Quote from Forum Archives on January 9, 2005, 5:14 pm

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

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The Burning Bush Devotional

(Over 13,000 subscribers in 75 countries)

01.10.05

Refocus - Church

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.

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the
midst of them. - Matthew 18:20.

I love the testimony of a woman whose name is Shari that I have posted on my
website. Shari was living with someone and using drugs when she was 17 years
old. She left this man after a couple of years and started living with
another man that she married after a year. She was still using drugs and she
left her husband when her daughter was five months old and eventually
divorced him. Three and a half years later, she married again but this time
there was something different in her life. That something different was
church.

Here is what Shari says in her own words, “I have been married to him now 10
years. During that time, I have constantly gone to church and looked to the
Lord for guidance. It's wonderful how loving and forgiving the Lord can be
when you've spit in his face for so long.”

“My husband came to know the Lord in September of 1994, was baptized, and is
an active member of our church. We now have 4 daughters altogether. Our
youngest is five and she knows nothing but going to church on Sunday
mornings and evenings, and Wednesday nights. She even prays on Wednesday
nights at prayer meetings! My oldest daughter is now 15, and thinks that
people who do that kind of thing (drugs, living with someone outside of
marriage) to themselves are stupid, and searching for something. I have
always been honest about my past experience with my two oldest daughters,
hoping that it will help them decide not to do those things. So far, it has
worked.”

“It's a joy to see what the Lord can do with someone who thought they
weren't worth much. I am now our Sunday School Director (4 years now), our
VBS Director (this year will make 9), and the church Secretary. And I
totally enjoy my life.”

You can grow as a Christian without going to church but that growth will be
really slow and it will be painful. For several years after I was saved I
did not attend church regularly just on a sporadic basis. I only began to
really grow as a Christian when I made a commitment to be in church for
every service including Sunday School, Discipleship Training, and Wednesday
night.

Sometimes during those early years of church attendance the preaching wasn’t
the best in fact it was simply bad. However, the Word of God was preached by
the man of God and God used it in my life. Much of the time during those
early years of church attendance the worship service was not even bad it was
worse than that. But you see, church is not about just the preaching or the
worship service. Church is a God thing. Church is God’s idea and it was
created and ordained by Him. Even if Billy Graham or Charles Stanley is not
preaching in your church you can still grow and will grow if you are
faithful in attendance. Even if the worship style is not the style you
prefer whether traditional or contemporary or a blend, you can and will grow
if you are faithful in attendance. Why? Because God is in the midst of the
church (Matthew 18:20) when those who make up the church assembles together.
Also because those who are the church stir up each other unto love and good
works.

You will never really grow as a child of God until you commit yourself to
regular faithful church attendance. Not a partial commitment to part of the
church program but a full commitment. Refocus your life - commit yourself
today to faithful and regular church attendance.

Copyright © 2005. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. On June 8, 1998 the email
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