#855 God’s Response to Spiritual Concerns – Neglecting Public Worship, continued

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

For the previous couple of days we have glanced at some ramifications of neglecting public worship, whether it is with a fellowship of believers meeting in a home or with a larger fellowship in a formal church building.  Another situation that should be considered when being tempted to neglect public worship is the ability of larger unified groups to experience a wider range of ministries than an individual, couple or even a small group.  We have probably all heard of a church that has gone through a bad stretch with division, strife, and members leaving; during that period of time many ministries of the church, especially in missions and evangelism, either having been lost completely or gone dormant, and opportunities for new ministries not available due to small numbers willing to serve.  God uses individual Christians to spread His Word; however, He can more widely use a unified, loving fellowship of believers ready to faithfully serve Him together.

When you are tempted to neglect public worship, consider what the early church did as a unified, loving fellowship of believers, and what the Lord can do to and through you as you serve Him faithfully with your fellow believers!

“And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people.  And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”   (Acts 2:46-47)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#854 God’s Response to Spiritual Concerns – Neglecting Public Worship, continued

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In New Testament times, ridicule and persecution were rampant, so “public worship” took place in “secret” homes attended by Christians or those brought by Christians.  Yet, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ spread greatly as they were of one accord: praying, eating, fellowshipping, and witnessing of the Gospel together.  In China and other countries today Christians are in the same situation, and, like early Christians, they pray, worship, fellowship, and spread God’s Word together from their church homes.  God has provided for many of His fellowship of believers to meet in buildings, some being small and others large tabernacles.  It is not where we meet, it is the ability and opportunity for Christians to have intimate fellowship, prayer, and worship together.  When we are tempted to neglect this type of worship experience, we are missing the great blessing God has for us when we worship Him.

Where are you worshipping the Lord?  Is it with fellow believers?

“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and breaking of bread, and in prayers…And all that believed were together, and had all things common.”   (Acts 2:42, 44)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#853 God’s Response to Spiritual Concerns – Neglecting Public Worship

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christians should have a deep desire to worship the Lord, and that desire should include a deep desire to worship the Lord with fellow believers.  We as Christians know that we are able to worship the Lord in many ways:  during our daily devotions, when we are watching a service on television or listening to a service on radio, when we spend time with the Lord when exploring His creation, etc.  These are all ways we can worship the Lord; however, none of them take the place of worshipping Him with fellow believers during a public worship service.  This is not to say this public worship service has to be in a church building as there are churches in homes in which the Lord is present just as surely as in a church building.  The key is the fellowship, love, support, and encouragement we gain from being with our fellow believers in worship as well as spending time praying with each other.  We may have lost the desire to attend public worship on a regular basis, but it is God’s response to not neglect public worship.

If you have the concern that you are neglecting public worship more and more, take God’s response (and command) seriously and begin again to worship and fellowship with fellow believers!

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”   (Hebrews 10:24-25 – NKJV)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#762 Little Foxes and Relationships – Neglect of Spiritual Disciplines

Inspired by and adapted from a sermon entitled Catching the Little Foxes by Dr. D. L. Lowrie, Sr.; used with permission.

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It was the Apostle Paul’s desire to have a spiritual walk with the Lord that would make him more like Christ, a desire that should be that of every Christian.  To be more like Christ, we faithfully exercise spiritual disciplines in order to mature spiritually; however, our walk and fellowship with the Lord can be endangered when we neglect the spiritual disciplines.  We need to ask ourselves some important questions.  Too tired to spend time with the Lord in a daily devotional of Bible study and prayer?  Too busy to worship the Lord on a regular basis at a local congregation?  Too aloof to spend time in fellowship with fellow believers?  Too timid to witness about the Lord to unbelieving family members, friends, and neighbors?  Prayerfully ask yourself and answer these questions, recognizing neglect of spiritual disciplines can have everlasting consequences.

Are you constantly maturing spiritually in your Christian walk?

“For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”   (II Peter 1:8-9)

 May God Richly Bless You Today

#659 Today’s World and Bible Times – The Company We Keep

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

About three miles north of the city of Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee is the excavation site of the ancient city of Magdala, also known as Magadan or Dalmanutha. In Bible times it was a city famous for processing fish and boat building, making it a considerably wealthy city. We know the city from Scripture as the home of Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom Jesus cast the seven demons. It seems that Magdala was characterized by the Talmud as a city of depravity, a possible explanation as to why Mary Magdalene was demon possessed. Could it be possible that she got with the wrong crowd and the demons somehow got control of her life? It is a well-known fact that our lives can be influenced for either good or evil by the company we keep. Although having unbelieving friends does not mean we will become demon possessed, it is extremely important for us to have and enjoy the influence of good Christian friends and fellowship.

Do not fail to have among your friends strong Christians who can support you in your walk with the Lord!

