Open the Gates
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. (Matthew 18:20)
I had a wonderful worship experience in Nairobi, Kenya. I haven’t been in a worship service like this one where I saw God's Spirit move mightily since the early seventies. Maybe it was because they sang for over an hour nonstop, with no break. They worshiped extravagantly before the Lord with pure joy. These people have nothing. This is one of the poorest areas in Nairobi, yet they sang with the joy of people who were lacking nothing.
This area had the highest crime rate in Nairobi, until something happened. During COVID, the church began to open its gates and allowed the water that was pumped on the church grounds, not to be sold, but given to all the people. Immediately, the crime rate plummeted! Now people flock to that church not only for physical water, but also for the life-giving water of the Gospel. There is something very powerful about being in the presence of God, and feeling the flow of His Spirit and God visiting His people.
What would happen if churches opened their doors and welcomed people in like that? How would our communities be impacted if the church was a place where people knew they could come to have their needs met and be filled with Christ? I truly believe our mindset should be that the church is not a museum for the holy, but rather a hospital for sinners. I pray that we would rethink how we invite and welcome people into the church so they can experience the love, joy, and healing that only comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
I had a wonderful worship experience in Nairobi, Kenya. I haven’t been in a worship service like this one where I saw God's Spirit move mightily since the early seventies. Maybe it was because they sang for over an hour nonstop, with no break. They worshiped extravagantly before the Lord with pure joy. These people have nothing. This is one of the poorest areas in Nairobi, yet they sang with the joy of people who were lacking nothing.
This area had the highest crime rate in Nairobi, until something happened. During COVID, the church began to open its gates and allowed the water that was pumped on the church grounds, not to be sold, but given to all the people. Immediately, the crime rate plummeted! Now people flock to that church not only for physical water, but also for the life-giving water of the Gospel. There is something very powerful about being in the presence of God, and feeling the flow of His Spirit and God visiting His people.
What would happen if churches opened their doors and welcomed people in like that? How would our communities be impacted if the church was a place where people knew they could come to have their needs met and be filled with Christ? I truly believe our mindset should be that the church is not a museum for the holy, but rather a hospital for sinners. I pray that we would rethink how we invite and welcome people into the church so they can experience the love, joy, and healing that only comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
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