THE LOCAL CHURCH: "The local church is the hope of the world"

This past Sunday when my Pastor ministered, he spoke about the local church and it touched my heart and ignited my spirit!!!! I immediately began within myself to give Thanksgiving for the LOCAL CHURCH!

The Local Church has played a major role in shaping me into the woman I am today. When all the darkness of my life surrounded me, it is in the local church that I found safety. It is where I found peace and joy. As I write that I chuckle to myself because some of my greatest hurts came in the local church, but it never left me in darkness. When I was HURT in church, when the dust settled peace and joy and life remained. What had been so painful to walk through developed me and strengthened me. It never destroyed me. WHY- Because I held fast to the covenant I made with God when He set me in the local body, and He is ALWAYS true to His WORD! I also held fast to the covenant I made with my spiritual leaders and brothers and sisters in Christ.

The local church, if you allow it to be, will develop you and strengthen you in ways you never knew were possible. I am thankful for the gift my parents gave me in raising me in the local church and teaching me the importance of honor, service, and excellence in all that you do!

Scripture tells us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves. It also tells us that there are many sick and dying among us when we forsake the body- There are many ways you can see this, but what God has revealed to me is that when we forsake the BODY OF CHRIST- THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST sickness and death prevails. If we would simply come together and allow the Holy Spirit to have His perfect work in us and not jump out of the boat when the going gets tough you will experience the goodness and mercy of God.

When you seek to save your life, you will lose your life, but if you lose your life for the CAUSE of CHIRST you will gain abundant life! It will be everlasting life!

When I was young, I watched Bewitched (my parents did not know…lol) and I remember saying to God why cannot I do what she does if you are alive in me and you are more powerful than the devil and I remember the Holy Spirit telling me “Kim there are many spirits in the world, but I am the Holy Spirit, and I mean you no harm. I am for you and not against you. The other spirits want to destroy you.” I have never forgotten that truth, even when I was choosing my own way. There are many God’s but there is one true God that wants to give you life and He has set the local church in place to introduce you to who He is and His great love for you!

What local church is God calling you to so you can become rooted and established in Him?