Those Who Rule Over You, Hebrews 13:7-9

⁷ Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.

Those who rule over you, we see those words three times in this chapter.

It appears the curtain closes on Hebrews with the spotlight, at least in part on: those who rule over you.

This refers to leaders in the Church. Not government or secular workplace.

God calls and chooses His shepherds to tend and lead and feed His flock.

A characteristic of any shepherd, any leader called by God, is that they speak the Word of God.

An eloquent speaker may wax poetic and tickle ears. A powerful orator is able to trigger emotion and action.

However, no matter how gifted, anyone who stands as a shepherd, or pastor or teacher or preacher or prophet or evangelist, or anyone who stands in the Church as a leader, if they do not rightly divide and speak the Word of Truth, they are at best, a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

At worst, a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

So, dear Church, (unless directed by God for a specific mission) never sit under the leadership of anyone who doesn’t teach and preach the Word of God.

Even if, especially if, they make you feel really good and warm and fuzzy.

The Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any sword, it pierces the soul and lays open the thoughts and intents of hearts. Heb. 4:12.

The Word of God gives comfort and clarity and correction, not carefully crafted, politically correct, self-help sermons.

Our text tells us to remember (to recall, be mindful, bear in mind) those who rule over you.

 In part that means we need to pay attention, so we can search the Scriptures to make sure what they said is True.

 Acts 17:11, These (the Bereans) were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

John 5:39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

Also, we’re told to consider the outcome of their conduct.

We’re to not only pay attention to their words, but also their ways.

This leans a little toward leaders who’ve passed away.

Once they’re gone, we can see the outcome of their life.

Consider their preaching, their praying, their practice.

Did their life bear Godly fruit?

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23.

Did they finish well?

Is so, remember them and follow their faith.  

Not necessarily their actions, but their faith.

Consider the outcome of their conduct and follow their faith. Like the faith giants of chapter 11, we follow their faith, not their footsteps.  

Is your shepherd rooted and grounded in the Word of God? Faithful? Steadfast? Stable?

Like...

 ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Literally: Jesus Christ, Himself, yesterday, today and forever.

Malachi 3:6, “For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

James 1:17, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Jesus. The Word of God. Faithful. Steadfast. Stable.

Galatians 6:9, Weary not in well doing for in due season you will reap if you faint not.

That's an immutable unchangeable Spiritual Law.

Speaking of laws, Jesus hasn’t added a new law for 2,000 years. And He runs the universe. Amazing!

US state lawmakers introduce a quarter of a million bills each session.

Hundreds of laws are made each year in US.

1,000 new laws were made last year in California (2025).

200 were made in Florida.

In our little village? More and more every year.

People just can’t seem to stop the urge to control.

Consider your leaders, are they like Jesus, faithful, steadfast and stable, or do they need to be told...

 ⁹ Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.

Due to the reproach of Christ, they were tempted to turn from Christ back to the religious sacrificial system of Judaism or, be carried away with various and strange doctrines.

That’s the opposite of standing faithful, steadfast and stable.

James 1:5-8, If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Hebrews 10:38, Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.

Luke 9:62, No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Remember Lot's wife.

Today we’re seeing what can only be described as various and very strange doctrines of demons.

1 Timothy 4:1-2
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, ² speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,

Just as they were warned not to be carried away by various and strange doctrines, we too must warn and be warned about these deceiving spirits.

But it’s easier said than done. If you’ve tried to reason with those who’ve fallen prey to these deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, you’ve felt the sting of a viper’s tongue.

Lord, help us.

But don’t worry, the Lord doesn’t give warning, without giving weapon.

9 For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

It’s good, he says, to establish, to strengthen, your heart.

We’re not talking about heart healthy Cheerios. It says, “not with foods.”

Their newfangled strange doctrine perhaps dealt with meat and drink, and physical food, but we’re talking about the real heart. The real you. 

It is good to establish, strengthen, settle, our heart, by grace.

Paul pleaded, “please take this thorn.” God said, “My grace is sufficient. For in your weakness, My strength is made perfect.” 2 Cor. 12:9.

God’s strength accompanies His grace.

Grace is unmerited favor.

Zechariah 4:6-7
Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts.
7 ‘Who are you, O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth the capstone
With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”

Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Speaking of not boasting. Let’s look at the thrice mentioned phrase: “those who rule over you.”

