Pastor Joy
HCC Family! If you joined us for The Bible Recap, our one year bible reading plan, that means you are working on day 20 today! Congratulations! You are doing a great job! My prayer is for you to experience God's word like never before, to learn more and more who God is, and to see the word of God come alive every day!
And now for your weekly devotional...
Why do I have to go to church?
Let's look together at the incredible ways the Lord moves when we gather as one body of believers! In the book of Acts we see incredible movements of God when all believers are meeting together in one place. We see in the first few chapters of Acts how the church was established, given the gift of the Holy Spirit, believers become empowered, they grow in their faith, ever increasing in boldness to share the gospel message! The Lord comes in the midst of people who gather to worship him. Although Jesus lives in the heart of every believer, whenever two or more people gather specifically for prayer, worship, or praise in his name, the Lord's presence will be especially felt. In a gathering dedicated to the Lord, Christ is able to touch the hearts of the people in a way that he may not at any other time. Matthew 18:19-20, Jesus promises: "I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them."
So, we can see that God moves mightily when we gather together!
A second point for believers to come together for church is that there is safety in numbers!
We've all heard that phrase, saying it to our kids and loved ones when going to unfamiliar places. This applies here as well. Peter speaks to God's people driven out of Jerusalem, wanting them to learn to shepherd one another through their suffering and to care for one another. 1 Peter 5:8, "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." The devil will come and try to pick off the outlying people. The loner, the ones not surrounded by the group. When you are at your weakest, the safest place is in the center of God's people that can surround you with love, prayer, and protection. When we are with believers we are fortified, strengthened, edified. We have more resources to withstand attacks when they come.
HCC family, the church is about worship, praise, community building, learning, growth, accountability, guidance, serving others, and obedience to God. Our primary purpose of corporate gathering will always be to bring "service" to God as a blessing to him because the Lord deserves to be honored with service and devotion. Thank you Lord for the church!