The average movie is about 2 hours long, sometimes longer these days (look at each movie in the Lord of Rings Trilogy- about 3 hours each!). Our service on Sunday morning is the same - 2 hours. We break it up into hymns and worship, prayer for needs during worship one on one, contemporary music and worship, announcements and offering, and then sermon. Youth go off with a pastor for their own group at the time of the sermon. It works very well. Today was longer by about a half hour due to fellowship lunch! Yummy! We have fellowship lunch on the last Sunday of every month. When one is in the Spirit, time becomes a servant to God, and NOT your master. Jesus is the Master!
Unlike a movie, church family is interactive, powerful in the Holy Ghost, involving every part of us in worship, study of the Word, and growth as individuals. At a Holy Spirit-centered Church you will know love and know to love in return.
Yet the reason we use to escape church ("it's too long") is often no longer applied when we go to watch a movie, a sport, or type on a social media website.
Now, there is nothing wrong with any of these activities in moderation, but there is a problem when we as born-again Christians habitually miss fellowship.
You must have the Saviour in you before you can discern His body in the Local church. If church has no presence of the Holy Spirit, then we might as well all go home. We NEED His Spirit in order to make the faith and fellowship come alive when we gather and when we disperse.
It is not a religious activity. Church attendance is a relational activity!
We as human beings always seem to have lots of time to watch movies and to spend time in relationship to family... but do we have time for the Spiritual family of God? Do we have time for the One who made time?
It boils down to this: we have time for the things that matter to us.
Does Christ and His Vine matter to you? Do you want to thrive or shrivel as a branch?
We must push ourselves to obey the Spirit and join in at least weekly!
Now, of course there are circumstances that make physical attendance difficult or not workable such as being bed ridden or being on-call as a nurse, etc. We don't make a legalistic rule about attendance, but we encourage people to make a positive habit! In most circumstances, there is a church for each believer which will have a service during a time you are available!
I am involved with 4 services a week at our church. 2 services on each Sunday, 1 each Tuesday, and 1 on Thursdays. And I love every second of it! It is HOME. Never do I want to go back to those dark days in my college years where I tried to follow the Lord WITHOUT being grafted into a local church. I ended up in misery over my own failings. Never again. I will always pour my time into the One who invented time: JESUS. And I will pour my fellowship into His saints. Because going to church highlights something very important and fundamental about the Christian faith: it is NOT about you, it is about JESUS and His Church! Yes we come to be restored and refreshed each week. But is Jesus worshiped? Did you thank Him this day? Did you pay attention to that lonely looking person in the pew next to you? Show God's Love!
Once we realize that the church is a family not a religious institute, we come to terms with one truth that I discovered in college: Christians are not meant to be alone. We need each other and fellowship with the other saints! Jesus built us together in a holy living building (Eph 2) in which you and I are the building blocks! He is the Chief Corner Stone! He built us into a Divine Vine. (John 15) Branches like you and I cannot produce anything unless we stay in contact with the Vine, Jesus, and one of His local churches.
Hebrews 10:25
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
25 Not forsaking the fellowship that we have among ourselves, as the manner of some is: but let us exhort one another, and that so much the more, because ye see that the day draweth near.
Don't go to church in the flesh, go to church in the Spirit. He gives you the discipline you need to overcome worldly distractions and lame excuses not to attend. Even plausible-sounding excuses are not enough to stop the man or woman of God from making time for fellowship with Christ's family.
Bless you and be encouraged! Church is family! You were designed for worshiping Jesus and for fellowship with your siblings in Christ! And if you come for healing, the church is told to lay hands on the sick see them recover in Jesus's Name. (James 5:14-15) There is healing and fellowship for you today!
- Pastor Curtis
Sun. May 25, 2014 1:24PM EST
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Tower of The Flock
Jesus is the Tower of the Flock! And we become part of that Tower in Him! Both Israelite and Non-Israelite!
Micah 4:8
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion, and kingdom shall come to the daughter Jerusalem.
Now we know naturally that this referred to Jerusalem as the focal point of Israel and it sat upon a physical mount, called Zion. There were natural kings. David was the most famous of those kings and he was promised by God an everlasting royal line. That was fulfilled by Jesus Christ of the line of David. Jesus is the One who truly gets the First Dominion. The Kingdom is His, and the daughter (offspring) of Jerusalem is Spiritual Jerusalem or the Church!
In these last days, Jesus has established us in His Own Name.
Proverbs 18:10
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth unto it, and is exalted.
And He has caused us to come to HEAVENLY Mount Zion, the Jerusalem that is above!
Hebrews 12:22
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
22 But ye are come unto the mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the celestial Jerusalem, and to the company of innumerable Angels.
