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The Church as the Lord’s Army: A Biblical Perspective

Biblical Foundation

The concept of the five-fold ministry originates from Ephesians 4:11-13, where the Apostle Paul describes these roles as gifts given by Christ to the church. The purpose of these ministries is to equip believers for service, promote unity in faith, and help the church reach maturity in Christ.

Ephesians

  • And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
  • For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
  • Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:


Roles and Functions

Apostles: Often seen as foundational leaders, apostles are responsible for pioneering new works and establishing churches. They provide vision and direction, ensuring that the church remains aligned with God’s mission.

Prophets: Prophets are called to discern and declare God’s Word, guiding the church towards faithfulness and holiness. They serve as spiritual voices, often calling the community to repentance and deeper commitment to God.

Evangelists: Tasked with spreading the gospel, evangelists gather people into the church and encourage outreach efforts. They play a crucial role in expanding the church’s reach and bringing new believers into the faith.

Pastors: Pastors provide care and guidance to the congregation, nurturing spiritual growth and fostering community. They are often seen as shepherds who protect and lead their flock.

Teachers: Teachers are responsible for instructing and grounding believers in biblical truth. They help the church understand scripture and apply it to their lives, ensuring that the congregation is well-equipped for ministry.

The Lord’s Army

Now let’s put this another way. We are called to be soldiers in the Lord’s Army. That is why Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God. Click here for more information on the Armor of God.

We are not called to be seat warmers in a building on Sunday Mornings. We are called to fight against the forces of darkness. Every part of the fivefold ministry is for the equipping of the saints to the work of God. Now I am going to loosely use the military rankings of the United States Army to put things into a military perspective so that you can better understand you job in the Lord’s Army.

Private: Everyone starts off as a private. This is the lowest level. It is at this point that you still have learning to do. You have just accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Now it is time to start learning how to live as Christ would want you to live.

  • In the real army there are several levels of the rank of private. These levels are like you learning and growing in faith.
  • Some will rank up all the way into the five-fold ministry. Others will be the general soldiers.
    • Both are needed. General soldiers are the general workers. The others are the future leaders of the church community.
    • All are important to the body of Christ.

Drill Sergent: This would be the teachers. Now just because I am relating teachers to the rank of Drill Sergent does not mean I think teachers should act like a Drill Sergent is portrayed on television. Teachers are to be

  • patient
  • loving
  • kind
  • caring
  • knowledgeable

Remember that the teachers are in charge of training the next generation of soldiers and some of them will be all of the other rankings. This ranking and job should be taken seriously.

Colonel: This would be the pastor of the local church. They are also the shepherd of the congregation. They are the organizers of the local body. Their job is to ensure that everyone is where they are supposed to be.

  • They shepherd the privates into the various classes.
  • They look after the various groups within the congregation and see what needs to be done.
  • They have some helpers that we call deacons.
    • They organize them into sections and send them out to see to the needs of the church.
      • feeding the widows
      • feeding the orphans
      • making sure the teachers have what they need to teach

The Deacons would be like the Lieutenant Colonels. They are not the head of the church, but they sure help run the church and keep things running smoothly.

Commissioned officer: This would be the Evangelists and Apostles

  • The rank of a recruiting officer in the Army is typically classified as a commissioned officer. Commissioned officers are leaders who command Army units and make strategic decisions. The ranks of commissioned officers range from Lieutenant (O-1) to General (O-10), with each rank indicating a higher level of responsibility and command authority.

Their job is to go out and recruit others (find the new privates). They do this in various ways. The Evangelists usually does this closer to home. The Apostles are usually who we now call missionaries.

The Military Intelligence Officer: This would be the prophet. Their job is similar to that of the lookout guard. In the Bible, there would-be people positioned in the watch towers. Their job was to alert the people of approaching danger. In the military today that is similar to the job of the intelligence officer. They are responsible for gathering the information needed to guard the church body from false prophets, false teachings, and anything else that would hinder the work of God.

  • The rank of a Military Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Army typically starts at the rank of Captain (O-6). They are responsible for supervising the Military Intelligence process for unit commanders and leading intelligence operations. The rank progression for Military Intelligence Officers includes:
    Lieutenant (O-4)
    Captain (O-6)
    Major (O-5)
    Lieutenant Colonel (O-6)
    Colonel (O-7)
    Brigadier General (O-8)
    Major General (O-9)
    Lieutenant General (O-9)
    General (O-10)
    These ranks reflect the leadership capabilities and responsibilities of the officer in the intelligence field.

