God's Plan Through This Season
 

This song came to my mind this morning as I sat thinking and praying in my living room.

Last night I felt defeated and broken. Every single day for the past week has been body blow after body blow of bad news and hearing people talk about their fears and anxiety.

With cities and states imposing bans on mass gatherings and the resulting closures of churches all around the country, I have prayed and asked God why this is happening.

I didn't hear any audible voice. I didn't hear a quiet voice. While praying, thoughts began coming to my mind. Here in America especially we have become reliant on two or three services a week to fill our spiritual tank, so to speak. Many rely on Sunday School to teach their children, and Youth Ministry to teach their youth, and the Pastor or another minister to preach and teach to the adults. We talk about what a great service it was ... "Man, that was good church!" When all that happened was people got dressed up, sang some songs, maybe danced a jig or cried a bit, heard a message and left much the same as they arrived. Not much changed, if anything. No one was saved or healed. But hey, we checked the box and we felt good, so it was a great service!

God has allowed this, I believe, to wean us off the church service milk and lead us into a deeper relationship with Him. He's restoring the balance and order for our families. God is giving Husbands and Fathers the opportunity to take on their role as the spiritual leader and Priest of their homes. It's time to strip away the unnecessary excess we've allowed in our churches. The idols we've created both at church and in our homes. God is allowing this to get us back to the simplicity of worship and the Gospel.

Church buildings may close.
Congregational services may be postponed.
But the Church of Jesus Christ will continue to move forward!

Worship is more than a building.
Worship is more than a service.
Worship is more than congregation.

In this season where we are unable to meet in groups and in buildings, let God break down the idols we've built in our churches. Let Him bring us back to the simplicity of worship and the Gospel. Let this start a fire and outpouring of the Holy Ghost in our homes, which can spread out into our communities around this nation.

God is in control, and He will not allow this virus to defeat the church.

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zl8iTJbbUs

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

Peace and grace to you during these troublesome times.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

That makes sense as to why you asked me what you did on the other thread.

I was wondering about that, it felt funny.

I am sorry that to you congregating in a assembly hall has apparently lost it's joy. It has not to me or those in this congregation.

God bless

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

I would say, on the average, we have 5-10 people baptized in Jesus name and as many filled with the Holy Ghost every single Sunday at our church. We are a large congregation that is growing weekly and have dynamic, passionate service weekly.
We will be having service outside on Sunday. You may listen from your car or step outside and praise God. I can bet you we will have a lot of baptisms. not all churches are dead.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

Praying in Jesus name

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

How you came to this conclusion, I don't know. But it's so far from reality it's ridiculous.

I love going to church and worshiping with my brothers and sisters in Christ. It tears me up what's going on right now. That's why I was broken the other night.

But I believe that in this short time when we're not able to attend in a building, God is using it to get things back in order. The building is not the church. WE are the church. Religious instruction should begin in the home and with the Husband/Father.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

Agreed.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

God's plan for this season is the same as it has always been:

To seek and to save that which is lost. Reconnected with a backslider at work yesterday. Exchanged numbers, he is interested in coming to our Friday night meetings. A coworker took my number today, hoping to get her mom in Bible study with me. She speaks no English, and my Spanish is rusty, but we'll make it happen.

It is time for the Church to surge. Get up and get to work!

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

I agree and I am doubly happy that I don’t have to fix my hair. :heeheehee

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

Each one of us is the church. But we do need regular gatherings. Meeting in homes was what the early church did, and revival broke out. I look forward to great things coming about because of this situation. I am not cast down, but rather encouraged. God is able to do mighty things in the midst of impossible, difficult and discouraging situations. This is not the time to hang your head, but rather, LOOK UP and rejoice that we are called to such a time as this!

Amen! May the homes be restored and brought back to a place of prayer and worship, instead of depending on a service 1-3 times a week to do it. Perhaps this will be what it takes for true revival to take place in our midst!

YES! This is a time to be about the Father's business. Don't spread fear. Share the LOVE of God with everyone you meet. Smile at people. PRAY for them. Look around and see who needs to be encouraged. This is a time for the church to shine its light into the darkness of the world. Be about the Father's business, wherever you are!

