peacemakers

 There are a lot of things happening in our world today, from a pandemic to outright riots and turmoil.  There are many who are afraid and hurt and others who are violent and lashing out.  We walk around in a world of uncertainty. There are also many who are dealing with overwhelming concerns for health, loved ones, finances and anxiety. There is so much that is pulling us into fear. But God says, in 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.  He also cares about what we care about. 1 Peter 5:7 says, Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.  He cares more about us than we realize. He is the God who created us and sent His Son to die for us. He will not leave us, nor forsake us just because there is trouble. He takes care of his children.

Philippians 4:7 ⁶ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

⁷ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

There is a peace from God that passes all understanding. His peace can keep us and sustain us through every trial and every situation. We can let our requests be made known to God and he answers them. He cares about you and what you care about. He hears our prayers and our hearts’ cry. He knows what we need and he knows how to pour peace into our hearts and minds. He knows the answer for our situation. He is the answer. He is our healer, our protector, our Savior. He is the one we can turn to and run to.

 

Proverbs 18:10

The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

 

In this world, we are not immune to struggle and trials. We are not immune to the affects of others who choose to do wrong. We are not immune to sickness and even the violence that occurs. We may at times face these situations, but we can still stand on the Word of God and find a peace that no one can understand. I remember my grandmother telling about having two of her children in different hospitals, one dying from cancer and the other facing a heart defect that needed immediate surgery to save his life. She had every reason to fear. Yet, she turned to God. She prayed and trusted him for the outcome and the strength to endure through it all. As she went back and forth with my grandfather caring the kids still at home, and running between two different hospitals to check on her children, she found the peace of God. She was rather encouraging and praying with other parents in those hospitals. She was giving strength to others and had a testimony of God’s faithfulness and peace through it all. She would say it was God’s peace that brought her through.

 

John 16:33

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

 

Jesus came to this earth and spoke words of compassion. He sacrificed his life and rose again that we might have hope and find salvation. He spoke that he overcame this world that we might have peace. We can be of good cheer even in the roughest of circumstances. We can be peace to others. We can speak life to others. We can share the hope we have in Jesus Christ and the reason we have the peace that only comes from him.  Our world needs peace. True peace only comes from God. True peace that fills our hearts and minds comes from the knowledge and experience of knowing God and his love. He is the Prince of Peace.

 

Matthew 5:9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

 

We can speak share peace with those who are hurting. We can share peace with those struggling. We can speak peace to this world individually and as a whole. We can campaign for peace.  We can be a beacon of hope to a lost and dying world. We can be a peacemaker to those around us.  May we reach out to those around us to be the peacemaker in their lives. It may be one on one or a group that needs peace. But God has a peace for each of us if we call on him. May we find peace and be a peacemaker to those around us.

 

2 Thessalonians 3:16

 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

higher ground

 While flipping through an old hymnal, I came across the old song, Higher Ground by John Oatman Jr. It has a chorus that says, 

Lord Lift me up and let me stand, by faith on heaven's tableland. 

A higher plane than I have found. Lord, plant my feet on higher ground. 

Each verse speaks of wanting to move forward and higher spiritually. It is a prayer for God to help us press onward, and not be bound by the doubts and fears in this world. I love the words and meaning of this hymn. 

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13‭-‬14 KJV

Paul wrote to the congregation in Phillipi about reaching forward and pressing forward. He said to forget the things behind and reach for the things that are before us. Paul understood struggle, attacks from the enemy, and from people. Yet, he still pushed upward. God has much in store for us when we press into him and push forward. This life tends to bring struggle and difficulty,  but God has the answer for it all. We can press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  We do not need to be bound by fear and doubt or bogged down living in struggle spiritually. We can rejoice in faith of God nd his blessing. There is  joy in the presence of the Lord. 

Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord ; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Isaiah 58:14 KJV

We will find blessing and rest in the joy of the Lord as we push onward into the spiritual things he has for his people.  We can stand planted and firm in the promises of His Word, in his blessing and in faith.  What a joyous thought to know he will help me stand firm. He will bring us through all trials and strengthen us in faith and resolve, we only need to ask him. 

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Psalms 1:3 KJV

We will be planted in faith, growing in faith, and we will prosper in faith.  God wants us to be rooted and grounded, not blown about, torn apart and barely surviving  in our walk with him. He wants for us to be prosperous spiritually, full of faith, able to withstand every fiery dart the enemy sends our way. We do not need to fear what those darts can do when our faith is firm in Jesus. 

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Galatians 5:1 KJV

Don't look back at what was before, don't look around at the boisterous waves in this life. Stand firm, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. There is no thing in this world that can stand against him or us when we are standing in him.  We have higher ground and God who answers every prayer.  He will plant us on the higher ground so no flood in this broken world can overwhelm or destroy us.  Ask him to plant your feet on higher ground. Lord, plant my feet on higher ground. 

cling to good

 Have you ever noticed that cling wrap will not stick to cheap plastic bowls?  I have two big plastic bowls that cost a dollar and I like to use them often. They are durable and light.  They hold a lot of food, but when I need to put it in the refrigerator,  I want to cover them with plastic, but the plastic wrap will not cling or stick.  Plastic wrap adheres or clings well to glass and to metal, but not to the cheaper plastic bowls.  It just will not work well.  

This made me think about what we try to cling to spiritually.  Are we holding on and clinging to true things of God, or something cheap or not what we really need?  

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

Romans 12:9 KJV

Cleave is a word that means to cling to or adhere to, stick to it, hold on and not let go.  We are given this verse to cling to that which is good. 

My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

Psalms 63:8 KJV

Or in the NIV,  I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.

We can cling to God, to His word, His promises. He will keep us and protect us.  He will never leave us or forsake us for he holds on to us as well. We can trust Him and place our faith in his goodness. 

Throughout the Bible and history, there are examples of those who do and do not cling to the goodness of God.

Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

Jeremiah 8:5 KJV

The nation of Israelites, as a whole, had not clung to God. They had backslid into idol worship, and evil ways. They were ignoring God's word and promises. They were living a life that  glorified self, and whatever they wanted, they did.  They did not hold tight to God.  

Today, this is still true of many. People hold on to things that do not agree with God. It can be utter, complete denial of God, willful disobedience  to his word, or just holding on to pride and my own attitude.   What do I think is so important that I cannot let go and trust God's plan? What do I keep going back to? Do we put things or self first, rather than God?  Are we holding fast to pride, self, or other areas that God really wants to change or make new?  

We need to cling to the good things of God.  We cannot cling to cheap imitations. We cannot cling to things that will not last, nor help us in our pursuit of the holiness of God.  We can hold fast to God and his goodness for he will never fail and he will keep us in the palm of his hand. We can say as David did, "My times are in Your hand." (Psalms 31:15)  we can trust him, hold on and know he is holding on to us. 

Cling to that which is good. Let go of things that hinder or keep us from all the blessings of God. Hold fast to God.

What's on your mind

 What do you think about?  My mind thinks about a lot of things. At times, it keeps me awake as I think about my day, the next day, what went wrong and right, about my long list of things to do and so on. We all think. That is what we do. God addressed our minds several times in his word.  

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 12:2 KJV

He wants to renew our minds.  We are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Why does he want our minds renewed? Our minds are what controls us. What we think about becomes our action and our motivation.  We think about how we feel, about others, and about right and wrong. We think about how to act and react. We do a lot of thinking. We make up our mind to do certain things  and take certain actions. Our mind is the influence of our life choices and can be influenced.  

We have some commandments about what we should think on. He wants to give us a new mind that is clear and able to think on the good things of God.

