What's missing in today's church?

There are some very good Christians that make up the church today. My comments are not designed to cast a negative light on the church but to bring an awareness of the church today to do some soul searching. Before I address anything that is missing allow me to ask two questions that will hopefully provoke some thinking and direction for this blog. Is the church today a place of refuge for those who are in great need? Is the church having a positive influence within their community which implies that there is hope and peace within the church that the community is clearly observing? Unfortunately the answer to both of these question by and large is no. Therefore what is missing in the church today? The things that I will be addressing today and in subsequent blogs is my personal opinion with no exception that everyone will agree with me. Today I am going to address that true biblical love is missing. The first church the Spirit address in the letters to the churches in Revelation 2 & 3 was Ephesus. The problem this church had was that they had forsaken their first love. John 13:35 "They (community) will know that they are my disciples if they love one another." The restoration of love, genuine love, for God and for one another would go a long way in restoring the church to its rightful place in our community. Unfortunately the church is more known for its splits, clicks and personal agendas then it for its love. The Spirit encouraged the church of Ephesus to repent and to begin to do what they first were doing. The restoration of love begins with repentance and then it is quickly followed by acts of love which must be motivated by the decision to love. If we wait for the right feelings before we do the right thing we then are likely to continue down the path we are now heading. If love is not expressed in tangible, practical ways then who will know that love is actually present. Let us heed the apostle John, "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:18.
If you need to be reminded of what love is I encourage you to read and meditate on 1 Corinthians 13. May we be found to be lovers of God and love one another as Jesus has loved us.

Pastor John