Perception and Reality

It has been said that perception is a person's reality, whether the perception is true or not.
Within the Body of Christ, this cannot be true.

I don't mean to say a Christian cannot perceive wrongly because that would be false. What I do mean to say is that we, as Christians, CANNOT allow our perceptions to dictate our reality.
The reason is because reality is dictated by God, and our perceptions in life are always changing; God does not and will not change.

Christians have been given the wonderful blessing of the Holy Spirit; it is the Holy Spirit by which we perceive with, rather than what we perceive. 
He gives us spiritual recognition so that we grow and mature; changing our once hardened view to something much more compassionate.
For example, in time we gradually learn to view and care for the 'least of these' just as God does.

To be sure, by definition, the Holy Spirit is invisible; but that does not mean He cannot be seen.
God came to us in flesh, He became one of us in His Son so that we could experience the fullness of who He is in our material world.
God, still today, takes on flesh - our own flesh - and we still experience His work in our world.

Now, you would think since Christians have the Holy Spirit within them, the history of the Church as the Body of Christ would be stacked full of triumph after triumph and giving birth to a world that is progressively getting more glorious as the seconds pass on the clocks of humanity.
Think again.

As we read the history of the Church, our history is speckled and off-color at best.
We have God's Word and God's Spirit, but the truth is that we just don't embody God as well as Jesus did when He was on the Earth.
Without question, nobody had to ask if God cared about them - all they had to do was point to Jesus and they knew God cared, because a caring, compassionate Lord was in their midst.
The same should be able to be said of the Body of Christ today, His church in the world; but many times, instead of breaking down walls, we will construct barriers in our hearts and our pews.

As I watch my television screen, from time to time I see men and women calling great fires from God down on their services. 
I see these people attempt to command the Holy Spirit to do heal certain ailments or to financially 'bless' those who are abundantly giving to that particular ministry.
Oddly, I don't see what good comes from or what glory to God is derived from attempting to control the Spirit of God like a personal pet.
And I have to wonder what the poor and homeless veteran on the streets of Los Angeles thinks of the mansion a local minister lives in - especially when we know Jesus didn't even have a home of His own.

It's no wonder so many perceive Christians as phony and ministers as charlatans. 

Scripture tells us 'all creation groans,' awaiting the fulfillment of God.
And it is true; not just spiritually but physically and audibly as well.
Creation actually emits a low frequency sound, something like what we would call a distress signal.
And in our spiritual lives, we too groan in our own ways. 

Humans give off their own distress signals; sometimes it is in tears over a lost loved one. At other times it comes as a nervous chuckle when diagnosed with cancer.
But whatever or however it comes to our lives, when we do not know how to pray or approach the Father - it is the Holy Spirit who does, giving our requests to God as if He has heard a child's soundless cry.

Before I had children, a friend told me that he could pick his child's cry out among all the children on a playground. Truthfully, I didn't believe it.
Not long after we had children - I realized how true this ability is in reality.
I was also told that a mother can distinguish between the different types of cries and sounds, indicating what is going on with the the child.
While true, the Holy Spirit has a sensitivity beyond the wisest and most attentive mother.

You see, the Holy Spirit isn't an 'access' to an inner voice before God; the Holy Spirit is the voice of God Himself.
As we mature and grow, His sensitivity and ability to distinguish is slowly gained in our spiritual preceptors. 
It would be nice if we had this ability from the outset of our Christian walk, we would have been better witnesses; but it takes time to develop once we've been recovered from the Fall.
In my life, especially since I have been sick, I have wished I could go back even as far as High School and be the person God has been honing me to be from the beginning.
But I'm sure I'm not alone - maybe that's why they call Christianity a 'journey.'

General George S. Patton

The truth is that many who reject God aren't rejecting Him but a caricature of Him that we have given the world as the Church.
In World War II, General George Patton slapped a shell-shocked soldier, believing him to be a coward. American newspapers got wind of the event and caricatures appeared of Patton with a Nazi Swastika on his boot.
All the good he had done and would do in defeating the Third Reich was seemingly forgotten.
Sadly, when the world looks on the church, they tend to do the same.

The Church as the Body of Christ has led the way for the past 2,000 years in justice, in works of literature, in medicine and medical developments, in education, in the creative arts and in civil rights for all people.
Yet, to be fair, the Church has also led in the Crusades, the Inquisition, it has led the way in antisemitism, the church has led or supported in many nations the suppression of women, minorities and certainly was in support of the slave trade.
It is these things, the later not the former, by which we are judged.

Though these things are true, Christ stated that it was good He was going away; for by going away and returning later, He could send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

Many years ago, King Henry V of England led a campaign into France to reclaim lands he believed rightfully belonged to the English crown.
The story is told that the King knew his troops were exhausted, ill fed and struggling; so, he

King Henry V

disguised himself as a common soldier and circulated among his troops so that he might inspire hope and instill his confidence into them so that they would be able to see what he could see and fight with the passion he would fight with along side of them.

On 25 October 1415, the French intercepted Henry's soldiers on the plains near a village called Agincourt.
Though the English were outnumbered, malnourished and exhausted - that battle became one of England's greatest victories.

What Henry V was able to do with his soldiers, God does the same through the Holy Spirit in each of His children.
Sometimes it may seem like God has set us loose in the world; but it isn't so.
Through His Spirit, God is always present - He has come along side of us so that He might give us His confidence and strength in the world which stands opposed to all of who He is and what He seeks to do.

Many times, when we have problems or trials in our lives, we seek out God and want Him to come down and help us.
Friend, you may want Him to come - but we must acknowledge that God is already here. 
He is an ever-present Lord in our time of need and in our time of rejoicing.

Until next time, win one for the good guys.