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 “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”[ Hebrews 10:25 NIV ] I recall a story about a pastor that paid a visit to one of his parishioners who had stopped attending church. The parishioner was a rancher that lived alone on the edge of town. He had been a widower for nearly five years. Before his wife passed away they had nurtued three children in the atmosphere of a christian home. Church attendance and involvement was steady. With the nest now empty, the children now raising their own and the mrs. departed; even though still actively working. The old rancher gradually lost interest in church attending. Finally attendance slowed to a full stop altogether, which caught the attention of the young pastor. After several failed attempts to contact the rancher by phone the pastor decided to pay the rancher a surprise visit. It was a cold late Saturday afternoon with wind destroying golden piles of raked leaves across lawns that lined the thoroughfare heading out of town. Turning into the driveway that led to the rancher’s home, the pastor observed evidence of a fresh log on the fireplace with its bluish gray smoke being blown at right angles out of the chimney. Robins searching for entrees in the front yard fluttered to the other side as the pastor pulled his car up to the house. A knock on the front door produced a shuffling of slippered feet that became silent as the front door was unlocked and opened slowly. A rush of warm air greeted the pastor’s face along with the aroma of chestnuts roasting andthe sound of seasoned oak crackling on a hearth. There was a moment of silence as the old man assessed the situation. With the same silence and hand motion, the pastor was invited in. Both men made their way silently to the front room where the only light came from the fireplace. Two rocking chairs were outlined by a glow, with one bearing the evidence of resent occupation. The two men displayed quite a contrast in ages as they sat silently gazing at logs in different stages of inferno. Silence was broken by the sound of the pastor reaching for a set of tongs, carefully plucking a large glowing ember from the fire and placing it by itself away from the fire, both men staired at the solitary ember till all that remained was black charcoal. A voice in a low guttural tone directed toward the pastor crackled... “I get your point, I’ll be in church tomorrow”! Before the end of the first century, the early church was in jeopardy from lack of attendance.[ Hebrews 19:25 ] For one reason or another first century Christians began to neglect the assembly. Which is one of the first signs of apostasy. The apostle Paul uses the analogy of human anatomy to create mental images of the importance of unity in the body of Christ.[ 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 ] It is this unity that keeps the fire glowing for all the world to see. The brighter the glow the more attraction and expansion will take place.[ Matthew 5:16 ] Church attendance and involvement are vital to keep the fire burning. Faithful attendance encourages the pastor. Dedicated involvement will set an example for others. Just as fire needs three elements for ignition, in the same way the church needs faithful attendance for combustable material, Holy Spirit inspired involvement for oxygen and a supported pastor to create the spark. And just as the elimination of just one of the key elements of ingnition will extinguish a fire, so the elimination of a key element of the church will cause its light to go out.[ Revelation 2:5 ] Involvement in the church should be the result of a personal right relationship with the head of the church.[ Colossians 1:18 ] When Jesus stayed at the house of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, a pivotal truth was manifested in our relationship to our Lord as recorded only by the physician Luke.[ Luke 10:38-42 ] Much emphases today is placed on religious activity being the marked evidence of Christianity. Jesus pointed out that there would be many standing before the great throne of judgement, boasting to God about all they did in His name.[ Matthew 7:21-23 ] But, Jesus said that only in Him would we be able to bear fruit acceptable in God’s eyes.[ John 15:1-17 ] When the hard drive of our life is reset by the regenerating power of God’s word and renewed by the Holy Spirit, [ Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:23 ]everything will spring forth from that motivation without us even taking notice of it. The stars shine, birds fly, cats purr, trees provide oxygen for all to breath according to the Master plan without self-notice. The Master planner reached down into our world through His Son to restore our lost identity with Him. That is why there can be no solitary embers. Collectively when our center of focus is on Jesus Christ, our light will so shine before humanity that they will see our good works that will point toward Him who brings us into the right relationship with our Heavenly Father. Then paradise will be restored. If you are seeking hope for a new life, it all begins with Jesus. Begin Here! Christian Priorities of Life
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