Sunday Worship Service - Satan’s last Gasp…

This morning I felt led to a local Baptist Church to worship there so off I went Bible in hand prepared to hear the message. I had made some cards with the M.A.C. tag on them along with the url to this blog and decided to hand them out to anyone brave enough to say hi. The Pastors message was powerful, encouraging, inter-active and full of God’s wisdom. I felt encouraged by the folks I met and gave out my newly made card as a way of allowing them to get to know the spiritual me better by reading my blog. The hymns were great the service was great everything was excellent and right at the end this fella, who I guess owns the church or something gives me back my card.

I took the card back and said ok, no problem but he wanted to engage me as to the reasons he gave it back so I listened.

• Reason #1 – I don’t know you but if you get to know me then you can give me your card.
• Alrighty then, I tried to explain that the card was about a blog and a way for him to get to know me better if he had a mind to. I also asked him out to coffee which he quickly declined. So much for getting to know him better.
• Reason #2 – I don’t want to know you because I think you’re here to change my church. Then he added I don’t know for sure but that’s what I think.
• I said; “I’m just here to worship man and hear the message” I did pray before going in that God would reveal his people to me and that the message would penetrate my heart.
• Reason #3 – I am overly protective of my church and who we let in the doors and then he asked if I understood.
• I said; “No I don’t but I would like to hear more, I just don’t think this is the place, perhaps over coffee”. Again he declined my offer to have coffee together.

I believe that the Spirit world reflects what going on in the physical world and that he felt convicted by my presence (1Corinthians 3:1). I do believe that change is needed in the church today no matter what your denomination may be (consider where we would be without the reformer Martin Luther) or if you would like to explore this ministry called In His Heart it is very revealing and prophetic. Furthermore as a believer I should be welcome in any church that truly worships Jesus Christ. I would like to point out that I did feel welcome throughout my visit there by every person I met with the exclusion of that fella.

So if we are to live a biblical life, then we shouldn’t pick and choose what biblical points we are to follow but should follow them all. The Pastor pointed out, point blank that "we are the temple" not the church building but us as believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Should we not treat each other as such, even when we don’t know someone? A verse that pops to mind is from Jeremiah 7:4

“Do not trust in deceptive words and say, "This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!"

So that fella was trying to tell me that, the church building was the temple of the Lord and that he didn’t like me and he doesn’t want me in his church. Now that doesn’t sound very biblical to me. Now if I was stupid I could have become offended by this and stormed out of there never to return again.(Mark 9:42) But since I’m not stupid and trust in what God is leading me to. I must not be offended but rather choose to pray for my enemy, which is what this fella has more or less, chosen to become to me. This attitude is what is wrong with our middle and upper class churches today they are exclusive instead of inclusive. I went to another church in the poor part of town and not knowing a soul, got up and demonstrated my faith by singing for the whole congregation a song I had written that very day.

Now the thing is, that this guy must have meditated on what he was going to say to me the whole time and probably missed the whole message that was given. The Pastor did talk about someone who was uprooted from their church and had trouble fitting in somewhere else. His advice to him was to fit in or go somewhere else, I guess he thought that I was there to…, not fit in, because maybe my hair is too long, I didn’t have on a suit, or a tie. I just didn’t look like him. Meanwhile, I’m just trying to find somewhere to fit in, thats in my neighborhood, to worship corporately with people like me (100% to Gods word by the Spirit). Somewhere that follows all Gods precepts from the toughest to the easiest knowing that we can’t do it on our own we need God’s help and each other for sharpening.

I know that this might be a lot to ask for from a church body, but it I will not compromise just like the message that the Pastor gave today about marriage and being unequally yoked with unbelievers. I will leave the unbelievers behind me as I go. And just like that Pastor asked for forgiveness of our human nature within their church walls I will choose to forgive that man for his blatant insensitivity to me, a vessel and temple of the Holy Spirit. I am on a mission to find a church in my neighbourhood (middle class) that follows all Gods ways from the smallest to the biggest. So far no luck but I found several in the heart of our poorest area of town and go for refreshment when needed.

We are not here to judge, exclude, divide because without unity in our own camp, the enemy has us right were he wants us, DIVIDED. I appeal to any who read this that you would not be silent or offended by these things, that you would not allow this type of thing to continue in your church. Its always easier for us as people to look at another and see the sawdust when we should be focusing on the plank in our own eye.

RECOMENDENDED READING FOR PRO-ACTIVE CHANGE;

May...

The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

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All posts by M.A.C. © Bruce W. Moar