This morning as I was spending my alone time with the Lord, I was reading Hebrews 10:19-25.
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 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.”
As I read this I thought how strange it was that God put that part about spurring one another on right there in the middle of this passage. Why would God do that?
I love how this scripture takes us from one step to another and how each verse supports the one before it and after it. It tells us that we can have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place because of the blood that Christ shed for us. It continues to develop as it teaches us that Christ was the new and living way because of His body and how He is the great priest who is over the house of God. It assures us that we can draw near to God with a sincere heart that is so full of assurance of faith that our hearts can be sprinkled clean from a guilty conscience and we can be washed with pure water.
Oh how I hold this so close to my heart. I know the girl I use to be so full of myself and my own desires. A young woman so full of the flesh and instant gratification. A girl so full of worldly things and expectations.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Why would God put this in the midst of these verses? Well, I can only share with you what He laid on my heart.
As I researched the word “spur”, I went back to the original Greek text which is paroxusmos. This word translates to the following:
Contention
Sharp
Provoke
Inciting
Incitement
Irritation
So as Christians, we are to irritate one another? That one sure made me laugh and gave me a good chuckle this morning.
You see, we are to provoke one another, spur one another, irritate one another, and sharpen one another toward love and good deeds. It is all above loving one another so much that we sharpen one another to not stay the way we are but to push one another to grow in love and good deeds.
I am blessed with working with Christian women every day of my life. It is a joy that I can’t put into words. But I have two ladies in my life that this scripture is so true! One has become a mentor for me in the ministry and helping me grow to learn the areas of a non-profit. The other, is my right hand lady who I work with side by side. Each very different from one another and at times they are on two ends of the spectrum!!! Yet these women bring to life this scripture. They are the exact definition and meaning of this verse!
We provoke one another toward love and good deeds. We push one another to be more like Jesus. We sharpen one another to focus on the goal that Christ has set before us and not get distracted by the little things in life. We irritate the daylights out of each other at times!!!
Oh but can I tell you what a joy it is to have true Christian support like this. It is how the body of Christ was called to work and live with one another.
Are there days when it hurts? Sure! But that’s when we lovingly look at one another and say “Pull your big girl panties up and deal with it my sister.”
God is so faithful and He will do what He said He would. He promised us a Savior and He gave us His one and only Son. God loved the world so much that He sent us His Son to be born so that one day He could die a gruesome death for the world!
But God also has given us one another to sharpen each other so we can be transformed and changed more into the image of Christ. Instead of running away from those who challenge you into greatness, what about running to them with open arms to say let’s do this together?
Christmas is only a few days away and I challenge you to not get caught up in what the world has created this Holiday to be but to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. I challenge you to focus on the birth of Christ our Savior. I challenge you as you come together with family and friends to be that light shining for Jesus. I challenge you to find other Christians who love you enough to want to spur you on to greatness! I challenge you to proclaim from the rooftops with boldness that Christ is and how He is the one and only true Savior of this world.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Do You Hear What I Hear? by Eileen Alpaugh
Oh my, I feel a series coming on. There are so many things to learn about the art of listening. The older I get the more I realize how many situations teeter on the brink of success or failure based on good communication or the lack thereof. It has recently become one of the main things needing my attention and concentration. I’m amazed at what I am learning.
I am blessed to spend the majority of my days in the company of Christians. We share the same faith, the same convictions, the same passions and the same struggles. We work together, minister together and fellowship together. Yet with all we have in common, we struggle in the area of communication. More often that not we discover we have ‘heard’ very different things in our conversations and meetings. It has been laughable at times as we revisit a topic to learn just how mixed our messages got.
It reminds me of a quote from Robert McCloskey, U.S. State Department spokesman, at a press briefing during the Vietnam War. He said, “ I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”
Each of us has a way of processing information based on many factors; how we were raised, our experiences, our fears and our desires to name a few. Much of what we hear is filter through the ‘what’s in it for me’ standard. How does this pertain to me, what will be required of me, does this interest me, what will my response be, and so on.
All this has made me wonder about how I ‘hear’ the Word of God. How many times have I listened to a sermon or read Scripture from the ‘what’s in it for me’ standpoint causing me to miss what the Spirit of God was saying – which, if I had actually heard would have been so much more meaningful than what I was hoping He would say. Oh how gracious He is to keep saying what I need to hear until I have an ear to hear.
Romans 12 speaks about how we are transformed by the renewing of our mind. As the Word of God corrects the way we think, it allows us to hear from a new perspective – His perspective. Oh, how I long for that. I know it’s a process and will take time. And to help me along, I have His people with whom I can practice.
As the Holiday approaches and the New Year begins, I pray God will bless you with the richness of His presence and the abundance of His Peace. May you hear His message of unsurpassed love and unfathomable grace in every carol that is sung, may you see His hands of mercy reaching out to those in need and may you be the light that shines to those who still walk in darkness, waiting to hear.
With much love, Eileen
I am blessed to spend the majority of my days in the company of Christians. We share the same faith, the same convictions, the same passions and the same struggles. We work together, minister together and fellowship together. Yet with all we have in common, we struggle in the area of communication. More often that not we discover we have ‘heard’ very different things in our conversations and meetings. It has been laughable at times as we revisit a topic to learn just how mixed our messages got.
It reminds me of a quote from Robert McCloskey, U.S. State Department spokesman, at a press briefing during the Vietnam War. He said, “ I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”
Each of us has a way of processing information based on many factors; how we were raised, our experiences, our fears and our desires to name a few. Much of what we hear is filter through the ‘what’s in it for me’ standard. How does this pertain to me, what will be required of me, does this interest me, what will my response be, and so on.
All this has made me wonder about how I ‘hear’ the Word of God. How many times have I listened to a sermon or read Scripture from the ‘what’s in it for me’ standpoint causing me to miss what the Spirit of God was saying – which, if I had actually heard would have been so much more meaningful than what I was hoping He would say. Oh how gracious He is to keep saying what I need to hear until I have an ear to hear.
Romans 12 speaks about how we are transformed by the renewing of our mind. As the Word of God corrects the way we think, it allows us to hear from a new perspective – His perspective. Oh, how I long for that. I know it’s a process and will take time. And to help me along, I have His people with whom I can practice.
As the Holiday approaches and the New Year begins, I pray God will bless you with the richness of His presence and the abundance of His Peace. May you hear His message of unsurpassed love and unfathomable grace in every carol that is sung, may you see His hands of mercy reaching out to those in need and may you be the light that shines to those who still walk in darkness, waiting to hear.
With much love, Eileen
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