Posted on 01/25/2021 8:22:53 AM PST by metmom
“Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25). There is a supernatural element to times of corporate worship and fellowship. When we join a local body of believers and fellowship with them, we are not only obeying Scripture but we are allowing God to work in us through the encouragement and admonition of other Christians.
When a group of Christians gather together, God speaks to us through a minister or a song or other believers. God uses the opportunity to build each one up individually as he moves in our midst, speaking and touching each other — often in a different way. That is the beauty of the family of Christ. Through fellowship, we find strength and power and discipline. And through meeting together, our faith grows.
Healthy fellowship is important outside of worship services as well. Each of us should find people of like mind and values — people who will not only commit to being our friends but also will hold us accountable. People who will mentor us in our faith, help us resist temptation and pick us up when we fall. People who will be there to encourage us during times of stress and turmoil and admonish us when we are missing the boat. People who want to see us succeed in our Christian walk and whom we can encourage when they too face difficulties.
The enemy of our soul is fearsome, but our Commander-in-Chief does not leave us defenseless against him. He gives us weapons forged and tempered to bring his power to bear in the struggle.
“‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper … This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 54:17).
Pray fervently and worship with all your heart. Stay in fellowship with other believers. And examine the Scriptures daily and put on the whole armor of God. With the weapons he gives you, you will be prepared and in control.
How do you obey the instruction to exhort others more as you see the day approaching? What is the day? Sunday? If so, do you exhort others more on Thursday than you do on Monday?
Thanks for reading, and considering.
The day of the return of the Lord, as I always read it.
Things are going to get much worse before the end times and we will need to encourage and exhort each other as that time draws near.
Thanks!
Perhaps you can help me with Mt. 16.27-28 on the coming of the Lord:
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto every man according to his deeds. 28 Verily I say unto you, there are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Doesn’t it sound like Jesus said he would come for judgment during the lifetime of some of his disciples? Did he do that, or do we have some 2000 year old disciples around?
In addition, Jesus said in Mt. 24.30, 34:
v30: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
v34:Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished.
If he didn’t come during his generation, why wouldn’t he be false prophet?
Thanks again for your help.
you are right Matt 16: 28 Verily I say unto you, there are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
that clearly indicates that the kingdom would come in the lifetime of His listeners - i.e. by 70 AD
That corroborates with
Mark 1:15 Jesus came into Galilee, [k]preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God [l]is at hand; repent and [m]believe in the gospel.”
and
Matthew 3:2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
good catch
and Col. 1.13-14 says first century Christians were in Christ’s kingdom:
13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; 14 in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins:
Thanks for your input.
Do you also accept from Mt. 16.27 that Jesus came in the glory of his father with his angels, and judged every man while some of his disciples were still alive?
[27] For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels: and then will he render to every man according to his works. [28] Amen I say to you, there are some of them that stand here, that shall not taste death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.That is a very good reference -- Jesus first remonstrated the pharisees and then Simon for saying He ought not to die
If Jesus publicly came into His Kingdom in 70 AD then He was absolutely correct in telling His disciples at the Transfiguration that some of them would live to see it.
Notice that Jesus links shall come in the glory of his Father with render to every man according to his works - a case of justification (not of salvation - which is freely given and not earned)
The destruction of the temple along with the miraculous escape of the Jesus-movement Jews is what propelled Christianity
I don’t see the element of judging every man according to his works in the transfiguration (Mk. 9.1). I think a closer correspondence to Mt. 16.27-28 is the Olivet Discourse, where in Mt. 24.30, 34, Jesus said:
30 and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory...34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished.
Can you go for that?
Matthew 16 is clearly saying
[27] For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels: and then will he render to every man according to his works. [28] Amen I say to you, there are some of them that stand here, that shall not taste death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.In Matthew 16:13-20 Peter has shown understanding of Jesus’ identity, that he is the Christ (Messiah). This experience is to help deepen this understanding. It is so special that only Jesus’ three closest followers - Peter, James and John - are chosen to witness it. Jesus wants them to understand that his role of Messiah will involve suffering and death, but this will not be the final outcome of his mission. Jesus has come from Heaven and he will return there when he has completed his task on Earth.
In Matthew this is in chapter 17 immediately after the above "[27] For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels: and then will he render to every man according to his works."
And in any case, the Olivet discourse is about the destruction of the temple in 70 AD
I appreciate your comments, Cronos. Have you ever considered that Mt. 25 is the judgment Jesus talked about in Mt. 16?
1-4 --> the evil and unfaithful generation of the first century is looking for the sign of the MESSIAH (note that Daniel's prophecy was known to END in the 1st century hence the proliferation of Jewish Messianic figures from the 4BC Judas the Galilean to the 132 Simon Bar Kochkba) - but they will only get the sign of Jonah -> refer Jonah 3:4 And Jonas began to enter into the city one day's journey: and he cried, and said: Yet forty days, and Ninive shall be destroyed. --> if Israel will not repent, then God will take their power and strength and give it to a foreign land that knows Him not. These foreigners will shame and humiliate Israel, inflicting God’s punishment on them. Jesus says elsewhere: Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit (Matt 21:43).
5-12 --> To beware the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadduccees -- a bit of a digression, but the entire Noahide movement, much of the pre-Trib rapture (as seen espoused by folks on FR) and the Adventists fall squarely into this error, disobeying Jesus' very teaching.
13-17 --> The confession of Simon Peter about Jesus being the Messiah
And yet immediately after in 21-23 Peter is rebuked, and harshly "Get behind me Satan" -- this is linked to the third temptation of Christ in Matthew's writing --> The Lord declares that the concept of the Messiah has to be understood in terms of the entirety of the message of the Prophets -- NOT worldly power but the Cross, and a radically different community -- the Church -- that comes into being through the Cross. But Peter had declared Jesus the Messiah not of his own intelligence but it was revealed to him by the ineffable God. And peter putting his intellect failed to understand the nature of the Messiah -- falling for the "worldly idea of empire, earthly rule, etc." - which is what the extreme rapture and Noahide and Jehovah's witnesses fall for --> only when we read Peter's words in 16:22 against the background of the 3rd temptation do we understand the incredibly harsh "Get behind me Satan"
24-28 --> conditions of disciplehood - to take up the cross. This again flies in the face of the pre-trib rapture that we don't face harshness but get magically wafted away. No, we should expect suffering
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Matthew 25 seems linked to 16 as what would happen if we don't take up the cross of suffering
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