Verse 7: Remember those who rule over you...17: Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you... 24: Greet all those who rule over you.

Now look at their resume:

1 Corinthians 1:26-29,
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. ²⁷ But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ that no flesh should glory in His presence.

God calls and chooses His shepherds to tend and lead and feed His flock.

In the Kingdom of God all are equally valuable.

However, there are different rules and roles.

There is, authority and hierarchy.

When the family of God functions by the principles of God, the Kingdom of God flourishes.

The Church must reflect what's needed in the world

When asked about the last days, the first thing Jesus said is: “Take heed that no one deceives you.” Matthew 24:4.

Then, after listing several things that will take place, He closed by saying:

And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. Matt. 24:12.

Today's lawlessness reflects that verse.

Today’s lawlessness is the opposite of God’s Divine Design.

The lawless one sees the Church gathering, justice rising, judgement coming and therefore...

2 Thessalonians 2:7-12
 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹ And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, ¹² that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Dear Church, we are seeing this Scripture being fulfilled right before our very eyes.

Speak truth.

Be an example.

Respect law and order.

Pray for those in authority.

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, we pray for those who rule over us. We pray You guard them, guide them, and use them for Your glory. Dear Lord, it looks like we’re living in the days of deception, amongst those of a strong delusion. Please give us Your wisdom and discernment and use us, to save the savable, to articulate Your Word and live Your Love.

Thank You.

We love You, forever.

Amen.

Prayer Requests:

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Email: pray4measap@aol.com

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This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.

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When the Lord Departs, Ezekiel 10

Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.

God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8.

He reveals the end from the beginning. Isaiah 46:10.

He repeatedly pours out His warning, before pouring out His wrath.

He’s doing it today.

Let’s go back 2,600+ years and see how yesterday points to our today and tomorrow.

September 17, 592 BC.

13 years from the first siege when Daniel was taken captive to Babylon.

5 years after the second siege when Ezekiel was taken.

God repeatedly warned of coming judgement, in multiple ways, for multiple years, through prophets like, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel.

We experienced it as we imitated Ezekiel building a mini-Jerusalem under siege, foreshadowing the destruction of Jerusalem soon to follow.

We tasted Ezekiel’s bread baked with fire, fueled by manure, reflecting the scarcity and starvation soon to come, due to the stench of their wickedness toward the Lord.

We watched in horror as he shaved with a sword, reflecting the disgrace and dishonor that would follow their disgrace and dishonor of the Lord.

In Ezekiel 8, the Lord gave Zeke a second vision.

He came in a blaze of glory, as Holy Fire, and carried Ezekiel, in the vision, by the hair of his head, to Jerusalem, to the north gate of the temple court, where the wicked image of jealousy sat. An idol, that not only broke the first two of the ten commandments, but broke God’s heart. (No gods. No idols. Ex. 20:1-17 and Dt. 5:6-21). Idolatry is adultery against God.

And that was just the beginning.

From there the Lord revealed how the temple walls crawled with every unclean creeping thing, exposing how they had gone from worshipping God in the light to worshipping demons in the dark.

Then, the Lord showed Ezekiel women at the north gate weeping for a false god called Tammuz, a demonic ritual involving immoral lascivious prostituting behavior.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, the Lord told Ezekiel, to turn and see even greater abominations.

And there at the door of the temple between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the LORD and their faces to the east, and they bowed to worship the sun.

Then, the Lord declared His Righteous Resolution:

Have you seen this? Is it a trivial thing for Judah to commit these abominations? They’ve filled the land with violence. They’ve provoked me to jealousy. I will pour out my fury. I will not spare or pity, even if they cry out loud, I will not listen.

The vision flows seamlessly into Ezekiel 9...

The Lord called to arms those in charge of the city. Six men appeared with battle-axes.

One was clothed in linen and had an inkhorn at his side. He was sent to seal the righteous, those who sighed and cried over the wickedness of (Minneapolis, I mean, Walz, Frey, Omar, Newsom, corrupt politicians, lawless judges, crooked congress, woke clergy, child slaughtering, trafficking, mutilating, indoctrinating), Jerusalem.

To those who stand and speak the Truth, boldly, wisely, lovingly, He seals and says, “I’ve got you, I’ll protect you. Even if you take a bullet, Charlie, you’ll never die. I’ll make sure your voice is never silenced.”

The others did not bear the battle-axe in vain. They swung the ICEy sword of judgement.

