Do Not Just Go To Church
Be the Church!
Did you realize that this is National Back To Church Sunday? I did not until I picked up my bulletin this morning. I could not help but think that believers should be the church first and foremost. A national day to call folks back to church is a great idea. However, where have we been?
Are You Ready?
Whether you have been attending church or not I would like to take this day to call each of us back to being the church. We are in very treacherous times. Many churches have grown cold to the Gospel. Being seeker friendly has resulted in not only a watered down Gospel but also a watered down witness to the world.
If you cannot see a marked difference between the atmosphere inside the doors and outside the doors of church you may be in a setting warned about in Scripture.
Please hear me on this. Being lined up under pastoral authority with Godly cover is critical especially in these days. You should be challenged to grow in the Word of God and in your own spiritual walk. Church is not just an hour or so on Sunday. Church is every minute of every day. Going to church is not to replace being the church. Jesus died to set you free. You are here right now, wherever He has placed you, to be His representation on earth ‘for such a time as this.’ Reread that last sentence a few times. If Jesus came back today, are you ready? Are you only sitting in church or are you being the church to a lost and dying world?
Is His Light Shining or the Spotlights?
The life you live should be a reflection of Him. Others should notice something different in you. Not too long ago someone said to me that I was unlike any Christian she had ever met. Imitating Him will draw folks to ask why you are different even from others professing to be Christian. Let your life shine with His light.
Sadly, Christianity in some places has morphed into flashing lights and glitzy presentations. Flash and glitz are ok in and of themselves but not to the exclusion of the fullness of the Gospel message. In many parts of the world there are people who risk their lives to worship together and share the Word. The persecuted church presses in and stands its ground. They are the church.
Choose Today!
What are you willing to risk to live the Gospel? What are you willing to risk to be the church? It might cost you ungodly relationships and pastimes (to include gossip, addiction, and pride). However, you will gain a much greater gift. The fullness of your destiny ‘for such a time as this’ will unfold to lead others to salvation and bring His Kingdom to earth as it is in heaven. So, what will you do today and every day forward? Will you just go to church or will you be the church?
It Is Never Too Late!
If you have not yet made the decision to accept Jesus into your heart, do it now. Do not wait another minute. Speak to Him from your heart (for it is always a heart issue). Tell Him you have fallen short in your life. Sincerely apologize for your sins, ask Him to cleanse you and come into your heart and into your life. From this moment forward let His Spirit guide you along the narrow road that leads to everlasting life.
Quotes to Ponder This Week
“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved …For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. ”~Jesus, Matthew 24:10-13, 25
“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” ~Colossians 2:6-7
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope, without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” ~Hebrews 10:23
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of god, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” ~1Peter 2:9-10
“Without God, there is no true security or safety for America. Without His hand of protection, no matter how many systems of defense the nation employs, they will fail just as they did on 9/11. America cannot defy the God of it s keeping and expect that protection to continue. “Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain”(Ps. 127:1). America, without God is not safe. America, in defiance of God, is even less safe.” ~Jonathan Cahn, The Mystery of the Shemitah, Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group, 2014
“You are Lord and You are mighty and You are merciful. Raise up all who would call upon Your name. Raise up those that love You and seek You and trust You. Lord, we need an army of believers that would stand on Your Word above all else. Raise up warriors, Lord, who will fight on their knees; who will worship You with their whole hearts, Lord. Lord, call us to battle that we may proclaim the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Raise them up, Lord. Raise them up!” ~Miss Clara, War Room the Movie
A Prayer Request
Thank you for your continued faithfulness to pray. Please keep all who serve our country, our servicemen and women and their families in prayer for salvation and safety. They are our front-line on the battlefield, let us be their front-line in the spirit. Also, let us cover all who have come home wounded that they and their families will receive the kindness, help and support they need to go forward in their lives. God bless all our diplomatic and military personnel and their families. May the Lord keep them safe.
Pray for all throughout the world for hedges of protection against radical Islamic extremists and all forms of terrorism. Pray for Christians who face violence and death for their faith. We have long prayed for spiritual victory over radical Islam in Esther’s Warriors Ministry. We now see the reality of this threat come to the forefront in this time in world history. As Iranians and Islamic extremists are shouting ‘Death to America,’ let us speak life, hope and a return to God in America!
Please pray for all in authority over us, for the full truth to come forth concerning #Benghazi. May God richly bless the United States of America, bring to light every single crooked place and keep her safe. The lives lost in Benghazi, the continuing targeting of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service, Operation Fast and Furious, the Department of Justice targeting journalists phone records, the National Security Agency overstepping its legal authority are hardly “phony scandals.” We continue to pray for truth to prevail in each of these situations. Pray for the families who have lost loved ones, for those relentlessly targeted and for all of us who are proud to call ourselves American.
May we may arise united once again as One Nation Under God in this auspicious season in our country’s history. These are treacherous times and now more than ever we must maintain our walk with the Lord, saturate this country in prayer and stand for all that is right in America. Fail not in this hour.
Pray for peace in Israel. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
This week from evening on 9/22 through evening on 9/23 is the most important Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. “For on this day He will forgive you, to purify you, that you be cleansed from all your sins before God.” (Leviticus 16:30). This is a time to repent and get in right standing with God for the coming year. May our repentance be pure before the Lord. May He hear from heaven and heal our land.
#Pray for America: #America-Love it or Leave it; #God bless America; #Wake up America
Please Join Me In Prayer
Father God, we thank You for the ultimate price that Jesus paid to set us free. Thank you, Lord, for choosing me. Draw me ever closer to You in my daily walk. Grace me to hear Your guidance for my life. Keep me from the pull of empty worldly temptation and diversion. Guide me to be Your church with grace and boldness. Use me to bring Your Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Place deep in our hearts the love of God and love of country that has guided this Nation from its inception. Place deep in our hearts Your compassion for our fellow men and women. Lead us to pray without ceasing for our brothers and sisters who suffer at the hands of Islamic terrorists. Open the eyes of our leaders to arise in this season to defend the very belief in You upon which our Nation is founded. Thank You for keeping Your hand on America. We humbly pray this in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen and Amen.