“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:23-25 NIV
http://bible.com/111/heb.10.23-25.niv
Whether your are considering this whole Christianity thing, are new to the Christian life, or have been a faithful follower of Christ for many years, you need the company of like minded individuals.
The Bible tells us that our time on earth here is short. As we grow in Christ and develop a closer relationship with him, we realize the wonderful reward waiting for us in heaven. We have an eternity in glory promised to us.
The waiting is the hardest part. In this scripture passage we are instructed to hold on to our hope and be firm in our hope and faith. We know that God is faithful to deliver what He has promised.
The wait is easier if we stick together. As we wait together we should encourage each other. We should be encouraging others to show love and to perform good deeds. We should also be with those who encourage us to do the same.
Perhaps the most important part of this passage is meeting together. If you are physically able to attend church, you should do so. It should be a priority. Church should never be something we do if we have nothing better to do. When I was growing up, church attendance was not optional. My mother made sure that me and my sisters attended church every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. These three times a week were devoted to meeting with fellow Christians and praying and studying God’s word. There were plenty of times that I wished my mom wasn’t such a stickler about church attendance but now I’m so glad she was that way. I’m now that way in my life. I hate to miss church. In a world filled with sadness and despair, I find hope, peace, and comfort in God’s house. I enjoy meeting and spending time with my Christian brothers and sisters. I couldn’t imagine not going to church.
I’ve often heard those that don’t attend church say that they are not gonna make their children go to church. They say they will let their child decide. I ask you how can a child decide if they are not exposed to church? What if parents had that attitude about everything? The best gift my mom ever gave me was dragging me to church. I am so glad she did. I wasn’t allowed to miss church unless I was really sick. My parents also didn’t put crack cocaine or heroine in front of me and let me decide whether or not I wanted to use it. No, they taught me to stay away from drugs. I thank God for my parents and grandparents. Of course, this is a whole other story but you get the idea. We need to be in church.
Finding the right church is also very important. We need to be sure that the pastor is preaching God’s word. Make sure what he preaches lines up with what’s in the Bible. Pray for wisdom and discernment as you listen to the preaching.
Also be prepared. If you have been spending your Sundays engrossed in recreational activities, sporting events, or just laying on the sofa, beware. Satan is quite happy when we avoid God’s house. You will anger him when you commit to church attendance. He will do everything he can to stop you or to make it difficult for you to attend. I went through a period where my church attendance was not committed. I was attending sporadically. When I committed to attending every Sunday satan put all types of obstacles in my way but I stayed committed. I didn’t let him win. So now not only do I have a wonderful time of fellowship and learning on Sunday morning and Sunday night and Wednesday night but I have found places that I enjoy working in the church. I also have a wonderful support system in my fellow church members.
So whatever your relationship with Christ is like today I encourage you to make time to meet with fellow Christians to pray and study God’s word. You will be so glad you did!
Thanks for your time, have a great day!