BLESSED EXHORTATIONS (PART 7)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Hebrews 13:8

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

For the last week, starting the day after Easter Sunday, we have been looking at a series of blessed exhortations found in the final chapter of the letter to the Hebrews.

An exhortation is simply a strong encouragement to do something, to take some form of action. As it applies to this thirteenth chapter of Hebrews, these strong encouragements relate to certain behaviors a Christian should make sure they are displaying in life.

With this in mind, we look at today’s urging, a calling for a believer to remember a key scriptural truth.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Think about how much the world has changed since the days of Jesus. It’s different in so many ways, for sure, but we don’t need to even go back that far. In my church small group this morning, we were discussing how many things we experienced when we were young that would be completely lost in translation today.

Phones were all hard wired with rotary dials and to find someone’s phone number, you looked in a phone book or dialed “0” to speak to an operator to get it.

Televisions were like pieces of furniture and the largest screen was 25 inches. You only had three channels to watch and those were received by an antenna mounted on the roof.

No stores were open on Sunday but the churches all were and this is what families did, they worshiped together and then went home to enjoy a meal and time together, typically watching television in the evening because between 7 and 9PM, all networks had to show family-friendly entertainment.

I could go on and on and on but the point is that this was just 50 to 60 years ago. Imagine where things will be in another 50 to 60 years, that is, unless Jesus returns before then.

So the world is ever changing and so too are our lives. In fact, things change much quicker in that regard, right? For in one moment, all can be going well and then be thrown into chaos soon after if a major life impacting even happens. Think a death, serious illness, an accident bring serious injuries, or a financial loss.

Now, here’s the rub in all this.

To a person, I think it’s safe to say that we don’t like change. It’s disruptive, inconvenient, and anxiety-producing at a minimum.

Compare this to consistent, sustained peace and stability. Isn’t this something we all crave and even covet? I know I do.

This is why I (and I hope you) find great comfort in today’s blessed exhortation, one that calls us to never forget the unchanging nature of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For indeed, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

His omnipotence is the same. He has, is, and will always be all powerful with no equal.

His omnipresence is the same. He has, is, and will always be with us, no matter what happens in the world or in our lives.

His omniscience is the same. He has, is, and will always be the only One who is all knowing, the One through which perfect wisdom can be attained.

When the winds of change blow, we can always remain steadfast in our faith and adjust while anchored to Jesus, the sure firm foundation that cannot be moved. He always was, always is today, and will always be in the days, months, and years ahead, until that day when we abide with Him in Heaven for all eternity.

For when we believe in Jesus as Savior, nothing can change the victory and eternal life we gain through Him. Thanks be to God for the gift of His Son.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

BLESSED EXHORTATIONS (PART 6)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Hebrews 13:7

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

A person doesn’t usually enter Christian ministry and come to success immediately. There is a definite growing process, one nurtured directly through the influence of the Holy Spirit but also through the relationships shared with experienced Christian leaders and mentors. At least, this has been my experience as the Lord took me from being a baby Christian to a spiritually mature Christian leader and mentor in my own right.

My experience starts way back when I was growing up as my mother would take me to the Presbyterian Church in my small hometown in western Pennsylvania. It was there that I went through a catechism class and was presented my first Bible, one I still have and cherish to this day. As I advanced into my teens, I was encouraged to be a servant and so I became an acolyte and also accompanied the church choir on occasion with my trumpet as I had become one of the top players in my high school at the time.

At the center of all this encouraging and spiritual prompting was the Pastor of the church, the Reverend Darr Briggs. He never failed to show interest in me and my growth as a Christian youth, always sharing a kind word. In observing him, he did this naturally with everyone in the congregation and it was so obvious to me that he had a special love for people, a love reflecting the very love of the Lord Jesus who he served in the ministry.

Later, I would move into adulthood and end up back in the Presbyterian Church, this time in Virginia Beach, VA. My wife Grace and I had just gotten married and looked for a church where we could worship and serve together. On a visit to the aforementioned church, we met the Reverend Dick Keever who warmly welcomed us into the congregation. His preaching was always so scripture-centric and I learned something every week from him and like Reverend Briggs, Reverend Keever had a natural love for others and a real knack for remembering names, one that was almost supernatural to me. I think Dick could have met a person one time and if he didn’t see them again until two months later, he would remember their name perfectly. I’m convinced to this day that he just cared for every person he met so much that he valued them and their name. I have always tried to model his talent but I’m afraid I have a long way to go to match his proficiency.

