An Early Morning Word...continued
/More about the word on my heart yesterday morning...
"If you will be here for ME, I will be here for you!!"
There are lots of reasons that people choose to affiliate with the local church. Allow me to share a few:
- The people are friendly.
- My family goes there.
- My friends go there.
- It's close to my house.
- I like the music.
- I like the kid's ministry and youth ministry.
- There are good looking women at that church. ...or men.
- I like the preaching.
- I like the Pastor.
- They are not money hungry.
And you can think of many other reasons... After a while of being at a particular church, many of us begin to really feel attached to the people or the leaders. Slowly, we can begin to go for reasons that won't stand forever.
I sensed that the Lord wanted me to encourage our community that we are not here for Pastor TC. We are not here for Pastor Noah. We are not here for any of the other things that I mentioned above. WE ARE FOR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!
I thank God for the promise that JESUS will build his church and the even the gates of hell will not prevail against it. No change in a community and no Pastor leaving of arriving will ever interrupt what God is doing in His church. I have always been comforted by the fact that if the gates of hell can't prevail against the church , then we sure as hell can't either. I told the youth the other night, that they are not here for TC, they are here for God and he is never resigning!
If we will be here for HIM. HE will be here for us...regardless of the loss, regardless of the transition, regardless of the storm. He will be in the boat as he was in Mark 4:35-41 and He will get up and say to any challenge..."Be Still. Be Calm" and it will obey.