Galatians 4:26 (Geneva)
26 But Jerusalem, which is above, is free: which is the mother of us all.
The "daughter of Zion" really refers to the New Testament Church made up of Jews, Israelites, and Gentiles. Jesus is our Strong Tower and our Shepherd of the Flock! All who wish to be saved can come to Jesus by faith today and be saved by His grace! Come to the Tower of the Flock. It can never topple, being a firm and strong tower that all sheep can flock to. Its foundation is secure!
In building us together, Jesus has made us as believers into a living, loving temple... A tower of the flock! We have become the spiritual Jerusalem.
Ephesians 2:20-22 (Geneva)
20 And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone,
21 In whom all the building coupled together, groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord.
22 In whom ye also are built together to be the habitation of God by the Spirit.
So saints, be the temple of the Spirit. Let Jesus build His church by fitting you together into local churches! We are all becoming His holy Tower, firm upon Jesus the Chief Cornerstone. Local churches express locally what is understood universally: the Church Is the Lord's Tower and Temple. And it is situated in a celestial place called Heavenly Mount Zion!
Blessings
Pastor Curtis
Thurs. May 22, 2014 1:12PM EST
Micah 4:8
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion, and kingdom shall come to the daughter Jerusalem.
Now we know naturally that this referred to Jerusalem as the focal point of Israel and it sat upon a physical mount, called Zion. There were natural kings. David was the most famous of those kings and he was promised by God an everlasting royal line. That was fulfilled by Jesus Christ of the line of David. Jesus is the One who truly gets the First Dominion. The Kingdom is His, and the daughter (offspring) of Jerusalem is Spiritual Jerusalem or the Church!
In these last days, Jesus has established us in His Own Name.
Proverbs 18:10
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth unto it, and is exalted.
And He has caused us to come to HEAVENLY Mount Zion, the Jerusalem that is above!
Hebrews 12:22
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
22 But ye are come unto the mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the celestial Jerusalem, and to the company of innumerable Angels.
Galatians 4:26 (Geneva)
26 But Jerusalem, which is above, is free: which is the mother of us all.
The "daughter of Zion" really refers to the New Testament Church made up of Jews, Israelites, and Gentiles. Jesus is our Strong Tower and our Shepherd of the Flock! All who wish to be saved can come to Jesus by faith today and be saved by His grace! Come to the Tower of the Flock. It can never topple, being a firm and strong tower that all sheep can flock to. Its foundation is secure!
In building us together, Jesus has made us as believers into a living, loving temple... A tower of the flock! We have become the spiritual Jerusalem.
Ephesians 2:20-22 (Geneva)
20 And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone,
21 In whom all the building coupled together, groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord.
22 In whom ye also are built together to be the habitation of God by the Spirit.
So saints, be the temple of the Spirit. Let Jesus build His church by fitting you together into local churches! We are all becoming His holy Tower, firm upon Jesus the Chief Cornerstone. Local churches express locally what is understood universally: the Church Is the Lord's Tower and Temple. And it is situated in a celestial place called Heavenly Mount Zion!
Blessings
Pastor Curtis
Thurs. May 22, 2014 1:12PM EST
Friday, May 16, 2014
The Fight for Perspective
Don't allow the little things to get to you. They are just that, "things". If you participate in something, be sure it is something that will lift you up. But, if it discourages you, then do not participate. I am still learning this as sometimes the little stuff gets to me. But not for long. I throw out anything that is not essential if it starts to drag me down. Distractions must go. After all, these are just "things."
We must fight to keep a proper perspective and have our eyes on the Lord, and on what He calls us to do! Ask the Lord to search you and place within you a pure and undistracted devotion to His presence and purpose. Because of all the things out there now, this IS indeed a fight. We must destroy any self-created distraction that dares to impinge on our walk with the Lord or attempts to harm our Joy in Him. Let Jesus lead you in the way forever!
Psalm 139:23-24 (Geneva Version)
23 Try me, O God, and know mine heart: prove me and know my thoughts,
24 And consider if there be any way of wickedness in me, and lead me in the way forever.
---
Pastor Curtis
Fri May 16, 2014, 1:54 AM EST
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Open Hand
This is the path the Lord set me on.
It is proven and tried.
It has survived a forest fire and subtle yet intense persecution.
I have an open hand, for one who will walk beside me.
My other hand is in the hand of the Lord.
~CJA------
May 15, 2014 7:00pm EST
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Be Courteous
Be Courteous!
"8 Finally, be ye all of one mind: one suffer with another: love as brethren: be pitiful, be courteous." ( 1 Peter 3:8 Geneva Version)
"8Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:"
(1 Peter 3:8 KJV)
It shocks me to say this, but sometimes I do not see courtesy coming from God's own people. If they appreciate their brothers and sisters, they sure have not showed it at times. I do not say this simply because of my name (Curtis means "courteous"), but because Jesus cares about it.
Please show your love, be polite, say thank you... especially to pastors and volunteers who lead and help! We all need to hear gratitude, including us pastors. Did someone give you a ride to the church? Thank him or her! Did a person at church open the door for you? Thank them!
