“Lord, hear my prayer! Listen to my plea! Don’t turn away from me in my time of distress. Bend down to listen, and answer me quickly when I call to you. ... Tell them the Lord looked down from his heavenly sanctuary. He looked down to earth from heaven to hear the groans of the prisoners, to release those condemned to die. And so the Lord’s fame will be celebrated in Zion, his praises in Jerusalem, when multitudes gather together and kingdoms come to worship the Lord.” Psalms 102:1-2, 19-22 NLT
Gripping
Attentive
Transformatively
Engaging
Over the course of the past two Sundays Michele and I have visited a growing church in Marana, Arizona. While I would never suggest driving 400 plus miles round trip to attend church every week, I will tell you the church is worth a visit from anywhere in the greater Tucson area.
“Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.” Habakkuk 2:2 NLT
Both messages I’ve heard preached from the pulpit of the Gate church were gripping, clearly prepared, and memorable. How often can we remember what we heard in church two days after the message? These messages have been mulling over in my mind for a week and a half. The Spirit of God is listening to every prayer prayed, and the eyes of the Lord are open to the needs of His people.
“My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.” 2 Chronicles 7:15-16 NLT
The promise God made regarding the Temple is conditional. If we abandon His instruction He will uproot His people. To continually preach transformatively engaging messages we cannot allow pride to gain a foothold in our lives. The Spirit of God is transforming lives. Continue in the work God has given you, but remember:
“For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4:5-7 KJV
You always have a good message. When we’re open to the word, we can be transformed. I love the Word. The spoken word seems to bring profound attention through our ears to our minds.
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