I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." (Ps. 122 ) (HCSB)
Better a day in Your courts than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather be at the door of the house of my God than to live in the tents of the wicked. (Ps. 84:10) (HCSB)
Do you find yourself not wanting to go to church? Is there always some reason why you can't make it on Sunday morning? How about Sunday night? Wednesday night? Sunday School? Do you feel like you don't need to worship and fellowship with other believers? If so, you might want to check your spiritual thermometer to see if you're sick. Because that's not the way a true saved person should feel.
Now I know that all of us from time to time can think of other things that we might rather do on Sunday morning; for me it's wanting to stay in the bed because I'm not an early-riser like some of you folks out there. Some of us have jobs that cause us to miss church at times. But if you're routinely not going to church for just any old reason, then you just may have a real problem. In fact, you may want to examine yourself to see if you've really been saved. Because when your sins have been forgiven and washed away, when you've been saved from an eternity in hell without God, when your life has been truly changed by the Lord, then you should have an inner longing to attend corporate worship services and to fellowship with the people of God. You should have a longing, a thirst for worshiping the Lord like the psalmist describes in (Psalm 42:1-2)---As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God? (HCSB)---and like this passage from (Isaiah 26:8-9)---Yes, Lord, we wait for You in the path of Your judgments. Our desire is for Your name and renown. I long for You in the night; yes, my spirit within me diligently seeks You, for when Your judgments are in the land, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. (HCSB)
So if you don't have any desire to go to church and to worship with other believers on a regular basis, you need to examine your spiritual life. Search your heart prayerfully and ask yourself some questions. Are you certain that you've been saved? Are you saved, but maybe you don't have a close relationship with the Lord any longer? If so, then you know it's not God who's gotten out of touch with you; it's YOU. Pray for forgiveness and make a renewed commitment to God and the things of the Lord. Ask God for His help and a refreshed and renewed longing for Him and for His presence. Get back into His Word, and make a fresh start at a close relationship and fellowship with Him. You'll be glad that you did! And I'll see you in church at the next worship service, and the one after that!
Joey
Better a day in Your courts than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather be at the door of the house of my God than to live in the tents of the wicked. (Ps. 84:10) (HCSB)
Do you find yourself not wanting to go to church? Is there always some reason why you can't make it on Sunday morning? How about Sunday night? Wednesday night? Sunday School? Do you feel like you don't need to worship and fellowship with other believers? If so, you might want to check your spiritual thermometer to see if you're sick. Because that's not the way a true saved person should feel.
Now I know that all of us from time to time can think of other things that we might rather do on Sunday morning; for me it's wanting to stay in the bed because I'm not an early-riser like some of you folks out there. Some of us have jobs that cause us to miss church at times. But if you're routinely not going to church for just any old reason, then you just may have a real problem. In fact, you may want to examine yourself to see if you've really been saved. Because when your sins have been forgiven and washed away, when you've been saved from an eternity in hell without God, when your life has been truly changed by the Lord, then you should have an inner longing to attend corporate worship services and to fellowship with the people of God. You should have a longing, a thirst for worshiping the Lord like the psalmist describes in (Psalm 42:1-2)---As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God? (HCSB)---and like this passage from (Isaiah 26:8-9)---Yes, Lord, we wait for You in the path of Your judgments. Our desire is for Your name and renown. I long for You in the night; yes, my spirit within me diligently seeks You, for when Your judgments are in the land, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. (HCSB)
So if you don't have any desire to go to church and to worship with other believers on a regular basis, you need to examine your spiritual life. Search your heart prayerfully and ask yourself some questions. Are you certain that you've been saved? Are you saved, but maybe you don't have a close relationship with the Lord any longer? If so, then you know it's not God who's gotten out of touch with you; it's YOU. Pray for forgiveness and make a renewed commitment to God and the things of the Lord. Ask God for His help and a refreshed and renewed longing for Him and for His presence. Get back into His Word, and make a fresh start at a close relationship and fellowship with Him. You'll be glad that you did! And I'll see you in church at the next worship service, and the one after that!
Joey