“HOOKS”

MeMaw Thoughts

Number 476

May 19, 2020///

The world around us uses what the sales world calls “Hooks” to sell everything from chocolates to houses and business.

If you train for any type of advertising or sells you are taught that it is the phrase, picture, smell, or combination that will lure people to take a closer look.

Even in writing songs, books, news articles, hooks are used to get people’s attention.  Think about it! What causes you to choose one book or listen to one song, above all the others that are clamoring for your attention.

Eventually it may be the taste of the food or the author that you like or come to trust but to begin with something pulled you toward that particular thing.

Today I want to address the sad fact that hooks have crept into the church world and an alarming number of church boards and leaders are trying to lure congregations in with all kinds of attention getters!

Bring in the big preachers or the well-known singers!  Have ball teams, breakfast, contest, friend days, etc.

Do not get me wrong!! We are a body of believers and fellowship is important as is activities…….BUT………

What if people were drawn to our churches by the power and miracles and changed lives that was happening in our midst??? What if deliverances and healings and breaking of chains of past mistakes were a normal occurrence in our service?

Do you not believe that people would be driving from long distances just to see and experience the real authentic operation of the Spirit of the Living God?

What if instead of so many hooks and attractions we prayed until our churches were places where the Holy Spirit could work freely and in mighty power.

The apostle Paul said:

1 Corinthians 2:4 (KJV)
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

What if our church services were a demonstration of the Spirit and of Power!

This cannot be accomplished by the Pastor doing all the praying, all the seeking God for direction, all the demonstration of Power!   We are the body of Christ and we need to seek God’s face for the Power of the Holy Spirit to be event in our lives and our churches!  We can see the demonstration of the power of God in our homes and our business and every ministry, inside and outside the church!

I am reminded of the Peter and the other disciples who fished all night and caught nothing.  But Jesus came along and told them to cast their net on the right side of the boat.  Jesus, at their obedience, caused a miracle of one hundred and fifty-three fish to just swim right into their net.

There is so much in that passage of scripture that I cannot not touch in this short writing but notice that Jesus did not instruct them to cast their hooks.  He told them to cast their nets.

If they had cast their hooks, they may have caught a few fish but with the net they pulled in almost more than the net can handle.

May I say that we can use the worlds way of “Hooks”, and bring in a few or we can follow Jesus command and cast out the net of praying and allowing the Holy Spirit to do wonders in our churches and our lives and we will begin to see abundance of lost and bound coming to the Lord Jesus Christ!

People flocked to Jesus because of the miracles and then as He taught the pure and true word, they believed and were changed inside.

May our churches be filled with power, miracles and changed lives!  May we pray until it is all Him and none of our self!  May we make room for the authentic anointing and power of the Lord Jesus to rule in our lives, homes, and churches and then we will see we do not need any spiritual hooks!

We need the Power that prayer and obedience brings!!

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Father God forgive us when we think we must come up with ideas and ways to entice people to come to our churches.   May we understand that it is your power working deep inside each person that will bring miracles, healings, and deliverances to those who need a touch so desperately. May we allow your Spirit to authenticate the power of your Word and then we will see true revival and a hunger from those who need you most.  I ask it in Jesus name, the name above all names!  Amen

Love, MeMaw