ENCOURAGEMENT-08 (Hebrews 10:25)

WHERE CAN I GO TO RECEIVE ENCOURAGEMENT
AND ENJOY FRIENDSHIPS WITH OTHERS?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit
of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more
as you see the Day approaching.
(Hebrews 10:25)

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Debating inspiring thoughts from, and about God, is of no benefit.
He is a God of dispensation, so his messages to each person might
be different. That means that two people can both be correct about
what God is saying specifically to them, even thought the messages
might be different.

The Psalmist David said,
    “The heavens declare the glory of God;
     the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
     (Psalm 19:1)
David was a man with a heart that loved and worshipped God.
Look at this statement from God’s Word.
    “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my
     own heart; he will do everything I want him to do”
     (Acts 13:22)

The Bible says,
    “Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for it.”
     (Ephesians 5:35)
If our Lord loved the church enough to die for it, then we should
respect it enough to support and attend it. When the Bible tells
us to “not give up meeting together”, it was not a suggestion, but
a command from the Lord communicated through Paul.

Theodore Roosevelt once said,
    “You may worship God anywhere, at any time,
     but the chances are that you will not do so unless
     you have first learned to worship Him somewhere
     in some particular place, at some particular time.”
Roosevelt knew the importance
of worshipping with others at a specific place and time.

ACTION:
How do you feel about meeting together with others as God has
commanded? Are you actively obeying His command, or have
you decided to create a modified set of His commands that allow
you to ignore meeting with others. If God tells you to attend the
church that His Son loved, don’t you think you should respect
and obey Him, instead following any worship rituals you have
created for yourself?

Of course, sometimes there are extenuating circumstances which
can prevent people from physically attending the house of worship.
Some are physically handicapped, some are being treated for a life
threatening condition, some are recovering from surgeries, some
are sick with a contagious condition which could affect others,
some have compromised immune systems and are at risk in social
gatherings, etc.

However, we live in a world where all who cannot meet with others
physically, can still worship with others via television or social media.
As a result of the Covid pandemic, many churches have created access
to their services through social media. If your church hasn’t, there are
other church services on television for where you can participate.

Since the church is the body of believers, if we cannot attend, it is
still important for every follower of Christ to stay connected with
other believers. We need to pray for each other and encourage each
other to continue loving and serving the Lord.

And lastly, everyone still needs to obey the Lord’s command to tithe
(we can drop them by the church, mail them, etc.). God commanded
us to tithe, not for His benefit, but for ours. It is an opportunity for
us to show our love and trust in Him and His provisions. It is not
some type of obligation that must be fulfilled, it is an expression of
love for the Lord and what He did for us, and it is an indication of
total trust in God to provide for us.
    Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
    and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of
    you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not
    reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
    And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at
    all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good
    work.
    (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

There are many (including Christians) who ‘cringe’ when they hear
the word ‘tithing’. However the same people do not ‘cringe’ when
they hear of other commands from God (such as John 3:16, which
determines where we will spend eternity). That means that some have
decided to ‘rank’ the commands from God, and when they do, their
‘rankings’ are based on their desires.

In other words, John 3:16 is more important than ‘tithing’. But, is it?
Would God confuse us by creating some commands that are more
important than others? Of course He wouldn’t. He is not a God of
confusion.
    For God is not a God of disorder but of peace,
    as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.
    (1 Corinthians 14:33)

Every command from God is of equal importance. They might have
different purposes, but they are all His commands, and they are for
our benefit. Let’s assume that an auto manufacturer had instructions
for engines which must be completed for the engine to work.

Let’s also assume that some of the employees decided to ‘rank’ the
instructions so they could skip some of them if they were in a hurry
and behind in productivity. They may have decided that carburetors,
pistons, and radiators are all important, but spark plugs are small
and less significant, so they could be excluded in order for them to
meet productivity expectations (which will affect their salaries).

