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Ring of Truth provides 366 daily ‘proofs’ that the Bible is consistent throughout from Genesis to Revelation, and relevant for our lives today!
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Psalm 100:4
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His Name.
How to completely revolutionise church services.
Over the last 4+ decades that I have gone to church services in many different parts of the world, I have yet to find one where this is obvious. On the contrary, I am dismayed by how many folk come late and in a state of total unpreparedness.
The same people who wouldn’t dream of being late for work, a doctor’s appointment, an interview, a dinner date or a visit to the cinema turn up for church any time within 30 minutes of the service starting.
That is rude to the leaders of the church, the worship team and to the other members of the congregation, so what must it be like to a Holy God, who is a God of order not chaos, I hate to think.
If timing is all a matter of priorities, and it is, what is it saying about our priority for God? How important is He? Or do we not go to church to meet with Him? Or do we use the ‘cop out’ that, as the Holy Spirit lives in me, I have God within me wherever I go, and so church and arriving on time are unimportant?
Nowhere in Scripture is that suggested. On the contrary, Jesus had a habit of going to the synagogue and the Temple and so did Paul and those in the early church – and we can trace it down through the centuries of the Christian Church. No, there is no excuse, just poor prioritising.
Is it any wonder, therefore, that if we can’t even bother to get to church before the services begin, we do not “enter His gates with thanksgiving” or “His courts with praise”?
We’ve already seen the need for us to have a perpetual gratitude attitude. I believe that is fundamental to a punctual arrival at church too. You see, if we are grateful, we will become punctual because it will be a delight to go and give thanks corporately together. If I’m ungrateful, I’ll put it off or only grudgingly respond.
But not only is it helpful to be punctual, it is a prerequisite for entering “His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.”
Just think for a moment how our services would dramatically change if everyone came prepared – already overflowing with praise and worship as they arrived. We wouldn’t have to try and drag up the praise; it would be irrepressible and spontaneous.
Try it next time you go to church – it could become contagious – then look out.
Read this entire Psalm again – it’s only 5 verses long and it could change your day.
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