Habitations of Good Ground--Day 54 Through the Bible

                                   Mt. Celo Church is one of many churches in Yancey County.
                                             We are admonished by God in Hebrews 10:25,
                                          not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together.

February 23

(If you have never studied the subject of "the scapegoat" (Azazel in Hebrew), which is in our daily Bible reading in Leviticus 16, I would encourage you to do so. There are several good articles online--just make sure it is a reputable source.)

In Psalm 26:12, we read "My foot stands in an even place; in the congregations I will bless the Lord".
I recently came across a statistic which said 79% of people in North Carolina are not associated with a church. In one of the "Life Lessons" in today's devotion, Dr. Stanley says some believers think they don't need to go to church, that they are fine on their own. He goes on to say, "But the Bible never endorses such a spirit. It always pictures believers coming together for worship and mutual encouragement".

As believers, we are members of the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:27). The local church gives us the opportunity to meet with other believers and to be part of a church family. We are baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit(I Corinthians 12:13). The book of Acts records the history of the first church which was an organized body of believers. As believers, we can hopefully and prayerfully--find a church we would like to be a part of. There are certainly many congregations to choose from. The more we learn about God the better equipped we will be to choose a church that will help meet our needs.

A few years ago, I considered just staying home because I was not happy with the church I was attending. During that time, I almost convinced myself that I could study the Bible on my own and that I didn't need to go to church. However, I loved the people in the congregation and I was providing a service for them that would be missed if I were no longer there. One scripture kept coming to mind: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:25). I could not get past this verse, so I stayed. I also decided to pray fervently for our church. And now, many prayers later and on the other side of this decision, I realize I did the right thing. I would have missed out on a blessing from God and would not have been in His will had I forsaken the "assembling of ourselves together".

Meeting together each week with other believers to worship God and to work together to accomplish His work and glorify His name in the community is indeed a blessing. There is no "perfect" church and all churches and pastors need prayer, as well as the members of the congregation. So if we are looking for the perfect church, we are going to be disappointed--we are not going to find it. However, we can find a church where we can be spiritually fed and "equipped for the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-13). Regardless of the what we find to criticize in a congregation, we can focus on prayer instead of finding fault. Prayer is no doubt one of the greatest--if not the greatest  need in a congregation. The pastor needs prayer, each ministry needs our prayers, and every member of the congregation needs prayer.

Back in Ephesians 4, verse 13 goes on to say, "Until we all come into the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ". We have an opportunity to help others reach their full potential. We can be part of a congregation that helps cultivate the "good ground" Jesus refers to in Mark 4. I am very thankful for every "God breathed" word of the Bible. God says His word will not return to Him empty (Isaiah 55:11). Rather, "but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it". Having experienced this first-hand I can say from my heart, "Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells (Psalm 26:8). God does not dwell in a building made by hands (Acts 7:48), but His Holy Spirit dwells in His people (John 14:17). I hope you will make it a point to be found in church somewhere this week worshiping God and enjoying the fellowship of other believers.