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

There's always a rainbow in every storm :heeheehee

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

True that! :highfive:heeheehee

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

I’m dealing with Spanish church’s. Trying to learn Spanish, people are hungry.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

:thumbsup

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

Frijoles y tortillas?

Tacos?

Burritos?

Flautas?

My Spanish is pretty good. No?

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

si vas a pedir en taco bell!

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

Don't learn Spanish, just win souls.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

He preaches at a Spanish speaking church. He shouldn’t learn Spanish?

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

I’m confused.

As spiritual as Brother Nicodemus is, I thought he would just speak in tongues, and every man would hear in his own language. :nod

Like they did in Acts. :foottap

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

He will end up telling the people to get baptized in Jesus name for the remission of fish. Instead of pecado he'll say pescado.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

Exactly

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

How may I assist you in your endeavor? I graduated in 2009 magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater, with a 3.62 GPA. I have resources and material. PM me if you like.

In the meantime, there are A LOT of bilingual Hispanics who would be happy to interpret for you. Also, online translators have become pretty sophisticated. You can try that.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

2 stories that will make your Saturday even better.

1- Last Sunday morning we were having a birthday party for one of the men and I told him “Feliz Navidad” (merry Christmas) instead of “feliz cumpleaños” (happy birthday)

2- My elder, mentor, and friend was feeling good with his Spanish and decided to use it during the service and was trying to say “what a powerful service” instead said, “what a powerful cerveza (beer)“ instead of “Servicio” (service)

:heeheehee

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

Bill Drost admitted in his autobiography that he never became very proficient in Spanish, but all the folks listening to him trying to preach to them in their native tongue always seemed to appreciate the effort.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

:heeheehee I bet that was a great laugh in the congregation!

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

What!??

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

With the second one, the Spanish in the church immediately caught on obliviously and started to motion to him not to say that again. :heeheehee

The first one, they laughed and told me the correct wording.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

Bro, you know English speak English. You don't know Spanish? Don't aggravate the people with butchering it. Sister Benincasa intimidates preachers who like to butcher Greek over the pulpit. She doesn't mean to do it, but they shouldn't speak a Greek word and then look at her. Don't look at her, just speak Redneck Greek and be free.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

What what!??

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

Why are you not a Spanish teacher?

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

He needs to learn Spanish. Then preach in Spanish when he has a good handle on it.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

You mean, like at a high school? Because I didn't get a Bachelor of Science degree and so, didn't get a DPI license. Becoming a Spanish teacher was not the goal. Still isn't.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

What was the purpose of getting the degree? To learn Spanish? Serious question.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

Short short version:

I went to University at the behest of God, to evangelize. I chose Spanish as my major because I studied it in High School and there is a large Hispanic population nearby me, and my High School Spanish teacher had a life-saving impact on me and I wanted to honor her.

Generally, I love languages and have studied several, and had a goal of being fluent in at least six. I studied both ASL and French in High School (at the collegiate level); I also took a year of Japanese and a semester of Arabic, and also studied Hebrew informally with the Jewish Student Union all while at University.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

Polyglot!

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

:thumbsup

Attempted, at least. Only succeeded in gaining full fluency in Spanish, and a close fluency in French. French is about gone. Spanish is not as strong as it was.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

I am fluent in Pig Latin, Hog Latin, and gibbIrish.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

Believe me, I know because of over 20 years having an interpreter.
I want what I preach and teach translated by a pro. I have listened to enough preaching in other languages get butchered worse than a Texas chainsaw masscre. Preaching and teaching is crucial, and valuable time which can never be recovered if Nostradamus flubs it. No, get an interpreter, ( not just anyone) I mean a great one. Elder Jaun Carlos Marulanda is the absolute best, he has no parrelle. Invite him to your church to teach preach and to interpret your English into Spanish.

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

What about Ebonics?

Re: God's Plan Through This Season
 

You say I believe in you like Ive never read. :heeheehee