The Weekly Epistle 5/12/21

“What’s killing America,” George Verwer said, “and what’s killing the Christian cause in many places, is that Christians don’t care if they get any more of anything but houses, lands, pleasures, and luxuries.  How many of our people are weeping for more of God, weeping for more power, weeping for more purity, weeping for more fruit?”
 
More.  More. More.  What do you want more of?  Where are you dissatisfied?  And is it a holy dissatisfaction?  I want more joy in my life.  I am not satisfied with the level of joy that I have.  More.  What do you want more of?  And is it something God wants you to have?  If so, then keep crying out to Him for more.
 
As you read the Scriptures, look for those times it speaks of going for more.  I came across one passage this week.  Paul says to the church of the Thessalonians, “We ought to always thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing” (2 Thessalonians 1:3).  More faith and more love.  That is a good prayer for more!  
 
Also, notice that they are words to the church.  What do we want more of as a church?  Are we crying out for that collectively?  As we saw this past Sunday in Daniel, we are in this together.  It is WE, not I.  As one book I have on my shelf entitles it, “There is no ‘I’ in church.”  
 
I am calling you to join with others to pray for more of what God wants to give us as a church.  Over the next several months, take the initiative and invite people to pray with you for EBC.  Get together, not to discuss what’s wrong with the church (it’s easy to do that), but to pray for more- more wisdom, more power, more passion, more involvement, etc.  More!  
 
Togetherness, agreement, and affirmation.  That is what happens when we pray together.  Praying together unites us together around the things of God.  So, pray with others this summer.
 
Stop right now and put these dates on your calendar; June 9, July 14, August 11, September 8.  These are “Prayer 30” events when we will gather in the gym parking lot and pray from 7:00-7:30 PM (inside the gym if the weather isn’t nice).  Did you put those dates on the calendar?  
 
There may be additional times we will be called to pray, but it was upon my heart over a month ago to schedule as we did last year, time of prayer for us as a church.  Togetherness, agreement, and affirmation.  That is why corporate prayer is critical to the life of our church and our growth.  Let’s ask God for more and see what it is He does in us and through us, all to His glory!
 
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.”
 
Blessings to you, Pastor Brian