Everyone has a job in the army. Everyone has a job in the body of Christ. The Church needs to take their jobs just as seriously as the military takes it job.

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Why Churches Must Address Noise Levels for Children

My daughter recently wrote about churches and the loudness of the music. If you have not read it, please do. Here is the link Why Churches Should Consider Noise Levels for Children with Noise sensitivity.

I am thankful for my daughter being as high functioning on the Autism spectrum as she is. I know that many other parents have it so much worse than I do. My heart goes out to all of the parents who are trying to figure out what to do. I don’t know why there is more people being diagnosed with autism. However, I am beginning to see it as a test for the churches, after my daughter showed me a verse in the Bible. Here is the verse.

  •  Matthew 18:5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

This is Jesus talking in the above verse. My daughter looks at things differently than I do. She said that to reject a child is the same thing as rejecting Jesus, because those who receive a child in the name of Jesus receives Jesus. Think about those words.

Then she pointed out that the public library is more sensitive than the church is to the needs of the children. So, the test is will the church receive children who are different? Failure to receive all children in the Name of Jesus is failure to receive Jesus.

I am not saying that children should not be taught as much as possible how to behave in church. I am saying that children should be loved, considered, cared for, and appropriate accommodations provided for.

Here are some examples of what a library system is doing.

Notice how accommodating the library is. Various items are being provided by the library to help the children. Unnecessary light and sound elements are being turned off. The library is normally a quiet place. They are going above and beyond by offering to turn off any additional sound elements. I am thankful that the library is offering this. I have not had to use this with my daughter, because the library is already quiet enough for her. Everyone on the spectrum has different issues. It is not a one size fits all kind of thing. I am grateful that the library is trying to do something. I hope and pray that the churches step up and try harder to communicate with the parents about what the needs are and how they can help and support. I do know that the number 1 thing that they can do is take it seriously when the people say that the music is too loud.

At the church we are currently attending, the music is loud. With earplugs my daughter is able to sit/ stand in the back. She is unable to go to the front of the church because of the music.

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Why Churches Should Consider Noise Levels for Children with Noise sensitivity

I think we should read this verse it says that God can us hear so why do some our church have screaming and boom boom for music? Why can’t some children go to church? {I am meaning the poor children that need ear plugs for go to the library}.

Kids who need ear plugs to go to the library can be referred to as having auditory overstimulation noise sensitivity. This condition can be caused by various factors, including ADHD, autism, or exposure to loud environments. If the library can realize they need to have time of day for these children, why can’t the church? So why can’t the church realize they need to turn the music down? Jesus says let the children come to me but if they can’t go to the library without ear plugs how’re they going to go to the church that have booming and screaming for music?

I, Bell, am autistic. The so-called music at the church for me is nothing but booming thunder and screaming. I like to sing to God but at church, I don’t sing at all. I just stand there and try to survive. It is hard to even think about anything. Sometimes it even gives me headaches. That is not right. It is hindering me from worshiping God. That is the same as keeping me from going to Jesus. I am sure that this will prevent others from going to Jesus. At one church I went to the preacher said, “I just turn off my hearing aid, and I hear it perfectly.” That is wrong and should be a sign that the music is too loud. That should be a reason to turn it down.

Jesus often taught by simply talking to the people. Jesus never screamed at the children. Yes, the Bible does say shout praised to the Lord. However, you need to remember at that time there was no electric instruments, speakers, or microphones. The people just used their natural voice.

  • King James Bible Isaish 59:1
    • Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
  • New King James Version: Isaish 59:1
    • Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear.
  • New International Version: Isaish 59:1
    • Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.
  • New Living Translation: Isaish 59:1
    • Listen! The LORD’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.
  • English Standard Version: Isaish 59:1
    • Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
  • Berean Standard Bible: Isaish 59:1
    • Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.
  • New American Standard Bible: Isaish 59:1
    • Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.
  • Amplified Bible Isaish 59 :1
    • Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short That it cannot save, Nor His ear so impaired That it cannot hear.
  • Christian Standard Bible : Isaish 59 :1
    • Indeed, the LORD’s arm is not too weak to save, and his ear is not too deaf to hear.
  • Holman Christian Standard Bible: Isaish 59:1
    • Indeed, the LORD’s hand is not too short to save, and His ear is not too deaf to hear.

