The more pious and godly believers are on their own, the more gregarious they will want to be as the sheep of the Lord. King David, a man after God’s heart, always sang for joy whenever there was a call to congregate and lift up holy hands in fellowship with his fellow worshippers in the temple. In one of such occasions, the King Psalmist of Israel could not hold on to the excitement bubbling within him and he let out the steam of his elation screaming, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord…” (Psalm 122:1, KJV).
It is beautiful to encounter God in the closet of one’s house, but it is far more blessed and beneficial for one to appear in ‘Zion’ – a designated and dedicated public place of congregational worship of YeHoVah. How do I know? David, the King of Israel, testified saying, “They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.” (Psalm 84:7). Without doubt, one of the most potent secrets of ever increasing level of strength, as ordained by God, is to be constantly involved in the congregational worship of YeHoVah. Ever progressing strength (i.e.spiritual, physical, emotional and psychological) is guaranteed by appearing in ‘Zion’ in gregarious worship with fellow believers.
A sheep can decide to embark on a solo worship adventure, but the Great Shephered will rather leave the ninety-nine others together in His ‘Zion’ (presence) in pursuit of the ‘solo adventurer’ because the apostolic command in Hebrew 10:24-25 is, “…let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Undoubtedly, believers acts of personal devotion should be sacred and it ought to serve as believers’ spiritual booster, but when we appear in ‘Zion’, whether is but of two or three (Matthew 18:20), the presence of the King is guaranteed and the assurance of ‘strength to strength’ in all areas of believer’s life can be depended on. When next the call for ‘going to the house of the Lord’ goes forth; like David, gladness of heart should be our natural response because the evidential basis for this submission is, “They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.” (Psalm 84:7). Hallelujah!
Prince Adeniyi Patrick (Viceroy)
GOD’S GOODNESS AND TRUTHFULNESS
God’s goodness and truth could find reasons to show mercy to anyone that deserves no mercy from God. YeHoVah can pull out the reason for the showing forth of His mercy to an undeserving from within of Himself for He had said, “…The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and *abundant in goodness and truth,* keeping mercy for thousands…” (Exodus 34:6-7). He once said of Ephraim, “Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone…” (Hosea 4:17), but when He looked at the abundant of His own goodness and truth, He reached into Himself and pulled out a reason to show Ephraim mercy and He said, “I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not a man” (Hosea 11:9).
This is for someone at this moment in time, regardless how deserving the consequences of your iniquity might have been, the goodness and the truth of God is manufacturing mercy for you today. The goodness and truth of God is healing your body, transforming your life and restoring all that you lost to you. It is time to announce out loud to whoever has ears like those lepers that God showed His undeserving mercy in 2 Kings 7:9. It is time for you to scream into all ears saying, “This day is a day of good tidings and l won’t hold my peace. I have met with the goodness and the truth of God; and l have received mercy.” I feel like dancing because you are among the thousands recipient of God’s undeserving mercy for today. Hallelujah…glory to God!
Prince Adeniyi Patrick (Viceroy)