What you do Monday determines if you will attend Church on Sunday

Did you know that your decision to attend church Sunday morning takes prep work starting on Monday?

What you do Monday determines if you will attend Church on Sunday.

How do I come to this? Many years of making the firm decision to attend church every opportunity I have. 

Attending church, on a heavily regular basis is foundational for a secure walk with the LORD. Christians need to be in fellowship with other believers. We need to be under the teaching of doctrinally sound pastors on a minimum of a weekly basis. We need to read scripture daily. We need to pray daily (minimum).

In the era of Covid-19, I know that attending church can be uncertain. For a long while many church were shut down. First by mandates, then by choice as they navigated how to open and operate with all the requirements for social distancing. Many switched to an online platform, and have continued only with that. That is their choice. Other churches are open, and even those are split. Some have few precautions, many have so many that they are not welcoming. I honestly believe every individual Christian needs to decided for themselves HOW they will attend church. 

BUT, ATTEND WE MUST!!!

So how does Monday play into your decision to attend church on Sunday? It is with each individual decision you make, starting with Monday. If you have resolved that you will be attending church on Sunday, that will guide and direct every decision you make through the week.

In Daniel Chapter 1, we find the introduction to Daniel, the prophet. Starting in verse 8, one see's a young man who made a decision to honor God, even when he was in a pagan nation, and it could mean death. Please read...

Daniel’s Resolve

8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials. 10 The commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has allotted your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking gaunt in comparison to the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king.” 11 But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Please put your servants to the test for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance be examined in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.”

14 So he listened to them in this matter, and put them to the test for ten days. 15 And at the end of ten days their appearance seemed better, and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. 16 So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.

17 And as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every kind of literature and expertise; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams.

18 Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they entered the king’s personal service. 20 As for every matter of expertise and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the soothsayer priests and conjurers who were in all his realm. 21 And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king. (NASB)

Daniel was not alone, which shows the wisdom of having like minded friends of the faith. There is strength in that! There is accountability.

"But Daniel made up his mind" - v eight. Daniel did face persecution throughout his life, but by purposing his heart, by making up his mind to serve and honor God, he found favor, and his life was even saved. 

Let's be like Daniel. If your intent on Sunday morning is to attend church, stay the course. When you are invited to a Sunday Brunch, ask it start later or you have to pass. If your child is asked to take advantage of a extra sports practice, if it is during church time, pass. None of these things in and of themselves are evil. In fact, they are neutral. But if they take our focus off of Jesus, time with Him...then they are no longer neutral events. Friend, God will reward you for being in the assembly of believers faithfully.

Additionally, take control of your household. Create a schedule, that way nothing gets in the way of attending church. For our family it looks like this:

• 
  no sports or music practices on Sunday
• bills and meal planning are done on Thursday, Friday at the latest
• grocery shopping and all errands for the week ahead are complete on Saturday
• Laundry. It never ends. Ideally, for our family of 5, I do a load of laundry every other day. Or push come to shove, I wash it all on Saturday, and Sunday evening I hold a Folding Party while listening to the Prophecy update from Pastor J.D. Farag.

How serious am I about having my family in church? 

1. My children, all three, were in church the very first Sunday after they were born. No I did not put them in the nursery at church, for the first 3 to 6 months I would sit in the commons to listen to the worship and message as I held them. All three of my babies heard their momma sing praises to Jesus while she held them, comforted the, nursed them.
2.  Our family had a season of life when my husband was unable to attend church regularly due to his career. But none the less we, our older two children (this was prior to our youngest being born) and I would get up, have breakfast and attend morning services. 
3. I have been blessed throughout my life that I have been member to churches with Wednesday night services. Many families find the stress of attending Wednesday night to be hard, to be too much. Again, pray about it. If it is God's will for you and your family, He will provide the time, the peace, and the ability. I have managed to get children picked from daycare and school (in separate towns), get home, get changed, pick up dinner, eat and attend church on time. FOR YEARS! And now, our new church - Wednesday night doesn't start until 7 p.m. We can easily eat at home and arrive on time with homework done, and a few minutes of piano practice complete.