Reverend Keever also was responsible for nudging me into assuming more of a leadership role in the church and so I started to teach a small group, instructing every other week while partnering with another group teacher. This led to ordination and three tours on Session at the church where I learned all the ins and outs of church management from the inside out. I also was given the opportunity to preach sermons on several occasions, something I have had the privilege to continue doing through the years.

Currently, my wife Grace and I are members of a wonderful Baptist church in Virginia Beach, one with a fantastic Pastor and vibrant congregation. I am co-teaching a small group there and while managing The Christian Walk ministry. A published author and host of a local radio broadcast, my current Pastor Ron Jones has inspired me to take my ministry work to another level and I plan on publishing my first book in 2024.

My point in mentioning all these special Christian leaders and mentors is that it applies to today’s sixth blessed exhortation as we continue our study of Hebrews, chapter 13. Here is today’s verse:

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. v.7

Now, I would be remiss in failing to mention other pastors such as John MacArthur, and the late Charles Spurgeon, Charles Stanley, and Billy Graham, all of which influenced my Christian walk and ministry through their preaching and teaching through the years. I’m sure you have your own list of favorites who have impacted you and, for all of us; the encouragement from our scripture today is simply this:

Emulate strong Christian leaders and mentors.

We’re to remember them, those “who spoke the word of God” to us while considering “their way of life” and imitating “their faith”. Ultimately, I think we’re then to take this to another level, for as we know, no one lives forever here on earth. As great Christian leaders and mentors pass away, there needs to be others to replace them and carry on the torch of teaching the word of God while showing people how to live properly through Christ with steadfast faith.  

My prayer every day is that the Lord will use me and this ministry to make a major kingdom difference while helping lead and mentor the future Christian role models of tomorrow. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I believe it can and will happen.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

BLESSED EXHORTATIONS (PART 5)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my Helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Hebrews 13:5-6

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

If you asked the average person to name The Ten Commandments, I believe most people would be able to give you a few.

Do not murder would probably be one of the first responses followed by not stealing or committing adultery but after that, things might slow down a little unless they are well versed in the Bible. In fact, a majority of those asked about the ten primary commands of God would probably be surprised to know that this was one of them:

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Exodus 20:17

At the heart of this command is the sin of coveting which is at its core is a fundamental yearning for things that either you don’t have or someone else has and sometimes these two reasons for yearning merge.

For example, maybe a man isn’t married and lives next door to a couple. The neighbor’s wife is very attractive and the neighbor begins to wish he could be with her. Perhaps the wife isn’t satisfied with her husband and is also yearning for another man. I think you can see where this is heading.

It’s a sinful, adulterous match waiting to happen and Satan is ready to play matchmaker, all because two people coveted.

Overall, I think we all have fallen into the trap of longing for more than we have, so much so sometimes that we fail to see how blessed we are already. This is why I feel today’s blessed exhortation is so important because it serves as a sort of scriptural kryptonite for the transgression of covetousness. Look again at these words found in verses 5 and 6 of Hebrews, chapter 13:

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Here we find three main application points for our lives and I would like to touch on them individually.

1. We need to avoid developing a love of money.

Some people, even many Christians, are laser-focused on money and wealth accumulation. Whether through investing, often with the desire to get rich quick, or betting via the lottery, gambling in casinos, or sports (all the rage these days), millions of people are obsessed with becoming one of the rich and famous, no matter the odds that are against them. In fact, they are sometimes willing to squander all that they have in order to try and satisfy their desire for affluency.

It’s little wonder why Jesus said this more than 2,000 years ago and people should heed His words today:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:19-21, 24

Did you catch the last part of that?

Either God or money will be a person’s master. It can’t be both. Only one can rule over your life.