In fact, why not open the door for someone else? Do you see someone who needs help cleaning the church? Help them! Does the church coffee pot need cleaning at the end of service? Help out! But be sure to call and make sure no one else wants one last cup first! Gotta be sure. It's basic courtesy. Why? Because we love one another! And it should extend to all areas of our lives, not just in church.
And yet... it seems we need to be schooled in it. I wonder why? Are we in too much of a rush to show our care? Jesus cared about courtesy. He cared about receiving the courtesy of a "Thank you". Need proof? Read the following passage:
- - - -
Luke 17:11-19 KJV
11¶And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
- - - -
See this? Only 10% of the lepers that were healed actually came back to thank Jesus and glorify God. Courtesy is actually glorifying to God when we take the time to thank Jesus for what He has done for us, and is still doing for us! Jesus was very bothered by the fact that 90% of those who HAD FAITH for healing, DID NOT show the common courtesy to say "thank you". Sad to say this, people of faith are not always courteous. This does not have to be the case. But sometimes it is. And I am sometimes forgetful myself and I have to retutn to someone and express gratitude. We all get rushed and forgetful. But what I am talking about is when courtesy is left out almost all the time. This, we cannot allow in the practice of Christianity. It starts with me. And you.
Courtesy (in action and word) is very Biblical and very needed. Notice in this passage from Luke 17, there was action (turning back to Jesus) and there were words (thanking Jesus.)
It is a basic human need, to feel appreciated and loved. Courtesy is the vehicle in which we travel to get us to the point of loving one another. And indeed, the church should be a prime example of courtesy, showing the world who Jesus is and that He still has time for another lost soul, to save and heal them. Courtesy in word and action really is more than being polite and helpful.
Ultimately, courtesy in action speaks the following message: "I love you enough to slow down and help you and speak with you, and listen to you. I have time for you. Jesus has time for you. You matter to God! I appreciate this act of kindness you have shown me. Let me show you an act of kindness in return!"
Blessings,
Pastor Curtis
--------
3:37pm EST Thurs. May 1, 2014
"8 Finally, be ye all of one mind: one suffer with another: love as brethren: be pitiful, be courteous." ( 1 Peter 3:8 Geneva Version)
"8Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:"
(1 Peter 3:8 KJV)
It shocks me to say this, but sometimes I do not see courtesy coming from God's own people. If they appreciate their brothers and sisters, they sure have not showed it at times. I do not say this simply because of my name (Curtis means "courteous"), but because Jesus cares about it.
Please show your love, be polite, say thank you... especially to pastors and volunteers who lead and help! We all need to hear gratitude, including us pastors. Did someone give you a ride to the church? Thank him or her! Did a person at church open the door for you? Thank them!
In fact, why not open the door for someone else? Do you see someone who needs help cleaning the church? Help them! Does the church coffee pot need cleaning at the end of service? Help out! But be sure to call and make sure no one else wants one last cup first! Gotta be sure. It's basic courtesy. Why? Because we love one another! And it should extend to all areas of our lives, not just in church.
And yet... it seems we need to be schooled in it. I wonder why? Are we in too much of a rush to show our care? Jesus cared about courtesy. He cared about receiving the courtesy of a "Thank you". Need proof? Read the following passage:
- - - -
Luke 17:11-19 KJV
11¶And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
- - - -
See this? Only 10% of the lepers that were healed actually came back to thank Jesus and glorify God. Courtesy is actually glorifying to God when we take the time to thank Jesus for what He has done for us, and is still doing for us! Jesus was very bothered by the fact that 90% of those who HAD FAITH for healing, DID NOT show the common courtesy to say "thank you". Sad to say this, people of faith are not always courteous. This does not have to be the case. But sometimes it is. And I am sometimes forgetful myself and I have to retutn to someone and express gratitude. We all get rushed and forgetful. But what I am talking about is when courtesy is left out almost all the time. This, we cannot allow in the practice of Christianity. It starts with me. And you.
Courtesy (in action and word) is very Biblical and very needed. Notice in this passage from Luke 17, there was action (turning back to Jesus) and there were words (thanking Jesus.)
It is a basic human need, to feel appreciated and loved. Courtesy is the vehicle in which we travel to get us to the point of loving one another. And indeed, the church should be a prime example of courtesy, showing the world who Jesus is and that He still has time for another lost soul, to save and heal them. Courtesy in word and action really is more than being polite and helpful.
Ultimately, courtesy in action speaks the following message: "I love you enough to slow down and help you and speak with you, and listen to you. I have time for you. Jesus has time for you. You matter to God! I appreciate this act of kindness you have shown me. Let me show you an act of kindness in return!"
Blessings,
Pastor Curtis
--------
3:37pm EST Thurs. May 1, 2014
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