Other References

  • Matthew 18:1-6
    • At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
    • And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
    • And said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
    •  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
    •  And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receives me.
    • But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it was better for him that a millstone was hanged about his neck, and that he was drowned in the depth of the sea.
  • Mark 10:13-16
    • And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
    •  But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
    •  Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
    •  And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
  • Matthew 19 :13-15
    •  Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
    •  But Jesus said, suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
    • And he laid his hands on them and departed thence.
  • Mark 9:36-37
    • And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,
    • Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.
  • Luke 18:15-17
    • And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
    •  But Jesus called them unto him, and said, suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
    • Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.
Bible Studies by Bell

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The Changing Standards of Christianity: A Reflection

My Dad often asked me a question. I am going to ask his question here. What changed? Was it not a sin back then? or is it still a sin now?

He asked this question in regard to all the changes in the standards of Christians. He would then give examples of the various changes he had seen in his lifetime. He was born in 1944. He started asking me this question in 2010. He stopped asking with he died in 2019. Thankfully he had made it back to God.

I am going to give some of the examples that he gave me.

ThenNow
All Women wore dressesMost women wear pants
No Christian went dancing Many Christians go dancing
The music was different. Hymns were common. You could never confuse a church service with the music with that of the dance hall/bar.There are praise teams leading the worship that is loud. Hymns are uncommon. My dad once commented that the praise team could make a lot of money playing this music at the local bar down the street. He had no idea what they were singing, but the music had a good beat for dancing.
No fancy lightsStrobe lights are common
Men always removed their hats before praying and when entering the church.Men are seen wearing hats in church.
Movie watching was frown upon mostly.Movie watching is normal.

I now understand that he was really asking why the church looks so much like the world. He was raised in the church by his Grandparents until they died. He then went to live with his uncles. They taught him to drink, swear, and live in the world. Later in life he went back to church and was surprised by all the changes. Because of the changes it took him a while longer to come back. He kept looking for the church that he had left. He said many times if only I could hear my grandpa preach just one more time. If only I had my grandpa’s Bible to look at just one more time.

Now I want you to think about your life. Can others see the difference between your life and the world? If those differences are only that you go to church and the world does not, there is a problem. There are people who are looking for the differences. They need to see the difference. They need to see a grandpa’s preaching just one more time. If you are living a life set apart from the world, it is possible for your life to be the sermon that they need to see/hear just one more time.

Overcoming Challenges: Faith in Modern Society

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Exploring Family Stories of Faith and Life Lessons

Family Stories

This collection of family stories explores various themes such as faith, relationships, and personal experiences. It includes narratives about a boat ride, church services, and childhood perspectives emphasizing the importance of listening to the Holy Spirit and learning from diverse life experiences, such as those of a long-haul truck driver.

  • People are People: Child learns from truck-driving father that all people, regardless of location or appearance, are similar.
  • The Boat Ride: Years ago, a Mississippi family braved a month of rain, culminating in a risky boat ride on a flooded river, exemplifying courage and faith in adversity.
  • Friday Night Church Service: My great-grandmother advocated for Friday night church services for youth, fearing their absence would lead to declining church attendance, which has occurred.
  • Unlocked Church: The story of a church, that had been left unlocked since 1940, when the new preacher installed locks on the doors.
  • The Seashell: This is the story of a family heirloom.
  • Snakes: This is a story told by my mom. She was scared of snakes. This story is about her having to deal with snakes as a young girl.
  • Just Vaccinate Me: This is a story about my grandfather and how he dealt with poison ivy. This has impacted our family for generations.
  • Child-like Faith: The story illustrates child-like faith through a mother’s experience during Hurricane Camille, emphasizing trust in God despite life’s challenges.
  • Coke Truck: On a hot summer day in the 1950s, Berry walks two miles for cokes, gets a ride home, and surprises his family.
  • Understanding Relationships Through a Child’s Eyes: After my parents’ divorce, my dad’s relationships and my accidental name mistake with his girlfriend led to unexpected lessons about faith and choices.
  • Listening to the Holy Spirit: A Life-Defining Moment- On August 13, 1999, a strong intuition led me not to wear my seat belt, saving my life during a severe car accident that injured me significantly.
  • Bloopers From Church: Laughter in Faith
  • Remembering My Grandmothers: A Hanukkah Reflection: The author reflects on memories of her grandmothers during Hanukkah, exploring family traditions, heritage, and the significance of a unique light shared across generations.
Inspiring Family Stories That Uplift Your Spirit

