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Putting Christ back into Christianity (A crucial reminder in our rushed routine of life)

I have transcribed a small portion of a message by Major Ian Thomas. Even in this short segment he unveils exactly what the Church by in large has been missing, or more correctly stated, has been avoiding. We must constantly be reminded that the Christian life is not a TRY HARDER RELIGION, but a TRUST HIM RELATIONSHIP. I hope that part of Bro. Thomas' message is a blessing and an eye opener of what is true Christianity.

        “This is the privilege that He has given to you and to me, completely available for the flow of His life like a river of living water....for the Holy Spirit at that time was not yet given, because the Lord Jesus had at that time not yet been glorified, but now He has. He's ascended to be with the Father and has implemented the promise that when He was restored to the Father's right hand He would come, not leaving us paupers but, in the person of His Holy Spirit, flooding our whole humanity with the fulness of the Triune God. So we've become individual members of the corporate body of the living Christ who is not only the head of that body but its life content. For that is a very important principle.
        And remember the concern of His heart is to seek and to save that which was lost. Therefore if you place your humanity at His disposal you can already thank Him in advance for the blessing that He is going to be through you to others. Did you ever thank the Lord Jesus for the souls that He is going to save through you? If not, why not? Aren't you available to Him? And if you are available to Him don't you anticipate that this is what He will do? Then thank Him! Don't wait till it happens. Anybody can thank Him with what's happened. Faith thanks Him with what's going to happen. That's what makes life so exciting. That's what makes life such an adventure. I love to live six months from now, because I know what happened six months ago. And because of all that happened six months ago, I have strong confidence in what He is going to do six months from now. Well, why should I wait till it happens till I enjoy it? I might just as well enjoy it now. So I say Lord thank you for the boys and girls, the men and women into whose faces I've never looked and whose names I've never heard, but to whom you're going to speak. and to whose lives your going to add your life. Who are going to be redeemed from darkness, taken out of death, and raised into newness of life with the power of your resurrection. I thank you for the defeated, frustrated, and exhausted Christians whom your going to emancipate and lead into the glorious secret of living life as God intended life to be.
        Lord its wonderful! I don't know who they are, don't know where they live, I don't know on what corner I'm gonna meet them, but it's just as sure as the dawn. Because it's just like you to do things like that and I'm available. Now that's the Christian life. Members of the body. What do you expect of the members of your body? What do you expect of your hands, when you get up in the morning? Do you expect them to have a committee meeting? To present to you their plans for the day. Is that what you expect? And they tell you what they consider would be a very good idea for the occupation of the twenty four hours that are to ensue. I don't expect that of my hands. I expect of my hands that they will be restfully available, but instantly obedient. I don't expect them to demonstrate their enthusiasm or show me that their busy the whole time. Life would be an unbearable burden if my hands behaved like that. See, all the time that I'm speaking my fingers want to impress me and they want to impress you that their really on the job (constantly waves fingers). Haven't you met exhausting Christians like that? Whose activity is totally unrelated to the purpose of the head.
       They think the whole criterion of spirituality is activity. Business, on the job, living on their nerves...and everybody else's. I'm sure you've met them. Now God says I don't want you like that. I just want you to be a healthy member of my body just restfully available, and if I don't happen to have anything for you to do at this particular moment then get where you belong, into my pocket, and just rest, but when I need you, when I want you, instant obedience. Now that's the Christian life, restfully available, instantly obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Now if you will act on this basis, you will discover that all the stress and all the strain has gone out of your Christian life. It doesn't mean that you will be inactive, but you will be Christ active.”

- Beginning message by Major Ian Thomas (Audio message can be found on sermonindex.com titled Available to God)

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