Sometimes God just jumps all over me. He stretches me and makes me step outside my comfort zone. Sometimes, I end up in places doing things that I Never EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT. A few months back, I left my church home where I had been for over 30 years. God was stretching me then and continues to stretch and mold me into what he wants me to be today. Just a couple weeks ago, I found myself being stretched again and was led to partner and use what I have learned in life with another ministry I believe in and have watched for several years.
Now let me say this. Being plugged in to a local body of believers is VITAL to your spiritual growth and accountability. There is nothing warmer or more friendly than getting a handshake and a hug from your pastor and his wife and seeing good friends that share your same beliefs. NOTHING on the planet can ever come close. But, sometimes people just won't step inside a church building. They have been burned, been looked down on whatever the reason why. So, I strongly believe we have to meet people where they are and leave our comfort world and just GO. Sometimes GO, doesn't mean GO at all. Sometimes GO, means going to them by whatever means it takes to get us there. That's why our fellow arc church Lifechurch.tv started having their church service broadcast over the internet. Church Online has been a huge success and reaches thousands each and every week using the internet as it's platform.
One of the advantages of attending a church online is the ability to stay anonymous. No one is going to judge you because of your skin color, your weight, your style of dress (or lack there of), or the zit on your face that won’t shut up.
So if you don’t feel comfortable in a church online, you simply click on the little ‘x’ & move on. I have found that most people who are hurting & struggling with a deep, dark secret will not step foot in a normal church. It can seem socially awkward. They may not have good clean clothes to wear or better yet a "suit" to wear. But they will go to an online church experience because a) no one will even know they are there and b) it just takes one click to leave if things get weird.
Sometimes, the links that people click on has revealed exactly what people are searching for when they click on the link to come to church online and church online can ‘see’ into their hearts & know where they are hurting and it is very dark.
So with al that being said, I am currently a chat host in one or the worship experiences. My time is for Saturday night at 9:30pm. So if you ever get to visit church online and it happens to be the Saturday night 9:30 experience and you see the chat room box being very active, it will probably be me giving viewers hope and encouragement.
Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light for the world! Follow me, and you won’t be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life”. How cool is it to use an unconventional tool like church online to share with those hurting that there is a God that loves us more than we can imagine that desires to restore our souls? There is hope. And ‘this hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls’ (Hebrews 6:19).
AGAIN, any church online will absolutely NEVER NEVER NEVER replace the fellowship and encouragement of attending a local body of believers and being plugged into what I call my " FAITH FAMILY ". I SERIOUSLY LOVE where God has me and at Life Church West Monroe.
till next time,
peace
tc
Romans 5:1
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