February 11-12, 2023

some consider our gathering together

a necessary and reasonable measure of our faith

(COVID taught us this if nothing else)

citing Hebrews ten, twenty five to prove

we who worshipped at home had slipped

were at risk of forsaking God for man

(neglecting that Hebrews, from first to last

is a letter of encouragement to stand firm

in the face of persecutions and temptations

that would drag the saved away to death)

and in Jesus' answer to the question of a scribe

He tells us that all commands hang from these two

"The foremost command is this,

'Hear, O Israel!

The Lord our God is one Lord;

and you shall love the Lord your God

with all your heart,

and with all your soul,

and with all your mind,

and with all your strength.'

The second is this,

‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

There is no command greater than these.”

gathering together with God’s saints is glorious

a wonderful and encouraging Godly fellowship

but

if I do not love God with all that is in me

and

if I do not love my neighbour as I love myself

then

my gathering with others is of no consequence