 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4:8 KJV

 We have a lot of good things to think about. God is good and all his blessings are good. There are lovely things, true things, pure things we can think about. We have become mired down in thinking about things that are not of good report. We begin to dwell on the bad news, the latest news, the politics, the fear, the worry, the what ifs.  These things cause more fear, more worry, more doubt and snowball into crippling us from being effective and powerful.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

He did not intend us to live fearful, but to know we are his children with all the benefits that come with it. We have love, power and a sound mind.  We need to know who we are, who paid the price for us, and how to live with a sound mind through our faith in Him. God gave us his word, not just to tell a story, but give us the weapons of our warfare. 

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Ephesians 6:17 KJV

We have a greater weapon when we think on the word of God and speak his word.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Romans 8:5‭-‬7 KJV

A mind that is thinking on the things of this world is not pleasing to God and goes against him. These things are not of God. It is not ok to allow our minds wander with the sinful things of this world.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19‭-‬21 KJV

Many of these works of the flesh are born in the mind and are works of the mind.  These do not please God. He wants our fruit to be of His Spirit.

These flesh works are the spirits of this evil world that want to influence our minds. What we allow to take root in the mind will be what we think and act on. Do you act out of love, joy and peace, or out of stife, envy, and wrath?  What is controlling your thoughts and your actions. We have control over those things.  We have the power to cast out the thoughts and bring them into submission.

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV

Take those thoughts and subdue them by the power of the word of God with his spirit that dwells in you. We are the one that allows our thoughts to wander, get out of control, and begin to imagine the what ifs. We give place to those thoughts and dwell on them when we ought to be bringing them into captivity. God gave us the authority over the mind and wants us to serve him and worship him with every part of us, including the mind.

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Matthew 22:37 KJV

We make the choice to think on the things that are of good report or to allow thoughts that are not pleasing to God to take hold.  The mind is a battlefield for your soul. The mind is where the enemy sows doubt and fear. The mind can be his playground if we do not guard it carefully.  Put up a defense in the mind. Keep it filled with the things of God. Keep guard for the mind will not be subject if you allow it. Offense, hate, complaint, anxieties, depression are works of the mind that keep us from the freedom God has given us.  Keep those thoughts in captivity. But instead think on whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

cultivate the fruit

Spring is on the way and the weather is changing. It is beautiful. Plants go in the ground and begin to grow.  We look forward to the fruit that the plants will bring forth. There may be some good fruit that grows, but to really bear fruit, a plant needs to be tended and cultivated. My mother was always good at growing plants and making sure they were trimmed, fed, nourished and placed in the right amount of sunlight. She put a lot of effort into her plants.

 

Galatians 5:22-23

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

²³ Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

 

This also goes with our spiritual fruit. We have spiritual fruit that comes from God, but it is not able to develop and grow if we do not cultivate it. Our fruit will not be good or effective if we have not spent some time allowing God to cultivate his fruit in us with reading the word, prayer, Bible study, and even some fasting.

 

Luke 13:6-9

6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

 

Jesus gave this parable. This parable demonstrated this principle that if fruit is not growing, we need to tend and feed the fruit.  If that fruit does not grow, we risk being cut down as we are not useful or fruitful.

 

John 15: 1-8

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

² Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

³ Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

⁵ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

⁶ If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

⁷ If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

⁸ Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Jesus explained that we are to be connected to him, the vine. We will bear fruit when we stay connected to him. We must abide in him.  Abide means to remain stable or fixed in a state, or to continue in a place. We continue in him, we are stable in him.  If we do not cultivate our fruit by remaining close to him with stability, our fruit cannot grow.

 

Psalms 92:13-15

¹³ Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.

¹⁴ They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;

¹⁵ To shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

 

God wants us planted and firm in him to flourish. We become a demonstration of how he provides for us, and how he holds us up. He is our foundation. He is able to to sustain us and bring forth the good fruit in us.

 

Ezekiel 18:8

⁸ It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.

