Today was a blessed day. I have been saying and still maintain that the lockdown has offered us the best Sabbaths we can remember. What a day! My heart is filled thankfulness.
I did receive a summons today to appear in court. Before the service I had the opportunity to speak to one police officer about our accountability to God and the coming Judgment. After the service the police very politely and almost apologetically issued the summons.
But let me tell you what a tremendous answer to prayer this was. First, they thanked us for being courteous and said they would be passing that on to the court. Second, it was an individual summons. I had prayed for this; and the Lord to my amazement granted it! So that everyone else was protected and my name alone appeared on the summons. How merciful God is. How kind to His sheep. This is exactly how I had hoped and prayed it would play out. We were not interrupted, we were not prevented, but allowed to meet twice and the Lord caused His face to shine upon us.
It was a joy to be with God's people today and to worship God. I cannot express what a blessing it is to be in some small way a partaker of the afflictions of Christ. My fellow pastors who have chosen to close are missing out, and I can only pity them for the loss. Let us go on praying that God would be glorified. Let us not pray for an end to persecution, but for revival! Today again was for me a forestate of coming glory. I have never longed for it more and can only thank our government for allowing us something we had not known before; that to suffer with Jesus (and for Him) is among the greatest of His gifts. It is no wonder we are told to rejoice and be exceeding glad.
May the Lord strengthen you! God gives you something He gave Paul: the opportunity to bear testimony before those in authority: “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and KINGS, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).
May the Lord strengthen you! God gives you something He gave Paul: the opportunity to bear testimony before those in authority: “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and KINGS, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).