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NASB | Hebrews 10:25 not 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. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ's return] approaching. |
Subject: "and so much the more" Heb. 10:25 Part 1 |
Bible Note: Dear Bothers and Sisters in Christ, I greet you in the glorious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What a blessed day of the Lord this is, and so is every day when we are walking with the Lord. It is a lovely Sunday in which I am typing this letter, and I have just gotten home from a wonderful worship service. My wife and I were late getting to church today so we missed most of the worship music, but we made it in time to hear a great sermon that was delivered by our pastor. Today’s message was on Gen. 5, which is the genealogy of Adam to Noah. I mention this, as I will touch briefly on the message Jen and I heard today later on in this letter. Most of you, at least those of you in my group on yahoo, know me personally. We have either been friends for years, or have become friends within a decent time frame. Those of you in the other groups, which I am posting this in, do not know me. You can, of course, read about my life in my bio at my wife’s and my ministries web page http://www.bluebonnetministries.50megs.com. I go by the name Pastor Paul because that is the calling that the Lord has placed on my life over six years ago now. Although I do not have the formal education many people seem to think is required of a Pastor, nor the ordination, I continuously thank God for the growth He is placing me through, and I know that the Lord wants me to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To those of you who know me, you may know that there is a book that I have read probably close to two dozen times. It is a book that I read especially when I’m weak in my faith because it helps me to realize all that the Lord went through so that I may be saved, and how I should respond in turn. A man named Charles M. Sheldon wrote this book back in the late 19th Century. The title of this book is “In His Steps”. I mention this book because I just read it again a couple of days ago, and over the last several days, including through the message my wife and I heard today, I see the Lord trying to take me to another notch. Yesterday my wife received a call from one of her friends who is dealing with some struggles in her marriage. This couple is truly a great couple, and the Lord has a calling on their life as well, although I am not entirely sure how the Lord plans to use them. However, like so many married couples, they have their struggles from time to time as well. Over the last several months they have been unable to attend fellowship with the Church group they worship with. Their car has been broke down, and they do not feel as if they know enough of the people in this fellowship to ask for a ride. Over the last couple of weeks, especially, I have been encouraging them to get back into fellowship, and I have used Heb. 10:25 as a reference for this encouragement. Heb. 10:25 states: “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.” I have used this verse several times, especially when I deal with people who say going to church is not important, it is what you believe that is. Although I agree that our faith is how we are saved, Christ makes it clear that if we love Him we will keep His commandments. See Jhn. 14:15 I am sure many of us have used this verse to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ to maintain their fellowship with a group of believers. This is certainly a commandment that should be followed, but there is something else that, I know, I have missed in this verse, and I think possibly others have as well. Let us again look at this verse, and this time I will underline the line I think we miss. Heb. 10:25 states: “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.” What does this verse mean? This is a question that I asked myself yesterday as I was reading over this verse. In fact, I looked through the few commentaries I have, I went online to search out the answer, and finally I called my father, who is also a pastor, and we exchanged some thoughts on the meaning of this verse. |