Any Seat is the Best Seat in the House of the Lord

One Sunday afternoon, I watched the Periscope of a pastor I had never seen before. Every word of his message was powerful and ministered to me greatly. It was just what I needed, when I needed it. From time to time, the person who was recording the scope panned the sanctuary. I noticed there were about nine people sitting in the first two pews. But the three pews in the back of the church were packed. And there were seven or eight rows of empty pews between the front and the back. I got so distracted by these empty pews that I decided it would be best to listen to the sermon and not watch it.

The presence of God was truly in that sanctuary. By the time the pastor was coming to the close of his message, everyone was standing and praising the Lord. And people came to the altar for prayer.

I dare not reason why the physical distance in that particular congregation was so pronounced. But I think about those "back of the church" seats I occupied throughout my Christian walk. Here are a few reasons why I sat in the back:

-- Before I accepted the Lord in my life and couldn't say no to invitations from friends.

-- So I could tip out at will for other appointments.

-- To be seen clocking in and out.

-- Whenever I yielded to sin, felt guilty and/or unworthy to be in the house of God.

-- When I was bound with depression.

-- Mad at God for not fixing my stuff on my schedule.

One time I sat so far in the back of the church that my seat was in my car in the parking lot. But the day came when I changed my mind about the need to occupy the back seat. I was a new Christian dealing with an emotional challenge and had skipped church for a few weeks. I was nursing and rehearsing that episode with a lack of faith. Then when I felt some conviction and decided to go to church, I sat on the last row, end seat. I figured I could tip out after I felt I had fulfilled my Christian duty and due diligence of "forsaking not the assembling with other believers." But the presence of the Lord hung in the sanctuary long after praise and worship. So much so that I can't even remember the pastor's message. I experienced a constant, overwhelming joy and all I could do was weep and thank God for touching my heart. I couldn't wait until there was an altar call to seal the deliverance.

Now I will sit in the last pew, last seat in the sanctuary if I HAVE to. But I like to sit as close to the altar as possible. I pray that in the future, the people in that Periscope, the members of that body of believers, will honor the shepherd of the house by sitting closer as he delivers the Word of the Lord to them. But I know that when the Spirit of the Lord is in the house of God, He fills every inch of the room. God won't force you to receive Him, or praise and worship Him. People can purposefully sit in the back seat, last row, whatever, and put on a spiritual haz-mat suit if they want to. But when you are willing to receive from Him, He can touch and heal you of whatever, whenever and wherever you are.

"For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand.
I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God,
than to dwell in the tents of wickedness."
Psalm 84:10

Some Mountains

No one is exempt from challenges. When we are confronted with circumstances that hinder progress or success in life, health and well-being, those challenges are often referred to as mountains. Many obstacles may appear unsurmountable and cause us to fear and/or resign to hopelessness. But we can take comfort in Mark 11:23 that says, "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith."

I have experienced favorable results many times by declaring this scripture over my life. But there have been instances where I wondered about the mountains that didn't move. Proverbs 3:6 says "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

When you seek God's direction, you will find there are some mountains that have to be climbed. These are challenges you must endure. For instance, you may have to learn new tasks to keep your job. Or if you become ill, you have to treat your body differently, and experience therapies to achieve physical and emotional healing and wholeness. As you learn how to navigate, ascend and descend this mountain it becomes a testimony to share with or help another person. 2Corinthians 12:9 -- "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

God might tell you to go around some mountains. A company I worked for in the early 70s had job openings in a technical classification. I was a secretary and the new jobs preferred applicants with education or skills and experience in the technical field. I really wanted to do something new and increase my income but was told I wasn't even qualified to apply. So I enrolled in a technical school taking a certificate course in the evenings in basic electronics. I was the only female in the class and I was often challenged by the course, instructor and classmates, but that didn't deter me. Upon completion, I added my certificate to the job application. A few weeks later, I was promoted and worked as a technician for many years with that company. Isaiah 30:21-- "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left."

There are some mountains that demand that you turn around and go the opposite direction. God and experience with trying to traverse this mountain will show you that trying to align yourself with some people, places, events, and associations will lead to ungodly soul-ties, toxic relationships, violence, addictions even sin and death. Psalm 18:17 -- "He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me."

Some mountains are not yours, meaning they are not your assignment. These mountains may be far beyond your spiritual maturity and you are not to challenge or contend with them. Be still, cover yourself with prayer, praise and worship the Lord and watch what He will do. 2Chronicles 20:15--"And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's."

Titus 3:9 --"But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain."

As long as we prayerfully consider the challenges, the mountains that beset us, God will give us an answer for what we must do about them. James 1:5 --"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

1John 5:14-15--"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."

Letting Go of Offense

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men

--Luke 2:14 (KJV)

Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues,
we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
--James 3:2 (NLT)

If something has been said or done to offend you, it is good to know that you can call upon the Lord through prayer. He is faithful to answer. He is faithful to come to your rescue. Holding onto offense has the potential to create bitterness in your mind, soul and spirit. It is easy to yield to anger, rage, seek revenge or bear grudges. But it is sin to repay evil for evil or hold malicious intentions in your heart.

When you accepted the forgiveness of sin, iniquities and transgressions through the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ, then be determined to yield to the Holy Spirit. He is the precious, infallible gift you received when you said yes to becoming a son or daughter of the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit strengthens and enables us to forgive others. He gives us the grace and patience to deal with difficult people. Abiding in the love of God is your source of love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.

Areli MediaWorks  |  2013

www.praywhatgodsays.weebly.com

Pressed and Blessed

Did you have a hectic day? Well, the good news is God gave you the strength to accomplish what was necessary for today. His word says that in your weakness, His strength is perfected. So you had a Perfect day!!! Don't downgrade it or let someone else minimize your day for you. In God's eyesight, you stepped out in faith to a day full of uncertainties, but you stepped out and that is the most magnificent and powerful thing you did today. 

 Don't worry about tomorrow because the scriptures say that His mercies are NEW each and EVERY day. So rejoice over what you were able to accomplish through the love and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ today. Hallelujah!!! I am so proud of you!!! And bless you pressed down, shaken together and running over. 

 When you got out of bed, you pressed. 
When you got dressed, you pressed. 
When you walked out of your door, you pressed. 
When you made it to work or ran all your errands, you pressed. 
When you stuck with every task the whole day, you pressed. 
When you thought about your day and maybe cried a bit, you pressed and released the pressure. 
When you testified about your day to someone else who barely listened, you pressed. 
But more importantly, YOU kicked the devil in the head, because you pressed.
You ran the race today, forgetting those things that are behind, looking to the prize of the High calling which is in Christ Jesus. (reference Philippians 3:13-14)

So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. –Galatians 6:9 (NLT)

Christine Brooks Martin, author

"Pray What God Says"

"Talk to God with Affirmations of Faith"

"Christine's Short-Shorts"

(ebook & Paperback)

www.praywhatgodsays.weebly.com

www.amazon.com/author/christinebrooksmartin

Areli MediaWorks 2012

FREE Book "Talk to God with Affirmations of Faith"

The inspirational title "Talk to God with Affirmations of Faith" is available FREE at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Apple eBook store but some people can not or prefer not to do online transactions. So-o-o-o I am adding a link to this post where you may download a PDF version of the book. You are free to share with family and Friends. HAPPY READING

 

TalkToGod_BBZR_8_30.pdf Download this file

 Christine Brooks Martin, author
"Pray What God Says"
"Talk to God with Affirmations of Faith"
"Christine's Short-Shorts"
(eBook & Paperback)

www.praywhatgodsays.weebly.com
Areli MediaWorks 2012