“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’” (I Corinthians 15:33 – ESV)

#625 Worship – A Love Relationship

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Another aspect of worship that we need to explore is that of worship being a relationship.  When we are active in responding to a loving God, everything we do will give glory to Him and be a part of our worship of Him.  God desires our fellowship and love, and our worshipping Him with everything we have demonstrates that fellowship and love as we share our life and our love with Him.  Unless we tend to selfishly feel our worship is a one-way street, never forget the love God showed for us in Jesus Christ’s death on the cross to give us eternal life.  As this is a sharing of love from both directions we can without hesitation say that worship is an active response to God that is a love relationship.   This love relationship implies that one must have a personal relationship with God to worship Him, and the personal relationship can only come from accepting by faith the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord.  He is waiting for us to welcome Him into a worshipping love relationship with Him.

If you are a Christian you have a personal relationship with the Lord that should demand you maintain a love relationship with Him in your genuine worship!

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:  if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me.”   (Revelation 3:20)

May God Richly Bless You Today

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[1] Adapted from:  McMinn, Don, The Practice of Praise, Word Music, 1992.

#591 Deeper Christian Life – Constant Communion with God

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

There are many people today who call themselves “Christian” who do not live a life that would indicate their true relationship with God.  Genuine Christians, those who have accepted by faith the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, are going to have a desire to have a deeper life with the Lord, to be fully committed and have constant communion and fellowship with Him.  We have this communion with the Lord when we take pleasure in His Word, making it a habit and taking the time to read, study, and obey it; spending time in fellowship with God in prayer, giving Him praise and glory while presenting our prayers and petitions to Him; and continually worshipping Him, not just at a local congregation but also during our daily lives.  This does not mean we neglect our work and family responsibilities as we fulfill those responsibilities as unto the Lord; it does mean we spend leisure and free time growing and maturing in the Christian walk by means of the constant communion with Him. 

Does your communion with God reflect a deeper life with and in Him?

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.”   (Psalm 1:2)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#590 Christian Brothers and Sisters – Godly Love

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

For the previous few devotionals we have been looking at how we as Christians should interact with other Christians; there being fellowship, partnering, encouraging, and sharing one with another.  In fact, how we treat and interact with our fellow Christians truly reflects our true Christian commitment.  God expects us to treat each other with love; however, this is not love we can develop and implement on our own.  It is love that comes from our love of God through the Holy Spirit within our hearts.  It is also the same love with which God has loved us, even to the extent of sacrificing His life that we may have eternal life.  This illustrates the extent our love should be for fellow believers; a love that is strong, active, continual, sharing, and ready to endure hardships for their benefit.  As we fellowship with fellow followers of Christ, let us do so with a pure demonstration of Godly love!

If you are having trouble fellowshipping with fellow Christians, allow the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s love through you to others!

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”   (Ephesians 5:1-2 – ESV)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#586 Christian Brothers and Sisters – Sharing Possessions

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

One of the characterizations of Christian brothers and sisters is the fellowship they have with one another.  A part of fellowship is encouragement, and a part of encouragement is sharing with one another.  The Bible recounts a number of different things Christians shared such as possessions, food, lodging, God’s Word, and other blessings, and they gladly shared with each other as they did so in service for the Lord.  Christians were taught and had full realization that all of their possessions belonged to the Lord; therefore, they looked upon them lightly, ready to share with fellow Christians whenever and wherever there was a need.  An example is if they had two tunics or coats, they were ready to give one to a needy Christian as they could only wear one at a time.  What a difference in today’s world.  Often we are willing to give to a clothes closet or to needy Christians a piece of clothing only if it is well worn.  Could there possibly be less needy Christians if we would be willing to follow the example of New Testament Christians by sharing a portion of our clothing that God has so generously provided for us?

 

Take time today to provide some nice, clean clothing to a church clothes closet!

 

“He answereth and saith unto them, ‘He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.’”   (Luke 3:11)

 

May God Richly Bless You Today

#583 Christian Brothers and Sisters – Quarrelsome Christians

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In our relationship of fellowship and partnership with our Christian brothers and sister, how we relate and support each other makes a real difference.  There are many Christians that spend their time being negative and critical of everything around them.  This is especially true in local congregations where there seems to always be someone or a group that is against any progressive changes in the church.  Although changes that would be contrary to God’s Word should be challenged, changes that would honor God while furthering the church’s outreach and worship experience should be welcomed.  Constant negativism and criticism bring down both the Christians who are expressing such and those around them who have to listen to them.  Staying true to God’s Word is of the utmost importance; however, we as Christians have a responsibility to our brothers and sisters in Christ to partner with them in the positive advance of the Gospel.

Are you a positive influence in your local congregation or one who criticizes change?

“And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,” (II Timothy 2:24 – NKJV)

May God Richly Bless You Today