Page 7 - Good News November 2010 paper

here was a man we will call John who attended church
regularly but then, thinking it unnecessary, stopped going.
TAfter a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him.
It was a cold evening and John was home alone sitting before a nice
warm fire. After the usual polite greeting they sat quietly enjoying
the warmth.
For a long time there was silence. Then the pastor took a brightly
burning coal out and placed it to one side away from the fire.
It lost its warmth and there was only a momentary glow; then it was
cold and dead. John watched all this without saying a word.
The pastor slowly stood up, picked up the cold piece of coal and put
it back into the fire where it immediately began to glow once more in
the heat. Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.
As the pastor reached the door to leave, John said: "Thank you so
much for your visit and especially for the silent sermon. I'll be back
in church next Sunday." - Selected

"Let us not neglect our church meetings [gatherings], as some
people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that
the day of His coming back again is drawing near" (Hebrews 10:25,
Life Application Bible, 1988).