Light In A Dark World

Hebrews 10:24-25
"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."


It's amazing how much can be learned from just a few of God's words!

There are 3 Lessons that I have been pondering from just these 2 verses.
1. "Hardcore" Love
2. Fellowship
3. Encouragement



1) The first verse at the top (Heb 10:24), which talks about provoking, or stirring, one another to love and to good works, is one thing that I know I can work at.
 It's basically like having a little truth session to shake each other up and say:
"Hi friend, are you doing antything for God now?"
If not, "Why not?"
That's hardcore love.
It may be a bit awkward, but the goal is to help each other serve God better!
"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." (Prv 27:17)


2) Christian Conversation
Heb 10:25a (Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves...)
Why is it that some people can go on missions trips, and be on fire for Jesus, proclaiming His name unashamed, explaining His law, His love, His justice, His death and Resurrection, and His power to save, and heal and then come back to church and then never talk about Jesus?
 Doesn't that seem weird that we would proclaim Jesus as our awesome Lord and Savior to the unsaved,
and hope and pray that they come to know the Lord,
but then go back to the same group of saved friends,
or even our families,
and then never acknowlege through our conversation that Jesus even existed?

I know that on the missions trips I have attended, several people have explain how fired up, and excited they are to go back home and evangelize.
But something happens along the way from the mission field back to your home town.
Or maybe it's just been an inspirational and convicting message at your Sunday Church service,
and something happens to you when you go back to your house.
And then for some reason... you are not quite as motivated.
It is truly amazing how being with a group of believers with a common purpose and focus to serve God has the potential to shake and shock the world!
It should be like that at our churches and homes all the time!

3) Encouragement
The second verse, Heb 10:25 says to be exhorting one another.
What does that mean?
Define: exhorting: to strongly urge, or to strongly encourage someone to do something.

So we need to be strongly urging and strongly encouraging each other.
That brings us to the questio: when exactly are we supposed to encourage?

A quote by Pastor Gary Fraley answers that pretty well:
"Do you know how to check if someone needs encouragement?
Check to see if they're breathing."



Perspective: As brothers and sisters in Christ, I know for a fact that too often we lose our vision of the bigger picture of the world. Imagine...

You are able to zoom out (kind of like on Google Maps)
except you can also see the world as a sphere,
rotating round and round at 1 rotation per day.
For every saved person there is a little spot of light,
And the more on fire a person is for Jesus the brighter they are.
Now watch this... 
You decide to zoom in and see what it actually looks like on a closer view,
and you find two Christians a few miles apart.
Their lights are both moderately bright,
and as they go to the same events, work, and a church activity each week,
for some reason instead of talking about Jesus, the One who unites us believers,
they actually find things of no eternal value which they disagree on,
and tear each other down,
and discourage one another.
Instead of growing brighter as they come together,
Their lights actually start dimming.

Well, God sees that bigger picture.
Let's not disappoint Him!
It's already a dark world as it is,
so let's be as lights shining in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation! (Philippians)


It really is sad when believers waste the few seconds that we have on this earth,
when we could be using them to make an eternal impact for God's glory!
Let us edify the body of Christ now,
and until we see Him in heaven!

God bless you all!
Your bro in Christ,
Landon