Church Dieting Strategy ....... by DianaDee Osborne

May 7
Yesterday, I shared a cool things I learned in Hebrew class this week -- a class for Christians seeking to learn more of God's Truth.
And the EXACT SAME  learning was also really cool.

Today  there's an honest "OUCH" to share:
Gathering  (assembling) as a church  (no building needed)
IS  NOT  OPTIONAL.
GOD is actually  ANGRY when we disobey His GOOD Law.

You may already know this verse.  But - ouch ---
God REQUIRES  us to set aside the Sabbath to rest because 

the Sabbath is GOD'S day to be done HIS Way... 
          It's not our weekend "holiday" to rest however we want.

Exodus 16: 23 -- a gift from God to women of that day:  They couldn't cook.
Exodus 16:25  --  a gift from God to everyone:  They couldn't go to the fields working to get food. 
Exodus 16: 26+ -- a gift from God after decades of slavery in Egypt:  They had to rest. 
Exodus 20: 8 and on -- a gift from God even to ANIMALS and non-Jews.
    Same for Exodus 31: 14 -- it is GOD'S Day and He is SERIOUS.....
JESUS  did NOT "destroy the Law" of the Sabbath.... but that's for another blog.  Check out
        MATTHEW 5: 17    and on if you'd like to research this.

SUMMARY:

God's Word gives NO excuse for not obeying this: 

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.  --Hebrews 10: 25 NLT     LINK

The old King James version translates that phrase  "meeting together"  
as  "ASSEMBLING TOGETHER".  As mentioned yesterday, the Greek Word #1997 defines God's instruction as literally "gathering together in one place, assembling together".  This can be in FIELDS.... as it was with Jesus teaching (think of the feedings of the 5,000 and 4,000),  and in deserts (as it was for the Israelites as God led them),
            in the TABERNACLE,  the TEMPLE,  the SYNAGOGUES,  the CHURCHES....

Jesus defined the word "CHURCH"  in Matthew 18: 20 --  
"For where two or three are gathered together in My name,   I am there in the midst of them."

Then the word translated as "TOGETHER"  is the same #1997 that in Greek is a root word for "synagogue"  -- a type of church (assembly).

  This is a key -- COMFORTING -- verse 

when you're upset with churches:  

If only 1 person besides you are worshiping Jesus there, then it's a church.  

So we don't have excuses to "quit church" -- 

to refuse to "assemble" as God orders us -- 

just because we've been 'hurt in church'  

(as many people have been at times).    

                     God says:  ASSEMBLE.                 

In Matthew 18: 16,  Jesus gives another reason for assembling:  To correct others who are drifting from God's Word.   "But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established."

The exciting reason why this is related to dieting:

God REQUIRES us to assemble (GO TO CHURCH)

for our own good -- not only for Himself:

   for relationship with Him in worship,
   for supporting each other in obeying Him  
(accountability and comforting.... 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4, for example),
   for supporting each other sharing God's Words that help...
to UNIFY in OBEYING our Father --   (Acts 20: 28-32 on, for example),
    who is  right-fully angry  when we ignore His command to
          Honor HIS Sabbath... to ASSEMBLE....

PRAYER

LORD GOD, there are days... many... when I'm too ashamed of what I've done or even just thought to share with my closest friend.... to confess in prayer to You even though You know it.... to even think of sharing with the church Assembly You have provided for me as a Resource to draw me closer to You.  Please forgive me.  Please Strengthen me to obey You.  And I thank you that Your Spirit has given me the wisdom to see my need to pray this.

©2013 DianaDee Osborne (all material), all rights reserved. FREE personal usage; see website.  But feel free to print with copyright info, & share for nonprofit usage!
With thanks to BlueLetterBible.org  for providing God's Word in easy-to-research format.
Additional encouraging resources at 
http://DianaDeeSongStories.blogspot.com