What Is This New Concept of Christian Vitality?
Well, you’ve probably heard the term “vital organ” in reference to organs in your body that you could not live without. What about your importance to the body of Christ? Do you feel vitally important to the function of the body of Christ and its fulfillment of God’s purposes on earth?
You should! Here’s why:
One Body with Many Members
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. 1 Corinthians 12:12–31 (ESV)
“If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.” 1 Corinthians 12:26b (The Message)
In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he makes the point that there really aren’t any parts to the body of Christ that are not vital. We all drink from one spirit and are called to fulfill his purposes on earth. We are all vital and working together as one body (if we are all running at full capacity), and we can help God achieve his purposes here on earth in a bigger, better way. If you focus on operating at a higher capacity (flourishing) and “enter into the exuberance” as the The Message translation states, every other part of the Body of Christ will also benefit. What do you think would happen if we all achieved Christian Vitality?
Christian: one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ
Vitality: a lively or energetic quality; the power or ability of something to continue to live, be successful, etc.; the peculiarity distinguishing the living from the nonliving; capacity to live and develop; also: physical or mental vigor, especially when highly developed, power of enduring, lively and animated character1
Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vitality
My end goal is for you is to achieve Christian Vitality as a Christian who distinguishes yourself as one of God’s living and not one of the non-living (spiritually dead or not growing). The living are defined as Christians who have experienced a revival in their spiritual, mental, and physical health who help others achieve God’s purposes for life—an enduring, flourishing life of loving and serving the Lord and their neighbor at a highly developed capacity.
I desire to help you develop your maturity as a Christian in all areas of your life—a life that is better developed with a higher capacity to live life to the fullest—a life full of the power of God and one that has been physically better developed to endure—a life that would allow God to empower you for a longer period of time in service to him.
My vision for the Christian Vitality Revival Series, is that you will also become a lively and animated Christian who leads life in such a way that you are a light shining brightly as you point toward Jesus as the way for others to live like you. Here’s a challenge question from me to you today…
Do you feel you are serving in a way that makes you vital to the body of Christ? If not, please take some steps today toward getting more plugged into how you can serve. Start small if you have to, but get started. Even serving every other Sunday in the first graders’ class can make you vital in the life of children learning about the love of Jesus.
I want to also touch on how Christian Vitality is a part of a gradual progression toward your soul’s vitality and spiritual vitality. On your quest to bring revival in your prayer life and by affirming God’s promises as laid out in the Bible, you will reprogram how your mind thinks and take ownership of truths about yourself. Quite possibly God gave you a dream for your life that has laid dormant—one so big that you currently do not have the capacity to give it much thought. It may internally cause a certain degree of internal conflict. Have you ever thought to yourself, is this all that life has for me? No way. I believe if you integrate the Christian Vitality Prayer into your life long term, it will either instill a God-sized dream so BIG for your life that only God can make it come true or God will awaken a dream he gave you long ago.
That is a wonderful thing if you take it into the context that you as a Christian here on Earth have a mission that is spelled out in the Great Commission, but you also have a unique calling in your life. If you allow God to operate fully, he will bring about a revival in not only your life, but the lives of your family, friends, neighborhood, nation, and the world. Your Christian Vitality will have a direct impact on how well you fulfill God’s specific mission in spreading the Good News in your unique capacity! Use all of your gifts, talents, skills, life experiences—your everything—to bring about glory to Jesus through your life.
In addition to helping you realize your full potential in Christ and spreading the Good News as an evangelist in your own unique way, I also ask you to help me build momentum in this movement to reach more believers and create more Vital Christians. Helping to spread this message will impact more believers so we can combat and conquer mediocre Christianity and exponentially increase our effectiveness as a global community on the same mission…the Great Commission.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV)
So as you run across small challenges that you overcome in your day-to-day life, keep in mind their overall meaning in your pursuit of Christian Vitality. The small victories along the way will build you up into a Christian who will (God willing) have a greater capacity for survival or for the continuation of a meaningful or purposeful existence. You’ll be increasing the effectiveness of your service to the Lord Jesus and continuing to live under his full measure of blessing down here.
To some extent, Christian Vitality is the goal we are keeping our eyes on every day as we pile on small victories for Jesus in all areas of our lives…and our spiritual growth and service to the Lord. Victories in Progress we are, you and I! Victories…
Modern research scientists are discovering new breakthroughs every day that can accelerate the attainment of good health and help make this a reality for everyone. I’ve pieced together all the best techniques, tips, and strategies into the Christian Vitality Revival Series of books and programs to help you transform your spiritual, mental, and physical health to higher levels.
In all of the Revival Series books, you will be encouraged to bless yourself with some quiet Jesus Time. The Christian Vitality Prayer is not only a great solution to help do that, but it can also be customized or expanded to make a very personal, intimate prayer between you and your best friend. At the same time, you will use modern scientific principles to help make them effective and have a greater impact on your soul (your mind, your will, and your emotions), restoring and reviving any damage caused in your life up to now that may be holding you back.
Throughout this program, you’ll be applying timely, devotional-style Biblical Wisdom to teach and inspire you to achieve the next level in your walk with Christ.
Modern scientific discoveries are also revealed that will help you cheat (or hack) your soul in a way to get a larger return on your investment of time, energy, and money to achieve the maximum results.
I will also be sharing with you personal revelations that I’ve garnered through years of prayer and meditation on God’s word through the Christian Vitality Prayer and my SOAPP technique to help you Encounter God Every Day!
You’ll be joining me and thousands of other sisters and brothers. Essentially, we’ll all be going through the program together on a daily basis, morning and night.
I’m excited for us. From this day forward I want you to consider yourself a Victory in Progress. That’s right! A VIP in the community of believers striving toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus! Let’s do this together, shall we?