This is why Jesus implores His followers to store up treasures in Heaven vice chase after the treasures of the earth of which money is chief. You can’t put an amount on the vast riches one gains when they are fully invested in the Lord and His kingdom work here on earth. Yes, you won’t be prosperous by the world’s standards but you will be well-off in the sight of the God who will always ensure you have what you need. All you need to do is serve Him completely while placing your full faith and trust in Him.

And this leads me to the second takeaway for us today:

2. In God, we have all we could ever need or hope for.

With total confidence, a Christian believer should know that God is with them and for them, no matter what life brings. He never leaves or forsakes those who remain faithful to Him and even if someone does turn from Him, He is always ready to welcome them back when they repent and seek to restore fellowship with Him (reference the Parable of the Prodigal Son to get a picture of what this looks like.

When we realize and truly embrace the truth that the Lord God Almighty, the Maker and Master of all things in Heaven and on earth is with us and for us, then we understand that we have an ally who possesses infinite, unrivaled power, an ally who no one can fight against and win. And so we can believe in our hearts and testify with our lips that God is our Divine Helper and Protector, the One who “mere mortals” have no chance against.

With these first two points in mind, we move onto our final life application point.

3. We are to be content with what we have for in God, we have all we could ever need.

The Almighty and one and only God of creation loves and cares deeply for those who place their hope and trust in Him. He provides for the needs of all His servants by ensuring they have what they need to carry out His will in their lives. This doesn’t mean He will fill every person’s bank account to overflow but it does mean that He won’t forsake our most basic needs like shelter, food, and clothing. We just need to trust Him and then give Him thanks, keeping our attention on Him and being content with what He has given, not leering into the world and what others might have in it. For sure, many of the richest people who have ever lived are destined for Hell while millions of people considered poor and destitute by society are simply waiting for Jesus to come back and usher them into inheriting the riches of the very Kingdom of God.

The late, great pastor, Billy Graham, once quipped that he never saw a funeral hearse pulling a U-Haul trailer while on the way to a cemetery. His point was this:

You can spend your whole life amassing treasure on earth but when you die, you’re simply going to leave them behind. Someone else will get everything you gained.

Today’s blessed exhortation demands that we do ourselves a favor and simplify our lives, steering clear of the love of money and instead directing devotion to the God who always helps and provides for His beloved believers. When we do this, then and only then, will we be able to reach a place where we are content with what we have, living with an attitude of gratitude to the Lord who is with us and for us, now and for all eternity.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

BLESSED EXHORTATIONS (PART 4)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Hebrews 13:4

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In our study of Hebrews, chapter 13, we have been looking at a succession of blessed exhortations that serve as the backbone for this current message series. To date, we have found the Word of God telling Christian believers to do the following:

1. To love others as brothers and sisters, using the Lord’s love to do so.

2. To extend hospitality to others, even those who we may not know.

3. To remember the incarcerated as if we were imprisoned with them.

This brings us to today’s scripture verse, verse 4 in this chapter. Here’s what the Lord commands:

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

To really get the full gist of this and why the Lord has it in place, we need to look at some numbers.

First of all, current data shows that within marriages inside the United States, 25 percent of all husbands and 16 percent of wives have had affairs while they were married and unfortunately, these numbers only reflect those who were bold enough to admit their infidelity. One would have to think the numbers are much higher.

Now, maybe these percentages seem like they aren’t too much of a big deal because they look small. But before you form that opinion, you have to look at this matter through the lens of the number of marriages in America and that equals over 133 million. For ease of calculation, we will use 133 million as our number and when we apply this to the aforementioned percentages, this is what we find.

Number of husbands who admitted cheating on their wives: 33.3 million.

Number of wives who admitted cheating on their husbands: 21.3 million.

If you’re not staggered and troubled by these numbers, then you are either a non-believer or you think you are a believer but are spiritually dead.

The statistics show us why the Lord has to command people to maintain purity in marriage for these issues with unfaithfulness have gone on since the first century A.D.

So what’s the solution? How is this disturbing trend ever going to reverse itself?

