Word By the Gospel Preached Unto You
Gary: Slow But Effective
Enough Bread? When Do We Find Out?
A Gaggle of Grace
For more than two years six months Sam Buick and I with 3 or 4 others (Perry, Claude, Paul, Richard) would meet early every Sunday morning at a coffee shop.
There we learned together to relish the eager search of scriptures and the trustworthy faithful exchanges of Brothers in confidence. The Holy Spirit led us. No agenda brought in by man. We had all tasted house churches. We watched with regret the many who were “doing church” but not “being Church”. We saw how programs of men and self-congratulation had set in to a dangerous degree in the conventional assemblies.
They just wanted us quietly sitting there on our hands, doing very little except adding to their number and dropping cheques in the plate.
Meanwhile we connected men ventured, whatever the weather, to share burdens and victories, scripture questions and themes, news of the week, brotherhood. Occasionally there would be shared meals with families.
Sam has been a prolific poster on Facebook, but he has tired of the lewdness, hostility, politics and insensitivity of most of the articles. He discovered the alternative of Face Social and shared it with me. Happy that he did.
Months after we stopped our Sunday mornings, I met a man from the coffee shop. He asked, “where did you guys go. I used to enjoy eavesdropping on your conversations. They contained trust, truth and hope openly shared. Not sports or movies or macho moments or acquisitions or boasting. They impacted me. Otherwise it would have been my crossword once again (sigh).”
The One Strategy Worthwhile
I have joined a Christian group online. In posts I see much writing about strategies to foil the Devil’s twists, turns and lies.
The yearning for power appears to have arrested much of the evangelical church. Watch out! This can become dangerous self improvement. And it can take the place of yearning for Christ and His understanding.
The erosion in the pulpit is almost indiscernible at first. Fewer sermons from the four Gospels. Lectures on “learning” spiritual gifts. Fascination with deliverance practices. Less naming of the name of Jesus (Acts 4).
One-time comedian Flip Wilson often portrayed a feisty church woman named Geraldine. She was often reciting “the Devil made me do it” and then flipping her handkerchief. This becomes a diversion from real spiritual power.
The anointing to serve and to stay clean comes from humility, obedience and compassion. “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.” (John14)
And just like good old Boaz in the story of Ruth, our Lover is all-sufficient , protecting and good for all of His promises. We are wedded to Him and destined to reproduce. Read also Psalm 45, the wedding psalm.
Illumination (isaiah 60)
Arise shine
Light has come
A star sought Babe
A simple home
A promise kept
For Jews who wept.
All nations too
Can welcome peace
And crops that thrive
And hopes’ release.
The weddings glad
The old respect
The children fed
Salvation had.
And all will see
Of mercy’s sum
Messiah works
And rescues come.
Why Face the Fire, Preacher
Mega?
You tune him in
Impressive auditorium
Large excited gathering
Convincing baritone announcer.
Books and DVD’s without number.
But…
Your spirit quietly looks for meekness
They, the meek will inherit earth
They, the ones like Moses and Jesus.
The guy on the screen not so much.
He declares this and that
With presumed authority.
Stays mostly in jolly territory
His use of scripture
First base stuff.
But still numbers
Seek his endorsement
Lust to share their testimony
Sing their song.
Caress the crowd.
All saddening the hidden man of the heart*
Follow your spirit Brother…Sister
At this spot you are
Nowhere near Beulah Land.
(* 1 Peter 3:4)
Graciously Taking It on the Chin
Just to pause here
Persecution
Others doubt
Your call of God
Here some doctrine
There a seer
Speaking gainst
What Heaven wrought
Did you hear Him?
Must you serve Him?
Though the arrows
Come so near
There will be
More tender whispers
Verifying all you hear.
Nothing beats such
Affirmation
Worth the stones and jeers
My Friend.
Just stick close
With scriptures handy.
You will see
A victory’s end.
