Hello brothers & sisters in Christ.
I feel to address emails that are circulating from well-meaning Christians during this corona virus concerning church attendance and the gathering together quoting the Scripture from Hebrews 10:25… “forsake not the assembling of yourselves together.”
I realise that churches have now been ordered to close, so I am addressing more about the many familiar Scriptures that are quoted out of context and I have to admit to it being something I dislike intensely because of the discouragement, disappointment, and confusion (even backslidings) it has caused when a certain Scripture didn’t hold up, merely because it was quoted out of context.
The Scripture being circulated at this time is another being quoted out of context, making those who chose or choose not to ‘gather together’ feel guilty or that they had no faith! But the Scripture being quoted is quoting only HALF of it… “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as is the habit of some.” The author of Hebrews was speaking to those who weren’t bothering to fellowship at all, even telling them it had become a ‘habit’ – a way of life! The latter part of the Scripture shows it wasn’t being said to those who never forsake fellowship!
It may be, that even now, some do have the faith or the natural courage to still gather together. But… “With humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves. Do not merely look out for your own interest but also for the interest of others“ (Philippians 2:3,4). Someone could be a carrier and harm others.
In one of my books I have written about the all familiar Scriptures that are constantly quoted out of context and passed from one to another and how new Christians especially have been mislead by them. I wrote about this because of the emails I receive via my Christian Agony Aunt as well as the people I meet questioning a certain Scripture which has merely been quoted out of context.
In these times of isolation, we will all have no option than to learn how to ‘walk alone with God’ and in one of my books I tell of when I was suddenly and completely detached from ALL Christian contact whatsoever in every shape or form, without all the wonderful spiritual aids we are blessed with today, I was forced to learn how to ‘walk alone with the Lord’ with my one and only possession – my Bible, and the Lord graciously taught me how to. It was a lonely, long, and painful process, and even though I’d followed the Lord since I was twelve-years-of age serving Him with all of my heart, I felt like a toddler learning how to walk! I fell, I stumbled, I cried – a lot! No-matter how much a parent loves their child, ‘walking alone’ is something the child has to learn to do all by itself and they will fall down and hurt themselves time and again before that ‘something’ suddenly ‘clicks’ and he’s ‘got it’ and can walk all alone without mom or dad’s help!
I knew at the time, no matter how tough it was, that the Lord was teaching me the best lesson I could ever learn in my Christian life: that if ever the time came for me to have to ‘walk all alone with Him’ again that I would know how, and that time has now arrived! So at this time I am staying indoors with Him! (not because I’m afraid to die, just the opposite, but because our NHS will have enough to cope with needing the beds for others).
Happy walking with Him indoors!
God bless you all.
Love in Christ.
Christine.
My latest book: The Skinny Soul.
How FAT is your soul? The Bible actually speaks about having a FAT soul!
Keep your soul FAT and healthy!
By the time you have finished reading The Skinny Soul you will know the size, wealth, and health of the most precious possession you have!
My books: click Heading at top of page: ‘Christine’s books’
My Christian Agony Aunt: Click Heading at top of page: Christian Agony Aunt