With judgement comes justice, the other side of the same coin.

Then the Mediator in linen, returned from His mission and said to Him who sat on the throne above the cherubim, "It is Finished."

And that’s where Ezekiel 9 ends and chapter 10 begins with Him who sits on the throne answering the Man in linen.

Chapter 10 pulls back the curtain, and we step inside the unseen realm of the spirit, which is more real than what we can see, here and now.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18
¹⁷ For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, ¹⁸ while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Ezekiel 10:1

And I looked, and there in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne.

The Lord God is high and lifted up on something like a sapphire stone throne.

² Then He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, “Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” And he went in as I watched.

The One in linen is sent on another mission.

“Fill your hands with coals and scatter them over the city.”

In Isaiah 6, one of the seraphim took a glowing coal from under the altar to cleanse Isaiah’s unclean lips, but here the coals of fire scattered over the city represent judgement for the iniquities we were shown previously.

³ Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court. ⁴ Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the temple; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory. ⁵ And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like the voice of Almighty God when He speaks.

⁶ Then it happened, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” that he went in and stood beside the wheels. ⁷ And the cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim to the fire that was among the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, who took it and went out. 

The Man in linen went in, and the court and the temple filled with the cloud and the brightness and the glory of the Lord.

The sound of the wings of the cherubim arose like the great multitude of voices in heaven which shout right before the Lord returns to judge the earth: Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgements... Rev. 19:1-2a.

The Man in linen took coals from the cherub and went out, again.

The first time He went out to seal the saints.

This time to judge the wicked.

Jesus our Savior, the first time, came as The Lamb of God to seal the saints with His own blood.

But He’s coming again, with fire in His eyes.

Revelation 19:11-21
¹¹ Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³ He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵ Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND

LORD OF LORDS.

¹⁷ Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, ¹⁸ that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”

¹⁹ And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. ²⁰ Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. ²¹ And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Justice is rising.  Judgement is coming.

Two sides of same coin.

Justice for one. Judgement for the other.

The righteous rejoice, the wicked riot.

 

The Lord’s Living Chariot

⁸ The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings.

⁹ And when I looked, there were four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub and another wheel by each other cherub; the wheels appeared to have the color of a beryl stone. ¹⁰ As for their appearance, all four looked alike—as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. ¹¹ When they went, they went toward any of their four directions; they did not turn aside when they went, but followed in the direction the head was facing. They did not turn aside when they went. ¹² And their whole body, with their back, their hands, their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were full of eyes all around. ¹³ As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, “Wheel.”

¹⁴ Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. ¹⁵ And the cherubim were lifted up. This was the living creature I saw by the River Chebar. ¹⁶ When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also did not turn from beside them. ¹⁷ When the cherubim stood still, the wheels stood still, and when one was lifted up, the other lifted itself up, for spirit of the living creature was in them.

The Lord’s wheels.

The Lord’s Heavenly Harley, Cherub King, Angel Glide, Cloudster

Notice the harmony of heaven reflected between the cherubim and the wheels. Like a well-trained horse knows what you want, just by a slight lean or leg pressure one direction or another.

We discussed in greater detail the Lord’s Living Cherubim Chariot in our study of Ezekiel 1. You can read more about it here: The Heavens Were Opened, Ezekiel 1

1 Corinthians 2:9
 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Now, the curtain falls on this chapter with one of the saddest scenes ever witnessed.

¹⁸ Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. ¹⁹ And the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside them; and they stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

²⁰ This is the living creature I saw under the God of Israel by the River Chebar, and I knew they were cherubim. ²¹ Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. ²² And the likeness of their faces was the same as the faces which I had seen by the River Chebar, their appearance and their persons. They each went straight forward.

The Good Guy, with the white hat, came to seal and save the city that was being overcome by evil.

But the priests, the elders, the governors and mayors were complicit in the wickedness. So, they stirred up the people who were pleased with sin and they refused His help, they willingly rejected Him, repeatedly.           

They basically told Him, “Get the F out of my city!” (as echoed by the demonically charged Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey).

So, because their souls have passed the point of no return, the Lord mounts His trusty Cherubim Chariot and rides to the east gate, then stops, turns, one last time, one last glimpse, once again with broken heart.

Has anyone recognized the day of My visitation?

Will anyone notice the absence of My Presence?

