For one, I am very thankful to the Lord for the household of faith; it called to me many years back, and even when their arms weren't ready to receive me, the Lord was ready and willing. As was said, the spirit might yet be willing, but the flesh might not be able; but herein we perhaps tender the flesh and aim it towards its own mark, the preparation of hopeful message for weary ears.
I have said once before that YHWH loves as a father loves his child, and he knows us intimately with only the knowledge a creator could possible have.
We have spoken of LOVE and TRUTH as Light, maybe FAITH as Light, and it's quite something, the impetus to get on a hilltop and just shine away, to get on social media and spread the message, maybe even praise God in conversation with our friends.
Shining a light on a hill, like the city on a hill, which is the household of faith.
But dare we shine in the valleys? Do we realize, even, that we shine in our valleys? Do we realize that we at least have a glow during the Dark Night of the Soul?
We are the fruit trees, we are the vineyards of the old Koine Greek, that bring fruit, just as we are the harvesters working to reap the season's grow; we seed the Gospel and reap a reward of new believers and heightened faith. We let brotherly love continue, and we let patience have its working on us.
We espouse the Gospel message and bang the drum for that all across creation; we are exhorted to spread the message, to tell the truth of love and faith across the world, and soon, beyond.
It was said by some that the Lord would not be ready to reclaim the world as a suburb of heaven, not until the last of the lost had heard the Gospel message. He wanted even the last single one to have a chance at belief, have a chance at a life of love, mercy, hope and peace.
Meanwhile, we continue, brotherly love continues, and our walk in faith continues, over the hills, across the rivers, over oceans broad, to proclaim the message of the Gospel to a world that is tiring. And indeed, to faint now mutes what the heathen could hear, and makes the very concept of Love and Mercy sleep.
Let us be advocates, then, and lend a hand to each other along the journey, "the era of So Many churches", in which some are "lukewarm" and others are lead falsely, and others have not a Christ focus. Let us not in vain construct false timelines based on communications with other churches, as if stealing memorandums and fashioning them to our own purpose.
Let us prayerfully push forward, while the hour elapses; but we take rest when it is time for rest, for the flesh rests and the spirit glories on still, we kept the body alive for the sake of the message, for the furtherance and continuance.
Of continuance, why would we let our faithful brothers fall, or slip away as if un-noticed, when we can see the end of evil ahead? Why would we let them fail in such a late hour, so close to the mark? Retain the workers for the harvest, even if there be not many, just as Christ went out of his way for the sheep that had become Lost. He forsook temporarily 99 sheep that he might go and return that one to the flock. But the worker is promised 10 pieces for the harvest, let him be paid out of the abundance of the Lord, and not smashed or ripped asunder by slanderous tongues.
I mean to keep the church intact, prayerfully, to pray and petition for those that grow weary as if to falter.
Clearly, by the dictates of modern economics, when so many leave the church, those that remain have a greater value than before, but the value of the "returning customer" is also increased. A post card from a cellular provider, "we missed you", or "here's a bonus for switching back".
Those singular words, "let brotherly love continue", clues us into strengthening the church, to retaining membership. To wit, the parable of the Prodigal Son only works if the good son stays, otherwise he becomes the Prodigal Son, too, a second one to be reclaimed.
Indeed, the church, specifically larger churches, can get so caught-up in a Growth Mindset, in terms of gaining new members, gaining exposure in the community, that efforts suffer that would help to keep hold of existing members. In other words, member services suffer. Modern economics is explicit about growing, that growth means the sermons are good, the services are good, and the place is good, that the church has a heat about it in the community. To not grow is as good as failure, and in many ministry models, its an extra tithe, costs and man hours spent trying to find new ways to increase the church body. It can eclipse missionary efforts or anything else in a church budget.
Advertising.
A web site.
Paid administrative.
Do we forget the existing members of the church, when they are part of the church body? I say the economic model taught to many new ministers today is impractical for this very reason, to sacrifice so much for growth. What if the church ignored its sitting body for a very long time, doing outreach, and turned to find the congregation had left long ago?
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