CHURCH BUILDING DESTROYED BUT NOT THE CHURCH FAMILY

The photos above were taken during the morning worship service at Cateel Southern Baptist Church. This open structure that you see in this photo is sitting in the spot where the church building used to set before a typhoon called Pablo came through and destroyed it. 

The red platform where Pastor Juanillo, Darlene, Sue and Richard are standing is where the pulpit used to be. This platform is all that is left from the church building before the storm. Even though there is a constant reminder all around them of what used to be, there is also a constant reminder of what always will be... the love and power of Jesus Christ.

To hear their testimonies before the service that morning, you would hear how grateful that they are to God for saving their lives and giving them this chance to rebuild and reach more people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

During our stay in Davao Oriental, we got to see a video that showed how Cateel looked before Pablo came through and what it looked like immediately after the storm. Tears filled our eyes as we saw the massive damage to the houses, trees, bridges and the little towns.

The economy in the Philippines is so much lower than ours. One US dollar of ours is currently worth 44 Filipino pesos. That is why we ask for financial donations to use over there instead of trying to pack supplies and take them with us. Our money has so much buying power over there and we are able to help many more people. 

So one of the reasons that we are going back is to preach the gospel and help churches re-establish themselves by teaching them topics such as expositional preaching, biblical church membership, evangelism and much more.

So this year we are excited to announce that we have an account set up with "gofundme.com". You can donate online by going to my "gofundme" page. Your gift of any amount will help our team minister to new areas in the Philippines. Also please pray for us as we plan for the possibility of two trips in 2015. The first one will be for training pastors and preaching revivals. The second trip will also be training pastors and preaching revivals plus medical camps to help those in great need. So thank you in advance for your love and support.

HOW TO BECOME A GIVER

In the last several years, I have been blessed to work with giving people... people who set a great example in front of me. People who have been showing me how to be more giving. Based upon what the Bible says and what I have seen in these generous people, here are some steps you can take to become a more giving person.

1. SUBMIT YOURSELF AND ALL THAT YOU "OWN" TO GOD. 

• Matthew 22:37 (ESV)  And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 
• If you love God with all of your heart, all of your soul and with all of your mind, then you are not focusing on yourself, you are focusing on God. 
• If you are focusing on God, then you will recognize His authority over your life as well as the fact that He is the One who has blessed you.

2. STUDY GOD'S WORD AND OBEY WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT GIVING. 

• 2 Corinthians 9:6 (ESV)  The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 
• If you are holding your money with a tight fist, it is true that it is harder for any to get out but it is also harder for any more to get in. This principle is taught in the last phrase of this next verse as well.
• Luke 6:38 (ESV)  give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” 

3. RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT GOD HAS BEEN TAKING CARE OF YOU.

• Matthew 6:31 (ESV)  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 
• God knows what you need and He will take care of you if you put your trust and faith in Him. 
• The answer in all of this is in verse 33... "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness". If you will focus on serving Him, He will take care of you.

4. SYSTEMATICALLY DECIDE WHAT TO GIVE.

• 2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESV)  Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 
• "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart" means that you have planned out what to give instead of waiting until you get to church and seeing what is in your wallet that you can let go of.
• The ultimate goal is to not only give the 10% of your income each time you get paid but to give above and beyond that amount because the tenth belongs to God already. 
• Malachi 3:8 (ESV)  Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 

5. SET ASIDE WHAT YOU ARE TO GIVE BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE.

• 1 Corinthians 16:2 (ESV)  On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 
• Paul told the church to give based upon how they prospered. As your income fluctuates, your giving will as well if you are giving a percentage each week instead of a set amount. For example, if you give a set amount like $20 each week but your paycheck ranges anywhere from $200 a week to $400 a week, then you are holding back on God and your church.
• In the Old Testament, there is a principle called "first fruits" which means that you give God what is His first before you do anything else. That is how we should handle our finances. Whatever comes in, we should determine how much we are to give to God through our local church and then pay our bills and make our purchases.
• Exodus 23:19 (KJV)  The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk. 

6. SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE SO THAT YOU CAN BE MORE GENEROUS.

• Luke 12:16 (ESV)  And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17  and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18  And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19  And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20  But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21  So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” 
• This man was truly blessed with a bountiful harvest but instead of trying to use it as way to help others in need, he focused on himself and how he could benefit from it all.
• Notice the fact that God called him a fool because he laid "up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."
• It is not wrong to have stuff, just make sure that your stuff doesn't have you.

I want to close this post with a great illustration for us to follow...

• Jonathan Edwards, the seventeenth-century theologian and pastor, set an excellent example when it came to his salary. At the beginning of his career, Edwards determined how much money he would need to live reasonably on. This sum covered his necessities and comforts. At the end of his life, having become very successful, Edwards continued to live on the determined sum from his early years as a pastor. It was not his standard of living that increased, but his standard of giving.
• Randy Alcorn says "God doesn't prosper us to increase our living standard, but to increase our giving standard."

WILL YOU ACCEPT THIS CHALLENGE?

As we get older, we see things differently than we used to, don't we? We start realizing the changes in our thoughts and in our wants. Often times the things that seemed so important before are not that important any more and some things that we took for granted before mean so much to us now.

In this post, I want to talk to you about money. In an article in Christianity Today, Dave Ramsey said "The statistics of pain are getting worse every year," Ramsey told Christianity Today. "We have more people getting behind on credit cards, more people filing bankruptcy, more people in foreclosure right now than we've ever had in this nation." Some other comments that show how serious this is would "American consumers are simultaneously earning record income while accumulating record debt." and "The median U.S. home price surged $22,500 last year to $206,600, and some Americans borrowed to the hilt on that increased equity simply to spend extra money on a big-screen television or dream vacation." Plus there is Dave's famous line ""A whole bunch of us got all this stuff we really didn't want with money we really didn't have to impress people we really didn't like," which really makes you think, doesn't it?

See if any of this sounds familiar?

• You are sitting in a restaurant looking at your bill and notice that your drink costs almost as much as your meal. 
• You are going into a store with the intentions of buying a couple of items but while you are there, you start looking around and buy a whole cart full of stuff you really don't even need.
• You are filling your car up with gas but instead of paying at the pump, you decide to pay inside... which leads you to buying a drink and snack that you weren't planning on buying.
• You buy something with your credit card with the plans of paying it off at the end of the month but then decide to use that money for something else.

WILL YOU ACCEPT THIS CHALLENGE?

For the next 30 days, pay very close attention to where your money is going. Track every penny. Each day, write down how much you spent and what you spent it on. Then put that purchase in a category like "FOOD", "FUEL", "CLOTHING", "ENTERTAINMENT", etc.

Here is why I challenge you to this task. Many Christians are not giving to their churches like they should and one of the reasons that they don't is they don't think they can afford to give to their church. But if you accept this challenge, you may notice that you are spending a great of money on things that you could easily spend less on. 

If you want to be obedient to God, your giving to the church must be done properly. In an article entitled "What If The Church Tithed?", you will find these two statements:

• Tithers make up only 10-25 percent of a normal congregation. 
• Only 5 percent of the U.S. tithes, with 80 percent of Americans only giving 2 percent of their income. 

If these statements are true, then only one person out of every four is a tither so the other three are either not giving as much as they should or not giving at all. If only 5% of Americans are tithing, is it any wonder why our nation is in the shape that it is in? As as nation, we are robbing God.

Malachi 3:8 (ESV)  Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9  You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10  Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 

As part of this challenge, ask yourself this question too. "Where am I losing my money each month?" For example, total up the amount of interest you are paying on your credit cards each month. That's money you are just throwing away every day. Doesn't that make you sick? Or how about these questions...

• Why do we spend $1.50 buying a 20 oz. soft drink at the store when we can buy 2-liter soft drink for the same price?
• When we eat out, why do we have to spend extra money buying a bigger meal that we know we can't eat all of it?
• Why do we waste so much food? Do you cook a big meal, put leftovers in the fridge only to throw them away in a couple of days?
• Why do we have gym memberships if we are not going? One article I read said that only 18% of the people who joined a gym use their membership on a regular basis.

