BBD 01.13.14 Refocus - Church (Classic)

#1 · January 13, 2014, 12:52 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on January 13, 2014, 12:52 pm
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

The
Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating
15 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush
Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000
subscribers across the world.

You can
leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

There is
a translation tool on theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of
all of the pages.

Prayer Warriors
Wanted! Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998.
Send prayer requests and receive prayer requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

The Burning Bush Devotional

14,000 Subscribers
to the Email Devotional

Classic from 2005

01.13.14

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 NKJV.

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

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 really to grow as a Christian when I made a commitment to be in
church for every service including Sunday School, Discipleship Training, and
the Wednesday night service.

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 © 2005-2014. Ed Wrather.
The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8,
1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed
Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of these
first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to
prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
You can make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn
profile with endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Many prayer
needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You
can also post your prayer requests there (Of course, I am always in need of
prayer - please pray for me.).

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends.
They may subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the burningbushdevo
devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may
subscribe to the html text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is
only being sent now in html format) by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the
confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

--

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org

Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net

http://www.theburningbush.org

The
Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating
15 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush
Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000
subscribers across the world.

You can
leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

There is
a translation tool on theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of
all of the pages.

Prayer Warriors
Wanted! Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998.
Send prayer requests and receive prayer requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

The Burning Bush Devotional

14,000 Subscribers
to the Email Devotional

Classic from 2005

01.13.14

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 NKJV.

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

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 really to grow as a Christian when I made a commitment to be in
church for every service including Sunday School, Discipleship Training, and
the Wednesday night service.

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 © 2005-2014. Ed Wrather.
The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8,
1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed
Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of these
first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to
prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
You can make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn
profile with endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Many prayer
needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You
can also post your prayer requests there (Of course, I am always in need of
prayer - please pray for me.).

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends.
They may subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the burningbushdevo
devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may
subscribe to the html text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is
only being sent now in html format) by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the
confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org