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Psalm 42

Have you ever found yourself in a place of being unable for a time to participate in the assembly of God's people?  When that has happened, have you felt as if God has left you, that He has in some sense deserted you? GOOD!  You should feel that way!

God has appointed the gathering of His people as one of the means by which He will meet with them, both individually and corporately, and if you don't really miss that meeting, then perhaps there's something very wrong with your relationship to Him.

The "sons of Korah," to whom this psalm is attributed, knew this would occasionally happen to God's people - that they'd occasionally be unable for a time to attend worship in the temple at Jerusalem, and that they'd sometimes feel that God had deserted them.  This song was for them, for those who had to say, "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.  When shall I come and appear before God?  My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, 'Where is your God?'"

But there was also a solution.  And you and I have the same solution available. The solution is prayer (and more prayer).  In this psalm the people were led to sing, "The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me - a prayer to the God of my life!" 

Not only so, but there will be a result!  Right now, you have to say, "I will say to God my Rock, 'Why have You forgotten me?  Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?'"  But afterwards you'll be able to say, "Why are you cast down, O my soul?  And why are you disquieted within me?  Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God!"

The meeting of God's people, the Church, is one of His appointed means for your growth and blessing.  It's therefore God's grace operating within you if you feel badly when you miss it.  Prayer, prayer, and more prayer is the only solution.  Use it!

Around the end of June this year, our Sunday night youth services came to a close. The regular Sunday night services have not started up again. I was asking my friend willa who is the Pastor's mother why not. She told me that Pastor was very disappointed that only a few were coming on Sunday nights. I am praying for those services to resume.

I really miss Sunday nights. Yes my soul doth pant for you oh Lord. The song, As the Deer, is my favorite of all songs. because it speaks my heart.  So my soul longeth after thee oh Lord. I pray that our Sunday night services will resume, Father, please speak to my Pastor's heart. In the name of Jesus Amen.

Marilyn, some time ago our pastor was feeling much the same as yours--disappointed and discouraged that only a few were coming on Sunday evenings.  He mentioned that "other churches have discontinued Sunday evening services"  and asked that we think about what we should do.  I pointed out the scripture that says "Do not forsake the assemblying together AS THE MANNER OF SOME IS."  Others agreed.  So ... we continued, and the people of a couple other churches joined with us.  They were missing those times as well and welcomed the opportunity for church on Sunday evenings. 

For reasons known to some of you, I am unable to get into church, except on very warm days. The sacraments are brought to me and I thank-God for this.

Oh do I know this feeling and yes Pastor, I pray and continue to pray like the widow to the Judge.  So far the Lord has organised a Prayer Meeting here in my own home which is such a blessing.

           "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you."

Lord please hear our prayers re fellowship and provide in Your wonderful way for each of us the Living Water.  Amen.

Jenny.

Yes, Jenny - I understand your situation.  But it's been my experience that those small meetings in lthe home (whether Bible studies or prayer meetings, etc.) are the church. There's always opportunity for people to minister one to another in those smaller, closer meetings, and that's what the church was intended to be (Eph. 4:11-16).  I'm so glad for you that you can have those meetings right there in your home!  Thanks be to God!

That's right, AL. God's Church is not a building made of wood and stone ... we are the living stones "rightly fit together" by the Master Builder.

The people of God are all ministers, and in fact the purpose of the "shepherding elder" (Eph. 4:11, 12) is to get us all ministering to one another.  Oh how I would rejoice if all the large churches in the world would divide up into small groups of less than 20 each in order to begin encouraging, exhorting, and even correcting one another.  Oh what great growth would come!  Oh what enhancement of our obedience would occur!

Some of this is indeed done in larger churches, but not nearly enough.  Oh God, revive us in the midst of the years!

Pastor.  Around me lots of House Groups are emerging from the differing churches...

I rejoice that such "house groups" are emerging.  My vision is to see it happening more and more, to see each "house group," in turn, break up into more house groups.  I believe we could cover the world in relatively short order.  Of course each group must stay true to its purpose of fellowship in Christ (love) and ministry one to another.  People would see our love.  People would be won to Christ!

Dear Pastor Al..Please pray for the House Group Churches in China...The True Church in China. So many are arrested and imprisoned and beaten etc., The
Chinese Government allows a church with a watered down gospel to exist ...similar to the Professing church in Hitler's Germany. Any pastors preaching the True Gospel of Jesus Christ are arrested and imprisoned and their churches closed down.  True believers in China, meet in their own homes and are being persecuted as German authorities did to  Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Read "The Heavenly Man.  by Paul Hattaway.  re the life of dear Brother Yun.

For more info re House Churches in China etc.,:-

                       www.asiaharvest.org

You will gather that a large piece of my heart is in China.

God Bless.
Jenny.

Dear Sister Jenny:  much of my heart is also in China - and has been for many, many years. When I attended Seminary I befriended seven or eight Chinese and one Korean.  I was at the time a table tennis player, and use to play several of them.  When the Chinese/Korean students had their "Wives & Sweethearts Dinner," of all things, we were invited!  They really wanted us to come to China.  We couldn't do it at the time, but I retain to this day a very great concern for them.  Actually, China is likely more Christian than the USA!  But, as you say, they are all in "house churches."  We may have to do it here one of these days.  It will be good for us.

Dear Pastor Al.

Thank-you for sharing with me.

That means such a lot.

God Bless bro.

Jenny.

What good posts!

For a few years here in Guelph, we had a "house church" meet in our home.  What blessed times around God's word we had!

Dear Pat - why did your house church cease?  Could it begin again?  As blessed as were the times you spent, others in the group must also have experienced that blessedness.  Perhaps they would rejoice to experience them again.

It was in the late 1980's and many were university students who eventually graduated from school and went back to their home countries.  Then Jack got ill and then, well the rest is history.

Many have left this earth's scene now.

Pastor.

Jane came to bring me Holy Communion.  She told me the Hosue groups from our Anglican church are doing J. Johns:- "10 Commandments +" for bible study.  The Bishop of Birmingham wants all his parishes to study this together.  It's quite an old book I believe but the study Notes are being printed again, quite reasonably priced £3.99 pence. (sterling).

Well now I have ordered some notes for our little House Meeting.  We want to do it too.  So what began as a prayer meeting is now expanding ....Jane said that it is so interesting and folks are encouraged to discuss news events of the day....in respect of broken commandments in the world.

God is so good....
Jenny.