Have you ever heard people say “I don’t need to go to church I can talk to God anywhere”? Well, while they are correct our Father is omnipresent, meaning He is everywhere all the time. The church is way more than a place where one worships and prays. The Bible talks about the church representing the body of Christ:
1 Corinthians 12:12
For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.
We can see in this verse that although we are all different, in the eyes of Christ we are ONE.
Before I started coming to the church I reside in now, I went to another one which I would call my “childhood church” although I only started going there when I was about fifteen. As a child I saw and felt myself growing in my relationship with Christ but I wasn’t changing my worldly habits. What was the problem? I didn’t have accountability of my actions because I didn’t have relationships with people. I had no desire to build relationships outside my circle, I did not see a need to do so.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
The importance of fellowship and community was something I would say lacked but we were children disciplining children. After leaving my childhood church I took a really bad downfall because I realized that I didn’t understand the Gospel and I didn’t see that I needed to change everything about myself. I thought I was saved but how can I be? I had no idea who God actually was.
Luke 9:23–24
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
After about two years of searching for a church I found one. Bread of Life Fellowship was different from the “modern view” of what churches “should be”. There were no lights, fog machines, dimed lights for worship, and no Hillsong. What kind of church is this? How can I worship God with the lights on? Silly thoughts I know but that’s what most churches are used to.
Two years ago, I didn’t think that this church would be my home. There was accountability, fellowship, openness, and the Gospel. People are genuine and they truly love as Christ loves the Church. The year 2020 was a hard year for us as a church we went virtual, fellowship was limited due to fear, and we lost members to moving or illnesses. No church is perfect because we are still sinful humans. I lost my mom. My church was hurting with me. My church was praying for me. My church invited me into their homes and their lives. My church did a grief course to help those grieving in a Christ centered way. Although I had the support of my physical family, my spiritually family really showed me the true love of Christ through these actions.
Galatians 6:2
2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
When you hurt then the whole-body hurts. I am surrounded by Christ-like, Gospel believing people. I would not trade my church for anything. I have so many people who love, pray, and support me. We are all different in nationality, political views, colors, shapes, BUT we are the same through Jesus Christ our Lord. It's about becoming a family and doing life with your church. Not only is it a blessing but it is also what the Word tells us to do. If you are reading this and your thoughts of a church is just a physical place mindset, I would really pray that you will be led into not just going to a church but becoming one with the whole body. There’s a difference of just going to church and actually building these relationships with people. Going to a church who preaches the Gospel is and should be the top priority. Remember it is not by works but by grace alone through faith alone that we are saved.
Acts 2:44-47
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Satan always hates Christian fellowship; it is his policy to keep Christians apart. Anything which can divide saints from one another he delights in. He attaches far more importance to godly intercourse than we do. Since union is strength, he does his best to promote separation
Charles Spurgeon
By: Belinda (IG: @belindaaolmoo and TikTok: belindar.olmo)
Belinda is a contributing writer for Bible and Hot Cocoa blog. She is currently in graduate school for Clinical Mental Heath. Bel also has a bachelors degree in English, which is such a passion of hers. She loves to share her experiences and how God’s Grace has kept her in all of the good and the bad. Belinda wants to use social media platforms to share the Gospel and how Jesus truly saves. For more content feel free to check out her Instagram: belindaaolmoo, TikTok: belindar.olmo, and my new blog site: www.belindaspeaks.blogspot.com.
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