Now, life does happen! People get sick, bad weather is not safe to drive in. My family missed 2 weeks worth of Bible study and Sunday worship due to me recently being diagnosed with Covid-19. We obeyed the 14 days of quarantine, and Praise to God, only I was sick. I also deal with hereditary migraines. And occasionally they happen when I plan to attend a church function, and its not safe for me to do so.

This message mainly though, is for those who are able to attend and are not firm in that decision, or see the importance in attending.

I want to give a warning to those who think that attending church is not needed for a relationship with Christ. God's own word, the Bible, warns about not being with other believers regularly:

Hebrews 10:25 (NASB) - "not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near."

Well, if you know me, I bring everything back to Jesus, and His soon calling of the Church home to heaven. And in light of current world events, I feel the strong urge again to warn EVERYONE that Jesus will soon call ALL BELIEVERS to Heaven.

The “day drawing near” is the “day of the Lord.” This refers to that terrible day when Jesus will come to bring judgment on all unbelievers. Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church about this day in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11.  Hebrews 10:27, describes that day as “a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.”

Paul was writing to believers. Why then was he concerning them about the day of the Lord?

Here are two reasons:

1. Some of his readers may not have been true believers and he was warning them. Paul indicates this in verse 26, as he wrote of those who “go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth.” This group no doubt includes those who mingle with believers but have not yet believed. They are those who are curious about the faith, and may be under conviction, but have not yet taken steps of commitment to Christ; hence they need this message. (I suggested studying the parable of the seeds – this is not a message of those in the world, but those in the church! Only a very small portion of those in the church are truly believers!)

Then there were those who were more willful in their unbelief, who were imposters—fake believers and even secret, false prophets. Paul wanted to warn these too, for there is always hope for even these. Remember, God wants none to perish – there is hope for everyone. Do not look at people and think – nope they aren’t worthy. God loves them as much as you. And remember, he who is forgiven much, loves much. Parable of Two Debtors

2. The approaching day of the Lord has an effect on believers. Just because believers will not experience the wrath of God on the Day of Judgment, all the days and years leading up to that day may cause us some sorrow and grief. Just think on all that is going in the world currently. Pandemic, political unrest, civil unrest, joblessness, famines, locust plagues, fires.

Nonetheless, there are things we can do to be encouraged.

As the final days of the earth draw near, Satan will do all he can to discourage and deceive us who are believers. He will try to pull us into all the trouble and chaos and will try to mislead us into thinking that there is no hope—that Jesus will not come for us (as I said before, many Christians are confessing that a Pre-Tribulation is not possible, and it is dividing believers).  That is why we need to study and memorize verses of hope, verses on the rapture that tell us that He is coming and that He has prepared a place for us (John. 14:2).  Likewise, we need to be comforted and reminded that even in the midst of trouble, one day, before the wrath of God comes on the earth, He will snatch us up together with Him in the clouds and take us to heaven to be always with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:17).

So, as trouble and chaos on the earth increases, we need more and more encouragement. And so this is why Paul exhorted them to not forsake the assembling together.  Fellowship is so important to our comfort and encouragement in these final days.

So friend, what will you and your family do?

Joshua 24:15 NASB

15 But if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served, which were beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; BUT AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD."

THIRTY SIX PRE-TRIB RAPTURE POINTS...

This was shared to me and I feel compelled to share it. So many I know, who have hearts for Jesus, have confessed that they believe the Church goes through the Tribulation. That the Rapture happens at the end of the 7 years of Jacob's Trouble. This breaks my heart. Having studied God's word, I do firmly believe the Rapture happens first, then the Tribulation, followed by the Millennial Kingdom, and finally the New Heaven and the New Earth.

THIRTY SIX PRE-TRIB RAPTURE POINTS...

1. There are no passages in either the Old Testament or the New Testament that say the Church will go through the Tribulation Period.

2. The Tribulation Period is called the “Time of Jacob’s Trouble” [The time of unbelieving Israel’s Trouble], but it is never called the time of the Church’s Trouble (Jer. 30:7).

3. Gabriel told Daniel, “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people [Daniel’s people are the Jews] and upon thy holy city” [The Holy City is Jerusalem] (Dan. 9:24). There is no mention of the Church.

4. The Church had no part in the first sixty-nine weeks and it will have no part in the seventieth week [the Tribulation Period] (Dan. 9:24).

