Text: Hebrews 10:24-25
Memory Verse:
“Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.” Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭46 ‭‭

God desires that we fellowship as individuals and as a body. Intimacy with God grows when you are alone with Him. Private fellowship includes your daily quiet time and special times of withdrawal to be alone with God.
However, personal fellowship is not meant to be a substitute for corporate fellowship. Even though, our Lord Jesus often had notable personal fellowship, yet He didn’t despise corporate fellowship (Mark 1:35: Matthew 14: 23; Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭46‬). So also, were the apostles (Acts 3:1). In our text today, Paul warned against despising corporate fellowship. Today also, some have fallen into this doctrinal error, isolating themselves and refusing to share fellowship with other believers. Others simply despise corporate fellowship, choosing to attend church service only when they feel like. Since they attach no value to it, they burst attending church with any little excuse. For example, they consider Sunday worship service as an opportunity to rest after the long week’s work or after the weekend events or travels. Some others set Sunday morning to do house cleaning or their laundry in preparation for the next week. What a misplacement of priority!
Being alone continuously makes a believer vulnerable to attack. Ask king David and he will tell you more! (2 Sam 11:1-5). The devil wants to keep you from others so he can easily attack. Lions use strategies of planning and patience to attack other animals, even the bigger and faster ones. For example, they can hide and wait for hours in strategic locations around the river hole for the unsuspecting buffaloes who come to the river to drink water. Finally, a lioness jumps from her hiding spot and dashing towards the herd. Panicked, the buffaloes scatter in different directions, each fleeing for its life. Turning around and with others coming out of their hiding, the lions attack the most isolated by this chaos. Obviously, this wouldn’t have been possible if the herd stayed together, as they could have used their size advantage to fight off the lioness.
Friends, don’t misplace your priority. Don’t allow the enemy to use any excuse to isolate you from the church. Don’t be a prey. Take advantage of the covering that God provides in the church fellowship.

Prayer points
1. I challenge all excuses keeping me from fellowshiping with the brethren in Jesus name.
2. I refuse to allow the enemy to deceive me and to isolate me from divine covering through church fellowship in Jesus name.

Today’s declarations
1. I am not ignorant of the schemes of the enemy to use offenses, need for rest, heavy workload and challenges to isolate and keep me from divine covering through the church.
2. Personal fellowship is great but God didn’t create me to be sustained by it alone and without corporate fellowship.

Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng