The Invisible Church
A word the Lord gave me about this year of 2012
Rev. Susan G. Honeycutt
Some things you can see , like water, cars, people , and animals.
For those that are blessed with eyesight, it is common to drive thru any
town and see several churches of different denominations. America is
blessed with the freedom to worship whoever they want in whatever
way they want . What then is the invisible church?
The invisible church is the God given institution of the the Body
of Christ, with the members being made up of people who have given
their hearts to Jesus Christ. It is a body with Christ as the head. It is
an unseen group that surpasses time and space, connected by their
love of the word of God and their devotion to the Father that loved them
enough to sacrifice His own son's life to jointly fit them together.
The greatest act of love is giving of yourself for another's sake, giving,
willingly, out of an abundance of love for the sake of another. Love is
not measured by gifts given or received but by the amount of sacrifice
it took to give that love. A parent sacrifices their youth by working and
providing for their children . Putting another before yourself requires
a sacrifice of love . Pride requires that we put ourselves first, that we
satisfy our own needs first and foremost , but love requires that our
wants and expectations are second when compared to another's. Love
doesn't require that the person be family or even a friend. It is an even
greater sacrifice to love someone you don't know and most great when it
is an enemy.
The Lord is calling the invisible church , the body of Christ, to arms. We
are being called into an invisible battle, not with physical ammunition but
with the sword of the Lord , which is the word of God. Let me share with
you what I hear the Lord speaking concerning this year , specifically.
The word is "The Invisible Church " . Why the emphasis on being invisible?
What can we do when we are not seen? Like servants to the master we do
the work that is asked of us and even sometimes the work no one wants
to do. We are also like foot soldiers that go in the front of the battle , taking
the heavy fire , so the rest may follow. Church , we are called to war with a
sacrifice of love according to the word of God, through the laying down of
our lives for the sake of the other.
I must say that there is a measure of sadness in my heart as I write this,
because I know that so many of the things we will do this year will never
be seen by the naked eye, nor will the rewards be realized in this life , but
will be in the next to come. Just like the church is invisible , so will
our battles be, sensed by the spirit and hard to explain. Some of those
battles might even be fought alone. Why would a member of the body
have to fight alone?
Sometimes the Lord leads us through these times of solitary battle to show
His power in us and sometimes it is to strengthen our faith and resolve that
God is who He says He is and He will do what He says He will do. Rest assured
He gives us what we need right when we need it. In this unseen battle God is
a master General who supplies His army with the right equipment and manpower
to take back the ground the enemy has conquered.
Call on your brothers and sisters for their assistance in prayer , don't feel the
need to try and articulate everything you are going through when fighting an
unseen enemy. Call on the Lord for protection for one another and be ready in
a moments notice. Don't proceed , in the work of the ministry, desiring to see
results in this life. Some things are meant to be stored up in heaven, to be revealed
when we are standing before the throne. It is an easy thing to suffer something
when the prize is clearly in view , but what a reward awaits us when we have
lived by faith and not by sight.
We are the invisible church , not bound by any man made institution , denomination ,
or culture. We are jointly fit together by a master carpenter who never wastes
materials on empty purposes. He has a plan for each individual that is profound
and better than that person can possibly imagine. He also has a plan for the body
as a whole , beautifully adorned as a bride, awaiting the bridegroom. He is coming
for His bride , soon. That is the only reward we need to look for , that the one
we love is coming to return that love very, very soon.
There is a spirit of fear that is spreading with the new year and many doomsday
prophecies circulating. It is our responsibility to counteract that fear with love
and truth at every turn. I encourage you , in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
to be the man or woman of God that He created you to be regardless of what
it looks like. Believe in the impossible and do not limit the power of God
through you. Call on every resource made available to you to do the
work that is put before you. Do the tasks behind the scenes that no one
has the courage or the amount of love required to do . Be the Christian you
declared before the Lord you wanted to be. Do it , regardless of whether anyone
is there to pat you on the back . Love no matter what it costs, walk
continuously in the Love of God and store up for yourselves treasure in heaven
where moth and rust will never destroy it.
God bless us all with wisdom and
understanding to do His will this year and always.