Of course the engine wouldn’t run at all, would it? Anytime we start
‘ranking’ God’s commands, we are treading on ‘thin ice’. In essence,
we are telling God that He made a mistake in some of His commands,
but that’s okay, because we will help Him by ignoring those command.

We might even tell ourselves that God has given us the freedom to
choose, so we have chosen either to give an amount less than our
tithe, or to give nothing at all and keep it all for ourselves. Just like
Satan, we have decided to put ourselves on the same level as God.
    “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the
     morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who
     weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart:
     ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above
     the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the
     congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will
     ascend above the heights of the clouds,
     I will be like the Most High.’
     (Isaiah 14:12-15)

Why would we choose to ignore God’s command to tithe? Wouldn’t
it have to be because we want to spend what belongs to Him on things
that we want? Let that marinate in your mind for a moment. God has
told us that our tithe belongs to Him, and we have decided that we will
steal from Him, and use it to please ourselves in whatever way we have
chosen.

We can rationalize our actions, we can justify our actions, but the
bottom line is we are stealing from God. Not some other individual,
but the God of the universe, who is the only One who can save us
from an eternity of suffering and regret.
    “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.
    “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In
     tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your
     whole nation—because you are robbing me.
     (Malachi 3:8-9)

Was this scripture confusing? Did it leave His command up to our
own interpretation? Did it stipulate it is less important than any of
His other commands? Did it restrict what we are to do with the
remaining 90% (or less, if we love Him enough to give more than
10%)?

The answer to all these questions is a resounding, “No!” God’s
command is very pointed and succinct, so there is no confusion.
It boils down to a choice, doesn’t it? We can choose to obey God,
or rob from Him. Doesn’t it just feel uncomfortable and wrong to
hear the words, “Rob from God”?

But just like the info-commercials, “Wait, there’s more!”
Look at what God says next,
    Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there
    may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the
    LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the
    floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing
    that there will not be room enough to store it.
    (Malachi 3:10)

God has overwhelming rewards for those who obey Him. Did you
notice the phrase, “whole tithe”? God knows what the tithe is for
each individual, and He knows when we are being selfish and have
chosen to keep some of what belongs to Him for our own pleasures.

We wouldn’t want God to give us a ‘partial’ salvation would we?
What would that even mean to us when we step into eternity?
Conversely, He doesn’t want us to give Him a ‘partial’ tithe of
some amount that we have decided is all He really needs from us.

It is not an amount that is up for debate, it is a specific amount
that has been determined by God, and not us. Some may ask,
    “Is tithing really that important to God?”
To answer that question, we should ask,
    “Are God’s commands important?”
    “Is salvation important to me?”
    “What excuse will I give to God when I see
     Him face to face, and what will He say to me?”

Since God does not ‘rank’ His commands, then if we have
‘determined in our hearts’ that we would never violate His
command, “Do not murder”, why wouldn’t we have the same
commitment to obey His command to “bring the whole tithe”?

One last thing, this is a choice (contract) between us and God.
God will never break that contract and neither should we, if
we love Him at the same level He loves us. When we meet God
face to face, we want to hear Him say to us,
    “Well done, good and faithful servant”

Why would He say that to us, if we have chosen to disregard His
command to give Him what is rightfully His? It is not a decision
we make “posthumously”, it is a choice we make today, while we
are living our life of love and obedience to Him.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for establishing the church as a place
where those who believe in You and Your Son can meet together.
Where would we be if You had not created the concept of believers
meeting together in the house You created, and that Your Son loved.
Forgive me if I have taken for granted the opportunity You have given
me to show my respect and love for You by obeying Your command.
Father, You can read my heart and You know if my faith in You is
sincerely complete, or partially compromised due to my own selfishness.
Help me to realize the value of what You have formed as a benefit for
me and other believers. Help me to understand how much I can gain
by attending church as You have commanded, and how much I miss
out on whenever I am not there with other believers. Thank You for
giving me an opportunity to prove (and show) my love and trust in
You by bringing the whole tithe to the church”

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