I believe if you accept this challenge, you will find plenty of ways to adapt your spending so that you can begin tithing to your church. Don't rob God any more. Be a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:6 (ESV)  The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7  Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 

CONSUMERISM IN OUR CHURCHES AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH?

This week I watched an interview with Ed Stetzer and Dr. James Emery White about the decline of the church. During this video which you can see here, Jim White describes some of the statements used by people in our churches who have forgotten that the church is all about Jesus Christ and not about us. 

Here are some of statements that he references...

• "I need to go where I am fed" as opposed to learning to feed yourselves and then feeding others.
• "I need to go where I'm am ministered to" as if that's the goal of the church as opposed to you being a minister to others.
• "I didn't get anything of today's service" instead of "What did God get out of today's service?"

When will we realize how short time is and how important it is to be faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ? Because their focus is on themselves. But what did Jesus say was needed in order to be one of His followers? Luke 9:23 (ESV)  And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 

So this Sunday, instead of thinking about what you want, what if you asked yourself "What does God want from me today?" When you discover the answer to that question, I hope that you will follow through with what He shows you. 

 

YOU CAN'T OBEY THE "ONE ANOTHER'S" IF YOU ARE NOT WITH ONE ANOTHER

Just as the Bible said would happen, many people are pulling away from our churches today in search of entertainment and pleasures instead of gathering together each week to worship together as shown in Hebrews 10:25.

Our son, Blake, and Kasie just got married a few weeks ago. Kasie did a great job selecting her dress and deciding how she wanted her hair done and such. As her dad, Timmy Snellen, walked her down the aisle, you could sense the admiration of our guests as they watched them take each step. And I am sure that Blake was watching her with great pride and excitement as she approached him. At that moment, even though there were lots of people there, all that he saw was his bride. After the final prayer and announcing them as husband and wife, I hesitated before saying "Blake, you may kiss your bride." You should have seen his expression... he looked at me and grinned as if to say "Well, can I kiss her now?"

Just as Blake and Kasie were showing their love for each other, the Bible says that marriage shows what the relationship is between Jesus and the church. Ephesians 5:32 (ESV)  This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. The church, which is made up of all truly born-again followers of Jesus, is the bride of Christ. We are the bride of Christ. Look what God's Word says earlier in that chapter. Ephesians 5:27 (ESV)  so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. How can we be found that way if we are neglecting the church? 

This is why these next statements are so important. The Bible gives us several commands including the words "one another" or "to each other" that we must obey. So in order to be found "without spot or wrinkle or any such thing", here we go...

“ONE ANOTHER” COMMANDS

1. Be at peace with one another (Mk 9:50)

Mark 9:50 (ESV)  Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

2. Love one another (Jn 13:34)

John 13:34 (ESV)  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

3. Be joined to one another (Ro 12:5)

Romans 12:5 (ESV)  so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

4. Be devoted to one another (Ro 12:10)

Romans 12:10 (ESV)  Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

5. Honor one another (Ro 12:10)

Romans 12:10 (ESV)  Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

6. Rejoice with one another (Ro 12:15)

Romans 12:15 (ESV)  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

7. Weep with one another (Ro 12:15)

Romans 12:15 (ESV)  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

8. Live in harmony with one another (Ro 12:16)

Romans 12:16 (ESV)  Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

9. Accept one another (Ro 15:7)

Romans 15:7 (ESV)  Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

10. Counsel one another (Ro 15:14)

Romans 15:14 (ESV)  I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 

11. Greet one another (Ro 16:16)

Romans 16:16 (ESV)  Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

12. Agree with each other (1 Co 1:10)

1 Corinthians 1:10 (ESV)  I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

13. Wait for one another (1 Co 11:33)

1 Corinthians 11:33 (ESV)  So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another—

14. Care for one another (1 Co 12:25)

1 Corinthians 12:25 (ESV)  that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

15. Serve one another (Gal 5:13)

Galatians 5:13 (ESV)  For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

16. Carry one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2)

Galatians 6:2 (ESV)  Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

17. Be kind to one another (Eph 4:32)

Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

18. Forgive one another (Eph 4:32)

Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

19. Submit to one another (Eph 5:21)

Ephesians 5:21 (ESV)  submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

20. Bear with one another (Col 3:13)

Colossians 3:13 (ESV)  bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

21. Teach, admonish each other (Col 3:16)

Colossians 3:16 (ESV)  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

22. Encourage one another (1 Th 5:11)

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV)  Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

