One more passage on "repentance and obedience" for this Sunday morning:

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.
- Hebrews 10:23-25

I would like to think that most of us are spending time at church this morning, being church this morning, worshiping together as the church this morning with other Christians, doing exactly what this passage in Hebrews 10 is calling us to do. But are we "going to church" any more than we're "holding unswervingly to the hope we profess"? It's almost like we go to church, and we hold onto this hope as much as we can, but again, God understands if I fail, or if I'm not growing, or if I'm not faithful even though He's faithful. Our coming together holds huge promise for us, but if that's the only thing we "hold unswervingly" onto... if I come to church no matter what, but I'm so lagging in daily commitment to Christ in me, or I'm so unteachabel that Sunday morning's encouragements and chastisements are long forgotten by bedtime........

Don't we see "the Day approaching"? I pray that in our own confession of Christ, in our own profession of His faithfulness, that we are being drawn closer to Him and to His people, the church. I pray that we are encouraging towards each other this morning, that we are "spurring one another towards love and good deeds" in Christ, rather than judging others' specks and not dealing with our own logs (Matt 7). Or perhaps, as we "hold unswervingly" to Christ, we are dealing with our logs, and we are able as we do not "give up meeting *together*" to help each other with the specks....

God is good this morning. I hold tightly and unswervingly to Him today. This means alot to me right now - as our services get cranked up at CWO, and my family and I are on vacation, I miss the people who've become family in our church body right now. I can't imagine "skipping church" - vacation is one thing, but habitually finding something else "better" to do on a Sunday morning is beyond me. Derek Webb sings a line from Jesus: "If you love Me you will love the Church." Being in it; caring for it; longing to be with it; seeking to encourage it; helping to grow it as the Kingdom on earth.

Bring it back around: true repentance will leave "my rights" behind, and true obedience will follow the Father's calling. We are to hold unswervingly to this hope, and we are to encourage others onward in the same thing. Love God with others - love others with God.
- posted by Rick @ 10:46