God sent not His Son into the world, to condemn the world, but that the world through Him, might be saved. John 3:16-17 Believe me, the Bible is more than just a book. For those who decide to believe, it is a guide that leads in the ways God would have us go in order to reach our goal of someday living with Him in heaven. It is God’s Word, Jesus Christ, speaking to us through its pages and hiding in our hearts the things He wants us to know.
The human heart, when looked at by man, is the major organ that allows us to sustain life. It is filled with veins, ventricles, arteries and all kinds of parts that work together to pump life-giving blood to every other part of our body. It has been suggested that the brain is the center of man, but one can be brain-dead, and still alive …as long as the heart beats. When the heart stops, life stops…or does it? Let’s take a look inside.
Inside our hearts are many chambers. These chambers hold our hopes, dreams, fears, feelings of love, hate, despair, etc. All these might pass through our brains as thoughts first… then many settle into our hearts, helping to determine who we are. It is said that what comes out our mouth is what is in our hearts. Many of us suffer from heart problems. Physical ones, a doctor might be able to repair, but the real problems of fear, discontent, jealousy, and hate can’t be fixed by a surgeon’s skill or even a transplant.
Real heart problems must be placed into the hands of our creator…which takes us back to the Bible…and that takes us back to the church…God’s people. A true change of heart happens once we let the thoughts of ‘maybe there is something better’ or ‘if only I could know for sure’ turn into ‘I have to know’ and ‘I choose to believe.’ Once we decide to believe that God is real…the Bible is true…and His church is more than just a building, we receive the gift of faith. This faith settles into our heart as God’s truth is revealed…and becomes a part of who we are.
The moment we reach out to Jesus, He hears our pleas for help and forgiveness. He sends His Holy Spirit to fill that final, empty chamber of our heart and we become a child of God…a member of His church … not confined to a building, but free from the laws we could not keep; free from the doubts and fears of never being quite good enough; free to connect with Him physically and spiritually. We become aware of who we are, why we’re here and what’s important. Isn’t that enough to make you want to look inside your heart, the Bible and the church…and find out what they’re really all about…eternal life?
Matthew 11:29 , Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
AMEN….:)