Here is a story that a missionary friend told me a number of years ago. Right after the Soviet Union fell there was a season where missionaries could go into Russian and other former Soviet block countries very freely. He and several others started taking in thousands of Bibles and handing them out to whoever would take them. They ended up in a small town in Siberia where there was a single church and handed out a Bible to everyone. They were so excited to get them and have their very own Bible. My friend went back a year later to visit and to see how the church was doing, and to his surprise everyone gave the Bible’s that they had received back to them. Their explanation for why they did this was very interesting. Before the missionaries came the little church had one Bible and everyone would gather together to read it and study it. After they each received their own, they tended to stay home and read and study on their own. It wasn’t very long before they all noticed that they were loosing their zeal for the Lord and we’re becoming lukewarm. It took awhile but they soon came to the conclusion that their lack of fellowship with each other was having a very negative influence in their relationship with God, so they gave the Bibles back. The missionaries tried to convince them to keep the Bibles and still be faithful to meet together, but they chose not to trust in their lack of self-control to-do that.

Gathering together is a necessary discipline of the Christian life, and and was obviously the key to the early chirch’s strength.

Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

Acts 2:44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;

Acts 2:46-47 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Tuesday morning I was praying and I thought ”Pentecost Sunday” is the May 31st, that would be a great day to get back to gathering together as a church again. That is the day that the church was born, the day that Holy Spirit came. Today a pastor friend sent me the Link to this video and after watching it I got so excited, and thought I want to be part of this!

Go to youtube and type in ”It’s time for churches to open their doors again” by Pastor Jack Hibbs.