Will any humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways? Oh, if only you would, I would hear and forgive and heal. 2 Chronicles 7:14

But alas, no one notices... no one will, until it’s too late, after judgement falls.

What does the absence of God’s Presence in a nation look like?

·       Celebrating slaughtering babies, indoctrinating, mutilating innocent children.

·       Prompting Bubba to shower with Susie at school.

·       Men in dresses and heels and make up and lip stick with a fetish for children reading stories to them about perverted sexual relationships...  And pretending it's normal.

·       A man who thinks he's a woman, put in charge of U.S. Public Health Service

·       Awarding mentally disturbed men for punching girls in the face in boxing rings. 

·       Celebrating sexual perversion on Easter on the white house lawn

·       Debased minds, called experts in OB GYN, can’t answer if a man can get pregnant

·       Defending and protecting, murderers, rapists, child sex traffickers while obstructing and protesting agents trying to apprehend them. 

·       Refusing to comply with authorities searching for waste, fraud and abuse.

·       Invaded by foreigners whose only goal is to steal, kill and destroy.

·       Lock down. Mask up.

·       Church closed. Silenced. Cancelled.

 Psalm 92:7
When the wicked spring up like grass and when all the workers of iniquity flourish it is that they may be destroyed forever.

 

What does the Presence of God in a nation look like?

·       Protect babies in the womb, children from indoctrination and mutilation, girls and women from men in sports and showers.

·       Agreeing with God that He made male and female. Two genders, that's all.

·       Agreeing with God that all life is sacred, especially the most vulnerable life in the womb

·       Agreeing with God that marriage is between one man and one woman

·       Church attendance and Bible sales skyrocket.

·       Prayer requested and promoted from the White House

·       Borders secure.

·       Murder rates plummet.

·       Criminals caught—crimes drop.

·       Waste, fraud, abuse, uncovered.

·       Economy soars, debt drops.

·       Wars end.

·       Standing up, speaking out, welcomed.

·       Voices heard.

·       Churches open.

·       Freedom rings.

Proverbs 29:2
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.

Have you noticed a pattern?

When things are going well. When the tide is turning, economy growing, employment rising, inflation slowing, crime dropping, smooth sailing...  

Suddenly, riots happen.

Like in Jesus' day when He was going about doing good, and the bad guys, the leaders, the ones who should've been onboard for all the good things Jesus was doing, but they were more concerned about their position and power, so they said, if He keeps this up the whole world will go after Him. So, they invoked a riot, stirred up the mob, to cry out, Crucify Him! Crucify Him!

Nothing has changed. The same demons use the same tactics to overthrow Godliness.

So, the pattern repeats itself, good starts rising, spreading, glowing... and suddenly, riots happen.

When God is on the move, the serpent rattles.   

Did you notice the 2020 riots suddenly stopped, but the cops didn't suddenly get good, and the blacks didn't suddenly stop committing crimes.

What happened?

An election.

Perhaps it wasn’t about blacks or cops or justice, but about lawlessness, chaos to sway public opinion and control and corrupt an election. To keep the crooked in positions of power.

So then, perhaps, today it's not about ICE or illegals, but the same demons using the same tactics to overthrow good.

Manipulate masses by demonic deception.

They literally call evil, Good.

Midterms are upon us.

Walz’ billion dollar walls of waste, fraud, and abuse are exposed and about to fall.  

Justice is rising.  Judgement is coming.

Two sides of same coin.

Justice for one. Judgement for the other.

The righteous rejoice, the wicked riot.

But you dear sealed Saint of God, do not fear...

2 Corinthians 4:17-18
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, ¹⁸ while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

 

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, thank You for warning us, repeatedly, of these days of deception and wickedness. Please open our eyes to see beyond the lies. Help us to shine Your Love and Light opening eyes of the blind, to see You.

Come quickly Lord Jesus.

We love You, forever.

Amen.  

Prayer Requests:

Call or text: 612-554-2522

Email: pray4measap@aol.com

Facebook: Church at WPV

Books: amazon.com/author/dougspurling

Watch online:

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This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.

Thank you for sharing.

 

Love Like This, Hebrews 13:1-6

Dear Saints, as we cross the threshold into the last chapter of Hebrews, remember how far we’ve come.

Consider Christ who endured the cross for the joy set before Him.

Remember the faith giants who searched for the city whose Builder and Maker is God.

