February 3, 2010

“Sunday?”

Blessings Folk!

What happened Sunday?

I have been asked to elaborate upon Facebook postings of several folk as to an event that occurred Sunday.

“Our” Sunday morning gatherings are very participatory.
All believers are encouraged to contribute as the Spirit leads.

This encouragement goes beyond words.
There are no man-made agendas or structures.

We worship through music.
We worship through prayer.
We worship through proclamation.
We worship in all the ways revealed in Scripture.
We encourage.
We exhort.
We cry.
We laugh.
We fellowship...not just the shaking of hands while a logistical adjustment is made...true fellowship.

These are things that should be happening constantly every day..

• worship
• prayer
• speaking of the things of the Lord

Deuteronomy 6
4 "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!
 5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
 6 "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.
 7 "You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

• helping
• healing

All as we are going through each day...not just on one particular day of the week.

Corporate gatherings are wonderful and we are not to forsake them.

Hebrews 10:24-25 
 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

The Day is approaching...

But, if the only encounter you have with the Lord and His Body is when you are basically watching others who are cajoling you to “participate” (or the one most irritating to me “sing louder!!&rdquo, then you are not functioning within the Body in the manner that the Lord designed.

Yes. The Word tells us that gatherings are to be “in order”, but much of what is done in many gatherings gives greater attention to the order than to the Lord.

So, what happened Sunday?

As we worshipped the Most High God, we were praying for varied things within the Body.

One particular individual had a “pressing” need - a struggle with a kidney stone. Three folk laid hands upon him and asked the Lord to heal. The stone passed within the time of the gathering.

There was much praise and thanksgiving to the Lord.

Many other details could be provided, but the basics suffice.

Some would say that it was simply “happenstance”, that the stone would have passed anyway.

We choose to believe it is the Lord.

The Lord is moving in many varied ways throughout the world through His Body.

No two places will “look” the same.

But keep this in mind.

If you speak more of “your church”, “your pastor”, “your programs”…
If you spend more time attempting to get people to “come to church”, “come hear” one particular individual, “come see the service”…
If you speak of the wonder of the Lord, but do so only within the context of what He is “doing at your church”...

If you do any of these rather than simply show and share the gospel to folk, then you are in error.

If you do these, even in the name of the Lord, yet remain distant from a true, intimate relationship with Him, then you are deceived.

Give heed to what Jesus said...

Matthew 7
 15 "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
 16 "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
 17 "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
 18 "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
 19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
 20 "So then, you will know them by their fruits.
 21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
 22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

Many have mistaken the fruit of the flesh for true fruit of the Spirit.

We rejoice in what the Lord did with our friend.
We give thanks for the many other things that the Lord is doing.
But, more than this, we worship the Lord for Who He is.
We do not seek “success” as defined by the world and the religionist.
We seek first the Kingdom of God.

Selah!

Blessings!!