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| Will you be on time for church tomorrow... |
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Worshiping GOD in His house each Sunday is such a privilege!!! Matthew 22 wonderfully conveys how unwittingly blessed we are, given our original status as outsiders and the "uninvited." In the parable of the wedding banquet, only because the king's invited guests had no interest in attending the banquet did the king tell his servants to "go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find." How fortunate for us!!!
So now that we find ourselves with this amazing honor, how do we approach it? With awe and reverence, respect and humility? Complete joy, looking forward to the bliss of being in His presence with His people?
Something in me (the Holy Spirit, I imagine) says I should be looking forward to this all week long, right up to Sunday morning. That same something tells me I should dress nicely and be in the sanctuary well before the service begins, preparing my heart for the wondrous activity in which I'm about to engage.
Besides awe for the LORD's wonderful and fearsome greatness and the seriousness with which we should go about approaching Him, something else spurs me to get to church on time, if not somewhat early. When does the Lord arrive? Does He wander in absently several minutes after the service begins, perhaps conversing as He enters, waving to people and shaking hands as He makes His way to His seat? Maybe finishing a cup of coffee before entering?? No, I believe the Lord is inside the sanctuary well before any of us arrive, waiting eagerly for us to join Him. After all, He paid a staggering price so that we could be partakers in this time with Him each Sunday.
Since I began to take my walk with God seriously, I've taken a hard look at when, and how, I make my way into the Lord's presence each Sunday morning. Getting to church on time has become a very big deal to me. I can even picture the Lord waiting there expectantly on days when I'm running late. I am now resolved to treat this weekly engagement with the seriousness that I am convinced God treats it. (How about you?) |
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| To add a comment to "Will you be on time for church tomorrow..." |
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| March 24, 2007 |
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| Amen!! I want everything God has for me and I go to praise Him and to be a blessing and to get a blessing! It is time we all take our walk with God the Father seriously! I mean I do not want to be 30 years and not be walking in His word and where He wants me to be!!! Thank you so much for sharing very encouraging!! God Bless ~big hugs~ |
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| March 24, 2007 |
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| Thanks for the reminder that I should be getting to bed if this is going to happen :) |
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| March 26, 2007 |
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| Great post Mike! I start getting ready for Sunday on Saturday night. I make sure I get to bed early, have the coffee ready to deploy, clothes out and pressed, attitude ready with eager anticipation! |
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| March 31, 2007 |
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As a Worship Leader I say AMEN! Our praise team sits out in the hall way waiting for those that are coming in because we don't want to start without them. Our service starts at 8:30AM so I know it's tough to get kids out of bed and out the door but parents have to set the example. We are about to have out first child and I'm sure there will be adjustment periods as we prepare to get there at 7:45 to rehearse. But to add to your blog...God's waiting everyday for us- on the couch, in the car, at the diningroom table, beside the bed at night and in the middle of the night when we can't sleep. He is waiting for us to worship him privately as well as publicly. Yes, corporate worship is awesome and I think it gives a us a great picture of heaven when we are all standing around in one voice raising up the Name of Jesus. But oh how incredible when God's presence fills the room and it's just you and Him. As we fall prostrate before a Holy God. With no inhibitions as to who may be looking at us or who may be listenign to us. Ahhhhh - the glory, the freedom, the intimacy. There is nothing like it. |
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| April 01, 2007 |
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| Hi Donna! I LOVE your spirit, your awe, your exhuberance! After all, we must know who it is we are worshiping today (Sunday a.m. as I write this). He made all, and He is all!! What an amazing privilege for us! (I always love meeting believers who are excited about this!) God bless! ~mike |
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| April 16, 2007 |
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| Thanks Mike. It comes as a gentle reminder that I need to be doing better in this area. |
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| August 25, 2007 |
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| Erm... Why does this show up as "New" in What's Fresh (and based on the date?) |
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| August 25, 2007 |
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Reposted from March. I was just reading it again this morning and thought, wow this is still so convicting! Hope you don't mind a recycled blog every now and then Norm.  |
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| August 25, 2007 |
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Hey Mike, thanks for calling us all to be more thoughtful and deliberate in our approach to Sunday Worship Service. It always amazes me when people stoll in late. Sometimes it can be sooo distracting. I have to ask for God's grace to pull me back to him all over again.
Donna, Great point about meeting God everyday in every place. He is always ready to hear from us and fill us with his grace.
Amen
peace
Glenn |
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| August 25, 2007 |
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| Wow, you drive an hour to church? Must be a great place. That is a testimony to how important church (God's house) is to you and your family, Shannon! And your final comment is a homerun too! Are we willing to reorient our lives in response to God? |
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| August 25, 2007 |
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| Actually I got a call from a friend who decided he wanted to go with me to church, so could y'all please pray for him? I've been pleasantly expectant for Church the last month or so, perhaps thanks to the prayers of some of you. I decided to let a friend stay at my house untill he can get on his feet, he's a set free junkie. But back on topic I think expectantly looking forward to Sunday is a gift, just as I think we should be eager to open the gifts of the spirit and "play" with them. BTW I love recycled BLOG. |
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| August 25, 2007 |
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| Dave, that's great -- praying now! (I really enjoy reading your comments Dave, they really bless me!) Thanks! ~mike |
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| August 25, 2007 |
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Even if this is a re-posted blog, I didn't see it the first time, so it is new to me. Thank you for reminding me that I should take more care in my preparations for Sunday morning. |
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| August 25, 2007 |
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2 hrs...that's like 100 miles. Wow, that really must be a calling... lol
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| August 25, 2007 |
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| Thanks Mike as do your posts. |
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| August 25, 2007 |
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Hey Shannon_TK, we drive almost an hour as well, but we have a member that drive 5 hours to come to service, from NYC to Maryland, and he is always on time. He is one of our guitar players and he comes 3 to 2 Sundays a month. He drives Saturday night and stay with us for Sunday service. OHHHH and he stays for the three services on Sundays.
