THE GATHERING BEFORE THE LORD GOD WITH THE BRETHREN: SHARING FAITH, SHARING LOVE, SHARING HOPE AND SHARING FELLOWSHIP!
“NOT FORSAKING or NEGLECTING to ASSEMBLE TOGETHER [AS BELIEVERS], as is the HABIT of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching” Hebrews 10:25/Amplified Classic Edition.
One great mark of the fellowship is that we are not just REBORN of God as New Creation in Christ Jesus [John 3:3, 5; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:14-16], but we are equally CALLED by the Faithful Father God to a place of fellowship. And this fellowship is an essence to our doing life and living godly by the Father God in Christ Jesus stead. Amen.
“God is FAITHFUL, by whom ye were CALLED unto the FELLOWSHIP of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” 1 Corinthians 1:9.
We are not just called to fellowship for nothing, but called so that we can receive the enabling wherein we can fulfil His PURPOSE in us as His children effortless and without sweat and struggles as per doing it on our own. A life without purpose is a meaningless life. And it’s when a person or people do not know the purpose of a thing that abuse [abnormal use] sets into play. When you know the purpose of Believer’s gathering, you will value it’s worth to ensure it. Same to other places of doing life to an individual and or people [community, national] as in – relationship, careers, business, family, leadership, governance, parenting and such like.
“And we know that ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER for good to them that LOVE God, to them who ARE the CALLED according to His PURPOSE” Romans 8:28.
“In whom also we have OBTAINED an inheritance, being PREDESTINATED according to the PURPOSE of Him who WORKETH ALL THINGS after the COUNSEL of His own WILL: 12 that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ” Ephesians 1:11-12.
And a very good example of coming to a place of fellowship is when Jesus shows a living example in humanity, when He called the disciples. And one major acts of calling them is that they might be with Him and then, they can receive the enabling power to go and fulfil purpose as His ambassador on the earth. In the same scenario, God is calling us to be with Him in fellowship firstly amidst everything, then He can grant us the enabling power, grace and wisdom in His BLESSEDNESS, to go and fulfil purpose in Him. Otherwise and contrary, we become absorbed in our self-gratification and self-centeredness AGAINST His intent to be always with Him while in return we are synergised by Him to be His faithful ambassador for Christ.
“And he goeth up into a mountain, and CALLETH unto Him whom He would: and they came unto Him. 14 And He ordained twelve, that THEY SHOULD BE WITH HIM [FELLOWSHIP], and that He might SEND them FORTH TO PREACH [PURPOSE], 15 and to have POWER [GOD’S ENABLING] to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils” Mark 3:13-15/Emphasis Mine.
Our gathering for fellowship is with the Father God and with His Son, our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ. And in the gathering we find joy and fulfilment, forgiveness because of the ever-atoning blood of Jesus to qualify us against the daily accusations of the enemy and cohorts of our faith in God in Christ Jesus [1 John 1:1-10; Revelation 12:10; Hebrews 12:22-24; Ephesians 3:14-15]. Hence, the gathering of God’s people is not a show but a meaningful and purposeful place to receive the enabling of God’s grace and BLESSEDNESS in order to live a fulfilling life in Christ Jesus stead.
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have FELLOWSHIP with us: and truly our FELLOWSHIP is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your JOY may be FULL . . . 7 but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have FELLOWSHIP one with another, and THE BLOOD of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin . . .” 1 John 1:1-10.
“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come SALVATION, and STRENGTH, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the ACCUSER OF OUR BRETHREN is cast down, which ACCUSED them before our God DAY and NIGHT” Revelation 12:10.
And today as in every day and any day when there’s a gathering of God’s people, see the need to be there that you can come out and say – WHAT A DAY – WHAT A DAY OF GATHERING FOR SERVICES – it’s more than manna – it’s the pure, undiluted, unadulterated, and undistorted gospel being preached, the Word, the gracious Word, the graceful Word that’s admonishing, exhorting and comforting – the worship, the fellowship that’s a-never-like-nothing-else knowing that God is and was in-charge and speaking forth to you and all, and you can’t interrupt Him as you worship Him worthily and serve Him acceptably in the grace by the Holy Spirit in the grace. That’s the essence of the gathering in God’s presence with His people – Believer’s alike in the faith, in Christ Jesus stead.
“So MIGHTILY GREW THE WORD OF GOD and PREVAILED” Acts 19:20.
“But THE WORD of God GREW and MULTIPLIED” Acts 12:24.
