Today’s Bible Verse
Jacob woke up from his sleep. He said, “God is in this place—truly. And I didn’t even know it!” He was terrified. He whispered in awe, “Incredible. Wonderful. Holy. This is God’s House. This is the Gate of Heaven.”
Genesis 28:17 (TMB)
Jesus Is In Love!
The church is majestic, supernatural, and powerful. There is no other place on the planet where a group of imperfect people can come together, worship, invoke the presence of a perfect God, and He descends from heaven and manifests His presence with miracles, signs, and wonders.
Everything of eternal significance happens in the church; life’s most important moments take place in the house of God. For instance, when we have a child, our most precious possession, we present that child to the Lord, in the church. Later in life, that child comes to an age of understanding, acknowledges the need for repentance, and opens his or her heart to Jesus, in the church. That child makes a public commitment to follow Jesus via baptism, in the church. That child meets his significant other and makes a long-life commitment to her by marriage, in the church. And at the end of our lives, when our spirits go to be with Jesus, where do we have a celebration of life? You guessed it … in the church! Jesus is so in love with the church that He already made plans to marry it! YES! Jesus has plans to demonstrate the ultimate expression of love and marry the church.
I like to look at it this way. Imagine all the rooms that exist in your city (living rooms, bedrooms, restaurants, stores, etc. perhaps there are millions of rooms); the church is the only room that has an eternal door. The church is like Bethel, “House of God and Doorway to Heaven!” The church is the only room where people can enter using one door and access eternal salvation through another door. If you can imagine your entire city in darkness but God’s light is always shining upon the church. That is why Jesus said “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go to the roads and paths! Urge the people to come to my house. I want it to be full’….”
In the House there is salvation! (Pastor Miguel Montano, Word of Life Santa Barbara)
Change My Story
Develop a habit to invite someone to church every day. No exceptions. My personal invite is very simple, and it opens the door for a follow-up. I always tell people pretty much the same thing: “Come and visit. I promise you, when you leave, you’ll be glad you came because God never disappoints.” Then, I follow up with them.
Today’s Declaration
Make the scriptures below your lifelong declarations”
“One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple” (Psalm 27:4).
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6).
“I was glad when they said unto me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1).
Today’s Bible Reading
- Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 17-19; Psalms 132
- New Testament: Luke 9:1-17; Colossians 4:1-9
