Jesus Forgives in the Midst of Failure

“Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed.  So they bound Him, led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate the governor.When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.  “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.”  Matthew 27:1-5 (NIV)

Everyone Has the Capacity to Fail

There is a great deal of controversy over the acts and death of Judas Iscariot. I don’t plan on resolving any of those debates. Instead, I want to draw attention to the simple message that Judas’ actions offer to us.

Something interesting occurred on the night of Jesus’ arrest. Peter realized what he was capable of when the rooster’s crow caught his attention. Peter wept bitterly because of his poor performance—the betrayal of his close friend. However, there was another person upset with his poor performance that night–Judas. The character is infamous—his name equivocated with betrayal and distrust. Do you know anyone named Judas? I don’t.

While many can tell the story of Judas’ betrayal, I’m not sure that’s the point. Failure is hardly something that needs to be taught, or even pointed out. The gasp at Judas’ betrayal is not surprising.

As Peter learned, everyone has the capacity to fail—to fail willfully, to fail utterly. Judas simply provides another example of that. Both men lived with Jesus. Both men heard His teachings and saw the miracles. Just like Peter, Judas ate some of the leftover fish and bread the day that Jesus fed the 5,000. Judas was awestruck as Jesus calmed the storm at sea with just a word. As Peter mouthed off to Jesus the night Jesus began to wash Peter’s feet, according to scripture, Judas sat quietly as Jesus demonstrated the same love and compassion to him.

It’s the response to the failure that makes all the difference. It’s the response to their failure that separates Peter and Judas. That is the “take home” message from these two very different examples.

Responding to Failure

Both men failed. Both men felt the sting of guilt. Both men realized the wrong. Peter wept bitterly. Since Judas wasn’t alive to tell his story, we are left to guess, but I’m sure he wept bitter tears as the outcome of his failure played out before his eyes. It’s here these two men differ.

Judas tried to remedy his failure on his own. He attempted to stop the deal—to return the 30 pieces of silver—but it was too late.   The act was done and all that was left was the consequence. Then, in an act of despair, Judas tried one more remedy—under the weight of guilt —he crumbled. He made the decision to end his life.

Judas heard the words of Jesus,

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:27-31 (NIV)

Judas couldn’t imagine those words applied to him.

Jesus Forgives Our Sins

Have you sinned a sin that keeps you away from Jesus? Are shame and guilt all you hold? Are you full of remorse that keeps you from repentance? Do you think Jesus holds you to a standard He wouldn’t maintain?

Jesus is ready to forgive your deepest, darkest, blackest sin–that secret sin only you know!

Remorse and repentance aren’t the same thing. Remorse leaves you wallowing in your shame. Remorse pushes YOU to find a solution—to make amends.  Repentance includes remorse or regret, but it goes one-step further. Repentance involves change.

If Judas cried his bitter tears that night and then ran to Jesus, this story would have a very different ending. There is always forgiveness at the feet of Jesus. There is always an accepting embrace when the remorseful repent.

Shame and guilt never restore relationship. Jesus is not interested in what you can do to make things right. Jesus offers grace—the undeserved gift—to anyone who asks. Abandon the shame of your sin. Let go of the guilt that keeps you from coming to Christ. Don’t believe the lie that you need to fix yourself before you come. Let Jesus in His love and mercy wash your feet, feed your soul, and calm your spirit with His forgiveness.

Father, when I need forgiveness don’t let my shame and regret keep me from coming to You. Remind me there is no good thing I can do to make myself better or acceptable apart from accepting Christ’s sacrifice. Turn my remorse into repentance.  

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A New Creation: The Grace of Christ

Galatians 4:5 says, “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’”

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul paints a striking picture illustrating what it truly means to have faith in Christ.

Taking Grace for Granted

One danger that modern Christians face is the nonchalance that often comes from being oversaturated by cliché language about grace. Too frequently, I have found myself in a place where I’m regurgitating phrases like “I got saved when…” or “His blood washed away my sins,” without ever stopping to meditate about what these words mean in reality.

This verse from Galatians beautifully illustrates what happens when we put our faith in Jesus Christ—we are inhabited by the living, breathing Spirit of the Son of God as He cries out “Abba! Father!” from deep within our souls.

Just like this Spirit within us is not ours, so also is the righteousness we are given from Christ not our own. A lot of times Christians can adopt the “Yeah, I got saved and now I’m covered” or the “I’m good, I got Jesus” mentality when it comes to personal righteousness. However, this is exactly what Paul is warning the Galatians of in his letter.

The law is insufficient because, at its best, the most it can provide man with is the fullness of human righteousness, and no one has even been able to get that far. The beauty of our ability to be clothed in Christ’s righteousness is that it is exactly that—Christ’s righteousness.

Freedom in Grace: The Righteousness of Christ

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

We are made new by the presence of the indwelling Spirit of Christ in us. We are freed from the weight and the burden of having to work for our own righteousness because of this perfect, foreign righteousness that we now possess. For me, remembering and meditating on the reality that the Holy Spirit is moving inside me, that I am being counted by the righteousness of the Son of God, liberates and motivates me to truly pursue life as a “new creation.”

If you’re feeling weighed down by the sins of your past, or if you feel stuck in the current season of your faith, remember that the Spirit of God is within you and He is actively crying out to God the Father. Stop trying to force your own words and simply attune your heart to the Spirit’s voice as He directs your soul to God.

