1 Timothy 3 verse 15 says...... "But if I tarry long, THAT YOU MAY KNOW HOW TO BEHAVE YOURSELF IN THE HOUSE OF GOD, which is the church of the living God, the pillars and ground of the truth."
It is essential to honour God when we come to church. There is a behaviour that is right for the house of our God and there are also behaviours that are not suitable in the house of God.
USE OF PHONE:
It is dishonour to receive or answer calls in the house of God. All cell phones are supposed to be switched off once you enter the house of God. This is Church protocol.
Several times i've seen the court Registrar seizing cell phones that unintentionally ring to interrupt court processes, then how much more a place where we have designated as a place to worship the most high God!
if God's presence means anything to us, we should desist from all form of distraction and spend quality time with God.
Have you ever paid a visit to a VIP? Do they allow you to use your phone? Can you sit in front of the president receiving and answering calls while he is addressing you?
It's even worse that most preachers answer calls on the pulpit or you find his protocols going in and out of service to receive calls.
It is not possible for God and men to be speaking to you at the same time.
READING NEWSPAPERS:
Coming to service to read newspapers is also a dishonour to the house of God. While the minister is preaching, some are busy reading newspapers. Why not stayed back home to read your paper instead of choosing the church for that!
EATING:
Food packs are to be distributed after service and outside the sanctuary. Some even started eating right inside the service. This is a great error that needs to be corrected. You cannot go to someone's house and start eating anywhere. Let's be jealous over God's house. Let's defend it and honour it. That is where our miracles and breakthroughs come from.
WALKING ABOUT:
When you're in church for service, avoid walking about. If you must go out during a service, make sure you sit near the entrance. Do not distract people with your movement.
SELLING INSIDE CHURCH:
I was in a Church some years ago on a visit and beside me was a woman sitting with a stylish designer bag. The moment they called for offering, she asked if I would like to buy perfumes. Right there she opened her bag and brought out three perfumes. I was dumbfounded. Inside church? I could not believe this. I was angry. I spoke harshly to her for selling inside church. It is very embarrassing how Christians belittle the house of our God. In the days of Jesus, he chased them out with whips. I think we must start doing the same!
COLLECTING CHANGE FROM OFFERING:
This is also an embarrassment. How can you be asking for change from your offering? Is the Church a supermarket? Bring the denomination you want to give and leave the church honourably. I was in aChurch and I saw ushers dipping their hands into the offering bowl giving people change. It was a sad sight to behold. No one should put his hands into the offering of God's people. The offering is sacred. Do not allow the ushers to desecrate the people's offering. This is why such offering are never enough to do God's work. It has been desecrated.
I was in a Church where people were lining up in front of the pastor's office after service. I thought they were lining up for counselling and I was pitying the pastor. I said, don't they want the pastor to rest but my friend said, they want to collect change. Collect change? I was baffled. This is wrong. The Church is not for money changing. Some sincerely do not know it is wrong. When I corrected my mum, she said she did not know it was wrong. She promised not to do that again. I just had a burden to write some of the things we sincerely do wrong in the house of God.
LITTERING THE CHURCH:
Train your kids not to throw dirty things in the church premises. If there is no dustbin around, keep the biscuit wraps etc in your bags and dispose them when you get home. Teach your children never to drop biscuit and sweet wraps on the floor in Church until they locate a trash bin. Leave the church and it's premises clean and tidy.
DRESSING TO CHURCH:
God is the KING OF KINGS so it automatically means the church is his Palace. Be royal in your dressing. Don't dress indecently or shabbily to the Kings Palace. Decency and Royalty are the Church requirements. God told Moses to make Aaron's HOLY GARMENT for GLORY AND FOR BEAUTY.
Every of your outfit to Church must be marked by beauty and glory. Ask yourself: Is this outfit beautiful? Does this outfit give glory to God? Read Exodus 28.
LATENESS TO CHURCH:
William Shakespeare said: It is better to be three hours soon than a minute late to any event. Have you ever had an appointment with a VIP? Do you go late? Every Church Service is an appointment with God.
Let's make the presence of God real to people. Excellence is required in the house of God. It is well with the Church of Jesus and it is well with us all as we do things right.
May the zeal of God's house overshadow every other ephemeral things distracting us in the body of Christ. Please, let's be careful when we're in the presence of GOD. The Lord help us in Jesus name. Amen.
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