Gym Faith:

 “I am going to admit that I am not a workout person, and if you ever saw a picture of me, you could probably tell.  I’m not super obese or completely out of shape because round is a shape and so is oval. I tried doing the gym thing one year, and looked around and saw these guys lifting, and thought I’m going to get laughed at for trying Fifty pounds on a weight bench. My little brother loves going to the gym, he even found one next door to where we were staying, when we went to New York. I do love playing basketball, but only shooting around as my cardio is not the best. I cleaned our living room and hallway carpets with a carpet cleaner once, that my muscles were aching and burning. You have to love those muscles not being used in a while, and then you overwork them, and now they’ll show you that hurting feeling. I guess I should have stretched out, as I’m not as young as I think anymore. 

Sunday mornings have always been a day to rest for our family, my dad started this,  and we all have continued it to this day. It of course was started with God after Six literal days of creation, He rested and made the seventh day Holy and a day of rest! It has also been a day of church and gathering with the saints and fellow believers to worship. Psalm One Hundred and Twenty Two says, 

“I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord!"” ‭(ESV‬‬) 

The writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews Ten, 

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”‬ (‭ESV‬‬) 

To me not going to church to meet with fellow believers is wrong in every aspect of the word. A building is not the church, but the people are as God reminded David, when he wanted to build a temple for God. Jesus said He had no place to lay His head, and He would go and meet people where they were and dine and fellowship with them in their homes. I know people have been cautious during this time, and I am not a breaker of rules, but I would rather break man’s rules than God’s rules! It says all the more as we see the Day or Day of the Lord approaching!! (Notice it’s not plural, because there is only One coming of Jesus)

It’s like only going to the gym once in a great while or using muscles occasionally, because they will fail and or hurt when you do. God’s people gathering and being in the word; is something we should all be doing, for the signs are there for His return. It is nearer today than yesterday, and we should be gathering, encouraging, and lifting each other up! Paul says in Romans Thirteen,

“And do this because we know the time, that it is already the hour for us to awake from sleep, FOR OUR SALVATION IS NOW NEAER than when we became believers. The night has advanced toward dawn; the DAY IS NEAR. So then we must lay aside the works of darkness, and put on the weapons of light.” (NET) (Emphasis added)

What day are the writers referring to? The day of your departure from earth and you standing before Jesus in celebration or judgment. It also refers to the Day of the Lord, whichever comes first. We don’t know our last day, and we always must be ready to meet Jesus. We can’t just open His word on Sunday at church, or when we are feeling down, but daily. Paul is saying that we need to put on the weapons of light, and that only happens in Jesus Christ. John writes in First John One,

“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (ESV)

The world is dark and full of hate, loss, brokenness, pain, doubt, and too many walking around aimlessly in the dark. We have the opportunity to show them the light of Jesus, and more so when we fellowship and gather in person. Zoom is good for out of  state and work meetings, but we need to be personal with those God has put before us to minister to. Let’s break bread and dine, let’s gather and pray, let us come into His gates with thanksgiving. Psalm alone Hundred says,

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing! Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.” (ESV)

So my question is, are you afraid of man, who all they can do is arrest and kill you, or of God who after you die can throw us into Hell? I know my answer, and my prayer is you don’t neglect the Lord or the gathering together. Those aches and pains of Hell will be a thousand million times worse than any muscles hurting in this world. The Day is approaching and the harvest is ripe for us to share, so let’s be about our Fathers business. Let us serve the Lord with gladness!” 

Jose Barajas