23. Build up one another (1 Th 5:11)

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV)  Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

24. Spur one another on (Heb 10:24)

Hebrews 10:24 (ESV)  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

25. Offer hospitality to one another (1 Pe 4:9)

1 Peter 4:9 (ESV)  Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

26. Minister gifts to one another (1 Pe 4:10)

1 Peter 4:10 (ESV)  As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

27. Be humble toward one another (1 Pe 5:5)

1 Peter 5:5 (ESV)  Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 

28. Confess your sins to one another (Jas 5:16)

James 5:16 (ESV)  Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

29. Pray for one another (Jas 5:16)

James 5:16 (ESV)  Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

30. Fellowship with one another (1 Jn 1:7)

1 John 1:7 (ESV)  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

ARE YOUR EYES 'BAD'?

Are your eyes 'bad'? Have they been seeing things they shouldn't be looking at? So many sins that are listed in the Bible involve seeing something that we shouldn't have seen or seeing it in a way that we shouldn't have seen it. 

For example, King David in 2 Samuel saw something that he shouldn't have seen and when he saw it, he didn't turn away. 2 Samuel 11:2 (ESV)  It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. David saw a woman bathing and the text describes her as 'very beautiful'. This woman was not his wife (yet) but instead of turning away, he began to get curious about her. 

2 Samuel 11:3 (ESV)  And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” Now, not only is his curiosity rising, but he has taken action being driven by his desire. The woman that he was desiring was the wife of one of his loyal soldiers who was out to battle but that didn't stop him. And not only that, but this woman was the granddaughter of one of David's counselors, Ahithophel (2 Samuel 23:34)!

2 Samuel 11:4 (ESV)  So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. David commits adultery with Bathsheba and then she goes home. Other than the ones that he asked about her and the messengers who went to get her, nobody else knows, right? They won't tell anyone, right? Isn't that how we think sometimes? We do something that we know we shouldn't and then we hope that we covered our tracks well? It didn't work out that way for David. The situation got worse...

2 Samuel 11:5 (ESV)  And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.” Bathsheba is pregnant and her husband is away fighting in the king's army... wow, how can you cover that one up? You are right, you can't but David sure tried...

2 Samuel 11:6 (ESV)  So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. David's plan was to bring Uriah home and give him some time off so that he could be with his wife. When Uriah arrives, David tells him, "Go down to your house and wash your feet.” (2 Samuel 11:8) obviously hoping Uriah would spend some time with his wife but he didn't even go home. He slept at the doors of the king's house! When David was told the news, he asked Uriah why he didn't go home and Uriah answered faithfully, “The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.” (2 Samuel 11:11 ESV) 

So then David revised his plan and got Uriah drunk (v.13) but he didn't go home that night either! Now before we go any further, look how far one look of lust has taken David and he's not done with this yet... not even close. His next step is setting Uriah up to be killed in battle and that way, no one would know his secret other than his accomplices. 2 Samuel 11:14 (ESV)  In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15  In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die.” 16  And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men. 17  And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died. Without knowing it, Uriah delivered his own death sentence. Now David was safe, right? Who is going to know?

2 Samuel 11:26 (ESV)  When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband. 27  And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD. Don't miss that last statement. God was not pleased with David at all. A lustful eye has lead David to adultery, deception and murder. All because he didn't look the other way. Guess what? This story isn't over.

