Good morning everyone,

Hebrews 10:24-25-And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

One of the greatest lessons and encouragements that I had to come to learn about being a Christian, is that much of my growth has not come from isolated bible reading and prayer.  Though those things are great and essential “means” to growing into a deeper relationship with Christ.  But genuine fellowship amongst other believers I believe has been just as important and essential to growing to know Christ deeper in my life.  The reason being is because God has ordained love to be the highest virtue in the Christian life.  So obviously for love to be seen it must come in contact with other people.  This is why God warns us not to neglect meeting together, because we draw encouragement from other people’s love when we meet together.

This is why a personal devotional life must become a priority in our daily lives.  The main reason is if you are not getting with God to receive His encouragement from His unconditional love, than you will not be able to genuinely give it to others.  This is why you meet Christians who struggle to encourage other people.  Genuine encouragement comes from a heart “spilling over” from God’s encouragement in our own lives.  This is why God never intended His church or small groups to be the place where you “get fed”.  They are places to be encouraged in faith by what God maybe speaking to you throughout the week.  So when people come to church and are not “feeding” from Christ as the “Bread of Life” all week, they find little encouragement to give to others when they do gather.  Thus creating isolated pockets of cliches and families who are “discouraged” but happen to choose the same place to worship.

But I believe what God wants to do through all Christ-centered churces is to see their place of gathering, as a place they go and get encouraged in the fight of faith.  Each believer has some kind of personal fight.  So when we individually are before God and able to be transparent with Him (because He already knows), so much so that we are not ashamed of our struggles, because His approval is what matters.  We then can share (as much as we are comfortable with) those struggles.  This creates “depth” and intimacy in fellowship/relationships. (ie. repenting daily of sins with Christ, spouse, family, friends).  As opposed to gathering with people, but never really “together” with them, because we have isolated ourselves believing our issue(s) are ours alone.  Gathering is only worthwhile when the atomosphere is encouraging.  So even if you are severly discouraged, isolating yourself in anyway (heart, mind, or physically not gathering) leaves you alone to fight.  When I find myself in that place, I pray for God’s help and He usually does that through urging me to gather with others who are encouraged.

In His Love, Ld