Hello Family,
As we go into this fall season, and we start to see the leaves changing, I cannot help myself from thinking about the life cycle of the church. Just as we see with the seasons, there are seasons where the church grows and is vibrant with new life and new people, and there are seasons where the church has to focus on healing, praying, fasting and giving thanks. I believe Emmanuel Baptist is no different from any other church trend in the U.S.today. Matter of fact, we are on the crevice of a new season here. As we all feel the need to grow closer to God in this new season, I am reminded of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. It simply says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Entering a new season in the church life can be scary and uncertain, but it doesn’t have to be. This passage charges the church to stay rooted in three things. These things are necessary to have a genuinely loving, Christ focused church. To be a genuinely loving, Christ filled church we must:
1. Be a rejoicing/ happy church. There is always something that we can rejoice and be happy that God is doing. The atmosphere of joy makes the world around us feel like true Christianity is exhilarating not depressing
2. Be a thankful Church. A church that is thankful for the blessings that God has given is a church that realizes that all things flow from God. To sever that connection, means to pull back all reliability and dependability from God.
3. Be a Praying Church. This is the most important one of all. Prayer is the way we connect with God, and understand what His will for our church is. Praying without ceasing shouldn’t be the result of a situation, it should be the first thing we, Christians, do as followers of Christ. Entering a season without prayer is like going into battle without any armor. We leave ourselves open to attacks from the enemy. We should be in a constant state of prayer for this church, this community, and this nation. We should be praying as a collective body and praying in the privacy of our homes. A consistent connection to Christ is the goal of our Christian lives, and if we don’t find the time to talk to God, we will never know what His will for us will be.
Ultimately, if we do these three things, no matter what season we are going through, we will continue to grow together as one body of believers to see the furtherance of God’s Kingdom.
The Challenge
My challenge to you is to find time to thank the Lord for your blessings, find time every week to go to someone and thank them by telling them how they have helped you grow closer to Christ, and finally, find time each day to pray to God. Not for your personal wants and needs, but to understand and to make clear what His will is in your life.
May God be with you,
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