\u201cYou say, \u2018I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing\u201d But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked…\u201d <\/em> This condition is unacceptable to the Lord and He was about to reject them with disgust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, down through the ages the Church \u201cstandard\u201d has been replaced by a degrading \u201cnormal.\u201d And to each generation brought up in the Church everything seemed normal. The problem being that the degrading normalcy has been influenced and dictated more by the whims of society than by Biblical truth. All kinds of worldly standards have stealthily subverted and displaced the high standard set for the Church. The Church would no longer function as the Body of Christ with Christ as the Head and every member (joint<\/em>) supplying; it was to be a Kingdom of priests. Today we find it functioning as a well-oiled organization similar in fashion to any other organization in society: governments, military, business, education, and so on. Of course the Church replacing the secular titles of \u201cmanagement and employees\u201d of an organization with \u201cclergy and laymen,\u201d and their \u201coffices\u201d have been replaced with \u201cministries.\u201d In reality, many churches have just become pseudo-organizations capable of self-sustainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe high standard <\/strong>of a living organism functioning under its Head, Jesus Christ, with a many membered body, each contributing to the welfare of the whole, has degraded to the normalcy of: qualifications and credentials, diplomas and degrees, seniority, motivational speakers and participants with itchy ears. The greatest fall to normalcy is spiritual behavior, in which the high standard of \u201cChrist in us<\/em>,\u201d and being \u201cchanged from glory to glory\u201d <\/em> has degenerated to worrying that our behavior is more acceptable to society than to Christ. The moral foundation of the Church has been weakened with compromise. Somehow, in all its distorted and perverted thinking, it maintains that Godly love is accepting everyone just as they are, regardless of what they think, say or do; that in being tolerant would somehow win them over; and that it is un-Christ like to judge. All is error upon error.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThus, over time, the church has fallen more and more into the world in how it functions, into it belief system, and into its liberal philosophy. Jesus warned the church at Ephesus, \u201cRemember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place\u2014unless you repent.\u201d <\/em>Rev. 2.5 The church as a whole had lost their first love. The fortunate part is that they at least had a vague memory of the standard from which they had fallen. They could remember their former relationship with Christ. They had to opportunity to repent. The problem today is that the church cannot remember its first love because to them everything appears normal. In today\u2019s church, generations have past and none has the faintest notion of its former position with Christ. They simply look at their current relationship with Christ and assume this is normal. In the absence of memory, it must become a matter of spiritual revelation. The Church has to be shaken to its core with the word of truth. It is spiritual warfare at the grass roots level. It is time to expose \u201cnormalcy\u201d for what it is.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.\u201d<\/em><\/strong> <\/strong>Rm. 10.17<\/strong> It was probably about 50 years ago I was introduced to two books by Watchman Nee: The Normal Christian Life and The Normal Christian Church Life. The books are still available online or by downloadable pdf. It\u2019s been such a long time and I would have to revisit the books to relate the specific messages, but then I was immediately overcome with the notion that these are not the \u201cnormal\u201d of today\u2019s Christian\u2026far from it. Nor was Nee describing what would be considered a normally \u201cgood\u201d Christian Church. In reality, he was shining light on the \u201cstandard\u201d from which today\u2019s \u201cnormalcy\u201d has degenerated. He was attempting to put into remembrance \u201cfrom where we have fallen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you a \u201cnormal\u201d Christian\u201d? You know, like most other Christians with whom you associate. Yes, there are those that appear more spiritual, but God knows there are those that are far less spiritual. Are you content with your normalcy? Have you attained that standard in your life in which you are satisfied? Are you comfortable with your Christianity? Are you content with your \u201cC\u201d grade? Are you satisfied with what the blood of Christ has purchased for your life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is your Church a \u201cnormal\u201d Christian Church? Of course there are those churches more fanatical; and for sure there are those churches that are a little more than social gatherings masquerading as a church\u2014much less normal. Does the life that surrounds your church readily meet the standard set in the heart of Christ when He told Peter that, \u201con this rock<\/strong> I will build My church.\u201d<\/em> <\/em>Mt. 16.18 By the way, the phrase, \u201cThis rock,\u201d<\/em><\/strong> does not refer not a man (Peter for example as the first pope), nor is the rock<\/em> a system, it is not a religion, not an organization or denomination\u2026it is the fact that He, Jesus, is\u2026 \u201cThe Christ<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d The Christ is the Rock! This is spiritual truth visiting us in the person of Jesus Christ, who is both the Son of Man and Son of God, in one soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Standard of Religion or the Standard of Life. <\/strong>Degraded normalcy<\/strong> in the church is found in established rituals, standard services, set doctrines, programs and routine. This is known as religion<\/strong>. Religion is not the Church, it is not Christianity, it is a system for worship. But the Spirit of life<\/strong> is found in the Christ<\/em>\u2014it is living faith as He is living. O\u2019 to meditate on the following scripture, it is so overwhelmingly powerful yet also so sobering: <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cBut you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ<\/strong>, he is not His. And, if Christ<\/strong> is in you\u2026\u201d <\/em> <\/em>Rm. 8.9-10 <\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cIf<\/strong> Christ is in you!