Daily Devotional Time: Hebrews 10:23-25

Once upon a time, a long long time ago, families gathered around a television, which was tuned to one of three networks. ABC aired the Disney Sunday Movie on Sunday evenings, and we always watched it after church on Sunday evenings. The Disney Sunday Movie was always introduced by Michael Eisner, who often incorporated the moral to the story. One week, Eisner and Donald Duck introduced a movie by learning to "Be Yourself."

"Be Yourself." That slogan might seem like the antithesis of being a Christian. After all, isn't Christianity about reforming your life and getting back on the straight-and-narrow? It is unfortunate that so many Christian leaders have led their flocks astray by promoting a works system.

Being yourself is a Christian concept, but unlike Eisner and Duck's rendition of the slogan, it matters who you are!

Hebrews 10:23-25 says:

23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

In verse 23, Hebrews says "hold fast the profession of our faith." To hold fast means to cling tightly. The profession of your faith is your moment of salvation. It is the moment you repent of your sin and trust Jesus Christ as your personal savior. What Hebrews 10:23 says is to cling tightly to your salvation experience. Keep remembering it, keep going back to it, keep letting it form who you are. Let it be your blessed assurance that you are heaven bound.

While you hold fast to the profession of your faith, verse 24 teaches that you are to gather with other believers and consider one another. To consider one another means to fully get to know each other. Spend time together. Share life experiences together.

What amazes me is how lost people love to spend time together. They go out for nights on the town, have a great time together, take silly pictures and post pictures on Facebook. They lean on each other for comfort, look to each other for entertainment, and encourage each other in their hi-jinks. Yet, many Christians don't like to get together with other Christians. Rarely do they fellowship outside of church.

However, scripture directs us to get together and fellowship together. Verse 24 says we are to provoke, or incite, or encourage each other unto love. We are to encourage each other unto an agape love... a love that places each other in high regard. We are to love each other, encourage each other, lift each other up, entertain each other, and enjoy a great time.

Not only are we to get to know each other and provoke each other unto love, but also good works. We are to encourage each other to do great things.

These are things that we are naturally prone to do if we hold fast the profession of our faith. If we hold fast to the profession of our faith, we will get to know each other fully, and encourage each other, and if we are doing all that, we won't forsake the assembling of ourselves together. We'll be getting together more often... and we won't be doing it because we're supposed to, we'll be doing it because that's who we are.

When you get to that point, gathering with the church and fellowshipping with other Christians will be something that comes naturally to you. You'll do those things, and all you'll be doing is "being yourself."

So, hold fast to the profession of your faith. Remember your moment of salvation. Keep that memory close to you. As you do, you'll notice some changes in your life... not changes you've had to force, but rather changes that grow out of your identity as a child of God. That is called fruit.

May God bless you.

We Can All Get Along

Few things can disrupt fellowship between believers faster than disputes over religious practices. One believer doesn't feel comfortable drinking a bottled water in the sanctuary, the other one does. One believer wears a suit and tie to church, the other one doesn't. One believer will only consume Christian media, the other listens to secular music and watches regular TV. One believer votes Republican, the other votes Democratic. These are just a few small, trivial examples of practices that can divide brothers and sisters in Christ.

The one who drinks the bottled water in the sanctuary feels that the one who isn't comfortable doing so is being Pharisaical. The one who wears the suit and tie in church disdains the casual appearance of the other. The one who only consumes Christian media thinks the one who listens to secular music is rotting their brain. The Republican denounces the Democrat for voting for abortion, the Democrat denounces the Republican for voting for greed.

Is it possible that both parties could be right? Perhaps the one drinking the bottled water in the sanctuary knows that the sanctuary is not the Holy of Holies from the Temple, and sees the church building as just a place where the church meets. Conversely, the non-water drinker is abstaining from drinking bottled water in the sanctuary out of respect for God. The suit and tie wearer feels he is being respectful by dressing up for church, yet the casual dresser feels that God accepts him and sees beyond the Polo shirt.

The Bible addresses these divisions in Romans 14:5-9: 

5  One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6  He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. 7  For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 8  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. 9  For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. 

In the early church, some regarded certain holidays, others didn't. Some observed food restrictions, others didn't. However, Paul wrote that all were doing what they were doing for the Lord, and thus they should be left alone to do as they felt the Lord wanted them to do. 

The problem arises, however, when Christians feel the need to get their brothers and sisters in Christ to act just like they do. Paul addressed that attitude in Romans 14:4: 

Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 

God is our master, and He is the one who will judge us. Our decisions on the finer points of practice (dress code, water bottles, music choice, etc,) will be addressed by God. If a believer's standards are not up to par, God has a way of getting them up to par (He shall be holden up, for God is able to make him stand.)

So, conduct yourself the way you believe God wants you to, whether it be by dress, entertainment, food choices, or voting habits. Let everyone else follow God as they feel He is directing them. If Christians will do this, we'll have peace and harmony in the church.

Fellowship of Believers, Dividers over Doctrine

During a recent conversation with a dear brother in Christ, the question was raised,"How can so many brethren, who are saved, Spirit-led, committed to studying and standing for the scriptures, come to so many different conclusions on points of doctrine, and be so divided over that doctrine?"

The answer is actually quite simple. Men and women who come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior often begin their walk with Christ by attending church, Sunday School, Bible studies and doing their own personal devotions. This practice leads to an increased knowledge of the Word of God, increased faith, and an increased desire to defend the faith and stand on the truth of God's Word.

While this is good for Christian growth and maturity, there is a downside. The sin nature within us, with which we will struggle until the day we are reunited with Christ (in person), often skews or hinders our understanding of the scriptures. Also, our lack of total knowledge of the cultural and situational context can often affect the way we interpret scripture. So, despite the Holy Spirit's helping us understand scriptures, our sinful minds often pick up the wrong message.

