Praise the Lord, my friend

I know it’s been a long time, and I’m really sorry for being away for so long.

I was procrastinating and will be sharing more about it in tomorrow’s newsletter issue. (There will be a small surprise/announcement too)

For now, let’s turn our focus to the title you saw at the top.

Noo, noo…it’s not something I believe, but I came across it recently.

Here’s the context:

Last week I was lying down on the bed and scrolling YT shorts.

While doing so, I came across this reel in which a guy was preaching on the street.

He was doing a pretty good job reciting verses and telling people to repent.

People were passing by peacefully; some noticing and some just ignoring.

But that was not the case in the comment section of the video.

Most of the people there were fighting over whether attending church is important or praying at home is more than enough.

Some were defending, some were giving reasons, and it was a full debate panel kinda situation.

I knowww…as a church attendee, you’ve a lot to say about this.

But let’s first see what the word of God tells us.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour: If either of them falls, one can help the other up.”

The above verse is often used in marriages, right?

It talks about the importance of having a companion in your life, and why you’re not meant to live alone.

But is this mentioned companionship just limited to a partner or a friend?

Absolutely not, my friend.

It could apply to anything from a single person to a large community of people.

And that’s what a church is.

Not a huge building, but a community of people.

A community that is there to carry your burdens, to lift you when you fall, and help you get close to God.

Galatians 6:2

‘‘Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

See, that’s what we are called and asked to do by our Lord.

And I’m pretty sure you’re aware of this, and even the people who say they don’t need to go to church.

Then why the hesitation, right?

Well, as I read more comments on that video, one word kept popping up again and again as an answer: experiences.

Let me tell you a small incident from my recent solo trip to Nepal.

I was on an overnight bus to a city named Pokhara, and my co-passenger was a guy from New Zealand.

Somehow our conversation started, and he was sharing about his travel experiences and his passion for trekking.

Mid-conversation, he noticed my wallpaper with Jesus on it and asked if I’m a Christian and which church I go to.

And when I shared that I go to this church named “Disciples Community” where I’ve felt included and cared for since day 1, even when I didn’t know anything about Christ, he looked at me doubtfully.

Then he mentioned his experiences with churches.

And, honestly, it was quite tragic.

He mentioned seeing lots of arguments, sermons based purely on tithes and offerings, pastors and church elders judging him for having tattoos, and offerings taken for intercessory requests.

I really couldn’t say anything after that, and I still don’t know the why behind those actions.

But I did get to know the “why” behind the hesitation and refusal by some people to go to church.

1 John 1:7

‘‘But if we walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another.”

See, reasons given by some folks for not attending church are understandable, but we, as a body of Christ, have to prevent those reasons from becoming a permanent reality for them.

So, let us take this as a burden to make newcomers feel welcome and included in our congregations.

Let us check up on them, intercede for them, and help them with whatever God has blessed us with.

Pray with me:

Dear Father God, thank You for this wonderful time and for allowing us to talk to You.

Let Your kingdom come on this earth the way it is in heaven, and let Your will be done.

Father God, we pray for all our brothers and sisters out there who’ve decided not to attend church because of some bad experiences.

Lord, please talk to them and place them in the right church where You’re the center.

We pray that You heal the wounds caused by their past experiences and help them understand that the actions of people do not define who You are.

Give them the courage to trust again, and when they are ready, lead them to a community where they feel welcomed, loved, accepted, and encouraged in their walk with You.

And Father, we also pray for those of us who are already part of a church.

Help us to be the kind of people You have called us to be. Give us hearts that are willing to listen, love, serve, forgive, and carry one another’s burdens.

Help us never to be the reason someone walks away from You. Instead, let our words, actions, and lives point people toward Christ.

Teach us to welcome the stranger, care for the broken, encourage the discouraged, and lift up those who have fallen.

And Lord, if anyone is reading this who has been hurt by a church, please remind them that You have not abandoned them.

Give them hope, give them healing, and in Your perfect timing, lead them to the right people and the right community.

Above everything else, keep us close to You.

Let our churches never become places where we simply gather, but communities where Christ is truly at the center.

We surrender this all into Your mighty hands.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.

Amen.

Praise God, my friend

If you’ve any prayer requests, please feel free to let me know by replying to this email. I would love to pray for you.