\u201d<\/em>\u2014<\/em>this statement alone establishes the high standard of God. \u201cIf Christ is in you\u201d <\/em> is like \u201ca shot fired across the bow\u201d\u2014the expression is from a naval tactic of firing a warning shot across the bow or front portion of a ship in order cause it to stop or to alter its course. If not heeded, severe consequences will follow. \u201cIf <\/em><\/strong>Christ<\/em> is in you\u201d<\/em> then<\/strong>, and only then, you are in the Spirit, and your life should thus reflect the presence of God\u2026the presence of God not nearby, or in heaven, or in the surroundings, or in thought only, but in reality in you<\/em><\/strong>.<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe scripture goes on to read, <\/em>if Christ is not in you, then<\/em><\/strong>simply you are not His<\/strong>, <\/em>you are yet in the flesh, you are yet in your sins, and you will suffer the consequences of your actions. Religion is not a substitute for the Christ,<\/em> but it is the normalcy to which the Church has degraded. Religion is but a facade, an outer shell, actually concealing the truth; religion is only a shadow cast by the reality of Christ in you.<\/em> When the church fell from the standard of Christ in you<\/em> it could not imitate it, it could not act it out in the flesh, all it could do was to form a vague system of worship as its substitute, and to live in the shadow of truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe high standard of Christ for His Church<\/strong> is the presence of God in the midst<\/strong> of our gatherings: \u201cIn Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.\u201d <\/em> <\/em>Eph. 2.21-22 Mary, the sister of Martha, could not tolerate being apart from the presence of Christ, even to suffer the rebuke of her sister to put on her apron and get busy doing good on behalf of the Lord. To sit in His presence was life to her soul. She became like that branch firmly attached to the vine, forever drawing the life-giving essence and nourishment flowing out from the vine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cI am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.<\/em>\u201d <\/em> Jn. 15.5<\/p>\n\n\n\nYou can do nothing<\/strong><\/em>\u2014 in the Greek the word nothing<\/em> is a powerful negating word. It rules out, that is, \u201cshuts the door\u201d and leaves no exceptions. This word nothing<\/em> brings to light and life the absolute necessity for the grace of God. The finest essences of all the religions of the world, including Christianity as a religion, could not extract the overwhelming significance of \u201cI in him.\u201d <\/em> Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well, who was all bound up in religion, \u201cIf you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, \u2018Give Me a drink,\u2019 you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.\u201d<\/em> Jn. 14.10. O\u2019 do you see that the grace of God is bound up in Christ alone and that He is the Father\u2019s free gift to all that would ask?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Christ Himself must become our standard, He is our high calling, He alone is the essence of God\u2019s life\u2026 in us. Christ is not found in religion or in fleshly attempts to please God in one way or another. Man is incapable of atoning for his own sins or wayward behavior, or to somehow regenerate a new life within threw some fleshly act of repentance. Our Father in Heaven is less interested in what man may accomplish for Him, or in His behalf, than in freely giving the gift of His Son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201dThat He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts<\/strong> through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height\u2014 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God<\/strong>.<\/em> Eph. 3.16-19<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis, beloved, is the absence of lukewarm normalcy and the antithesis of religion; it is the return to the standard of the high call of God in Christ Jesus. \u201cChrist in you, the hope of glory.\u201d <\/em>Col. 1.27<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What is it to be a normal Christian? Are we \u201cnormal\u201d Christians attending a \u201cnormal\u201d Christian church? When I was young, Catholic churches were standard wherever one would go in the world with only minor variations. The Catholic Churches always had their mass celebrating communion, confessions, holy days, and their Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2146,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","order-bump-settings":[],"_wpfnl_thankyou_order_overview":"on","_wpfnl_thankyou_order_details":"on","_wpfnl_thankyou_billing_details":"on","_wpfnl_thankyou_shipping_details":"on","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":null,"ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":null,"header-above-stick-meta":null,"header-main-stick-meta":null,"header-below-stick-meta":null,"astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-spiritual-man-series"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ufsm-sermons-thumbnail.jpg",520,380,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ufsm-sermons-thumbnail-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ufsm-sermons-thumbnail-300x219.jpg",300,219,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ufsm-sermons-thumbnail.jpg",520,380,false],"large":["https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ufsm-sermons-thumbnail.jpg",520,380,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ufsm-sermons-thumbnail.jpg",520,380,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ufsm-sermons-thumbnail.jpg",520,380,false],"mailpoet_newsletter_max":["https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ufsm-sermons-thumbnail.jpg",520,380,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Daniel DeVitis","author_link":"https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/author\/dan-devitis\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"What is it to be a normal Christian? Are we \u201cnormal\u201d Christians attending a \u201cnormal\u201d Christian church? When I was young, Catholic churches were standard wherever one would go in the world with only minor variations. The Catholic Churches always had their mass celebrating communion, confessions, holy days, and their Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD)…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4437"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4437"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4437\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4439,"href":"https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4437\/revisions\/4439"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ufsministries.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}