Posted in Bible Journaling, Leadership, Life Inspiration, Uncategorized, worship

Getting the Spirit Back Where He Belongs

I refuse to be a judger of men when it comes to how other people and churches conduct themselves in services. I will only stand before God for the manner in how I conducted myself, and how I, as a leader, lead others. A lesson King David learned when he attempted to bring the Ark home from Kirjath-jearem. Uzzah lost his life because of David’s error in leadership. Uzzah was a Levite, but not a priest, who had been ordered to carry the Ark. One stumble of the oxen, one touch to the hallowed property of God and a man was dead. God takes order serious. (1 Chronicles 13)

Now I realize we’re not in Old Testament times, we no longer live by the law, but when I looked at the original church (Israel) it reminded me very much of the mega churches of today that so many people are critical of. I have to wonder if they’d be so critical of a mega church if it were theirs? But back to my point: be it mega or a little country church up the hollow, God still expects order.

David finally caught onto that the second time he brought up the Ark when he said in 1 Chronicles 15:13, “For because ye did it not at the first, the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.”

So the order was fulfilled and the Ark and the presence of God was back where it belonged! Is that not what we want in our churches? The presence of Almighty God! Certainly it doesn’t require an Ark, but I still think it requires order.

The presence of God is carried within each child of God. What Uzzah couldn’t touch, because of the blood of Jesus, we are allowed to carry. My how things have changed.

Titles have changed within the church; we no longer have Priests but Pastors, Bishops, preachers, teachers, deacons, trustees and others who are put into place to hold order inside the church. The New Testament is clear about the order of the church (1 Tim. 3:1-12) with Christ always as the Head of the church. And those things will often be in line (for the most part) and yet the Spirit of God will not be felt. Then other churches will not have all things in line, and yet the Spirit of God will be felt. What’s the deal?

That was my question to God this morning?

Then like a brick off the brick yard being hurled at my mind an answer came.
“I’m no longer in the box. So stop putting Me there.”

God, through the sacrifice of His Son has made Himself personally touchable to everyone who has accepted Him as Lord. The problem is, those who carry Him into the church, don’t touch Him. They don’t stir up the Spirit within, they just let Him sit there inside of them, waiting for church to be over, all the while the Spirit cries “I want to be loosed!” And it is those who find criticism for the wild behaviors in mega churches, which I too believe may cross a line not intended by God. So who’s right and who’s wrong? I’ll let God decide.

I do however know in my heart that God intended for no man to take the Spirit of God for granted. When David returned with the Ark, there was music, dancing, instruments and shouting and it upset Michal, David’s wife. There will likely always be someone who “doesn’t get it.” It didn’t stop David and it shouldn’t stop us.

God’s mega church of the Old Testament had order. It had leadership and small groups, and all things had honor and respect for God. God is still every bit as Holy today as He was then, the only difference is we are granted far greater access as commoners by the cross. How we treat Him matters and the world needs to see a difference in how we approach Him and how we react when we get there. Less He be considered no different than the gods of this world.

Posted in Christian Service, Leadership, Life Inspiration

The God of Order

The chaos of life drives me to seek order. That is so not a familiar spirit in my soul. I am after all the gal who leaps and believes the net will appear. If I’m honest I can tell you that there have been several instances where the net did not appear because perhaps I jumped off the wrong cliff. I didn’t think things through, or perhaps half-heartedly listened to God, desiring to fulfil my own agenda.

But something happened, medically speaking, a few months ago that caused me to get my physical self in order which had an effect on my spiritual self. I decided to give in and see a doctor regarding the pain management of my Fibromyalgia. A diagnosis I was not willing to accept for a very long time, (years) until I was barely walking in the mornings. So short story… the doc prescribed two prescriptions, Cymbalta for the morning and Gabapentin for the night. (Not an endorsement, just a statement of fact.) and my life dramatically changed. I don’t say that for dramatic effect, something inside my brain changed from chaos to order. The pain was managed (to a degree). I want to be honest. I’m not pain free. But the most amazing thing about this experience was a desire for order. That too is a learning process.

This morning I read 1 Chronicles 15:12-15 regarding David’s decision to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to the children of Israel and from the house of Obed Edom where they had left it when God killed Uzza for touching it. (1 Chronicles 13:10)

David speaking to the servants of God:

 12 And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it. 13 For because ye did it not at the first, the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order. 14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. 15 And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the Lord.

The words “due order,” captured my attention. Getting things out of order cost a man his life. God’s plan to carry the Ark was specific with certain people, placed in certain positions for certain purpose.

