The Perfect Church

Is Your Church Perfect?

Do you attend the perfect church?

The music is biblical. The preaching is on fire every week. Teaching is solid at every level, no matter where you are in your walk. The pastor is always available, ready to meet with you and answer your questions with wisdom. The pews are comfortable, the temperature just right. The children are perfectly behaved, and the youth group has never even heard of rebellion. And best of all—there are more than enough volunteers for every single project.

If that sounds like your church… I invite you to look closer.

No, go closer. Take a long, honest look. Is your church really perfect?

In Revelation, John writes about seven churches, each unique—and none of them perfect. So, where does your church fit?

• Maybe it’s like Ephesus, standing firm against false teachers, but losing sight of its first love.

• Or Smyrna, faithful through trial and persecution.

• Perhaps it’s like Pergamum, letting just a little compromise sneak in—a little bit won’t hurt, right?

• Or Thyatira, where compromise has grown into full acceptance.

• Could it be like Sardis, having the reputation of life but spiritually asleep?

• Maybe it resembles Laodicea, lukewarm, comfortably indifferent to truth and holiness.

• Or, prayerfully, your church is like Philadelphia—steadfast, true, enduring in the face of opposition.

Most churches are a mix of these. Many go through seasons, shifting from one to another over time. So what’s the most important thing we can do for our church?

Okay, that was a slow pitch, right over the plate:

Pray!

• Pray for your pastor—he is on the front lines.

• Pray for the leadership team, navigating with discernment.

• Pray for the person beside you in the pew, for their faith, their burdens, their walk with Christ.

One of my former churches had an amazing prayer chain. When someone had a need—or a praise—it took minutes, maybe hours, before people were already lifting them up before God. They didn’t have to wait days for a formal team. That’s what the Body of Christ is supposed to look like.

If you haven’t read Revelation 2–3 recently, go back and do it—it’s only 51 verses. This time, read it personally. We are the church. Where do you fit? Have you allowed false teachings or worldly compromise into your life?

Go ahead… I’ll wait.

And now I’ll ask again:

What’s the most important thing?

Prayer.

We need to pray for one another. We need to pray for ourselves. We need to repent, rejoice, praise, forgive, petition, thank, love, and adore our Holy and merciful God.

Don’t chase the “perfect church.” It doesn’t exist. But you can find a church with faithful, expository teaching and a desire to follow Jesus. Like the Bereans in Acts 17, search the Scriptures daily to test what you hear. Tradition, dogma, even doctrine—these aren’t always the same as truth. If you have questions, go to your church leadership and ask! A healthy church welcomes truth-seekers.

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Prayer

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the gift of prayer, for the invitation to come boldly before Your throne of grace.
Help us remember that there is only one Church, and You alone are its head.
Guide each person reading this to the place where You want them to serve.
Give us peace as we worship together, and eyes to see where we can help correct errors in our churches.
Grant us extra grace and discernment as we speak with the leaders You’ve appointed.
Jesus, we love You.

Amen.

Where to Turn

Where Do You Turn?

Where do you turn when your strength is failing?

• When the kids have gotten on your last nerve.

• When nothing seems to be going according to plan.

• When the doldrums hit you out of nowhere.

Where do you turn?

• Maybe your spouse.

• Maybe your best friend.

• Maybe your pastor or mentor.

• Maybe a parent, or your adult child.

Or… maybe you have no one to turn to.

Maybe it’s time to turn to The One—first.

The writer of Hebrews puts it this way:

“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
—Hebrews 4:16

Don’t stop at just one verse. Go read the whole chapter. It’s short—I’ll wait.

Done? What did you think?

Hebrews 4 talks a lot about rest. But what kind of rest? Chapter 3 sets the stage by reminding us of the Israelites’ unbelief. They didn’t trust that God could lead them into the Promised Land. Because of their mistrust, they wandered for 40 years, never entering His rest. Unbelief kept them from peace.

But Chapter 4 reminds us: we still have the opportunity to enter that rest. And not someday—today.

