By REV. TIMOTHY L. MELTON, PASTOR
(Transcribed by Myra Colgate)
Cherokee Pentecostal Holiness Church
“Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike,
realize that both come from God.
Remember that nothing is certain in this life.”
Ecclesiastes 7:14 (NLT)
(God allows both good and bad times to come to everyone. He blends them into our lives in this way so we can neither predict the future nor count on human wisdom and power for answers. We usually give ourselves credit for the good times. In bad times we tend to blame God without thanking Him for the good that may come have out of it. He may be allowing our real life situations to draw us back to Himself. God’s in control and can still bring good results out of our struggles. –From NLT notes.)
Read Acts 2:1-16; Job 2:10; Joel 2:28-32. Pray accordingly, and ask Him for the understanding. This is why sheer numbers attending our churches don’t really count if the ‘Church’ is not also growing within each individual’s life. This does require a commitment. Rejoice anyway!What’s the only other alternative, hell?…Not really!
What is the atmosphere that attracts God? The atmosphere to create is one of Holiness which we must choose. It would be one which shows our reverential, respectful, worshipful and thankful attitude for and towards Him. Overwhelmingly at times, each believer is marked, not so much for perfection, but for our hearts to be perfectly drawn towards Him as ‘Holiness as Unto the LORD’. We each are to be priests and kings in His service. This needs to be taught to all, even to the youngest children within the family of God. For He is God—and is our ‘forever’ God.
In good days of prosperity and in bad days of adversity, we are to be found praising Him for Who He is and in being thankful for what He has already done in providing for and protecting us. He has made Himself available to us, with the simplicity in just asking Him, for the way He has directed us. He is our Source for provision, our protection from evil, or from having any lack of what He has promised us. He has given us straightforward instructions, throughout the New Testament scriptures.
His honoring us with His Presence is our main goal for creating an acceptable atmosphere and is the evidence of our having created the ‘longed for’ atmosphere with the honor due Him. He is waiting on us, not, us waiting on Him. When God’s Presence shows up, the World will come! He is never slack on granting His promises. He is not asleep or on vacation. We are the ones delaying Him, by simply not having done this.
In Acts 2, we are told they were to ‘tarry until the promised Holy Spirit came to them’ in that upper room. They’d created the asked for atmosphere we are told in Acts 2:16. Of the 500 people invited, only about 120 remained there on that particular day—about 22%, a remnant. There was an amazingly wonderful fulfillment of prophecy that day, given by the Prophet Joel, in his Chapter 2:28-32, of the promised Holy Spirit, and related by Peter in his first sermon given, now related in Acts 2:14-21.
The Church has failed to make an atmosphere that draws the Holy Spirit. Everyone must be in one accord, and in unity, for it’s where the Majesty of God shows up. Even a full house makes no difference if there’s not unity. The Presence of God is brought in by that atmosphere of unity. The world has strife in broken homes, in marriages, and it is very relevant that the Church display unity. People coming there will be healed coming in, even while still out in the parking lots! God obligates Himself to show up when the Church prepares His desired atmosphere. He inhabits the praises of His people, and this always attracts and draws Him. When God shows up the world wants to come! He is everywhere, so how can anyone think they can run away from Him? Or, that they can call God ugly stuff, and act a fool, and get away without Him already knowing?
In 1 Kings 8:10, Levites were to carry the Ark of God’s Presence, with the stone tablets of the Law inside. God made man to carry His Presence on Earth. As a Priest and a head of household, we are the ones to create the atmosphere for our family. It takes everyone to become a powerful Church, at home… in a store… for all people being drawn…Come!
