The “Step Up In September” plea was a genuine, sincere effort by the elders to overcome—”bridge the gap”—between the Sunday morning and Sunday evening —Wednesday evening attendance numbers. The imposed Divine obligation for the elders “to feed the church of the Lord” (Acts 20:28 AS) automatically imposes a Divine obligation for members of the church “to be fed!” Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening have been supplied by the elders for the feeding of EACH MEMBER!

Sickness, travel, and employment may occasionally be “causes” why some members cannot attend on Sunday morning. That is understandable. However, are those “causes” a fitting explanation for the consistent, sizable gap between Sunday morning and Sunday evening—Wednesday evening attendance? Hebrews 10:25-31 is a sobering context about members who “sin-willfully” by “forsaking our assembling together” (Heb. 10:25f). Willful sin is when one is in conflict, or one is contrary, to God’s designed plan, or to Christ’s Covenant teaching. It further states that members so doing are akin to those “who have trodden underfoot the Son of God,” and have “counted the blood of the covenant by which we are sanctified an unholy thing,” and have “done despite unto the Spirit of grace” (v.29). What sad, sick, and sobering charges!

The word “forsake,” which the Spirit gives is from the Greek term, egkataleipo, which means, “to abandon, desert...to leave in straits, leave helpless” (J.H. Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p.166). Have You so responded?

Willful forsaking the assembling is a public sin and calls for a public confession, coupled with the effectual fervent prayer of faithful brethren (James 5:15-20). Do You need to repent—change your mind —about those times when brethren are “assembling together”?

How edifying it would be to see each member Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening together, rejoicing like sheep, who have gathered for “feeding time!”

So brethren consistently assemble that they may “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18).