Hello, Church ~
Unprecedented times we are living in. CDC recommendations regarding no large gatherings and talk of quarantines and travel restrictions. There is much wisdom in following these recommendations. With that said, how do we as Christians, continue to obey Hebrews 10:23-25?
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It’s easy to see all that is happening in our world and be fearful. But, our hope is in God. Our Lord has given us freedom.
Christian, we don’t have to fear. Jesus has the power to set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. We have the opportunity to live out that freedom, right now.
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“I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken” — Psalm 16:8
Last November, The Rock pastors traveled to St. George for a multi-day conference. On our free day, a group of us went to Zion National Park; we’d decided to hike to Angels Landing. The hike is five miles long with 1,500 feet of elevation gain. That doesn’t sound too bad, but the challenging part of Angels Landing is the extreme exposure and huge cliffs. Sadly, people have died there.
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“And I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” — Philemon 1:6
Recently, I had a chance to experience this verse firsthand. I was invited by a friend to speak to his class on the topic of Christianity. There were a number of unbelievers there, including an atheist and Buddhist. We spent the next two hours discussing their questions (related to the reliability of the Bible, science, the problem of evil, Jesus, questions about the character and nature of God and the Gospel). In fact, I was able to share the Gospel multiple times and invite the group to church!
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“Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.…For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” — Psalm 100:3-5
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“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”— Hebrews 11:3
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“[Jesus] appointed the twelve:… Matthew, … and Simon the Zealot.” — Mark 3:16-18
Jesus selected twelve young men to be His closest followers. They were all uneducated, common, “blue collar worker” types. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. I want to focus on two disciples, Matthew and Simon, to see the incredible unity that can be found in Christ.
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“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:18
I recently observed three different families in our church who were loving others in practical, amazing and helpful ways. I believe there are three lessons we can learn from their examples.
First way to love people better is to make yourself available. You actually need to tell someone —maybe a Small Group Leader, a pastor, or the person you see with a need. Tell them you are willing and available to help! That’s why I love this verse so much. Don’t just have some nice thoughts about how you want to help — actually DO something. I know a family in our church who had a broken car. A different family in our church had told a leader they wanted to help with practical things, like broken cars. Thankfully, as you guessed it, the broken car got fixed!
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“The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” — Proverbs 18:10
Last year, my wife and I stayed in a hotel that had a large concrete wall directly behind it. The wall was massive. It was 10 to 20 feet high and was made of thick, reinforced concrete.
Basically, the view out our window was a giant concrete wall. Not a very visually appealing thing to look at during our stay. And the wall ran the entire length of the hotel.
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“…and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” — 2 Timothy 2:2
Are you familiar with the Rubik’s cube? It is a 3D puzzle invented in 1974 by a Hungarian named Ernő Rubik. It is one of the world’s best-selling toys and hundreds of millions of cubes have been sold since its creation.
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