Practical Pitching

WOW.  I had the biggest revelation this morning, ever!  Read on - it's exciting!

Ok, so today's reading from Exodus 33 says this:

v7 'Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the 'tent of meeting'.  Anyone enquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp'.

BOOM.

Well, firstly let me say that perhaps I'm reading too much into this and taking it out of context, but stay with me here... Why did Moses pitch the tent where people could meet with God OUTSIDE of the Israelites' camp?

Is it not obvious?  (In theory) everyone in the camp knew and worshipped the Lord.  People outside the camp didn't.  Isn't it the same with our church?  The majority of people inside our churches know God.  It's the people outside who don't.  So why build so many tents for people to 'enquire' of God INSIDE the church?  Another meeting, another night of blah blah, another strategy, another gathering, another  inward focussed discussion/meeting/reunion/conference/day/event....... all whilst there is a dying world out there!

Wow harsh words there Caroline.  Yup.  How can I remain quiet when God has put the 'lost' on my heart so bad?  I refuse to remain silent.  I WILL NOT let the rocks cry out! 

Please don't get me wrong, PLEASE.  I FULLY and WHOLE -HEARTEDLY AGREE with the need to refresh and gain teaching, wisdom, insight, strength, encouragement, prayer and so on within the confines of a church building.  Alpha is an AMAZING church based outreach!  As are so many other things.  I am not knocking them!  But at the same time, why do we set up so many 'outreach' events, inside the church!? 

NO, NO, NO!!!!!


Shouldn't we need to pitch out tents OUTSIDE the camp, where the people who need to and who want to 'enquire of the Lord' are?  Why should we expect them to come to us?  Why should we hand out a WCC flyer and expect them to turn up on a Sunday?  YES, this stuff works, YES it is needed, NO I am not condemning it - I am merely questioning, portraying a different perspective, revealing my revelation.  I am an evangelist at heart.  I have to say this.

So how can this be?  How can we 'enlarge the place of (our) tent' (Isaiah54v2 - a word that has been so prophetically spoken over us at WCC)?  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the work of Street Angels.  I love and fully support the vision to take a third/parallel service to another location.  I love the work WCC does outside of its four walls.  And there is MORE!

Why not offer to give a lift to someone you invite to WCC?  Why not visit someone and take them a cake to show you care?  Why not do someone's shopping for them?  Why not wash someone's car for them?  Why not offer to pray for someone?  Why not prayer walk Sainsburys or Tesco when out shopping?  Let's pitch our tent outside the camp, let's take the love of God to the people, rather than expect the people to come to us!  And let's dream big dreams because God promises to do more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3v20)!


You know what?  Contrary to popular advice, I live in a house in which I am probably the only active believer.  Rather than live in a house of Christians, (which I have done and am not opposed to in any way) I have chosen to live in a grotty house with a bunch of amazing people because I want to live as a witness, take the 'tent of meeting' to these people and share the love of God.  It's not always easy.  I mess up.  But do you know, I have seen miracles.  I have prayed against certain things and they have gone.  I have been able to share the Bible and the gospel with my housemates.  I have taken one housemate to church.  I have seen another grow in her faith and share her answered prayers.  I worship until the presence of God falls in my house, inside these four walls.  I have seen healing, restoration, peace, arguments break up, blessings being poured out, emotional wounds being healed, relationships grow and be restored... It's amazing!  And housemates, if you read this - I love you SO much!

Guys.  This is for now.  This is for us.  This is 'for such a time as this' (Esther 4v14).  So COME ON!!!!!  Let's take the presence of God with us! Let's enlarge the place of out tent!  Let's not just sing about it in church, let's do it outside of church!  Let's take God to the people instead of expecting them to come to Him themselves!  And let's do some 'practical pitching'.  Not to make converts.  Not to add to statistics.  Not to provide people for a third service.  But because GOD IS GOOD and because these people are worth it!