Driving into the church car park on Easter Sunday morning and seeing a sign on the front door of the church that said, ‘We Are Closed’ sent a sudden sadness over me. It was the first time I had been at church since the restrictions were put in place.

I was there because I had a ‘job’ to do…give out the communion to those there facilitating the live stream. I felt so emotionally overwhelmed standing inside the empty sanctuary that is usually buzzing with people, children and the sound of joy!

But this is how it is in 2020 for now… having ‘church’ at home.

Thankfully, just because the doors of the church are shut, the work of God has not ceased! Bible studies, baptisms, prayer meetings and Konnect groups are still happening via online!

We are the church. We are the body of Christ. If you consider our physical bodies, if we were to cut one of our arms off and put it to the side, we would long for it…wouldn’t we? It is there but we can’t use it. That’s the best way I can describe how it feels at the moment. You and I are part of the body of Christ…and the body is not able to physically be together…and that is what I and I am sure many of you, long for. Our brothers and sisters in Christ!

During my prayer time, I believe the Lord gave me this thought to share. In Matthew 25, we have the story of the ten virgins. We know that five of them were wise and five were foolish. Here are some points to consider:

At some point, the foolish virgins did have oil….
The foolish virgins were not diligent in ensuring their lamps had oil…
All the virgins were unaware of when the bridegroom was going to come. They just knew that at some point, He would…

We know that Jesus promised that He will return for His bride, the church. We are admonished to pay attention to the signs of the times…because that means it is getting closer. Watch and pray!

I felt overcome with grief when I realised that when the second coming of Christ occurs and the church is taken, there will be those who once did know God and had walked away, that would understand what had taken place. There would also be those who know God but are not spiritually ready for His return.

I can imagine them coming to the church, trying to get in and realising that the doors are locked. There is no one there.

Even if I want to attend a service at church, at present, that is not possible due to the restrictions in place. That is very sad. But, there is hope because at some point in the coming months, that will change! Restrictions will be lifted.

But, what about after Jesus has returned for His bride? How devastating it would be to know I had missed the rapture? Coming to the church building and not able to get in…the doors are locked…the church is gone?

If you are reading this today, then God has given you an opportunity to make sure you have oil in your lamp. He has given you the opportunity to repent if you need to. Be baptised in Jesus name if you haven’t had your sins washed away. To be filled with His Spirit if you have not received the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in tongues.

I know many of us cannot wait until we are able to be together and worship and praise God together! If this pandemic hasn’t taught us anything else, it has taught us the value and honour it is to have the opportunity to be in God’s house, with God’s people…to feel His presence in the House!

Be wise! Keep oil in your lamp! Today is the day of salvation!

This is a blog post from Jena Grech, Assistant Pastor of the POS

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

As we continue through the book of Acts, I am reminded of just how amazing the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ was in it’s inception. How his followers carried out his commandments being empowered by the Holy Ghost and preaching the Gospel with all boldness. It was truly a Church ABLAZE!

Just as Jesus had promised, the Comforter would endue them with power from on high and on the day of Pentecost, being filled with the Holy Spirit, they began to speak in tongues and magnify God. Peter preached the Gospel message of salvation and before the day was through, three thousand souls were saved.

Time and again throughout the book of Acts, the supernatural power of God is recorded as operating through the Church with the lame man at the gate Beautiful miraculously healed, earth shaking prayer meetings, a whole community of sick folk healed with some just by having the shadow of Peter the Apostle pass by them, miracles, signs and wonders. Perhaps one of the most remarkable manifestations of God’s power is the fact that the followers of Christ sold all their possessions, both poor and those with land, and brought the money to the disciples feet, where there was distribution made particularly to the poor. And they were united! (Acts 4:32-37).

The Church was on fire, set ablaze by the Spirit of God. In one instance the Church was described as; “These that have turned the world upside down” Acts 17:6.

God is calling the Church back to the same level of zeal and passion. Let us be mindful to not become so sophisticated and drilled in our church structure/services that we merely rely on rote and ceremony. We need the Holy Ghost to operate in us and through us. The Church is not a once a week event at a particular location, but it is the active ‘Body’ of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the church’s calling to turn our world upside down by bringing men and women to a saving knowledge of Christ. Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but that is just one component of the function of the Church. Our assignment is to invade the lost world for the sake of souls.

It starts by praying and seeking earnestly, with all our hearts, for God’s divine intervention in our lives and in our Church. We must enter the prayer closet and begin to stoke the flames of prayer and fasting until our lives, and our Church, is once again ablaze with Holy Ghost zeal.