to dedicate myself more and more to the local assembly The Lord delivered me to (amen).
Hebrews 10
19Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
~
though this was primarily written specifically to the Hebrew Christians (c. 68 AD) :
- who surely had signs of the coming Judgment (within 2 years) on Jerusalem and the apostate Jewish nation (the horrors of 70AD) Jesus had foretold - "as you see the day drawing near"
- and the persecutions they would suffer for Christ's Name, and were already suffering
- warning that withering under persecutions, or being ashamed of Jesus placed them in such danger of apostasy, the next passages make clear the consequence at that critical time (trying to turn back to the Law & Moses and Temple), which would be to their destruction - the previous passage had just said the Law, since it had only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, could never make perfect those who draw near
- reminding them of the New and Living way all believers had (and have) to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus
- exhorting them to hold fast the confession of their hope without wavering, reminding them that He who promised (to be with them throughout their trials) is faithful
- beseeching them to consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds (only possible by abiding in the Vine, and this by keeping, guarding and being sustained by His words - which are life)
- this call to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, exhortations to hold fast.....being made possible by not forsaking their own assembling together
- as was the habit, or manner of some, (due to the severe persecutions of their time; or love of the old ways; or physical comforts; unbelief that Christ was the only way, unbelief that "the day" was at hand, etc)
~
so much is said in this passage about the need to gather together. the benefits, and the loss or lack of the benefits by foresaking the assembling.
"the day drawing near" for us, (post "the day" of 70AD) can be our own deaths, before which time we want to be firmly rooted and built up within the house of God, blessed with assurance, and settled and comforted in the confession of our hope (without wavering), for we know He who promised is faithful...and most certainly speaks to the Last Day, the Second Advent.
so many blessings and means of grace are given freely in the assembly of believers....hearing and guarding His words together, being of one mind as we are hearing and sharing the same words together.
and being publically and openly grateful for His having made that New way for us to draw near, it seems a shame not to gladly draw near to Him together, to joyfully assemble...certainly as "the day", whichever DAY, approaches.
i don't think the writer is saying with "as is the habit, or manner of some (forsaking assembling)" that this made those apostates.
but i know the years i spent without a good church were more difficult when times were hard....but even more than that, not having anyone to share the joy of discovering exciting things in His Word, and to testify of His graces in my life was such a strange feeling...
~
has anyone else experienced that encouragement and strong leading and prompting of the Spirit to keep going in spite of disappointment or difficulty until you found a well rooted assembly?
this kind of fall in with the discipling subject that came up some time ago.
and with the other topics of late, where people are called freeloaders for not "doing"....and the purpose-driven system which focuses so much on good works to and for the world, it seems at the expense of the Church (and the sheep)...
just current thoughts.
zone
Hebrews 10
19Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
~
though this was primarily written specifically to the Hebrew Christians (c. 68 AD) :
- who surely had signs of the coming Judgment (within 2 years) on Jerusalem and the apostate Jewish nation (the horrors of 70AD) Jesus had foretold - "as you see the day drawing near"
- and the persecutions they would suffer for Christ's Name, and were already suffering
- warning that withering under persecutions, or being ashamed of Jesus placed them in such danger of apostasy, the next passages make clear the consequence at that critical time (trying to turn back to the Law & Moses and Temple), which would be to their destruction - the previous passage had just said the Law, since it had only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, could never make perfect those who draw near
- reminding them of the New and Living way all believers had (and have) to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus
- exhorting them to hold fast the confession of their hope without wavering, reminding them that He who promised (to be with them throughout their trials) is faithful
- beseeching them to consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds (only possible by abiding in the Vine, and this by keeping, guarding and being sustained by His words - which are life)
- this call to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, exhortations to hold fast.....being made possible by not forsaking their own assembling together
- as was the habit, or manner of some, (due to the severe persecutions of their time; or love of the old ways; or physical comforts; unbelief that Christ was the only way, unbelief that "the day" was at hand, etc)
~
so much is said in this passage about the need to gather together. the benefits, and the loss or lack of the benefits by foresaking the assembling.
"the day drawing near" for us, (post "the day" of 70AD) can be our own deaths, before which time we want to be firmly rooted and built up within the house of God, blessed with assurance, and settled and comforted in the confession of our hope (without wavering), for we know He who promised is faithful...and most certainly speaks to the Last Day, the Second Advent.
so many blessings and means of grace are given freely in the assembly of believers....hearing and guarding His words together, being of one mind as we are hearing and sharing the same words together.
and being publically and openly grateful for His having made that New way for us to draw near, it seems a shame not to gladly draw near to Him together, to joyfully assemble...certainly as "the day", whichever DAY, approaches.
i don't think the writer is saying with "as is the habit, or manner of some (forsaking assembling)" that this made those apostates.
but i know the years i spent without a good church were more difficult when times were hard....but even more than that, not having anyone to share the joy of discovering exciting things in His Word, and to testify of His graces in my life was such a strange feeling...
~
has anyone else experienced that encouragement and strong leading and prompting of the Spirit to keep going in spite of disappointment or difficulty until you found a well rooted assembly?
this kind of fall in with the discipling subject that came up some time ago.
and with the other topics of late, where people are called freeloaders for not "doing"....and the purpose-driven system which focuses so much on good works to and for the world, it seems at the expense of the Church (and the sheep)...
just current thoughts.
zone