I sense a cry coming from within you. It is a cry from your heart and soul because you have been wandering on the outskirts and are looking to belong somewhere!
You have been looking from the sidelines of the Church desperately wanting to grow and flourish, but seem to feel stuck.
I am sensing that you feel deprived, you are hurting, you feel forgotten, you are broken, you feel orphaned, are lost, feel lonely and have yet to experience all that the Lord has for you.
You have been crying out in your secret place, "Lord, why am I so alone? I want to do more – BE more!"
The enemy is whispering lies into your ears, lies of doubt and unbelief:
The enemy is telling you that "You don't belong there. Nobody wants you. You're not good enough. You don't need THEM!"
These lies are swirling around you as a result of these recent disappointments with the Church and the Body of Christ, telling you it's too risky to get close again. And yet, you know you can't move any further on your own.
Did You Know That Your Spiritual DNA is Calling You Higher? - You Do Belong
Even though you are hearing those whispers and feel powerless to change, the Lord wants you to know that you are not alone.
You are feeling what many of your Christian brothers and sisters are feeling or have felt. I'm here to let you know that when one member suffers, all suffer together.
If one member is honored, all rejoice together (1 Cor 12:26 ESV). Even though you may not realize it, I want you to know that your spiritual DNA is written upon your spirit and calling you higher!
You are part of an eternal family that is drawing you by the Spirit of God because you do belong.
You are but one of the many sons and daughters of the Kingdom who have yet to know the fullness of who you truly are, what you were truly born for, and what you were truly designed for.
The cry of your heart is the same cry of your Heavenly Father, who longs for you to join the Body so that you can truly know the fullness for which you were born.
Eph 1:22-23 tells us that "...He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the Church, which is His Body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."
You are a Vital Part of the Body
There is an aspect of your spiritual growth that can ONLY happen within the context of THE BODY. You are a part of His Body, regardless of which part. You cannot deny it, and you cannot stop it.
You have been wired, from the beginning of time, to be a living and breathing part of the Body of Christ.
Not only do you need the Body, but the Body needs YOU! Regardless of your personal experience with the Lord or any encounters and breakthroughs you've already had on your own, you will never know the FULLNESS of your call and destiny apart from the Body.
If you study Psalm 133, you will see that there is, in this season, an increased anointing, authority, and spiritual EMPOWERMENT upon the BODY of Christ. Just as individuals can be filled with and empowered by the Spirit of God, so there is a corporate filling and empowering that goes far beyond what any single Believer can accomplish or experience.
Consider what happened when the Holy Spirit was first poured out upon those hungry Believers in Jerusalem and the resulting impact of their oneness of heart and corporate commitment:
• In Acts 2:1-4, Pentecost came as they tarried together in the upper room;
• In Acts 2:46-47, Mass evangelism occurred when they met and worshipped together.
• In Acts 4:29-31, Greater boldness and courage in the public square came out of corporate fellowship and prayer.
• In Acts 4:32-33; 5:12-14, Grace for the miraculous increased as Believers walked together.
God has a destiny and purpose for you that is intricately tied to His Body. It will require faith to step into it. It will require risk because people may let you down. But, the Father will never let you down, nor will He lead you astray.
This is a time when a FULLNESS is coming to the Body of Christ – a fullness of the knowledge of the glory of God (Hab. 2:14), a fullness of the gifts and demonstrations of the Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:13-16), and a fullness of the Father's perfect love (Ephesians 3:14-19).
In the Body of Christ You Will Discover Fullness
This FULLNESS can only be realized when you join the Body and BE the part you were created to be. This means joining and sticking with a household of faith for the long-haul. If you have been wounded, you can find healing. If you have felt forgotten, you will be recognized and embraced. If you have been rejected, there is a place where you will be celebrated. If you have been alone, you can find your family. There is grace in this hour to belong.
This will be an ACT OF FAITH on your part. To join the Body means to trust your Father who is the Head. He will lead you to the right household of faith. He will teach you to trust again. He will give you opportunities to serve and find your place. The same love that Jesus has for His Bride He will give to you, if you but trust Him.
YOU BELONG to the family of God. It's time to step in and get attached. Stop visiting and start engaging. Stop looking from the sidelines and step into meaningful relationships within a local fellowship. What man cannot do, the Holy Spirit will do. Keep a humble spirit. Risk again. Determine to serve others in love. Watch who the Lord brings across your daily path. You are needed, and the Body is looking – even waiting – for you to come and belong.
I will close with Eph 2:22:
"And you are part of that building Christ has built as a place for God's own Spirit to live."
Submitted By: Walter Beatty, Vice-President
