I was reading of the believers in Jesus from the Macedonian churches in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 recently. In light of our current crisis, verse 2 jumped off the page, "In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity." Reread that verse. Then I read of Job's overwhelming crisis and his response in Job 6:10, "...I would still have this consolation - my joy in unrelenting pain-that I had not denied the words of the Holy One." Wow! Talk about faith in the crisis.
We want to give up an update regarding our church services, giving procedures and other pertinent information. If you recall, we told you that we would continue to monitor what the government and medical professionals recommend.
What an unbelievable time, right? Oh my goodness. Every day the COVID-19 regulations change and adjust. It's like someone keeps moving the furniture and just for fun, turn the lights off every time they do. Come on. And what's up with the toilet paper? Plenty of Kleenex but toilet paper? Anyone else a little anxious, worried, concerned - maybe overwhelmed? Oh yeah. The question is, how can we remain calm in the current crisis?
In this short blog, we want to give you a few prayer practices to do. Come up with creative ways to pray!
Resist the devil. Remember he has limitations whereas God is limitless and all-powerful. Refuse Satan any opportunity for a foothold. Rebuke him in the name of Jesus.
First, at least for the next TWO Sunday’s: March 22 and March 29 and perhaps thereafter, we will NOT be physically meeting for services, Sunday school classes or other groups on campus. However, our church worship service will be streaming online starting at 9:00 AM each Sunday on our church Facebook page or at c3ocala.com/live. If you miss it at 9:00 AM, it will still be available to view at a later time.
God knows that there's an all-out war to control our mind, will and beliefs - our thoughts, desires and even decimate our faith in Him. That's why Jesus says this in Mark 12:30, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Do we truly?
We want to approach this time of uncertainty not driven by fear, but by our care and commitment to the safety and well being of our church family, neighbors and local community. As Christians, our hope is in Jesus and therefore we can in faith, care for our bodies wisely, serve one another and love our neighbors.
So, how do we become battle ready? What are our war room strategies? Admit our need. Declare war on our deep hurts, bad habits and self-defeating hang-ups? Rely on God. Prepare for battle. Study our emeny.
We're at war - every moment of every day there's an unseen war waging against our heart, mind and soul. Are we battle ready?
From the moment we wake up each morning, we are met with a barrage of varied war tactics by and from Satan to play havoc with our spiritual relationship and walk with Jesus. He, bent on doing whatever it takes to draw us away and dismantle our relationship with God - firmly set on stealing, killing and destroying that relationship.
We, the church, children of God, are called to love and to care about the things God cares about. As Ephesians 5:1-2 states, "Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."