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La Comparación entre Adanes: Caída y Redención

El Hombre: La Caída

  • El efecto de la caída deja al hombre físicamente vivo y espiritualmente muerto; el yo exterior y el yo interior ya no están en unión con Dios. El hombre está ahora separado de Dios. La naturaleza pecaminosa/la carne es ahora parte de la personalidad del hombre.
  • La tentación; El pecado del hombre
  • El miedo, la vergüenza y la culpa del hombre
  • El juicio de Dios
  • La misericordia de Dios / promesa

El hombre: una nueva creación

  • “Os es necesario nacer de nuevo”
    • la unión con Dios restaurada, la nueva creación
  • Juan 3:3, 5 Respondió Jesús y le dijo: De cierto, de cierto te digo, que el que no naciere de nuevo, no puede ver el reino de Dios.  Jesús respondió: De cierto, de cierto te digo, que el que no naciere de agua y del Espíritu, no puede entrar en el reino de Dios.
  • Juan 3:16 Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que ha dado a su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que en él cree, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna.
  • Juan 6:40 Y esta es la voluntad del que me envió: que todo el que ve al Hijo, y cree en él, tenga vida eterna; y yo le resucitaré en el día postrero.
  • Tito 1:2 En esperanza de vida eterna, la cual Dios, que no miente, prometió antes de los tiempos de los siglos;
  • Juan 17:3 Y esta es la vida eterna: que te conozcan a ti, el único Dios verdadero, y a Jesucristo, a quien has enviado.
  • 1 Juan 5:20 Y sabemos que el Hijo de Dios ha venido, y nos ha dado entendimiento, para que conozcamos al que es verdadero, y estamos en el que es verdadero, sí, en su Hijo Jesucristo. Este es el Dios verdadero y la vida eterna.
  • Juan 20:22 Y habiendo dicho esto, sopló sobre ellos, y les dijo: Recibid el Espíritu Santo;
  • Efesios 1:13-14 En el cual también confiasteis, después que oísteis la palabra de verdad, el evangelio de vuestra salvación; en el cual también después de haber creído, fuisteis sellados con el Espíritu Santo de la promesa, que es la prenda de nuestra herencia hasta la redención de la posesión adquirida, para alabanza de su gloria.
  • Santiago 1:21 Por tanto, despojaos de toda inmundicia y superfluidad de maldad, y recibid con mansedumbre la palabra injertada, la cual puede salvar vuestras almas.
  • 2 Corintios 5:17 Por tanto, si alguno está en Cristo, nueva criatura es: las cosas viejas pasaron; He aquí que todas las cosas se han hecho nuevas.
  • Efesios 4:24 Y que os vestís del nuevo hombre, el cual fue creado según Dios en justicia y verdadera santidad.
  • Colosenses 3:10 Y se han revestido del nuevo hombre, el cual se renueva en conocimiento conforme a la imagen de aquel que le creó;
  • Gálatas 6:15 Porque en Cristo Jesús ni la circuncisión vale nada, ni la incircuncisión, sino una nueva criatura.

Comparación entre el primer Adán y el segundo Adán

Primer AdánSegundo y último Adán
La ofensivaEl regalo
Entró el pecado, entró la muerte, la desobediencia, el juicio, la condenación, Una ofensa se extendió a todos, muchos fueron hechos pecadores, el pecado reinó en la muertedon gratuito, gracia abundante (desbordada), obediencia, justificación, vida, un don dio justificación para vida eterna, muchos serán constituidos justos, la gracia pueda reinar en justicia para vida eterna por Jesús nuestro Señor
22) Todos mueren
44) Cuerpo natural
45) Conviértete en un ser vivo
46) Lo natural es primero
47) Era de la tierra y estaba hecho de polvo
48-49) Hemos llevado la imagen del hombre de polvo		22) todos serán vivificados
44) un cuerpo espiritual
45) se convierten en un espíritu dador de vida 46) después, el espíritu
47) el Señor desde el cielo
48-49) llevaremos la imagen del hombre celestial

1 Corintios 15:50 Pero esto digo, hermanos: que la carne y la sangre no pueden heredar el reino de Dios, ni la corrupción hereda la incorrupción.