5. In the Book of Revelation, John role models the Church when he is caught up in through the door in to heaven, in the Spirit. This shift from earth into heaven is a picture of the Rapture in Rev. 4:1 which is before the Tribulation Period described in Rev. 6:1-19:21 begins. In the sequence of events, the Rapture is before the seal, trumpet and bowl judgments.

6. The Church is mentioned 19 times in the first three chapters of Revelation, 5 times as the 7 Golden Candles sticks (19 + 5 = 24), but the Church is never mentioned in the description of the Tribulation Period between Rev. 4:1 and Rev. 19:1.

7. The Tribulation Period is called a Day of Wrath in the Bible (Zeph 1:15), but the Bible says, “God hath not appointed us [the Church] to Wrath” (I Thess. 5:9).

8. The Tribulation Period is called a Day of Wrath in the Bible (Zeph. 1:15), but the Bible says, Jesus has “delivered us from the Wrath to come” [delivered the Church from the Tribulation Period] (I Thess. 1:10).

9. The Tribulation Period is called the Day of the Lord in the Bible (Zeph. 1:14). The Bible says, “the day of the Lord [the Tribulation Period] so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they [the unbelievers] shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them [upon the unbelievers], as travail upon a woman with child; and they [the unbelievers] shall not escape” (I Thess. 5:2-3). It clearly teaches that the Tribulation Period will come upon unbelievers, but it does not include believers.

10. Concerning the Rapture, the Bible says, “Comfort one another with these words” (I Thess. 4:18). There’s no comfort in the teaching that the Church will go through part or all of the Tribulation Period. This not to be confused Christian persecution which occurs at all times before or after the Rapture.

11. Jesus told the Church at Philadelphia, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation [the Tribulation Period], which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Rev. 3:10). God promised to keep the obedient Church members saved by grace out of the Tribulation Period which is a time of Wrath...

12. According to the Bible, the marriage of the Lamb will take place in heaven before Jesus comes back to fight the Battle of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation Period (Rev. 19:7-21). This means the Church will go to heaven [be Raptured] for the marriage of the Lamb before the Second Coming.

13. The end of the age will be like the days of Noah (Matt. 24:37). Noah and his family were safely carried through Tribulation [got on the ark] before the flood. But interestingly, Enoch was signlessly caught up Pretribulationally, completely out of the World  ["Raptured" before the Tribulation flood Period began] (Gen. 7:23).

14. The end of the age will be like the days of Lot (Luke 17:28). Lot and his family were removed from Sodom before the judgment of God [before the fire and brimstone fell] (Gen. 19:16). Some believe this means that the Church will be removed from the earth before the judgment of God [Raptured before the Tribulation Period]. The righteous did not perish with the wicked.

15. Jesus was talking about the Tribulation Period when He said, “Pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass” (Luke 21:36). It seems unreasonable to believe Jesus would tell the Church to pray for something He is unwilling to grant.

16. The Bible says, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming” (2 Thess. 2:7-8). The most common interpretation of this is that the Antichrist can’t be revealed until the Restrainer [who most commentators say is both the Holy Spirit removing the Church] like Abraham's servant brought Rebekah to Isaac. If the Restrainer is the Bride, this means the Church will be removed before the Antichrist is revealed [that’s the Pre-Trib. Rapture]. But suppose the Restrainer is the Holy Spirit only so that the Holy Spirit is removed without the Church, this means believers will cease to be indwelt with the Holy Spirit. It also means the Church will be left behind to go through the worst time the earth has ever seen [the Tribulation Period] without the help of the Holy Spirit. This would contradict the teaching of Jesus when He said, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever” (John 14:16). And, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5).

17. Isaiah wrote that God said, “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain” (Isa. 26:19-21). Notice, that the dead rise first [that’s the Rapture], next God’s people are summoned to enter into His chambers for a short while until the indignation [a name of the Tribulation Period] is past. God will raise the dead and summon His people because He intends to punish the inhabitants of the earth [send the Tribulation Period].

18. Malachi wrote that God said, “They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not” (Malachi 3:17-18). Pre-Tribulation teachers believe God is saying He will come for His Church [the Rapture] and then He will return with His Church [the Second Coming] to judge between the righteous and wicked.

19. In the Rapture, Jesus comes for His Church (I Thess. 4:16-17; John 14:3). When He comes at the end of the Tribulation Period, He will come with His Church (I Thess. 3:13; Rev. 19:14).

