“Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money. Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us! “The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk! “Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them. (Acts 3:1-8 NLT)
I want to share a few thoughts with you, inspired by the text above. (1) If you have some conditions or circumstances that keep you from getting to church, ask someone to get you there. (2) If you cannot get to church because of health or living in an assisted living facility, I understand. Yet I encourage you to ask someone to tune into church virtually. (3) There is nothing as beautiful that you will experience in the week ahead that compares to going to church. Your car may be beautiful, your home may have décor that makes it a thing of beauty, and of course your spouse may be beautiful or handsome, but there is nothing more beautiful than going to church. (4) While you may not physically be situated outside the church, like the man lame from birth in the passage above, you can be in the building, however your mind can be somewhere else. I suggest you really get into what is happening at the service, in the church. (5) There is an anointed person ready to bless you in the name of Jesus, at the church. (6) There are some specific words that will bring about a healing in your life, at the church. You will feel better going out then when you came in the sanctuary, at the church. (6) You can gain new strength, at the church. (7) Praise God and join the saints in the service for you know for a fact, if you just stop and think about how the Lord has intervened in your life, blessed you with blessings undeserved, and gave you a new start more than once! Praise Him, at the church.
Have a wonderful worship service! And listen, if you go looking for something else, perhaps networking opportunities, a special man or woman, people who can become clients, or for some other ulterior reason, guess what? You may not get that at all, but you will get what you really need! My friend, be blessed!
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King