Run the race, cherish chastening, stay the course.

Finally, dear family, love like this.

Let brotherly love continue. ² Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. ³ Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

⁴ Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

⁵ Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ⁶ So we may boldly say:

“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”

OUTLINE:

1.    Abiding Love

2.    Strangers And Angels

3.    Prisoners Like Me

4.    Most Honorable

5.    Total Contentment

6.    Faithfully Fearless

 

Abiding Love

Let brotherly love continue,

The first verse is just two words in original text.

Menó: To remain, to abide, to stay, to continue, to dwell, to endure.

Philadelphia: Brotherly love, love of brothers.

Abide in brotherly love.

John 15:4-5. Abide (Menó)in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

This abiding, enduring, familial, brotherly love keeps on loving them even when not liking them. You simply keep loving, because you’re family.

This love doesn’t give up, doesn’t quit.  

This is not the passive shallow love that only tells what you want to hear, but the deep love that says what you need to hear, and doesn’t quit, even if hated for it.

This is the special and spiritual love the family of God is called to carry.

Here we see the Hebrews had this kind of love and are told to abide, remain, continue, in it.

Which is quite a statement because at the time, they were under the iron-fisted rule of Rome. Plus, their own nation, Israel, was terribly divided.

Divisions indicate distance from God.

They disagreed about religion.

Families split over politics.

Christians were called heretics, haters, they were persecuted, prosecuted, falsely accused, imprisoned, martyred.

The time and place and methods have changed, but the demons remain the same.   

Imagine a mob busting into our service screaming at us for not joining them.

In Minneapolis we’d be on our own. Law enforcement would be ordered to stand down. The mayor, the governor, the attorney general, the congresswoman, would defend the lawbreakers.  

Thankfully here in Florida our law would show and throw the evil doers in prison.

Thank God, one day, He will show and throw evil doers in an eternal prison.

Justice is Rising.

Justice is Coming.

His name is Jesus.

By His great grace and love and will that no one perish, that no one be deceived, He’s giving a sneak peak of the justice to come.

He is making it abundantly clear, so those who do not acknowledge the Truth, do so, willingly, and are finding themselves given over to a strong delusion, a corrupt and reprobate mind, unable to discern right from wrong, law from lawlessness, male from female. 

God soundly rebukes those who call evil good and good evil. Isaiah 5:20.

The point is, our family, in the book of Hebrews, lived in an environment hostile to Christians.

Hate was strong and mocked the song of peace on earth good will to men.

Still does.

Yet, they kept a true, Menó Philadelphia, enduring, abiding, brotherly love.

Love so strong, all the might of the Roman Empire couldn’t extinguish it.

Love so enduring, that thousands of years later, it still burns bright and strong, here and now, in the hearts and minds of His remnant.

Church, there is an enemy that is doing everything in its power to divide and conquer the Church.

A house divided cannot stand.

We must stand, united, against the wiles of the devil.

Not only stand against but be on offense.

We must do everything in our power to love the Lord our God with ALL our heart, all our soul, all our mind, all our strength... and love our neighbor with Menó Philadelphia, enduring, abiding, Truth speaking, Good doing, brotherly love.

Love like this:

1 Cor. 13:4-8a. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails.

Put your name where “love” is and read it again.

Now put the name of that unlovable person in your life and pray it, by faith, again, and again...

Love is a verb.

Strangers and angels.

² Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

Do not forget means, be sure to remember, to entertain strangers.

Intentionally, on purpose, make it a point to entertain strangers.

This is strange, even scary, in our culture.

But hospitality was a big deal in the Jewish culture. It went all the way back to the Old Testament.

Deuteronomy 10:19
Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Our first century Christians relied heavily on hospitality for lodging.

Many were poor, because being a Christian often led to their business being boycotted, even excommunication from family.

So, they traveled place to place picking up work where they could.

Okay, now, just to be clear. To intentionally, on purpose, make it a point to entertain strangers, does not mean we need to take in every stray cat that comes our way.

It means to love like this:

Intentionally, on purpose, show hospitality to those the Lord points out to you.

The stranger, the stranger, the better... they might be angels.

Remember in Genesis 18:2, Abraham looked up and saw what the Bible calls “three men.” He jumped up, invited them in to wash their feet and feed them a feast. Turns out it was two angels and the Lord.  

Then, Genesis 19, the two angels went to Lot in Sodom, and Lot also thought they were two men. He invited, actually begged, them to his house and showed them hospitality as well.

