Later, Lord willing, it’s time to leave for church today…

I sincerely hope you are able with desire and physical vigor and ability to be on your way to a Bible-preaching, Bible-centered, Jesus-centered, house of God to honor the Lord this day. For spiritual nourishment, sustenance, fellowship. With God. With the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Holy Spirit. Hearing and holding the Word of God.

If not, and yet you are physically able? Not under dire persecution? Incarcerated? In a hospital or bed-ridden? Ill?

Then why isn’t your motor running, your spiritual motor, a heart for God, and abiding in obedience to God’s Word to attend the assembly to praise and honor the Lord, on the Lord’s Day?

This is the Lord’s Day. Not yours, not mine. It is the Lord’s. It is in Scripture as to how we are to be, what we are to do this day.

Exhortations to Godliness

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus —  he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh) —  and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

Hebrews 10:19-25 — Christian Standard Bible

We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming.

Hebrews 10:25 — GOD’S WORD Translation

And going online isn’t assembling with other believers in the fellowship of the Lord. No matter who attempts to justify that it is the same. It isn’t. Stop allowing yourselves to be deluded it is.

If you imagine a church has to be perfect? According to you? Your way rather than the Lord’s way?

Woe unto you!

You’re never going to find anything perfect here on earth. Other than the free gift of grace, the sacrifice Jesus made, God made so a sinner such as me, such as you can have salvation and eternal life — where everything will be perfect. But not here. Not now. You’re dealing with people. And we’re all messed up. Each one. And no place is perfect. But you can find a Bible-centered, Bible-preaching church yet. I have faith you can. I once thought it impossible, I once thought things had to be a certain way — my way — or else I couldn’t be found there. But keep seeking, searching, praying, and find that place where God can nourish you in His Word for the continued discipleship in Jesus, continued spiritual growth, and maturity.

No one — NO ONE — is so long in the faith, so well-read, so knowledgeable, so discerning and so wise as to know it all here. To be perfected here. No one is that sort or arrived at such a place. Everyone needs further growth, further spiritual knowledge, further spiritual wisdom, increased spiritual discernment/understanding. Everyone needs to be around, be fed by, hear other believers. And to hear the Word of God preached on a regular basis. No one is capable of what is required on their own. An island. Without provisions arriving at that island from others, from some other place whoever resides on an island can’t survive. No one has arrived while here in this fleshly life on the path leading to the full knowledge of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a daily, continual walk towards that full knowledge dear ones. And no one achieves such alone.

And if anyone does think they know enough? They may even think know it all? That person in truth knows nothing. Their arrogance blinds them. Who among us believes they are better than Jesus Christ the Lord? He who lived and taught and served among the weak, the lame, the unbelieving, the bitter, the angry, the lost, the arrogant, the difficult, the lowest, and the highest?

Seek the Lord. Seek the house of the Lord on the Lord’s Day and honor Him. Not yourself. Not your will be done — but the Lord’s will be done.

In doing so we need to humble ourselves. It is a wonderful opportunity to imitate Christ in serving, in sharing what God the Father has to say, what the Holy Spirit needs to impart and to learn at the foot of the Lord Jesus Christ as His true disciple.

You can continue to justify in your mind as to why you will not find a true Bible-preaching, Bible-teaching, Jesus Christ as God, Lord, Saviour, King, High Preist, and Saviour church making Satan happy and dancing with glee. Disappointing God the Father.

Or, you can endeavor seriously to seek out and find such a body and become an active part of that body (no part of a body can continue to live on its own, separate from the body, refusing to obey and be led by the Head. Death results in that body part. It dries up. Shrivels. And turns to dust again) which is pleasing the Lord our God and casting Satan aside!

Your choice.

One in which there will be some answering for come a certain Day coming sooner than later…

Well, I gotta go…

Later dear ones. Find a way. Find a Bible-preaching, Bible-teaching, Jesus, God, and Holy Spirit-centered church and get to that church on time!

it isn’t about showing up at a church each Sunday and checking off your attendance, getting that gold star, being seen. It’s about service too, submitting to, serve to the Lord Jesus Christ, God Who came to earth to sacrifice Himself for any sinner who would humble themselves and place faith in Him. It’s about worshipping and honoring God — RIGHTLY. In the Word, of the Word, from the Word. Sound doctrine. Sound expository preaching. And if not there? Not going? This excuse or that one? I hope and pray you will take time to pray, earnestly, sincerely, humbly and permit yourself to submit and be led by the Spirit of God to find a place where you can be, should be, in the fellowship of like-minded true believers, where the Spirit of God is found, where the true Word of God is found and such preaching exists. Where the love — agape love is found. And you add to that heart within the body, of God, for God, with Christ, in Christ in that place…

Prayerfully, faithfully with joy and desire to please and obey the Lord your God in your heart!

Ken Pullen

Sunday, August 29th, 2021

ACP — A Crooked Path