This was a very special Sunday! I've been craving this kind of fellowship for so long. God is giving us some of the desires of our hearts. As with people, we may not all agree on things, but as a church we can agree to be united on the things that we agree on. And leave our differences aside.
We had a visiting minister who drove 5 hours and was wanting a Sunday off. He had asked another brother to preach for him. He was looking forward to hearing Brother Sam preach. But at Brother Sam's persistence, he ended up preaching. What a sacrifice! What unselfishness! And the Spirit of the Lord swept among us. It was a blessed time. Just thinking of this brought buckets of tears - tears of thankfulness! Thankfulness for a real church, real fellowhip - I've never experienced anything like it before. Now this is what heaven will be like!
Sermon recap:
John 3 - the message centered on the caperpillar and butterfly.
Scientists will tell you that not all caperpillars become butterflies.
Caterpillar Monarch Butterfly
has 14 legs has 6 legs
tasters in his legs no scensors in legs - has to taste
does not spin cocoon, but body hangs & dies
moth is the one that spins cocoon
The butterfly sticks his trumpet in the Word of God. The butterfly didn't want to love the things of this world and he wanted to change.
The caterpillar hangs his body on a tree and dies. When he comes out, all that's left is the shell. He waits for Joel's prophecy to come to pass. "I will restore." The caterpillar will say, "I don't have taste for a flower, but for a leaf.
We use people as a guide instead of the Holy Ghost experience.
Nobody likes the molting stage. But in that stage, you're dying out to the things of the world. Then after that, you can dance and shout.
Malachi 3:16-18
God writes down every time we think of Him. There's a day coming when we'll wish we had called upon His name. v.17 - in that day when I make up my jewels.
When you get in the atmosphere with Him (God's Word), you will be able to discern what's good and bad. Without a new birth experience, you can't tell right from wrong. You know why pastors O.K. adultery, they don't have a new birth experience.
Without the Word, the Spirit will die off.
My Word, they are Spirit. They are life. Romans 8 brings this thought about.
We don't know God's ways. We can't go to chruch and just play church. We are a wretch and need Jesus. We have got to be truthful to ourselves and hate the things of this world. If we don't, Laodecia will set in. We've got to get serious!!! It takes a new birth. The outer shell is all that's left of the old caterpillar. He don't like the things of this world.
"I will restore," saith the Lord.
If the rapture was yesterday, would you still be here today?
We as parents need to say, "When my children need me, I will be there. I am responsible for them."
The Spirits are starting to manifest. You can't put up a front, because people can see right through.
Such a moving of the Holy Spirit, more than half the church was kneeling by the altar because conviction was real.
Sweet Holy Spirit, Sweet Heavenly Dove
Stay right here with us, filling us with your love.
We finished out the service crying, tears flowing down the pastor's cheeks, lightened hearts, singing this chorus 4 times:
Little by little, I'm changing, I'm growing
Little by little, I hope that's its showing
It's not who I'll be, It's not what I was
I'm somewhere in the middle
But God is changing me, Little by little.
We came home, drove through the mushy, muddy driveway and parked our shoes inside the door. This is a very familiar scene at our house right now.
We enjoyed leftovers, including those from the restaurant. The rest of the day was spent resting. I listened to Rodney and Lillian's testimony of their Haiti survival through the phone conference.
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