RG AUDIO 103115
Hebrews 3:7 Therefore, as the Ruach HaKodesh says,
“Today, if you hear God’s voice,
8 don’t harden your hearts, as you did in the Bitter Quarrel
on that day in the Wilderness when you put God to the test.
9 Yes, your fathers put me to the test;
they challenged me, and they saw my work for forty years!
10 Therefore, I was disgusted with that generation —
I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,
they have not understood how I do things’;
11 in my anger, I swore
that they would not enter my rest.”[Hebrews 3:11 Psalm 95:7–11]
12 Watch out, brothers, so that there will not be in any one of you an evil heart lacking trust, which could lead you to apostatize from the living God! 13 Instead, keep exhorting each other every day, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you will become hardened by the deceit of sin. 14 For we have become sharers in the Messiah, provided, however, that we hold firmly to the conviction we began with, right through until the goal is reached.
15 Now where it says,
“Today, if you hear God’s voice,
don’t harden your hearts, as you did in the Bitter Quarrel,” [Hebrews 3:15 Psalm 95:7–8]
16 who were the people who, after they heard, quarreled so bitterly? All those whom Moshe brought out of Egypt. 17 And with whom was God disgusted for forty years? Those who sinned — yes, they fell dead in the Wilderness! 18 And to whom was it that he swore that they would not enter his rest? Those who were disobedient. 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of lack of trust.
"The Encouragement of Christians" by Author: Jeremy Scott
Thanks be to God that we are not in this life alone! When we come to Christ, we walk beside many others who also follow Him. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews calls Christians to encourage one another in this walk. We are to do this “as long as it is called, ‘Today’” (v. 13), which means all the time! The call is proactive: not simply when we are worshiping or gathered together, but all the time. All the time, we are to seek and make opportunities to encourage our brothers and sisters.“Today, if you hear God’s voice,
8 don’t harden your hearts, as you did in the Bitter Quarrel
on that day in the Wilderness when you put God to the test.
9 Yes, your fathers put me to the test;
they challenged me, and they saw my work for forty years!
10 Therefore, I was disgusted with that generation —
I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,
they have not understood how I do things’;
11 in my anger, I swore
that they would not enter my rest.”[Hebrews 3:11 Psalm 95:7–11]
12 Watch out, brothers, so that there will not be in any one of you an evil heart lacking trust, which could lead you to apostatize from the living God! 13 Instead, keep exhorting each other every day, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you will become hardened by the deceit of sin. 14 For we have become sharers in the Messiah, provided, however, that we hold firmly to the conviction we began with, right through until the goal is reached.
15 Now where it says,
“Today, if you hear God’s voice,
don’t harden your hearts, as you did in the Bitter Quarrel,” [Hebrews 3:15 Psalm 95:7–8]
16 who were the people who, after they heard, quarreled so bitterly? All those whom Moshe brought out of Egypt. 17 And with whom was God disgusted for forty years? Those who sinned — yes, they fell dead in the Wilderness! 18 And to whom was it that he swore that they would not enter his rest? Those who were disobedient. 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of lack of trust.
"The Encouragement of Christians" by Author: Jeremy Scott
The writer to the Hebrews is specific: Our encouragement is meant to keep us from becoming hardened by sin. Sin has a way of encruting humans. Even so, the encouragement of one believer to another can soften such sinful molds. This requires that we “share in Christ” (v. 14), becoming partners, as we seek to avoid sin.
Accountability becomes important. We discover that following Christ, as personal as it may be to choose to do so, ceases to be personal after the choice is made. Relationship with Christ brings the benefit of relationship with Christ’s people. The benefit is that intentional daily encouragement from one another helps us avoid the snares of sin.
Hymn for Today: "Brethren, We Have Met To Worship" by Philip P. Bliss
1. Brethren, we have met to worship
And adore the Lord our God.
Will you pray with all your power
While we try to preach the Word?
All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down.
Brethren, pray, and holy manna
Will be showered all around.
2. Brethren, see poor sinners around you
Slumb'ring on the brink of woe.
Death is coming' Hell is moving
Can you bear to let them go?
See our fathers and our mothers
And our children sinking down.
Brethren, pray, and holy manna
Will be sowered all around.
3. Sisters, we you join us and help us?
Moses' sister aided him.
Will you help the trembling mourners
Who are struggling hard with sin?
Tell them all about the Savior,
Tell them that He will be found.
Sisters, pray, and Holy manna
Will be showered all around.
4. Let us love our God supremely;
Let us love each other too.
Let us love and pray for sinners.
Till our God makes all things new.
Then He'll call us home to Heaven;
At His table we'll sit down.
Christ will gird Himself and serve us
With sweet manna all around.
Thought for Today:
"Therefore, encourage each other, and build each other up — just as you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11.
Please pray:
For the development of Christian leaders in Saint Vincent.
____________________________
For the development of Christian leaders in Saint Vincent.
____________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment