11/07/2019 —  
Too many believers have a "casual dating" relationship with the Church. They come when they haven't slept in, try different congregations until they find a place they enjoy and never make a real commitment. But Scripture tells us to "get set" in a local church, one that honors God and challenges its members to be serious about loving Him and loving people.
 
The Church is not a place for entertainment! It is a place to prepare to make a difference in the world outside the church walls, which is full of people who will never be in heaven unless they hear from us why it's important that they settle that matter here on earth. 
 
 
Isaiah 5:18-25
“Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood
    and sin as if with a cart rope,
who say, 'Let Him make speed
    and hasten His work,
    that we may see it;
and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel
    draw near and come,
    that we may know it!'
Woe to those who call evil good,
    and good evil;
who exchange darkness for light,
    and light for darkness;
who exchange bitter for sweet,
    and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
    and prudent in their own sight!
Woe to those who are mighty to drink wine,
    and men of strength to mingle strong drink,
who justify the wicked for a reward,
    and take away the justice of the righteous from him!
Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble
    and the flame consumes the chaff,
so their root shall be as rottenness,
    and their blossom shall go up as dust;
because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts
    and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Therefore the anger of the Lord burns against His people,
    and He has stretched out His hand against them, and has stricken them,
and the hills trembled.
    Their corpses were torn in the midst of the streets.
For all this His anger is not turned away,
    and His hand is still stretched out" (MEV).
 
Deuteronomy 26:1-3
"And it must be, when you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance, and you possess it, and dwell in it, that you shall take from the first of all the produce of the ground which you shall bring from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. You shall go to the priest in office at that time and say to him, 'I profess this day to the Lord your God that I have come into the land which the Lord promised to our fathers to give us'” (MEV).
 

• God is looking for local churches that rise far above the current status quo. In far too many congregations, holiness and modesty are out of style. Sacrifice is not spoken of. Dedication has disappeared from the vocabulary and the lives of parishioners.
• We have to a great extent mistaken the bitter for the sweet. We go to church for entertainment instead of edification. We go to sing songs instead of to bring our broken lives to the altar, worship God and beg Him to be merciful.
• Get some "I don't quit" in you when it comes to your church. If church becomes something in your life that you can take or leave, then you ultimately will treat your job, your marriage and your family the same way.
• There is a "I don't quit" spirit baked into the DNA of this church. It was instilled in our pastor by his mentor, Dr. Lester Sumrall. The day Dr. Sumrall's television studio burned to the ground, he left the scene of that tragedy to go where he had been scheduled to preach. He let nothing stand in the way of his divine assignment. As a result of that, our pastor has modeled the same determination for us.
• The best place to go to church is a church where God has placed His name - where He is already at work through His people! That's the type of church you need to find. And once you find it, stay and serve the vision of the house.

 
 
Heavenly Father,

Thank You for leading me in the way I should go! Forgive me for the attitude I have taken far too often concerning Your Church. I understand the need to be where Your Word is spoken and honored and practiced. I repent of my need to be entertained and to be seen by others. Let me be seen by You, Heavenly Father, so I may be Your representative in my circles of influence and Your humble child within the walls of the church to which You have led me.         

Thank You for making World Harvest Church a place where I am continually challenged to live for You! It is a place where I am trained and not entertained. Order my steps so that I may continue to be a faithful servant where You have placed me.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ – Jehovah Joshua Messiah – I pray. Amen!