Couple this problem with the fact that many who get to this level of study see anything other than what they believe as false doctrine, and you see divisions arise out of the finer points of doctrine.

Some have even gone as far as to take Amos 3:3 out of context to justify breaking fellowship with other believers over minor doctrinal points. Amos 3:3, which says "Can two walk together except they be agreed?" is not dealing with fellowship between believers over doctrinal issues, but rather can Israel and God walk together seeing how Israel continually rebels against God? To relate this to our modern society, can God fellowship with unrepentant sinners? The answer is obviously no.

Now, when we discuss minor points of doctrine, we are discussing doctrines like the timing of the rapture (pre-, mid- or post-tribulation), the Bride of Christ, and if properly understood, even more controversial doctrines.

So, what should be the basis for fellowship among believers? Some give five basic doctrines that all believers must agree on, and others say that the ABA doctrinal statement should be the basis for fellowship. While that may be well and good, these are still man-made lists. What is God's standard for men to fellowship with each other?

1 John 1:7 says "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, then we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin."

To walk in the light means to conduct ourselves the way God has taught us to in the Bible. God expects us to live by faith, to make ourselves available for His service, and to love others. If we are doing that, and we know Jesus as our Savior, then we have sufficient grounds for fellowship. Notice that this standard applies to fellowship between individual believers.

The person who breaks fellowship with everyone who doesn't believe exactly like he does will eventually find himself in a lonely, bitter and angry world. Don't be that person. Live by faith, fellowship with other believers, and let your joy be full (1 John 1:4).

A Democrat? Me?

During our mad rush to make the publishing deadline when I worked at the Cherokeean Herald, my managing editor and I were lamenting the Texas Legislature's refusal to continue to fund the Texas State Railroad. Under a new Republican-controlled House and Senate, the legislature was leading the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to cut expenses, even if it meant shutting down some of the top attractions in Texas.

The Texas State Railroad was on the chopping block because it operated at a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. What was unscrupulous about the whole situation was that while the railroad brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars annually just by providing rolling stock for movies, that movie revenue was not credited to the railroad. So, when the annual financial reports came out, the train showed the expense of providing engines and rail cars for the movies, but wasn't allowed to show the income received. That income went straight to the TPWD in Austin.

Surely, I lamented, that the state could continue to fund this park, given the movie revenue and the fact that the transportation department operates some of the best rest areas in the nation. That's when my boss (a life-long Democrat) looked at me and said, "Leland, you are beginning to sound like a Democrat."

I must confess, I had to rethink my position. At the end of the day, however, I came to the same conclusion. The state railroad had to be funded.

Sometimes we can say things that make perfectly good sense to us, but shock us when we find out that our statements are in agreement with our enemies. Now Democrats aren't my enemies (my boss and I were good friends), but I do oppose their platform. Politics aside, when we get into eternity, state parks funding, tax rates, foreign debt and national defense will be forgotten. What won't be forgotten will be the judgment we receive for our actions. For this reason, we must be very careful that we are fighting on the right side of Spiritual warfare.

Satan is the master-deceiver. Confusion is one of his best weapons, and often he uses it to turn the brethren against each other. Often times, Christians who both serve the Lord, who agree on 99% of things, wind up at each other's throats for the 1% of things they disagree upon. Fellowship is broken, fingers are pointed, accusations are made, and cautions to avoid Brother SoAndSo are issued. These things ought not to be true.

1 John 2:11 says "But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes."

To hate means to detest. Do you detest your fellow Christians? Are the fundamentalists too stuck in the mud? Are the contemporary worshippers destroying worship? Is the ABA a liberal organization? Or a traditional pharisaical one? If you can not stand other Christians, it's not because you have surpassed them in spirituality. It is because you are blinded and walking in darkness.

Be not deceived. Detesting your brothers and sisters in Christ is indicative of a relationship with God that has grown distant. It is indicative of one who is stumbling around in darkness and not following Christ. Worse yet, satan can use that confusion and darkness to use you as a tool to wreak havoc on the Lord's church. Even worse still, when you spout those anti-Christian opinions, you sound just like satan.

In Zechariah 3, we see Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, with satan at his right hand to resist him. Heaven help us if we find ourselves right there next to satan.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, the state decided to transfer control of the Texas State Railroad to American Heritage Railways, the same company that operates the Silverton-Durango Railroad in Colorado.

The Roman Road goes on forever at Market Place (and the Fiesta never ends)

We had 16 in attendance tonight at Market Place as I preached Romans 8:28-31, preaching that if the promise of Romans 8:28 is to come true, we must align ourselves with God's purpose, not try to get God to align himself with ours.

You see, Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for the good of them that love God and are the called according to His purpose. The called are God's appointed, those that repented of sin and trusted Christ as their Savior. When God saves, He saves for service. Every Christian is called to service. So, We must be obedient to that call, and obedience is how we love God. (John 14:15, John 15:14). So, if we are obeying God's call for our life, He will work all things together for our good according to His purpose... which means we'll be successful in what He's called us to do, not in what we want to obtain.

Then, in Romans 8:29, we discussed being conformed to the image of Christ. Then, we discussed foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification and glorification. Admittedly, this sermon might have gotten too deep, theologically speaking. However, you can't expect anyone to grow if you never challenge them.

I'm not sure what we are going to do next week. We'll either move on into Chapter nine in Romans, or we'll skip ahead to chapter 12, a la Bro. Brock. (You TBI guys will get that!)

We end each Wednesday night with a fellowship meal... hence the Fiesta!