Don’t Give Up Fellowshipping
March 7
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing…
Hebrews 10:25
Bruce and Jean hadn’t been to church in over a year. Instead, they watched televangelists on Sunday morning. Their reasoning? They couldn’t find a church in which they felt comfortable. They had broken off all spiritual connections with anyone outside their family. The past year had seen a loss of spiritual insight and an increase in spiritual skepticism; especially where their extended family and friends were concerned.
Family members had encouraged them to return to their former church or find a new one, lovingly citing a need for all of God’s children to fellowship with one-another in order to maintain a healthy spiritual perspective.
But Bruce and Jean had discarded their family’s good intentions, claiming nobody understood! They had no intention of discussing the matter, or considering there was anything wrong with their relationship with God. Hence, it escaped their notice that they had become closed-minded in their assessment of all spiritual matters, judiciously applying or discarding each TV message to suit their own needs.
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When we isolate, when we are not exposed to a corporate revelation of God through church fellowship and its relational benefits, we begin to filter everything through our own personal spiritual ideology, thus becoming closed-minded and growth-stunted.
Serious spiritual and physical consequences are just over the horizon when we isolate ourselves spiritually. Satan sets us up by reiterating that we don’t need anyone but ourselves. The ensuing tunnel-vision causes us to shrivel on the vine. We fail to consider that God would use someone else’s walk to help shape our own, creating a false sense of superior understanding. First we think, and eventually believe, God speaks to me differently than He does anyone else! I have a special relationship with God!
We are not meant to stand alone. God, through Paul, calls us to persevere in the faith by encouragement through fellowship. If you aren’t in a church fellowship, God suggests you find one and attend regularly.
Prayer
“Help me understand the importance of meeting with other Christians, Lord, so I never isolate myself spiritually. And teach me to listen for Your voice when they speak. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
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