Pursuing
If you have found it, have it, and are satisfied with it, there is no challenge. All that is left is the comfort zone of contentment.
But suppose that you believe in God. Suppose you believe that God is a God of now. Suppose you believe that the Great God of Heaven is forever leading His children into victory. Just suppose. Would that matter to you? Would you want to be a part of God’s tomorrow? Would you like to be a participant in the action of heaven shaking hell?
Do you believe there are times and seasons when God moves? Do you believe in revival? Do you believe there are times when the Holy Spirit stirs individual hearts? Do you believe there are times when the Holy Spirit moves in a church or across a nation? Do you believe that this is a season when millions are waiting for someone to offer HOPE? Do you believe that each soul belongs to God and that no soul has happiness without Christ as Savior?
Ten years ago the talk of mega-churches pervaded the church world. Who had the biggest and fastest growing church was the news. Pastors of mega-churches held conferences with thousands of pastors and staff ministers from smaller churches paying to listen to success stories of spiraling growth, mammoth building programs, and local church budgets into the millions of dollars.
Mega-churches still exist. However, the wind of the Holy Spirit has been blowing. Reports are coming in from across the nation, and pastors of modest size churches are reporting miracles. Ministers and laypersons are engaging in para-ministries with phenomenal stories of divine favor.
Negative persons and doomsday prophets forget that “Where sin abounds, grace much more abounds” (Romans 5:20). God is not defeated. He is not diminished by the brashness of sin, nor those who speak openly of their right to sin without consequences. The justice of God is meted with grace. Sin will always have its due. Grace will triumph the day!
How does a local church share in this move of the Holy Spirit? The answer is that the church must respond with a biblical approach. Repentance for sins of omission and commission must be confessed. Pulpit and pew must agree that pursuit of God is right, just, and a common goal.
Fasting and praying, studying God’s Word, meeting together in worship and fellowship, and a commitment to evangelize and make disciples becomes the very soul of the church. Sunday gathering is a bringing to God praise for what He has done…celebrating victories, and it is a preparing to go out into the mission field to do holy work for a holy God.
Pursuing God is not lust for more of life’s material goods. Pursuit of God is with determination to bring honor and glory to the Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church.
Yes, we are in pursuit of a closer walk with Christ. There is a hunger, growing hunger, to know the Lord more intimately and to serve Him more intensely. My hope is that every person will join with us in fasting and prayer that we may be sanctified vessels filled by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Here is the blessing: Jesus said if we seek him, He will be found!
Walking together in Christ with you, with love--
Pastor Bare