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (v. 7b)

This rest is both spiritual and physical. In the original Greek, the phrase “enter into” implies physically stepping into a state. And “rest” means to cease from activity—to experience refreshment and freedom from anxiety. Doesn’t that sound like something we all need?

Maybe it’s not just about taking a nap (although more sleep never hurts). It’s about intentionally stepping away from the source of stress and stepping into God's peace.

You may be thinking, Sure. Easy for you to say. I’ll just snap my fingers and poof—instant calm.

But how do we actually enter that rest?

Hebrews 4:12–13 tells us:

“For the word of God is living and active… piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit… able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart… and all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”

Stay in God’s Word. Let it speak to you. Let Him search your heart.

He already knows your worries, your hurts, your fears, your failures. Nothing is hidden from Him. And He—Jesus—is our Great High Priest. We don’t need to go through anyone else. No priest, pastor, or mentor stands in that place. Just Jesus.

So draw near. Walk boldly to the throne of grace. Lay your burdens down—every worry, complaint, fear, and hidden ache. His mercy and grace are there, waiting for you.

He is your help in times of trouble.

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Prayer

Heavenly Father,
I come before You humbly—yet confidently—
because of Jesus.
I lay my sorrows, burdens, guilt, and secret struggles
at the foot of the Cross and at Your throne of grace.

As I spend time in Your Word,
Help me understand what You want me to know.
Guide my steps. Speak to my soul.
Give me grace, mercy, and peace as only You can.

I love You, Lord Jesus.
In Your precious name I pray, Amen.

God's Vending Machine

Vending machines are a wonderful invention. In 1822, English publisher Richard Carlile built a machine that would dispense banned books and other works. In the early 1880s, coin-operated machines were invented by Percival Everitt, his machine gave patrons stationery supplies like envelopes and postcards. However, these were not the first vending machines. According to our friend Google, the first recorded example of a simple vending machine was invented by a Greek mathematician, Hero of Alexandria. His machine dispensed holy water in Egyptian temples.

Enough history. 

I have seen vending machines that dispense everything from candy and cookies to shoes and electronics. I have even seen cars in vending machines. The concept is simple. Put in some money, make a selection, and poof! out comes the requested item. 

How many of us treat prayer like God's vending machine? I only have to ask for something (my selection), use the phrase "in Jesus' name" (the money), and my selection will soon arrive. After all, Jesus did say that whatever we ask in His name, He would do it (John 14:14). Sometimes we do not even have to ask in His name. When Jesus taught the disciples to pray, He said nothing about praying in Jesus' name: "give us this day our daily bread" (Matt. 6:9-13, Luke 11: 2-4). Later in the same chapter in Luke, Jesus went on to say that if you ask for something, it will be given to you (Luke 11:9-10). 

So, no, there are no magic words or special formulas when we are petitioning God for something. 

God, the Lord Jesus Christ, loves us more than we can possibly comprehend. He only wants the best for us; however, if what we are asking for is not in God's will, the answer will be no! Jesus prayed that He would not have to die for our sins - let this cup pass from Me - but He also prayed for His Father's will to be done, not His (fleshly) will (Matthew 26:39-42). 

Thank God, Praise His Holy Name, that prayer was answered "no."

If we let Him, God will give us more than we ever imagined possible. Sometimes, the blessing is the way we imagined, but often, it is nothing like we thought it would be. Trust Him!

Praying is talking to the God of the universe. It is personal communication with the Living God. When you pray, you never have to wonder if God hears you (Proverbs 15:29, James 5:16) or understands you (Romans 8:26). You do not need flowery words, you do not need to assume a specific position, and you do not even have to close your eyes. You just need to talk to Him, He wants to hear from you!

Heavenly Father

Thank You for letting us come before you to talk with you,

to pour out our hurts, triumphs, petitions, and worries.

As we come before you in humble praise, thanksgiving, and adoration, help us to remember

You are our Abba, Father; we are Your adopted children.

Help us also remember that You are the Holy God, 

the Creator and Sustainer of life.

Help us never to forget your Holiness and Awesomeness 

Forgive us when we reduce You to a vending machine.

We love you Jesus, Amen