Church is not carefully crafted and controlled ceremonies.  It is a symphony of spontaneous, heart-felt testimonies.  It’s not what we’ve planned, learned, and memorized; but what we have seen and heard!

Unfortunately, the work of the living God in human hearts is often hidden in religious ceremonies.  The lamp is put under a bushel basket.  However, Spirit-led, spoken testimony puts the lamp back on the lamp stand.

Speaking about and living out go hand-in-hand.  In no area but religion are people expected to silently live out, but not talk about their beliefs, experiences, and opinions.

This often repeated gag rule, “preach without words,” and “don’t talk about religion,” severely  restricts the contagious power of the Holy Spirit.  It’s absolutely necessary to use words to clearly show and tell what God is doing in your life!

The remedy:  “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.”  “Shout it from the housetops.”  “What I tell you in secret, that proclaim openly.”

To become vibrant and contagious, interior spiritual experience must become exterior in both words and deeds.

The I Am Second movement is encouraging people to testify and then releasing videos of their salvation stories.  Churches should do the same.  This happens every Sunday at The Salvation Army Street Worship Center.  It has been called “The Testimony Church.”  Every Sunday morning ordinary people show and tell what God has done.  Experience it for yourself:  10:45 am., 225 Berry Street, Nashville, TN, 37207.

Christ challenges complacency and compromise; yet the contemporary church often cultivates complacency and compromise.  What’s up with that?