He is Risen! Those three simple words fill us with hope and joy. I hope everyone had a blessed Easter. Our's was quiet, filled with a beautiful Resurrection Sunday service and good food.
But as holidays always do, it brought back memories of years past with Mom and Dad, and all the fun we had doing Easter egg hunts and spending time with Aunts and Uncles. I find as I get older I miss them more. So with that I would like to share from Mom's journal today.
This entry finds my Mom thinking about "Church." And when I think about that I am so grateful to have a place to call "home" as a church. A place of acceptance and teaching and strengthening. A place to help and be helped. Worshiping with others, growing in the Lord together. It's no wonder the Lord told us to not forsake the gathering of ourselves together....He knew how much of a necessity it is. So on to Mom's thoughts.
Church--an assembly of Christians gathering for worship, sharing and teaching.
Acts 8:1,4,5 Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution aroses against the church which was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.....Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Then Phillip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.
The survival of the Christian church is assured in Jesus' words from Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
The church is made up of those who are called out of the world's system to practice a godly lifestyle.
Each person who receives Jesus Christ as their personal Savior belongs to the universal church, which is composed of the saints in heaven and on earth.
James 1:25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
Hearers of the word, be not forgetful hearers, be doers of the Word.
Psalm 100:1-5 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures to all generations.
Enter into His gates (His sanctuary) with thanksgiving and with praises. Footnote: Enter into God's presence by means of dynamic praise, including singing, gladness, thanksgiving and worship.
The heart of worship is from the "heart." Prepare your heart. Expect to see God there (in the church). Humbly enter into God's house. Enter expecting. Be totally involved, singing, worship. Approach God as a congregation in purity of heart and mind.
All should be actively involved in the service. Listen intently to the teaching of God's Word. Work together for the glory of God. Worship together. Be unified: commit yourself to bring unity within the church.
Ephesisan 4:4-16 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and though all and in you all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts to men." (Now this, "He ascended"--what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, til we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of Christ; that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into all things into Him who is the head--Christ--from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
footnotes (Spirit filled living Bible) vs 2-6 Unity is the responsibility of each believer and is to be pursued earnestly.
vs 13-16 A progressive maturity, stability and integrity taking place in every individual member's experience results in the whole body's growth (numerical expansion).
Praying with power for the church
Philippians 1:27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.
Philippians 2:1-4 (Unity thru Humility) Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Footnote: We are to follow Jesus' example, Jesus is the perfect example of unselfishness. As Christ willingly laid aside His heavenly glory to come to Earth to die, we should be willing to look beyone our own interests for the sake of others.
Psalm 100:2 Serve the Lord with gladness and a right heart attitude.
Psalm 100:4 enter into His gates with thanksgiving.
From me:
A lot of thinking Mom!! And there are 3 more sections on Church which I will continue on a later writing. Something that really hit me was the section where she described our attitude coming into church....expecting to see God. That was my God visit from this entry of hers. That whole section she penned regarding our attitude in going to church.....Do I really go into church expecting to SEE God? Hmmmmm, something for consideration. And something to start doing!! I've never really thought of it that way.
I hope this gives you some food for thought everyone!! Praying that we all are rooting and grounded in His love together.
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