“… 23 And being let go, they [Peter, and some other disciples] went to their own company [Brethren], and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their VOICE to God with ONE ACCORD, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is . . . 31 And when they had PRAYED, the place was shaken where they were ASSEMBLED TOGETHER; and they were all FILLED with the Holy Ghost, and they spake THE WORD of God with BOLDNESS. . . 33 And with GREAT POWER gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and GREAT GRACE was upon them all . . . “ Acts 4:1-37.
It’s in such cooperate gathering that we are embroidered to say, Yes Lord! – Speak forth for your Servant and people hears and are hearing you. And being thrilled, thrilling and super excited of the GOSPEL, the WORD, the gracious WORD, the graceful WORD to blessed God’s people. And it becomes a day to be FED or being FED healthily, meaningfully, purposefully by Lord God and uninterrupted and irrespective.
IT’S ALL ABOUT HEARING THE WORD . . . CHANGING LIFE . . . MAKING A GRACIOUS AND GRACEFUL DIFFERENCE . . . EMPOWERED TO THRIVE BY THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE IN FELLOWSHIP AND WORSHIP.
As a Minister of the Gospel and through the course of the faith journey before becoming a minister of the Gospel, I do know very well indeed, what it means to have now and often A-NEVER-LIKE-NOTHING-ELSE experience in the grace. The lovely and lively touch – The TAKEN OVER of THE WRITTEN WORD, by the gracious and graceful HOLY SPIRIT, to inform and transform God’s people by the REVEAL and LIVING WORD that’s being made manifest, in the midst of God’s PRECIOUS and REDEEMED people. It’s an awesomely awesome indeed. A great day of service that’s worth the ingathering that closing the meeting may be very difficult sometimes and some meetings.
Any day of gathering should be a day that’s worth with JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH that’s WORTH remembering and never to be forgotten in doing life and living godly by God in Christ Jesus stead. Amen. More also, a gathering of the saying to each other in the parting benediction: MARANATHA! Meaning the Lord comes soon, the Lord is coming, and come Lord and Saviour – Jesus Christ!
May JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH be with you in an onward and upward trajectory in Christ Jesus stead, as you see the need for the gathering of God’s people under God and not the habit to be absent as in others as the scripture of Hebrews 10:25 thus indicates and admonished.
Blessed regards in Christ Jesus. Amen.
SELAH – PAUSE AND THINK
SCRIPTURAL THOUGHTS WORTH PONDERING IN THE CONTEXT:
“. . . 9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, SPEAK, Lord; for thy servant HEARETH. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, SPEAK; for thy servant HEARETH . . .” 1 Samuel 3:1-10.
“My son, ATTEND to my words; INCLINE thine ear unto my SAYINGS. 21 Let them not DEPART from thine eyes; KEEP them in the MIDST of thine heart. 22 For they are LIFE unto those that find them, and HEALTH (MEDICINE) to all their FLESH. 23 KEEP thy heart with all DILIGENCE; for out of it are the ISSUES (SPRINGS) of life” Proverbs 4:20-23.
“We have also a MORE SURE WORD OF PROPHECY; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 KNOWING this first, that no prophecy of THE SCRIPTURE is of any PRIVATE INTERPRETATION. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but HOLY MEN of God spake as they were MOVED by the Holy Ghost” 2 Peter 1:19-21.
“And now, brethren, I COMMEND you to God, and to THE WORD of his grace, which is ABLE to BUILD you up, and to GIVE you an INHERITANCE among all them which are SANCTIFIED” Acts 20:32.
“For this cause I bow my KNEES [FELLOWSHIP (PRAYERS), WORSHIP] unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 of whom the whole FAMILY in HEAVEN and EARTH is named, . . .” Ephesians 3:14-21/Emphasis mine.
“But ye are come unto MOUNT SION [THE CHURCH], and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the GENERAL ASSEMBLY and CHURCH of the FIRSTBORN, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” Hebrews 12:22-24/[Revelation 1:5-6; Romans 8:28-30]
“And many people shall go and say, COME YE, AND LET US GO UP TO THE MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD, TO THE HOUSE OF THE GOD OF JACOB; and he will TEACH us of His WAYS, and we will WALK in His PATHS: for out of ZION [THE CHURCH] shall go forth the LAW, and THE WORD of the Lord from Jerusalem” Isaiah 2:3.
“And many nations shall come, and say, COME, AND LET US GO UP TO THE MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD, AND TO THE HOUSE OF THE GOD OF JACOB; and He will TEACH us of His WAYS, and we will WALK in His PATHS: for the LAW shall go forth of ZION [THE CHURCH], and the WORD of the Lord from Jerusalem” Micah 4:2.
REV. CHUKIE MORSI