  • Romanos 3:23 Por cuanto todos pecaron, y están destituidos de la gloria de Dios;
  • Romanos 6:23Porque la paga del pecado es muerte; pero el don de Dios es vida eterna en Cristo Jesús Señor nuestro.
  • Romanos 10:10-11 Porque con el corazón cree el hombre para justicia; y por la boca se confiesa para salvación.  Porque la Escritura dice: Todo aquel que cree en él no será avergonzado.
  • Romanos 10:13 Porque todo aquel que invocare el nombre del Señor, será salvo.
  • Juan 3:16 Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que ha dado a su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que en él cree, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna.
  • Efesios 2:8-10 Porque por gracia sois salvos por medio de la fe; y esto no de vosotros, que es don de Dios, no de obras, para que nadie se gloríe. Porque somos hechura suya, creados en Cristo Jesús para buenas obras, las cuales Dios dispuso de antemano que anduviésemos en ellas.
Principios Clave del Estudio Bíblico

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Why Churches Must Welcome Children for Growth

Matthew 19:14
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Mark 10:14
But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
Luke 18:16
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
Notice that Jesus was very displeased with his disciples for sending the children away. Jesus explains that Children are those who make up the kingdom of God.

Now many churches don’t like to deal with children. They don’t understand that without children coming into the church, the church will lose out. It will lose the blessing of God. It will eventually lose members. The old people will not live forever and without the next generation the church will be forced to close its doors.

Yes, children are messy, noisy, and difficult. That is one reason why God said, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6). Children do not come into the world knowing how to behave. They have to be taught. It is not right to simple push them aside until they are old enough to be helpful. By that time, they will not be there. I have heard it said too often that it is a miracle that any mother is still a Christian. That statement unfortunately is true. As a mother of young children, I was pushed aside. I was told to come back after my children are grown so that I can be useful. When a mother is more or less told that her babies are not welcome because they are inconvenient, she loses the desire to go to church. Without a support system, it is hard to keep going. This must stop. Churches must be welcoming in word and deed to children. This includes difficult children and special needs children. Jesus would have welcome all of the children.

Overcoming Challenges: Faith in Modern Society

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The Decline of Church Attendance Among Youth

My great-grandmother was a youth leader and a Sunday School teacher for many years. She finally had to stop teaching because of age related health problems. A few years before she passed away, the church was talking about not having church services on Friday night anymore. They thought that having church services on Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night would be enough. 

My great-grandmother did not agree. She said that if you quit having church on Friday nights you might as well close down the church because the youth needed something to do on Friday nights other than get into trouble. If the youth didn’t come to church on Friday night, they would eventually stop coming to church. She was very vocal about this. Everyone knew her position and thoughts on the matter. 

The church still voted to stop having Friday night youth services. This was in the early 2000’s. Has anyone noticed the current state of the churches here in the United States? Here is a link to an article about youth and church attendance. Church Attendance Dropped Among Young People, Singles, Liberals – Christianity Today The youth has now mostly left many of the churches. 

Maybe my great-grandmother was right. 

Exploring Family Stories of Faith and Life Lessons

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Family stories

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The Untold Story of a Church Without Locks

My great-grandparents helped to clear the land for the brush arbor that then grew into a church. As the church grew, they helped to build the church building. They were very active in the church. My great-grandmother was a youth leader and a Sunday school teacher. My great-grandfather was an ordained minister and a deacon of the church. They put many things in the church such as a fellowship hall with kitchen, a nursery, the pews, and classrooms. The one thing that no one had ever installed was a lock. The people of this church believed that the church should always be open. This was for several reasons. 

  • What if someone was caught in a rainstorm? They could use an unlocked church for shelter.
  • What if someone needed to pray? According to Jesus, the church is a house of prayer. 
  • What if someone was passing through and needed a place to rest? 
  • What if the women wanted a place to meet?
  • What if the men wanted a place to meet?