 

Without cultivation and care, our fruit will not flourish and become good as God wants for us. We can only flourish when we are tending to our relationship with God. God will plant us, cultivate us and care for us when we are planted firmly on the foundation of His word and spend time in prayer and communication with God. Listening for His voice, knowing His voice, and responding to His voice will give us the direction we need to grow strong and fruitful.

 

We are the vine that needs to bring forth the fruit and God is the gardener that will tend to our fruit. We must submit to him as he works on us, prunes and trims us and teaches us how to bear fruit. He will make us fruitful and multiply our fruit greater than we ever can on our own. We must choose to be submitted to his care. 

Arise, Bride of Christ!

 Once in a while I have a dream that really stands out as something God is trying to teach me or say to me. They are the dreams that are vivid, linger in my thoughts, and compel me to pray.  Early in January, I had such a dream. I do not claim to fully understand this one. It was different from my other dreams as this dream seems not just for me. In the dream, my husband and I were arriving at a quintessential little white country church. It was a bright, glorious day. Many were arriving in vehicles and attempting to park along  the grassy sides of the little gravel road and enter for what seemed to be a special service, maybe a revival. As I entered the door of the church, on the floor right at the door, was a bride,  face down and appeared to be distraught, weeping silently. Most seem to ignore the fact she's there, and some whispered to one another, but none seemed to know what to do about it. I was suddenly in the restroom with a need to wash my hands. The condition of the restroom was concerning. Things were broken, missing and in disrepair.  Yet again, ignored by all in the restroom. The actual sink was missing, but the faucet would pour water directly into the floor. People washed their hands as water ran across the floor. I awoke briefly and went back to sleep to dream the same thing with a couple of differences. This time as we arrived at the little country church, we parked next to a very old style car, similar to a model T, and it was rolling. I was trying to set the break, but it wouldn't work. My husband reached down, lifted the car up by the front bumper, reached under, adjusted something and set it down saying it won't roll now. The rest of the dream was the same, but I could see that the bride appeared to be sobbing.  Needless to say, I awoke a bit disturbed and have spent some time thinking on this and praying.  

Last week, my pastor was speaking and part of a line he spoke rang in my ears as that dream flooded through  me. "The church is in trouble.."   God began to reveal some things to me.  I do believe there may be a little more but I need to document what I feel this is telling me. The bride is the Bride of Christ. There are many going to church believing things are fine. They are fine. They have had an experience with God at some point, but there is now a complacency and blindness that are status quo. They go to church, participate in the expected religious activities, maybe even believing all is well. But the church is broken. The bride is distraught.  She is weakened and face down. But she is crying out for the Bridegroom. The Bride needs to be ready for his coming. She needs to be in her best form. She needs to be prepared , dressed and victorious for the coming of the Bridegroom. At some point, this Bride will arise. When the Bride arises, oh what mighty  power will be released. All the broken in the church will be repaired, healed,  restored. The Bride will arise as the time of the Bridegroom approaches. No longer will she be distraught, broken, and worn.  She will be beautifully adorned, pure, holy and righteous, ready for His coming.

I was led to turn to Joel chapter 2. I encourage  you to go read that entire chapter as I am only sharing some of the verses. But this chapter is explaining what I believe God wants me understand.

1. Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

12.Therefore also now, saith the Lord , turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:  

13.And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.  

16.Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

17.Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord , weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord , and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?  

21.Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.  

28.And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:  

29.And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.  

30.And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

I believe God is speaking, He is calling for the Bride to prepare herself. As these verses describe, there must be a weeping, repentance,  and a cry  that goes forth from the ministry and the people of God. He is calling his people to cleanse themselves, rend the garments and return to Him. We have allowed complacency,  false faith, seeking after the latest and greatest, and even false doctrine and prophecy  to lead us astray. The Bride will be adorned correctly. 

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 21:2 KJV

The Bridegroom will have no less. Are we prepared for His coming? It is time to make ourselves ready.