Well, we read where God will not sit by idly and allow this transgressive behavior to continue unchecked. For as we read in our passage today, the following is promised for the marital partner who commits infidelity:

...for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

This God, the Lord God Almighty, said this when He delivered His famous ten commandments to Moses and the Israelite people at Mount Sinai:

“You shall not commit adultery.” Exodus 20:14

When God says not to do something, He means don’t do it. Period. And He will hold the disobedient accountable for their sinfulness.

God ordains marriage and He is the only One who can sustain it so it becomes a relationship that honors Him. This means a husband and wife are to seek to satisfy His desires within their marriage, not their own which is the root cause of infidelity as husbands and wife chase after meeting their needs before the needs of the Lord.

An honorable marriage then becomes one that is God-centered, seeking the relationship purity that only He can produce. Too many people are not getting this, almost 55 million as stated earlier, and my prayer is that this message goes out to the masses so we can reduce the current number of unfaithful marital partners. If you can, please share this with everyone you know so the word gets out.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

BLESSED EXHORTATIONS (PART 3)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Hebrews 13:3

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In 2015, I had started a job with the Virginia Department of Veterans Services, serving as a Resource Specialist for the Virginia Veteran and Family Support Program. I would meet with Veterans and/or their family members when there were needs and then try and get them connected to help. After I had become qualified to do case management, my regional leadership asked if I would be willing to work with incarcerated Veterans. And although I had never been in prison or correctional center before, I felt the Lord nudging me to the work and so I accepted.

That decision led to around four and a half years of work with Veterans who were serving time. I would end up going “inside the wire” at five different correctional centers to offer personal assistance to Veterans who were near release or experiencing issues with the VA benefits and entitlements.

Going back to the first time I went into a correctional center, there was a little anxiety. I guess this would be true for anyone. For after going through a stringent security check that made TSA’s at the airport look like the minor leagues, I was escorted to the place where I would meet with the Veterans to assist. This escorted journey took me to metal gates laced with concertina wire at the top. One gate would open and close before the other would open as you made your way into the main grounds. I was led into a hall and a room where there was a table and a bunch of plastic chairs you might find on a deck somewhere. I was in and my hope was that I would be able to get back out.

And with that, I started meeting with my first Veterans and when I did, my earlier nervousness was dispelled. Because when I started to build rapport with those seeking help, the Lord quickly prepared my heart and inclined it in the right direction. For although everyone I saw in orange jumpsuits was in there because of felony offenses they committed and were convicted of, I couldn’t view myself as any better than them. For as we read in the third chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (v.23) and ALL means ALL. It includes you, me, and all those in that correctional center as well as correctional centers, prisons, and jails across our country and the world as a whole.

All people need redemption and saving when it comes right down to it and only Jesus can give it.

So when I read today’s passage, the third blessed exhortation of this series, it takes on a very personal identity with me and my experience with men and women who committed crimes but were counting the days until their debt to society was paid and they could get a second chance to show the world they were a better person than they were before. Maybe you have your own personal testimony to share and if you so feel moved to do so, please leave a comment and share with others.

Ultimately, we are all prisoners when it comes right down to it, imprisoned and held in bondage by our sinfulness. And so when the scriptures call us to “remember those in prison” as if we were together with them, we need to remember our own imprisonment in our transgressions and see how Jesus is ready to set everyone free who places their belief in Him. For He Himself proclaimed that if the Son has set you free, then you are free indeed (John 8:36). He also said this:

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me.’”

“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?’”

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.’” Matthew 25:34-40

So how can we make a difference in the lives of men and women in prison today, actively pursuing to answer the Lord’s call?

Many churches have a prison ministry. One that comes to mind immediately is Kairos Prison Ministry. You can learn more about them here to include how you can support their work if you are unable to get involved personally and make visits.

https://kairosprisonministry.org

Another non-profit ministry that does great work and outreach with the incarcerated is Prison Fellowship ministries (https://www.prisonfellowship.org/). They offer opportunities to pray for the incarcerated, provide Bibles, and even serve in an advocacy role.