I am always amazed at his faithfulness to this ministry. AND believe me, he makes it very hard for people living 5, 10 or 20 minutes away to find a excuse to be late ;-) |
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| August 25, 2007 |
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Lourdes, that is a testimony with a capital "T"! (I am truly wowed, thanks for sharing it!) It is easy to look at someone like that and see what's really important to them. One might validly draw the opposite conclusion from those who live 5-10 min away and are late every week. |
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| August 25, 2007 |
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Hey Mike,
I'm going off topic for a moment. Go to Lourdes profile and look at her last picture. I love her comment to the "love of her life", I'd tell, but it spoils the joy she obviously has in him! In fact maybe it isn't off topic. We need to have that same response to our Him, Christ. To be so obviously taken by his presence that we want to not just show up, but to rush into His presence! I love being early, I love being prepared, I love setting up there, on the worship team, preparing the sanctuary, creating an atmosphere, getting everyone into a place where they can be soft before their love. Thanks for another great post to prepare us for that day, Sunday morning, when we come into His presence. |
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| August 25, 2007 |
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| Not off topic at all Dennis! That is an absolutely perfect picture of someone who is completely taken by another. You don't enter into the presence of someone you adore that much carelessly or distractedly, do you? And I absolutely love the attitude you convey towards the worship hour -- between you and the guitarist Lourdes wrote about, I am humbled - prob. along with many readers of this... |
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| August 25, 2007 |
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| Thanks for telling my wife that! "lol" |
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| August 25, 2007 |
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I am the Church, how could I ever be late? Your the Church we who all have placed faith in Christ are the Church. But it does seem like alot of us are not home... Dont be a sleepy Virgin. Be awake be ready for He comes soon!
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| August 25, 2007 |
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| I don't mind a recycled post. I was just confused because the comments were still there from March. |
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| August 25, 2007 |
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Mike,
I pray that the Church will take heed to what you have written. It is past time for the Church to start being on time. What really gets to me is that the Church is under the impression that the move of God is supposed to happen on Sundays. Therefore most of us only look forward to God on the weekend. What needs to happen is that the Church needs to realize that God can move at any given moment and on any given day. We are too comfortable and because of this we shall pay the price. These are just a few of the thoughts that are on my heart, but my friend I say thank you for speaking up.
Jeremy |
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| August 26, 2007 |
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Thanks again mike and to all the encouraging advise, I was at church for the early service, and stayed for the 10:30 service. It was awsome.
Thanks again to one and all for prayers and support... |
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| August 27, 2007 |
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Thanks for asking! Absolutely! Was there with expectancy, and as always He was waiting for us to worship in spirit and in truth.
This is definitely a star! |
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| August 27, 2007 |
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Thank you Pastor Queen!
And thank you Jeremy (Consumed), glad you pointed out that God is on the move 24/7. And as for that special time when we all get together on Sunday (our "sabbath") to lift his name in praise and adoration, I hope we're all filled with an eagerness and "expectancy" (as Pastor Queen just put it!).
Thank you smokeless Dave! Our church has only one Sunday morning service, plus I have a family in tow, so unfortunately I can't do quite what you did. Although, ea Sun. pm I take the kids to a nearby assisted living ctr and we help with a worship service for alzheimers patients -- so it's usually two services for us as well!
And thanks to the other Dave -- yes we are the church, but when we come together to do church as well, our attitude in approaching God says something about the heart we bring to him.
Pastor Tim, I have the deepest respect for you, having read a few of your offerings now. Thanks for your comment, it means a lot!
Keith, I was lol when I read your comment! I guess we know who takes longer to get ready in someone's house around here.
Sue, we didn't take your seat. But as always, it was fun sitting near you -- your exhuberant spirit tends to rub off on people! |
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| August 28, 2007 |
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| Mike i go to Dennis and Shannon's church it is a great place BUT i didn't even make it to church Sunday.....I will admitt that i use to never be late to church in fact i was always early BUT the older i get the slower i get and i dont think i get any where on time now....Plus i have to work on Sunday morning before i can even go to church.....I only drive a half hour.BUT for that half hour drive i have church in my car......so maybe i'm not late hummmmmmmmm |
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| August 28, 2007 |
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<grin> Rosie dear, it doesn't sound like you take worship lightly. If I learn anything from Jesus' teachings, it's that God doesn't subjugate those he loves to regulatory inflexibility -- he's looking at our hearts. Which is why Paul states "One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind (Rom 14:5)." Thanks for fessin' up Rosie!  ~mike |
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| August 28, 2007 |
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Mike,
As you know I always look at things a bit differently. So from yet another perspective, God won't be there until we are (since he also dwells within us), so in a sense we are cheating everyone else out of a little piece of God by being late.
Cheers and God Bless
PS. I didn't forget the star this time. BTW, might you be the first to get a thousand stars? |
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| August 28, 2007 |
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JJ,
You are correct -- you DO have a way of looking at things differently. But then, that's a good thing. I never consider a blog complete until you have added your unique perspective! (haha, ok now I'm laying it on a bit thick...) Thanks for the star!! |
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