Mary Magdalene saw two angels in the tomb of Jesus and thought they were men.

Angels can appear as men. So much so that you might invite a stranger for dinner and not even know you entertained an angel.

So, just in case, whenever you invite a stranger for dinner, be sure to have...

 Angel food cake for dessert.

Extend compassion, show hospitality, put yourself in someone else’s shoes.

Which brings us to verse three...

Prisoners Like Me

³ Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

We’re talking about prisoners chained, not for crimes they committed, but mistreated for being in the Body of Christ.

So, remember them, as if chained with them, for you are also in the Body of Christ.

Prisoners like me, but by the grace of God go I.

They are still in chains, still mistreated, the blood of martyrs still flows today.

More Christians were martyred in the 20-21^st centuries than in all previous centuries combined.

Between a hundred and a hundred and sixty thousand Christians are martyred each year.

According to Opendoor.org the worst countries against Christianity are these:  

 1.    North Korea … where owning a Bible can get you killed

2.    Somalia … where following Jesus makes you the enemy

3.    Libya … where evangelism is a death sentence

4.    Eritrea … where imprisonment for following Jesus in inevitable

5.    Yemen … where Christians are on extremists’ “wanted” lists

6.    Nigeria … where a Christian dies nearly every two hours, on average.

7.    Pakistan … where every Christian is a second-class citizen

8.    Sudan … where Christians are caught in the crossfire.

9.    Iran … where being a Christian is a “crime against national security.”

10.    Afghanistan … where there “are no Christians.”

https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/stories/10-most-dangerous-places-Christians/

Lord Jesus, we pray for our family, Your children, in places of persecution. We pray for Your provision, Your protection, Your conviction unto salvation to saturate those nations. Come quickly Lord Jesus and deliver us from evil.

Help us Lord to Love like this:

1 Cor. 12:26, If one member suffer all the rest suffer with it...

Galatians 6:2, Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Romans 13:8-10, Galatians 5:14, Love fulfills the law of Christ

 

Most Honorable

⁴ Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled...

The first half of Hebrews 13:4 is wonderful.

Marriage is honorable (precious, most valuable, esteemed, beloved) among all, and the bed (koité: marriage bed, sexual relations) undefiled (unstained, pure).

What a beautiful picture.

It reflects the first marriage at the very end of Genesis 2:

Genesis 2:24-25
 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

²⁵ And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Awesome.

The purest picture of undefiled innocent, wedded bliss.

God’s plan was pure and simple.

Charlie Kirk loved to repeat it.  

·       Know the Lord.

·       Get married.

·       Have lots of kids.

Raise the kids to:

·       Know the Lord.

·       Get married.

·       Have lots of kids.

God initiates and honors marriage from the beginning.

Jesus honors marriage by performing His first public miracle at a wedding.

A husband is called to love his wife as Christ loves the Church.

The Church is called the Bride of Christ.

If only the Bible ended at the end of Genesis 2 with the words: “and they all lived happily ever after.”

But the Bible is no fairy tale and the next thing we see is Genesis 3 which starts with the words: “Now the serpent...”

Which is why we have the last half of our text in Hebrews 13:4:

Heb. 13:4b; ...but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

...but fornicators (pornos: (root: pornography), fornicator, sexually immoral person) and adulterers God will judge.

The pure and awesome undefiled Divine design of sex is to be reserved for marriage between one man and one woman for life.

Sex outside the pure undefiled marriage bed is impure, defiled, lewd, will not be blessed, but judged.

Flee such foolishness, and find...

Total Contentment

⁵ Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

The content can’t be bought.

Having Christ, knowing Him, is more than enough, so therefore, the world has nothing to offer.

Love like this:

1 Timothy 6:6
Godliness with contentment is great gain.

Faithfully Fearless

⁶ So we may boldly say:

“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”

 

1 John 4:18
 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

Romans 8:31
What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Love like this:

John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, help us to honor You by abiding in Your Love, intentionally entertaining strangers, and perhaps unwittingly, Your angels, remind us to remember the prisoners, help us to honor marriage, be completely content and boldly proclaim the You are our Helper, we will not be afraid. In all this Lord, we ask You to shine though us, so of all those You’ve given us, none will be lost.

We trust and love You, forever.

Amen.  

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This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.

Thank you for sharing.