20. Concerning the Second Coming, Jesus said, “But of the day and the hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matt. 24:36). But if the Church goes through the Tribulation Period, some will know the day because it will be seven years from the signing of the seven-year covenant. Some will know the day because it will be 1260 days from the day the Antichrist defiles the Temple (Rev. 12:6).

21. Concerning the Antichrist, many scholars believe the Bible teaches he won’t be revealed until after the Church is gone (II Thess. 2:6-8), but if the Church goes through the Tribulation Period, some will know who he is because he will sign the seven-year covenant (Dan. 9:24-27), he will head up the world government (Rev. 13:1-10), he will try to force multitudes to worship him, and to receive his mark, receive his name or his number (Rev. 13:15-17). Many of those who are here and being forced to worship him and take his name or die will know who he is.

22. The Antichrist is not suppose to be revealed until after the Church is gone (2 Thess. 2:6-8), but if the Church goes through the Tribulation Period, the Church will know who the Antichrist is because he will put an idol of himself in the rebuilt Temple (Ezekiel 8, Dan. 11:31; Dan. 12:11; Matt. 24:15).

23. If the Church goes through the Tribulation Period, the Church will know who the Antichrist is because he will head up the world government and receive a deadly wound to his head that will be healed (Rev. 13:3). Some think he will be raised from the dead or at least fake the resurrection.

24. If the Church goes through the Tribulation Period, the Church will know who the Antichrist is because he will head up the world government and be supported by the head of the world's religion called the False Prophet (Rev. 13:11-18).

25. If the Church goes through the Tribulation Period, the Church will know who the Antichrist is because he’s the one that will kill the Two Witnesses (Rev. 11:7).

26. Many people don’t think the Church will go through the Tribulation Period because of verses of Scripture that say things like, “The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked he will destroy” (Psa. 145:18-20). Many believe God will preserve the Church from the Tribulation Period or keep the Church out of the Tribulation Period not destroy the Church in the Tribulation Period.

27. There are verses of Scripture that say things like, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it” (Deut. 4:2; Prov. 30:5-6; Rev. 22:18-19). Some believe people have to throw away verses of Scripture to believe the Church will go through the Tribulation Period.

28. In the seven letters to the seven churches, Jesus said, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” seven times (Rev. 2:7,11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). When we get to the Tribulation Period, Jesus said, “If any man have an ear, let him hear” (Rev. 13:9). He left out, “what the Spirit saith unto the churches” because there are no churches on earth to go through the Tribulation Period. The Church will be in heaven.

29. When the Rapture happens the Church goes up to meet Jesus in the air (I Thess. 4:13-18), but at the end of the Tribulation Period the Church will come down to the earth with Jesus to witness what He does at the Battle of Armageddon (Rev. 19:14-21).

30. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is more consistent with God’s grace, love, mercy, compassion, etc. The Mid and Post-Tribulation Rapture is more consistent with God’s wrath.

31. If the Rapture takes place at the end of the Tribulation Period, and all the wicked are removed from the earth at that time (Matt. 13:24-30, 47-50; 25:41), no one will be left to re-populate the earth during the Millennium. If all of the saved are Raptured and all the lost are removed from the earth at the end of the Tribulation Period, no one will be left to re-populate the earth.

32. The Antichrist will prevail against the saints during the Tribulation Period, but the gates of hell won’t prevail against the Church (Rev. 13:7; Matt. 16:18). Therefore, the Church won’t go through the Tribulation Period.

33. The twenty-four elders [representatives of the Church] will be in heaven before the seven-sealed scroll is broken (Rev. 4:4; 6:1-17).

34. Jesus was talking about the Tribulation Period when He said, “Pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass” (Luke 21:36). He didn’t say, “Pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to endure some or all of these things that shall come to pass.”

35. There are no signs of the Rapture, but if the Rapture takes place during the Tribulation Period, it would have to be after the seven-year covenant is signed by the Antichrist, and perhaps after several other things depending upon what a person believes about Mid-Trib, Post-Trib, etc.

36. Jesus said, “When these things [the signs] begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).

He didn’t say, “After all these things have happened your redemption draweth nigh.” He said, “When these things begin to come to pass it’s close.”

Written by Stephen Hyun