They had the church unlocked for all of these reasons and possibly a few more. This went on for many years. This church was founded in 1940. That is until about the late 1980’s or early 1990’s. A new preacher came in. The preacher asked for the keys to the church. The deacons explained that there were no keys because there were no locks on the doors. 

The new preacher was from the city where locks were everywhere. He insisted on locking the church because of the valuable equipment (speakers, microphones, etc.) The preacher insisted so much that he, without anyone else knowing, installed the locks. 

The next Sunday the preacher was surprised to see an angry crowed waiting for him. They complained that they had been waiting for the last hour. They complained that the church had never in all their days been locked. Some complained that breakfast was now very late, and the children were hungry. This preacher had thought he was arriving 1 hr. early. He did not realize that this group of people normally came 2hrs earlier than the service for fellowship that including breakfast and prayer. 

The dispute was settled by giving a key to every member household. 

Exploring Family Stories of Faith and Life Lessons

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Embrace the Joy of Worship

Every time we come to church; God has a feast prepared. There is milk, meat, vegetables, fruits, water, and wine.
The water is symbolic of salvation. John 4:13-14 says, “Jesus answered and said unto her, whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
The milk is for the babes in Christ. Paul talks about milk for babes in Christ when he says, “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” (Corinthians 3:2).
The Fruit, vegetables and meat are for everyone that is mature enough to handle it.
The wine is for all Christians.

When we are saved, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. According to Jesus, “…Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).
However, there is still another gift that all of us can freely receive. It is the wine that comes from Jesus. On the day of Pentecost, two important things happened.
1. They were given the joy of the Lord.
2. The gift of tongues and interpretation was given.

  • “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
  • “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him” (Psalms 28:7).
  • “…The Joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

Power and strength have similar meanings.

On the day of Pentecost, many people thought that that those disciples were drunk. They had received an over filling of the joy of the Lord. The Prophet Joel prophesied this. “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:” (Joel 2:28).

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:” (Acts 2:17).

When Jesus died on the Cross-, the veil in the temple was ripped from top to bottom. That allowed everyone to enter into the Holy of Holies. We spiritual enter into the Presence of God through worship, praise, and prayer. The Old Testament temple is a symbolic representation of how we get to Jesus. “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalms 100:4). To put that scripture into modern terminology, “Come onto the parking lot with thanksgiving and into the door with praise: be thankful to him, and bless his names.” We thank him for what he has done, and we praise him because of who he is. He is our refuge, strength, hope, provider, comforter, and savior. Next, is the showbread. Jesus is the Bread and The Word. Then, is the Holy of Holies. This is where in the temple the Ark of the Covenant was. Now, this is where we can seek the face of God. We do not have to go through the priest. We can go straight to God and tell him our problems. He already knows all. He is just waiting for us to trust him and act like his children. Then, he can hold us, wipe away the tears, and give us joy that is unspeakable. No one can leave a church without the look of joy on their face after spending time in the arms of God, our loving father. We need to get “drunk” on the joy that can come only from Jesus. This new wine is offered for all Christians.

To put this into the normal church order:

  1. We come to church thankful for something.
  2. We have fellowship with others- that should be somewhat edifying.
  3. 4. We offer praise and worship with songs and singing
  4. 5. We give our tithes and offerings as another form of worship
  5. 6. We feast on the word of God- the milk, meat, vegetables, and fruit – the preaching
  6. 7. During the time of invitation- we go to God with whatever, this is the time to boldly walk into the Holy of Holies and let God show his love and mercy.
  7. 8. We go with a renewed spirit and let others know what God has done. Making sure to take the joy of the Lord with us

We should never have Christians with frowns on there faces during any of the above steps. Even though life is hard and bad things happen, God is still on the throne. We are saved. There is nothing worse that going to Hell. Jesus has saved us from the worse possible fate. So many times a Christian works the muscles in there faces overtime. No wonder they are so tired. Smile it is easier on your facial muscles. Smile God loves you. Smile nothing last forever on this earth.

The world is looking for the answer. They will not look to you for the answer if you look like you are anger or sad. They have enough of that in the world. They are looking for the “New Wine” (The Joy) that is only found in Jesus. Therefore, let us go to God and get a refilling of that Joy every day and most especially on Sunday.

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General Bible Study, Scriptural Articles

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