BBD 01.07.04 Facilitating Your Spiritual Break Out - Part 4 (The Church)
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The Burning Bush Devotional
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01.07.04
Facilitating Your Spiritual Break Out
- Part 4 (The Church)
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some,
but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day
approaching. - Hebrews 10:24-25.
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the
midst of them. - Matthew 18:20.
During one week in 1984 God brought a passage of Scripture to my attention
three separate times. He first brought it to my attention during my quiet
time, then during Sunday School, and then in the pastor’s message. I had no
doubt that God was speaking to me and it was this same passage of Scripture
that God brought to my attention some seven years later in my quiet time
confirming His call upon my life (You can read the full story here:
http://www.theburningbush.org/10.html#Seven and
http://www.theburningbush.org/10.html#Eight). I would never have experienced
a spiritual break out if it were not for regular church attendance. Being in
church for every opportunity of worship, fellowship and learning is vital to
being where God can speak clearly to your heart.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon is often called the Prince of Preachers (1834 -
1892) and perhaps was the foremost preacher of the 19th Century. In 1861
Spurgeon’s congregation built the Metropolitan Tabernacle which had seating
for 4,700 people. Also in 1861 Spurgeon preached at the Crystal Palace in
London to a crowd of 23,654. But Spurgeon would never have been saved or
heard God’s call if he had not been a determined church attender. Here is
how he tells the story in his own words of the day of his salvation: “I
sometimes think I might have been in darkness and despair until now had it
not been for the goodness of God in sending a snowstorm, one Sunday morning,
while I was going to a certain place of worship. When I could go no further,
I turned down a side street, and came to a little Primitive Methodist
Chapel. In that chapel there may have been a dozen or fifteen people. I had
heard of the Primitive Methodists, how they sang so loudly that they made
people’s heads ache; but that did not matter to me. I wanted to know how I
might be saved, and if they could tell me that, I did not care how much they
made my head ache. The minister did not come that morning; he was snowed up,
I suppose. At last, a very thin-looking man, a shoemaker, or tailor, or
something of that sort, went up into the pulpit to preach.” It was during a
snow storm so bad that the pastor was not even able to come to church that
Spurgeon heard God speak to him through a faithful servant who did make it
to church that day and reluctantly shared God’s Word as best He could. The
impact of Spurgeon’s ministry is still being felt and will be for all
eternity. The church made it possible and facilitated the spiritual break
out of Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
The church is not man’s idea - it is God’s idea and plan. There is no
getting around the fact that it is God’s will and plan for you to be in
church every time the doors are open. How much does God desire this? Jesus
died for the church. The church is the body of Christ on this earth. If you
want to break out spiritually the church must be part of the plan. Thank God
for the church!!
Copyright © 2003. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
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