God called… He wants His church back.
That was a statement I heard a preacher make on a podcast and my first thought was “I could hear God saying that very thing! It’s for sure we’re not using it the way we should.”
Jeremiah 4:19
My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
It’s no wonder Jeremiah was a weeping prophet. He preached, they ignored. He cried, they partied. Come on! Enough is enough. Can you hear him today? Better still, can you hear an alarm going off inside of you? I sure did. I attend one of the best churches in the country, hands down, I won’t apologize for making the statement… but… we could be better. We’re in the midst of our annual tent meeting and it’s exciting. The preacher is preaching his heart out, the altar is lined and yet still I feel as though there is a cloud over the tent. I feel we are on the edge of the blessings of God falling from Heaven, or a storm cloud.
I keep hearing an alarm in my soul trumpeting “Why is this church here? Yes it’s a beautiful building, yes it’s got great people, yes My presence is known in there but it’s not known out “there.” Why are you not evangelizing my people?”
Owch. I just stepped on my own toe. The church building is a place to worship and hear the Word of God, but they’ll never hear it unless we compel them to come in. Jesus didn’t send His disciples to church, He sent them into the world. Hello? Why do we not get this? When Jesus and the disciples went to church they served; or they turned over tables… either way there was a commotion. I like excitement in the house, what can I say.
Today I need to
If that’s not reason enough, what is? He gave His life for me. I say it, and I believe it, but I sure don’t live like it. God gave us the church organization to encourage one another, to have a place to call home while we wander here on earth, to worship Him and to get re-energized to do His bidding the other 6 days a week, but we’ve turned the pews into lounge chairs. We are way too comfortable; perhaps we should go back to the old wooden pews. I needed to hear this today, did you?
Let’s go tell someone about Jesus!
If you’re in (or even close) the Grantsville, WV area I want to invite you to our 14th annual Old Fashioned Tent Meeting. We’ve been havin’ a time with Dr. Sebby Volpe, our evangelist. He’s exciting. He rev’s your engine and has you pointed to the altar of Grace ever step of the way from service start to end. Come and join us! We’re HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!