Clocks Not Allowed

I think for the Church to really have Jesus reign and the Spirit to move in the services we need to take the clock off the walls, leave the cell phones and watches in the car. God is not always on our time schedule. Better to get out of the "morning" service at 4PM filled, healed and changed then to get out at 11:59 and leave the same as when we walked in but entertained by the music, stimulated by the sermon and glad to see our friends.

I have been listening to quite a few Todd White videos and most are nearly two hours long. It was pretty close to that when I heard him in person, but it did not seem near that long. There are places overseas where anything less than three hours makes people feel cheated.

We go to the movies and watch three hour shows. Sports events last two hours or more, but if a pastor goes much past noon the feathers get ruffled and watches/phones start beeping. In many cases, they go off like a two minute warning at 11:58.

Maybe we do not get want we want because we leave too soon. In fact, as a Baptist I was told by Pentecostals that we don't see miracles because we leave before the Holy Spirit shows up. They may well have a point, but imagine my shock when I left a Baptist church and the parking lot of the Pentecostal church across the street was empty. Shazam!

I enjoy preaching at a Black church because I normally do not get the pulpit until noon and they tell me take as long as I like as they are going to be there at least until 3PM so it is all good! Whew! If a White church ever told me that I would be listening for the Rapture's trumpet.

Once I was so glad that I had practiced and had my sermon down to 30 minutes. Imagine my shock when the guy who introduced me told me before he left that platform that I had 20 minutes!!

Does every service need to be two hours or more? No, sometimes what needs to be done is done in a shorter time. The point is that God should set the time, not the clocks and watches. Luby's or wherever will still be open. Finish the roast on Saturday night and set the DVR to record the game if it has an early start and God has a late finish.

In some churches they sing 45 minutes and preach 15. If you sing 45 the preacher should have 45 or more. For you lawyers that doesn't mean if you sing 10 minutes the pastor only gets 10.

Nehemiah 8:2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.

3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

That is about a seven hour service, Be glad Ezra is not your preacher. 😉

Something for y'all to ponder!