Upholding the brethren (2)

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord.

Primary Text

“Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.” Hebrews 3v12-13 (NLT)

“[Therefore beware] brethren, take care, lest there be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to cleave to, trust in, and rely on Him], leading you to turn away and desert or stand aloof from the living God. But instead warn (admonish, urge, and encourage) one another every day, as long as it is called Today, that none of you may be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [by the fraudulence, the stratagem, the trickery which the delusive glamour of his sin may play on him].” Hebrews 3v13 (AMP)

Here we are exhorted to encourage, warn, admonish and urge one another daily so that none of us is deceived through sin’s deceitfulness. We thank God for the gift of one another. Indeed it is important to be surrounded and in touch with believers that we can speak to about our struggles, our challenges and in turn be encouraged. James 5v16 (AMPC) says “Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].” There is something about being able to speak to a fellow believer about our faults and pray together with them. While there are a lot of resources online that we can be encouraged through, there is also need to stay connected to our fellowship of believers – both for yourself and for them. Hebrews 10v25 (AMPC) says “Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.” Beloved, it is important to be connected to a fellowship of believers. I pray that the good Lord will surround you with one and plant you in His house even as the day of His coming draws nearer.

Supplementary Text

“And day after day they regularly assembled in the temple with united purpose, and in their homes they broke bread [including the Lord’s Supper]. They partook of their food with gladness and simplicity and generous hearts, Constantly praising God and being in favor and goodwill with all the people; and the Lord kept adding [to their number] daily those who were being saved [from spiritual death].” Acts 2v46-47 (AMPC)

Prayer

Father, we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for the fellowship of believers. We ask that we would never neglect this fellowship but by Your grace will commune and encourage, urge, exhort and admonish one another daily in Jesus name, amen. We pray as well that You will shine Your light in each one of our hearts and see if there is any deceit that is pulling us away from You. Please expose and expunge it in Jesus name, amen. Thank You eternal Rock of Ages. In Jesus name we pray, amen.