Church is not a building, nor is it a place. It is the assembly of the people of God together with Him. Do you qualify?

14 Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens their heart [against Him] falls into trouble.

The church is the assembly of people who believe in Jesus; He in-dwells each believer, and joins together the hearts of all believers. As we mature in our faith, our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ become our “safe house.” We can generally trust them to seek the Lord in all decisions; we can usually trust their topics of conversation (or, turn them back to godly topics), and their lifestyles are not much different than ours. If one looks at the senior adults of our church and wonders why they like to meet so much, it’s because of this safe zone. It’s not that they don’t have friends outside of church; it’s just that they hold so much in common with the others in church that they enjoy spending time together and work really hard to keep “the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).

The overall reason for meeting is our oneness in Christ. We primarily go to enjoy the Savior together with other believers. Jesus said, “where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:20. There is a connection between the Spirit in us that unites our hearts together in a unique way. We experience the Lord in a way that cannot be experienced privately. This unique bond is exclusive to Christianity and is for believers only.

NOTE: When I say, “believers,” I am talking about those who have put their faith and trust in Christ Jesus, giving Him their lives to be lived as He commands. They are followers of Christ and Him alone and have a personal, on-going relationship with Him.

So, let me ask, Do you believe that Christ joins our hearts together as a church, His assembly? Is He resident in your heart? Then joining with other believers will definitely be a priority. Granted, COVID has put a damper on getting together, but as we slowly pull out of the quarantine, I am confident that Christ’s followers will once again meet together to worship our Savior. Each person must hear from the Lord as to when he or she can come back. I can hardly wait for us all to be together again!

Abba, those who have had COVID and those who get the vaccine have a distinct advantage over those who have not. May You lead each of us in the decision You want each of us to make. May we not judge others because they chose differently than we. Help us to love each other as Christ loves the church, giving our lives for each other as You have for us. Bless us when we meet, whether it’s on Sundays in corporate worship or in small groups throughout the week. Amen.