Adapted from Pastor Jeff's blog..
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
God's Presence
During one of the prayer meetings a few weeks ago, Mike was using the passage below as a platform. I was really inspired by it. How ironic it would indeed be for the house of bread to have no bread. Similarly, how ironic it would indeed be for the house of God to have no God. We really need His Presence big time! Let's all yearn for more of His Presence in our lives!
"The bread of [Thy] presence."
Numbers 4:7 NRSV
Bread in The Old Testament symbolised God's presence. That's why Numbers 4:7 refers to "the bread of [Thy] Presence." When famine drove Naomi and her family out of Bethlehem (House of Bread), they left for the same reason people leave churches today - no bread!
Tommy Tenney writes: "Why do so many people flock to clubs and bars looking for crumbs? Because they tried the church and found only old recipes and cold ovens; there was no presence of God in the pantry."
"For some churches it's a pride thing; through tradition, they try to preserve the image of where God's been, at the expense of where He is now! They talk about what He used to do - but what about now? It's time we set aside our personal agendas and man-made games; it's time to say, 'He must increase, but I must decrease' (John 3:30).
Our generation and the later generations to come are going to be very different and we cannot always do ministry the same way. What works for today's youth, may no longer work for the next few generations... God will rise up courageous people who would seek first His Kingdom & they will be the blessed bunch - cause all the good things will be given to them :)
"When people experience the presence of God it overrides human theologies and changes hearts. Why? Because someone with an experience is never at the mercy of someone with an argument. On the other hand, when people experience only a hint of God mixed with other things, it immunises them to the real thing.
"The problem isn't that God's not in the church, it's that sometimes there's not enough of Him to make the needed difference! Ezekiel said, 'I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple' (Ezekiel 47:1 NIV). If living water is to reach this generation, it must first flow down through the church aisles and out through us!"
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
God's Presence
During one of the prayer meetings a few weeks ago, Mike was using the passage below as a platform. I was really inspired by it. How ironic it would indeed be for the house of bread to have no bread. Similarly, how ironic it would indeed be for the house of God to have no God. We really need His Presence big time! Let's all yearn for more of His Presence in our lives!
"The bread of [Thy] presence."
Numbers 4:7 NRSV
Bread in The Old Testament symbolised God's presence. That's why Numbers 4:7 refers to "the bread of [Thy] Presence." When famine drove Naomi and her family out of Bethlehem (House of Bread), they left for the same reason people leave churches today - no bread!
Tommy Tenney writes: "Why do so many people flock to clubs and bars looking for crumbs? Because they tried the church and found only old recipes and cold ovens; there was no presence of God in the pantry."
"For some churches it's a pride thing; through tradition, they try to preserve the image of where God's been, at the expense of where He is now! They talk about what He used to do - but what about now? It's time we set aside our personal agendas and man-made games; it's time to say, 'He must increase, but I must decrease' (John 3:30).
Our generation and the later generations to come are going to be very different and we cannot always do ministry the same way. What works for today's youth, may no longer work for the next few generations... God will rise up courageous people who would seek first His Kingdom & they will be the blessed bunch - cause all the good things will be given to them :)
"When people experience the presence of God it overrides human theologies and changes hearts. Why? Because someone with an experience is never at the mercy of someone with an argument. On the other hand, when people experience only a hint of God mixed with other things, it immunises them to the real thing.
"The problem isn't that God's not in the church, it's that sometimes there's not enough of Him to make the needed difference! Ezekiel said, 'I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple' (Ezekiel 47:1 NIV). If living water is to reach this generation, it must first flow down through the church aisles and out through us!"