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

Isaiah 60:1‭-‬2 KJV

Arise Church! Arise! Get off the floor! Stop being trampled. Stop allowing yourself to be overcome. Stop with the self-pity. Stop with the distractions. Get it right. Get in prayer. Get in the Word. Arise, that His glory be seen in you! Know to whom you belong  and  whom you await. We are not beaten. We are not destroyed.  We are His Bride, His Body. It is time to let the glory of God rise and shine forth. Arise!

choose you this day

 There are choices we make every day. It is said that we make over 260 choices every day just about food. We make thousands of choices every day.  There is one choice we must deeply consider.  The choice to serve the Lord. This choice will affect just about every other choice we make. 

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord , choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord .

Joshua 24:15 KJV

As the world has been enveloped in a pandemic, many things have been shut down and limited. We have had to choose to go or not go to the store, to school, and to church. As things opened back up, some choose to go and some choose to remain home. This has even pertained to churches.  Many have returned to church and many have chosen to stay home.  There has been a great change in many churches as some who used to be there, no longer attend.  I understand there is a health concern that keeps some away. There are online services now that provide access. So there is still a way for them to 'attend' service. The one major thing missing  is their presence in the building. The body of that assembly is missing a piece.  That piece is noticeably missing.  

I read a story once about a man who was not coming to church so his pastor came visit. As he explained that he would be fine without going, the pastor picked up his fire poker, stuck it in the fire and pushed a coal away from the fire.  As the coal slowly cooled and turned from hot to cold, the pastor told the man he would be like that coal.  Without contacting the fire, he would go out.  Church bodies come together for the encouragement and uplifting of one another.  I don't want to be that coal.

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Proverbs 27:17 KJV

We come together to corporately worship and learn more about God as well as gain strength. There is a great importance placed on assembling together throughout the Bible. God had days for Israel to assemble and praise or listen to the Word. Paul instructed the church about the importance of assembling together. 

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Hebrews 10:25 KJV

God also warned us to not be lukewarm or basically not to be apathetic to him. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.   So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Revelation 3:15‭-‬16 KJV

One thing I have realized this past year is that we all have had to choose.  We have had to choose what is most important for us.  What do we really need? What do we really love and want? What do we participate in and what do we leave off?  I have Joshua 24:15 on my living room wall. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.  We, as a family, have made some choices this past year as to what that means for us.  For us, diving more into the Word of God, focusing more on our spiritual diet, and yes, personally attending church service.  We choose to attend because the word of God tells us to do so. Can I tell others what to choose? No. But we choose to serve the Lord as His Word prescribed as best we can. I believe we need to choose to be in the fellowship of other Christians, participate in corporate worship, be there to pray with one another, encourage one another, and be strengthened. I do not want the fire of God to wain in my life or the life of my family.  We have a great privilege of choice to attend church here in this country and I do not want to neglect my great choice to go. I cannot live without God as my Savior. I cannot fathom placing him aside. I cannot fathom making a choice to not be with the family of God.  I realize there are people in other areas of the world risking imprisonment and death for choosing to attend a Bible study or a service. I have the option to go or not go. Every choice we make has a consequence,  whether good or bad. Just getting out of bed has consequences. Choosing not to be in church has far too grave a consequence in my opinion. I CHOOSE TO SERVE THE LORD.  

Make the choices that you deem best for you, but I do encourage every one to read the Word, pray and ask God about what you choose.  I ask him daily to guide my choices.  I want to be found in his favor.   

Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

Psalms 143:10 KJV

As for me and my house we choose to serve the Lord. We choose to be in the sanctuary. We choose to live a life that hopefully reflects our trust in Him. We choose to follow where He leads. We choose to live for Him.  Do we do it perfectly? No. Do we ask him to help us when we fail? Yes.  Does he always answer? Yes. He will guide our choices when we listen to Him.

Choose today, whom you serve.