Months of planning, preparation and prayer... registration... parking lot duty... packets and hand-outs... people from many states across the nation coming to our church for one purpose... to encounter God through prayer!
Tonight began the 2nd Prayer and Discipleship Conference at Spring Baptist Church. It is, as it was last year, a three day venture into fervent prayer for change. The difference here, though, is that all of the speakers, including our own Senior Pastor, speak to the change of the only person anyone can ever change; themselves! Accountability is a key component of this conference, just as it is in any Christian walk, and I thank God for that!
Tonight we heard some amazing praise and worship from the Celebration Choir and Orchestra, and were blessed with the words of our Senior Pastor and one of the other Keynote Speakers. Their respective messages, although not planned to align, were brought together in the story of the clearing of the temple. As our pastor spoke of it, he made reference to the "big" questions that we all must ask ourselves. First, do I really love Jesus? Then, would I give up my life for Him? And lastly, will I serve Him with abandon? The temple merchants, I believe, would not have been able to answer "yes" to these questions.
I answer tonight from the 4th Wall Perspective, which relates everything to the Holy union of marriage. The first question does need to be answered as an individual, but then it must be answered again as a couple. Do we really love Jesus? The reason it must be answered individually is because if I love Jesus, I can then properly love my wife and children. Together, if we really love Jesus, then our children will be able to see a model of what love is, how it works, and know how they should give and receive love when they depart from us to begin their lives as adults. This love and the teaching of it through action is definitely Kingdom Work!
Second, would we give up our lives for Him? Again, this question will require individual answers, and prayerfully I say that they will be the same resounding YES! In this question is the direct and literal question of would we die for Christ. But there is also the spiritual matter of whether or not we will die to ourselves, thereby embracing the Grace afforded to us through the Cross. Only through this "death," which is often symbolized by the cross (semantically speaking), can we attain life! And if we are aligned in this, then our "abundant life" will be further enriched by the good work of two! The good Kingdom Work of two.
Lastly, will we serve Him with abandon? Again, individual answers first. But if we are resolute to truly love Jesus and lay down our lives for Him, then service with abandon is almost a foregone conclusion! How could we not spend every morning and night, meditating on the Word and prayerfully approaching our Father in Heaven?!? How could we not heed the call to ministry or missions?!? How could we not move forward in our walk with Jesus, both as individuals and as a couple?!? Again, true Kingdom Work here... along with the ability to show our onlookers what a true follower of Christ is.
As the first Keynote Speaker took the lectern, he spoke of the specific passage that contains the temple clearing story, along with a hidden parable in the fig tree. In a powerful and humbling display of wisdom and understanding, the speaker related Mark 11:1-24, in sections, to Old Testament prophecy. I know understand that Jesus did not curse the tree... he was sad that it would not produce fruit, and made a statement to that effect. Then upon pressing the ethereal fast-forward button, the tree died more quickly than anyone expected.
But as Peter approached and noticed, Jesus spoke to him of faith in God. The tree was diseased and withered from the roots upwards. This same thought has now been applied to the temple, with rotting roots, fruit being produced out of season, and an eventual death of disease from a hollow place at the center. The speaker relates this to our rediscovery of the power of praise, which is important; but also to out forgetfulness on the power of prayer, which is what Jesus said His house should be known for.
We were then educated on the famous "name it and claim it" verse in Mark 11:24. This verse actually hearkens back to Zechariah 14:3-4, and tells of the coming of the Son of Man, and the division that will inevitably occur. And, even in this, Jesus explains through the parable that the Kingdom should be the FIRST priority... everything else is second.
How should we married folk respond to this? With prayer, and only prayer. I beg you tonight to pray with your spouse about praying more. Spend time on your knees together, on your faces. Pray with open hearts to the Lord who loved us and desired us enough to send His Son to die for us... surely that is worth a few minutes of our limited understanding of time.
And if I wanted to feel, touch and see the Hand of God move inside my church tonight... all I can say is thank you, God! To feel His presence as we prayed together can only be described as awesome.
And if there is anything my wife and I can pray about for you, feel free to reach out to us.
4thwallministries@gmail.com
God bless you all!!!
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