Church People Series

CHURCH PEOPLE

by

Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid

(December 29, 2020)

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” (John 4: 23, King James Version [KJV]).

Greetings in the Holy Name of Jesus Yahshuah,

My sisters and brothers, you are called as friends of Christ Jesus Yahshuah in the one body of holiness called the church; you are church people yet the church you seek is in your heart. “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” [Colossians 3: 15, KJV]. In dialogue you hear church people say:

I did what I do because I do what I did.

The trust I have in me is in me who I trust.

The world condition is the condition of the world.

I do count myself in because in myself I count.

Think before you speak or speak before you think.

We are the one body of Christ Jesus for Christ Jesus is the one body.

How many we’s are in one? Possibly, in the one there are one too many.

I cannot count and the count I cannot count is still a count.

What have you today? Today, I have you.

With honor, I cherish my faithfulness for it is my faithfulness that I cherish, in honor.

To love the LORD GOD is a beautiful feeling of love and that beautiful feeling of love for the LORD GOD is to love.

I live and I die each day for the love of God for the love of God lives and dies each day.

How big is your Christ Jesus in you? My Christ Jesus is as big as I am yet bigger than I could be for to be as big as I could be could make me not so big, at all.

I have a friend in Jesus. Jesus is my friend.

Of course the old saying, if God will give me time. I will give God my time. Therefore, we seek what we speak or is what we speak deep enough in our hearts for us to seek?

We must draw ourselves near to God [“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded.” [James 4: 8, KJV]. There is this space between me and my LORD GOD that keeps getting bigger than I can cross over to and the feeling of needing to draw closer to my God will not let me be. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” [Romans 12: 8, KJV ]. This feeling I have in me will not let me go. “A man [that hath] friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend [that] sticketh closer than a brother.”[“Proverbs 18: 24, KJV].

Do you as church people think you are capable of feeling truth, in love? Is the love of church people a fleeting fantasy dancing between the sheets? Is the love of church people a sustainable force that all who meet you adore? Or, are church people here today and gone tomorrow not in words or deeds but in flesh? How much do church people need the flesh moreso than they need the spirituality of God’s need for worship?

According to Apostle John, in 1 John 3: 1, KJV, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” Apostle James said, “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” [2: 23, KJV]. “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” [Proverbs 17: 17, KJV]. According to Apostle John there is a condition to God’s friendship such as is known to mankind that “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” [John 15: 14, KJV].

Do you dialogue with God? Do you talk to God as your friend? “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” [John 15: 14, KJV]. In this day and time, I do not think anyone wants to hear the ultimatum, Will you die for me? Not even a service pet yet we find ourselves without actually noticing that we are in that arena of sacrifice fighting the good fight over something about friendship—-our love—-the love of church people, as we see domestic violence escalating all around us and as we choose to blame it all on the Coronavirus COVID-19, the pressure of it all or the lack thereof.