God sends a prophet named Nathan to see King David and he tells the king a story about a terrible deed that has happened in the kingdom... a deed so harsh that it makes David furious and he says, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die," (2 Samuel 12:5 ESV). But here's the problem. David didn't know that the situation that Nathan was describing was symbolically pointing to the king. Remember that phrase we read earlier that said that God was displeased with David? David thinks he has covered his tracks and this horrific story that Nathan has just told has to be about someone else, right? But after declaring that whoever had committed that crime deserved to die, Nathan said to David "You are the man! Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. 8  And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. 9  Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10  Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ (2 Samuel 12:7-11 ESV) 

Busted! And not only was David busted, but more bad news was coming... "Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12  For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.” (2 Samuel 12:11-12 ESV) Judgment was coming and coming quickly. David had been caught and there was no way to cover this one up. So what does he do? He admits his sin but he still faces more bad news. 2 Samuel 12:13 (ESV)  David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14  Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child who is born to you shall die.” Perhaps you are wondering, "Why did the child have to die?'. I can't answer that one but I can tell you that God used this situation to create one of the greatest models for prayers of repentance found in the Bible. When you have sinned against God, this is a great model of attitude and approach to help you.

Psalm 51:1 (ESV) Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 

2  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! 

3  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 

4  Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. 

5  Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 

6  Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. 

7  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 

8  Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. 

9  Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 

10  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 

11  Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 

12  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. 

13  Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. 

14  Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. 

15  O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. 

16  For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 

17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 

18  Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; 

19  then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar. 

So please guard your eyes from being 'bad' but when they do see something they shouldn't or see things in way that they shouldn't, look at away and fix your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2).

 

 

DOES IT REALLY MATTER IF YOU "GO TO" CHURCH?

How important is your church attendance? Before you answer, let me clarify that question. I am not asking you how important your church attendance is TO YOU. Instead I am asking how important is your church attendance to God, to your family and to your church family?

The word "church" first appears biblically in Matthew 16:18 (ESV)  And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Jesus is not describing a building made of brick and plaster, He is talking about THE church, the entire body of believers/followers of Jesus Christ. The actual word that Jesus said was not the English word "church" since He was a Jew. He used the word "ekklēsia" which describes "an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting" [Enhanced Strongs' Dictionary]. So the "church" that Jesus is talking about are those who assemble together as followers of Jesus Christ for worship, instruction, edification and instruction.

You will notice that this "church" or assembly is built upon "this rock" but what is that rock? It is the truth that Peter spoke in Matthew 16:16 (ESV)  Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The church is built on the truth that Jesus really is the Christ, the Son of the living God... the one and only God... the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. [As a side note, the word "church" is used properly in describing THE church which is all of the followers of Jesus around the world or the LOCAL church which is the assembly that meets in various local locations.] 

So if you are not actively participating in your local church, you are in essence saying "I don't want to be a part of Your assembly" or "I don't believe that You are the Son of the living God". You may think that this last statement is extreme but think about it. If you are not actively participating in your local church, you are choosing not to be a part of that assembly. And if you choose not to be in that assembly, then do you really believe that Jesus is the Son of the living God because we are commanded throughout scripture to worship together, love one another, teach one another, warn one another and so much more. But how can that be done if your local church never sees you?

For example, read this passage from Hebrews...
Hebrews 10:23 (ESV)  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24  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. 

How can you obey that passage if you are not part of an "us"? How you stir up anyone or be stirred up by anyone to love and good works if you neglect your responsibility to be actively involved in a local church? Does it really matter if you "go to" church? Absolutely.

The second time that the word "church" is used in the Bible is found in Matthew 18:15 (ESV)  “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16  But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 

Not only does the "church" belong to Jesus as shown in Matthew 16:18, but the church has a serious responsibility in this last passage. If person in sin refuses to repent and it has been reported to the church and he still doesn't repent, the church is to consider that person an outsider instead of a member of that church because of his rebellion. That person is choosing to remain in his sin instead of repenting and being forgiven by God.

There are plenty other references of "church" in the New Testament that you should look at such as these...

• Acts 12:5 (ESV)  So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. 
• Acts 14:23 (ESV)  And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 
• Acts 20:28 (ESV)  Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 
• Ephesians 3:10 (ESV)  so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 
• Colossians 1:18 (ESV)  And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 

So does it really matter if you "go to" church? Yes it really does. If you have not been faithfully going to your church, would you please pray right now that God would forgive you and help you understand the importance of actively participating in your local church?

It really matter to God because you are being obedient to Him when you go.

It really matters to your family because they need to see you being obedient to God and growing in your faith.

It really matters to your church family. You need them and they need you.

So once more the answer is "Yes, it really matters if you go to church".