If you have run into a wall in your Christian life, I would like to encourage you by sharing three things that can break the log jam. The first of the three is faithfulness and it will be my focus today.
Faithfulness. Faithfulness is extremely important to success as a Christian. A key aspect of faithfulness is church attendance. Church should be a place that encourages you strongly. In church you will make friends, hear and participate in uplifting hymns, hear and participate in prayers, and very importantly, hear faith building sermons from your pastor. A beginning step is to plan your week around the church service you wish to attend. There are 6 days in which to do all of the other things of life. Set aside time for your spiritual health. Period. Only extreme emergencies should interfere. Let your friends and family know nicely and respectfully when you attend church. It may take a while for them to reorient to your new schedule, but eventually they will understand that church attendance is a sacred time to you. When they see the difference faithfulness to church makes in your life, they will understand.
If you currently have to work during church time begin to pray for a new schedule or a new job. I want to make a bold statement. God will hear and answer that prayer. If you are a transportation worker I can relate. My job, from which I am now retired, not only required travel our business carried on 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, literally. I also had to bid monthly schedules that were based on seniority. It took a while and I had to sacrifice some quality of life issues, but over time I succeeded in bidding trips that got me home in time for church. If you are an in-town worker such as a nurse, police officer, fire fighter, etc., you may not be able to be able to attend your most desired church service, but you can likely make another service that week. Establish your priorities. Make it happen.
In closing, an indisputable fact is that one characteristic of strong effective Christians is their faithfulness to church. (There are literally dozens of reasons this is true, but a discussion of even a few would take a lot of time and my goal is to keep this short.) Remember, fundamentally we want to be Christ like. As you read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), note where Jesus was on the sabbath if the passage mentions the day of the week. An example is Matt. 12:9-14. Also note that the writer of Hebrews in chapter 10 verses 22-25 encourages us in our faith, finishing with the advice to not forsake to assemble together. Finally, let us remember Rev. Billy Graham's closing remark to the gathered multitude at most if not all of his crusades, "Go to church on Sunday."
Your friend,
Bro. Jerry
[Your comments to me concerning this blog are welcome. In addition to the contact us message space on the home page you can contact me through email at apcofarizona@protonmail.com or text at 928-522-4292. If you cannot attend church locally please join us virtually on Saturday evenings via the Zoom link found on the services page.
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All scripture quotations are from the New King James Bible. If re-posting also include credit to All Peoples Church of Arizona and its web site apcofaz.org.
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