Certain People

Much of the time when I have “leaped” and face planted it was because I was leaping off of someone else’s cliff. My impatience for waiting for God to position His person in place would lead me to assume roles that were not mine to assume. Case in point I would volunteer for anything that didn’t get immediately filled because I wanted the job done.

When David was attempting to return the Ark to the City of David, he looked only at the end location, not the journey. It never entered his mind that there was an order to the journey. The Levites, not Uzza were to carry the Ark. The Ark was also be born upon staves, not carried on a cart. God had certain people in place and David’s replacement of those people altered God’s plan.

Certain Positions

When David finally came to himself, and realized it was not about himself, but rather God’s will and way, he looked again at the order of God’s plan for the Ark’s return. He put the Levites in their place of baring the Ark on staves. When we read on through Chapter 15 we discover that his attention to the details were much greater! He appointed singers and musicians and all sorts of numbers of God’s people in the places for which they were chosen to serve. He did not leap and pray the net appeared, he planned. Glory to God I could learn! David’s attention to detail was right down to the robe he wore, and the linen ephod which thoroughly torqued his wife Michal off. He didn’t do it in the way of the people. He did it in the way of the Lord.

Certain Purpose

David’s original plan didn’t allow the people of God to fulfil their purpose. Man’s way is never better than God’s, and will never be completed.

I thought that I could overcome the pain of Fibromyalgia by pressing on in life. But God’s purpose was for me to get to the point where “I” couldn’t go on and had to depend on others. The same thing has happened in my life with this new revelation of order. There is a certain purpose in the order of God’s people. Preachers, Leaders, Teachers, Parishioners, Servants, everyone has a role. Roles are exclusive and appointed.

1 Chronicles 16:22 says “Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.”

We may not understand the process, but there is for certain, certain people in certain positions for certain purpose. Ours is not to ask why… it’s to continue on the journey in proper order and allowing God to bless the end result.

On a side note: Michal, David’s wife wasn’t happy with David’s methods of rejoicing. An attitude that caused her to be barren from that point forward.  A lesson on messing with God’s people. I don’t want to lose the fruit out of my life for complaining about the way God conducts His business with His people.

Posted in Christian Service, Church attendance, Life Inspiration

Are you Prepared?

chick pondering

It’s been a busy week for me. Who am I kidding? It’s been a busy life! Every day just seems to get away from me from the crack of dawn until I lay my head on the pillow at night. I try to pack so much in and get so little of it actually accomplished. And if I’m honest, God is pushed back again and again, until the day is done and as I lay my head on that pillow, my heart aches because I’ve not spent time in His presence.

So this morning, on His day, I’m preparing by pitching my tent and preparing a place…

1 Chronicles 15

1And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord unto his place, which he had prepared for it.

The ark contained sacred items such as the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments, scrolls of the Law, manna, and the rod of Aaron. It was always kept inside a tent until Solomon’s temple was built. When it was being moved, the ark was covered with the cloth pieces that were used to make the tabernacle, so the ark was never visible to anyone other than the priests who cared for it. Old Testament times, Old Testament Ways. Today we no longer worship that way as a body of believers, the Covenant got a new home in the heart of the believers, but it still takes due diligence to care for it.

The tent that David pitched wasn’t a permanent dwelling; that came when Solomon built the Temple. And much like David’s tent, our heart, where the Covenant dwells is temporary. We’re waiting for the day that we can be in that permanent dwelling with God Himself. Oh glory… I long for that this morning! But until then I long to feel His presence in the temporal place; but I don’t think it’s just going to “happen.” I need to prepare my heart through the Word of God, praying for the Holy Spirit to do a work in me before I go into the house of God so that when I hear His word the ground in my heart is plowed soil and ready receive His seeds of wisdom.

I need to pray for the Preacher! David said that none ought to carry the ark but the Levites. We have men in place this morning who are carrying the very Word of God much like the Levites did. They are chosen men and God has given them the task of carrying the Word of God to us so that we might be prepared for the world  before us that desires to devour us as a lion and sift us as wheat. I need to hear that word today! So I’m lifting my Pastor to the Lord this morning and preparing the way for his words. Have you done so likewise? Please… do yourself the favor.

I’m gonna gather! I love the Christian fellowship I have in my church. I gathered with many of them on a church outing yesterday, and it was a fabulous day! But not the same as today… Nothing like gathering in His house in one mind and one accord and waiting for the Holy Spirit to show up in that place and bless the stockings off of us!!!! That’s what I’m talking about today. Are you prepared?… join with me in preparing your place. I’m going to pray for you right now and help you prepare.

I got you started… now go! It’s your turn.