Many might consider it blasphemy, but I don't believe that you have to be in church every time the doors are open. I believe our work for the Lord should take us outside of those doors more often. Do we need to "assemble ourselves together"? Yes. how often we do that is between the individual and God, in my opinion.
Men have made lots of rules about how we serve God and how we show our faithfulness to Him. Most of them are just that... manmade rules. Nothing more, nothing less. Serving God is about loving Him and loving His people - all of His people, not just church members. If our only service to God is in the church house, we've missed the point, in my opinion.
What is the church? A body of believers... all believers not just the ones in the building where we attend Sunday service. I'm not Baptist, although I have attended a Baptist church for the past 30 years. I'm not Methodist, although I grew up attending a Methodist church. I am first and foremost Christian. Meaning that I believe Jesus died and arose for my sin, I asked him to save my soul, and He did.
Jesus came to save a lost and dying world from the grip of sin. He didn't seek out the "church" people. He spent a lot of time with sinners and tax collectors. He called fishermen to be his disciples. The "church" people of his day rejected him and ultimately aided God's plan by arresting him and having him crucified.
In my own understanding of the scripture, we are to be Christ's hands and feet in this world. Helping those in need. Reaching the lost. We can't do that if we're in the church all the time... because the lost aren't usually in the church (sometimes they are... but the majority are not). So how do we reach people in this crazy world?
Be Polite. Let your love and light shine. Keep your dirty laundry off Facebook and Social Media. The world needs to see authentic Christians living their lives and serving Christ. There's enough blaming, flaming, and accusing already. The "church" shouldn't add to it.
I've been blessed to fellowship with some truly authentic Christians who let their let shine even in the darkest circumstances. I couldn't begin to name them all and I won't (they don't do what they do for people to give them recognition anyway).
The opinions in this blog are my own. If you don't agree, that is your right. I won't argue with you about the opinions here. My blog is my way of letting out the things on my mind. I actually started this post pre-pandemic. I try to write my blogs and let them "simmer" a bit before posting. This one would have boiled away and scorched the pot it sat so long. That's how it goes.
Until the next time I write, sign me
- Loved
