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I’m not talking about two churches that rent or use the same building.

Yesterday, I was talking to my wife about reaching more people that are hurting and broken, and later on  I had a vision of two churches in one building. One group was dressed in white robes, the other was dressed in black, kind of gothic looking.

I thought this is kind of weird, and I didn’t understand this and then God spoke to me:

Those dressed in black represent the broken, addicted, wounded, afflicted, harrassed by the demonic. They represent a part of My body that most people don’t want to see or deal with. They are people that a prayer and a hug won’t help solve their problems. They have come out of dark circumstances that even now seek to ensnare and swallow them right back to where they were. They are struggling in their faith and knowledge of God on a daily basis. They desperately want to know Me, but like sheep without a sheperd they wander, they’re afraid, they’re disillusioned, they’re hungry (physically and spiritually), and they’re lonely.

Those dressed in white are the people the world and “those who have it together” want to see. They stay huddled together. They have great lives. They have everything they need. They have each other so they really have no need to seek friendship from outside those in white. They are happy and content to live thier lives undisturbed by the things that are going on in the world. They keep their robes from getting dirtied by the people in black and certainly don’t have much time outside of their happy lives to help them. Drama is forbidden by these in white so they never connect with those in black, but they are glad they come, cause “they need it”.

We have two churches in many buildings today. We know we have hurt and broken people around us out in the world, but don’t know about the one sitting next to us in church. Or what’s even worse is we know about the ones sitting next to us but we don’t want to be bothered by them. Worse than that is that those in white are just as messed up but hide in good deeds and religious cliches and worthless drivel. Here’s what we know about those in black. They are stubborn. They don’t want to serve in church. They don’t come to church regularly.  They don’t listen to our counsel. They take way too much time and energy to invest in. This is true in a lot of cases. What’s also the truth is that there are those in white who would much rather hang out with those people who “have it all together” or feel like we can help with minimal effort so we can look like we are fulfilling our “biblical obligations”. Where is the character of Jesus in either?

Am I striking a nerve? I hope so.

Which church are you a part of? God wants to confront those in white, the self-righteous, and bring them to a state of brokenness and repentance and He wants to bring the rebellious and broken to a place of healing, salvation, and restoration.

The cross is here for both. It here for the rebellious, hurting, broken, lost and the forgotten, but it is also here for the stubborn, self-righteous, arrogant, prideful, and the apathetic. There is only one church when we come to the cross. It is here for all and it’s power alone can truly make us one.

Kevin