While you might not have the opportunity to go inside correctional centers and meet with incarcerated men and women first hand, there are things you can do to make a difference. I go back to when the Apostle Paul was imprisoned in Rome for simply bringing forth the Gospel and how he testified to being blessed anytime someone would take the time to go and visit with him. I know the incarcerated have the same longing today because I’ve heard their testimonies. The Word of God calls all Christian believers to action and in the case of today’s message, reminds us that we have no right to judge but rather to extend love and caring to those Jesus saw as “the least of these”.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

BLESSED EXHORTATIONS (PART 2)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:2

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

How well do you practice hospitality, even to where you are comfortable welcoming strangers into your home?

I’m afraid not many people would score well if graded today and this is what makes today’s blessed exhortation, the second in this current series, so convicting in nature. In His infinite wisdom, God knew His people would need a constant reminder in regard to His expectations for being hospitable and so He made sure these words for today ended up in the scriptures. Look again at what our Lord commands us in verse 2 of Hebrews 13:

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

It’s important to note that during biblical times, the matter of extending hospitality to others, familiar or otherwise, was very commonplace. It was largely the norm vice the exception, for sure. For when people traveled from the days of Adam through the ministry of Jesus and beyond, there weren’t plentiful accommodations to choose from. Travelers would arrive in towns and villages – weary, hungry, and dirty – in need of a place to stay, wash off, and nourish themselves. What makeshift inns were available weren’t really fit for people to stay in.

And so it was culturally appropriate to invite strangers into one’s home where they would be fed and given a nice place to rest until they continued on their journey the following morning.

Need an example of this, one that also ties to the assertion of our Lord through His word that we might entertain angels unaware by caring for those we don’t know?

Go back to chapters 18 and 19 of Genesis and you fill find, first Abraham and then Lot, encounter angels of the Lord, and in both instances, show immediate hospitality to them, unaware of who they really were.

Look at these scriptures, first at Abraham in chapter 18 and then Lot in chapter 19:

The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”

“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”

So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”

Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree. Genesis 18:1-7

The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.”

“No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.”

But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”

Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”

“Get out of our way,” they replied. “This fellow came here as a foreigner, and now he wants to play the judge! We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.

But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door. Genesis 19:1-11

Both Abraham and Lot showed us what extending hospitality to strangers looks like as they attended to the visiting angels. In both instances, there wasn’t some internal debate as to whether or not the strangers could be trusted. Rather, both Abraham and Lot simply placed their faith in God and extended His love and caring to those who needed it.

In the first message in this series, we looked at the matter of extending love to one another and how we can do just that when we first give God all our love with total investment of our heart, mind, and soul. As we do this, then God’s love fills us and we can then extend His love, the only perfect love there is, to others, even strangers.

My prayer is that we will write the words of verse 2 of Hebrews 13 on our hearts so that the next time we get a chance to be hospitable to someone, we will do just that, knowing that the Lord leads people into our care in life, even His blessed angels.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

BLESSED EXHORTATIONS (PART 1)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.

Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly.

Hebrews 13:1

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

After what was a wonderful week of studying the final days of Jesus’ earthly life and then His promised resurrection, we heads back to the letter to the Hebrews and the final chapter where we find a long list of exhortations. We’ll be looking at each of these in what will be a long series of messages to wrap up the study of the writing to the Hebrew Christians of first century A.D.

We begin with the very first verse in chapter 13, nine words centered on the matter of love.

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.

Now, any time that we embark on the topic of love as it’s brought forth in the scriptures, we need to beckon back to the words of Jesus who said this when queried on the greatest commandment:

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:34-40

Note here that the focal point of the greatest commandment was love, an uncompromisingly dedicated love toward God. This commandment is only satisfied when a person devotes all that they are to the One who is their Maker and Master. It requires a totality of one’s heart, mind, and soul (aka the spiritual self) inclined toward the Lord. This leaves no room for love to be directed anywhere else, not to any person which included oneself.

What happens when we love God with every single fiber of our being, physical and spiritual?

Then all the love present in our lives will be perfect as we are intertwined with the source of perfect love and we can then share that love with others. We can become instruments of God’s love toward His beloved people.

Friends, the only way we can properly love one another is to first love God fully first and then, allowing His love to be our love, share that love with everyone else, treating them as family, like our brothers and sisters.

Our first exhortation is to keep on loving like this and by remaining completely focused on loving God first above everything and everyone else, we can do just that.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.