Pure Church

Just a brief praise. I was invited to a men’s meeting last night…or so I thought. I was told by Carlos it was going to be a few men getting together after work to talk about starting a church and maybe pray. As an afterthought I brought my Bible. I showed up in work clothes without the family to one of the poorest areas of town. This is were Carlos told me he was afraid to go late at night. There were 4 men there and Carlos my Interpreter was late. Unbenounced to me the men decided to preach…and I was the preacher. Plus it was no longer a men’s meeting it was a church service in a 12x12 mud home. Carlos arrived and told me what the men decided, I had a 2 minute warning to preach. Walking up to the house you could hear some of the most beautiful hymns from 25 people inside. The house was lit by a single kerosene lamp. This is where the “I” of this story ends The Lord gave the words, the passage and the receptive hearts and minds. The preacher was not ready but the Holy Spirit was. The message was simple the Chief Cornerstone, building, and personal ministry. At the end several of the men were weeping, two Christian adults wanted Jesus forgiveness for their wayward ways and become part of the ministry. Two older teen girls also surrendered and asked Jesus to save them. There was joy in the presence of the angels of God last night. The people did not go to church because of the beautiful building, there was none. They did not go to church to hear a well dressed speaker giving great oratory; it was simple preacher in jeans and a tee shirt with stammering limps through an interpreter. They did not go to church because of the programs for the kids; there was none. They did not go to church because of the comfortable seating; it was logs, rocks, a bench and bags of cement to sit on with bugs biting . They did not go to church because of a “praise team”; it was only their voices lifting up some of the most beautiful, joyful noise unto the LORD this side of heaven. They had no other reason to be in “church” other than to be in fellowship with other struggling people and to learn how to lift one another out of the miry sin of this world and draw nigh to God ….Seeing the events unfold last nigh makes one feel sorry for those that go to a church for reasons of comfort, convenience and self satisfaction, for they miss the treasures of heaven and the benefits of going. Lasts night was about as close as you could get to a church service in the days of the apostles. Thank you for allowing us to be here.
Unworthy Servant to a Wonderful Worthy Saviour
Barry RitchieHonduras