Do not exhaust yourself by trying to cultivate your own righteousness, taking for granted the righteousness given to you by Christ and placing yourself once again under the burden of the law. Instead, abide in the newness of redemption and allow the Spirit to flourish within you.

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Forgetting the Blessings: Emotional Disconnect

Psalm 42:5-6 says, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.”

Emotional Disconnect

I often find myself experiencing a disconnect between my emotions and what I know to be true in my brain. This disconnect happens when the excitement of a new season in my life has died down and I begin to feel like I’m stuck in a rut, simply biding my time until the next phase rolls around. Or sometimes I am so overwhelmed with anxiety that I can’t see the joy of an experience and I easily lose sight of how much of a blessing it is. Both of these examples are the result of me allowing my negative emotions to rule my judgment.

These verses from Psalm 42 illustrate the powerful authority that we can have over our emotions. There is a startling perceptivity that the Psalmist displays as he asks his soul, “Why are you cast down…and why are you in turmoil within me?” The first thing this verse teaches me is that I am not my emotions.

Recognizing Your Emotions

Recognizing what I am feeling is usually the first step in processing, and hopefully overcoming, my emotions. It’s easy to allow the boredom, depression or anxiety that I’m experiencing to convince me that whatever circumstances I’m facing are meaningless or that something is wrong or missing from my life. However, over the past few months I’ve learned that many of my negative emotions are generally lies.

It’s important to understand that this isn’t the case for everyone. Sometimes, taking the time to listen to what you are feeling will reveal that something actually does need to change in your life. However, at least for me, I’ve listened to my emotions long enough to learn that all they are doing is blinding me from God’s presence in my life.

Once I recognize what the emotions that I’m feeling are, I begin to look for triggers. Sometimes a recent obstacle has upset a specific pattern in my life and has increased my anxiety. Sometimes I have subconscious questions that I haven’t found answers for. And sometimes I’m just exhausted and need to rest and relax. Separating myself from my negative emotions and logically thinking through what may be causing them helps me to identify the things I can do to fight against them.

Remembering God in the Midst of Negative Emotions

If there is nothing I can do to immediately change the circumstances that are evoking my negative emotions, by far the most important thing that I can do is remember God. As the Psalmist said, “My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you…” Remembering that God has brought me to this point in my life, and that His Spirit is alive within me, gives me the freedom to not succumb to the negativity that I’m feeling.

We serve a Living God who is often 10 steps ahead of our emotions. Pray, meditate, rest and remember that God is more sovereign that your emotions. Sometimes, in the long run, a change of perspective is more powerful than a change of circumstance.

Remember the One who loves you and has called you out by name. Look to Him as you walk in freedom, no longer bound by either emotions or situations. Be free to live a life of peace and contentment knowing that God truly is sovereign over all.

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The Fear of Failure

One of my all-time favorite bands is a rock and roll group from South Carolina called “NEEDTOBREATHE.” “Money & Fame” is one of the songs that they recently debuted from their upcoming album Hard Love. Here are some of the lyrics:

“What do you kids want to know about now? I found the bottom from the top somehow. Money and fame bring a man shame, ain’t no doubt about it.”

Lyrically the song is pretty straightforward. It’s the account of a man who has seen all the success and glory that someone could hope for, but who has lost himself in the pursuit of it all. The song emphasizes the emptiness and meaninglessness of this kind of success, especially when you don’t know who you are anymore by the time you’ve achieved it. The lyrics make it clear that money and fame bring a man shame, but they don’t say much beyond that. As a listener I’m left wondering if failure is a necessary part of success. Do we have to first fall flat on our faces in order to have a righteous perspective regarding success?

Facing the Reality of Failure

I think it’s safe to say that we all either have experienced or will experience failure of some degree in our lives. Since failure is so engrained in the human life, I don’t think that it’s necessary to say that we all must experience a specific moment of complete, devastating failure in order to have the fog cleared from our eyes. Maybe your experience with failure is as colossal as the one depicted by NEEDTOBREATHE’s song, or maybe, to you, failure simply means that you have yet to reach “the top.” Either way, failure is part of who we are as humans.

Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Although society pays less attention to this perspective on failure than it does to social and financial failure, it is no less true that all of humanity has failed morally and righteously before God. If someone was going to be upset about having failed in some way, this is the sort of colossal failure that they should be thinking about, instead of whether or not they’ll make employee of the month or whether or not they’ll wear the right brand of shoes to the first day of school.

Yet, despite humanity’s enormous failure of abandoning God and falling into sin, God nevertheless created a way to make up for every ounce of failure wrought by man, and then some. It is an often cliché verse, but that doesn’t make it any less true: John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

If we have no reason to fear the reality of eternal failure, then why do we fear all of the lesser forms of failure that we encounter in life?

There Is No Reason to Fear Failure

Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

So much of the stress and anxiety surrounding failure comes from thinking that we can control whether or not we fail. We think that if we save enough money, if we work so many extra hours, if we wear all the right clothes and do all the right things, then we will not fail. However, this verse from Proverbs tells us otherwise.

If you believe in Christ, you have no need to live in fear of failure, because you know that He is in control of your life and His plan is greater than anything you could imagine on your own. We can plan and scheme and organize and schedule all we want, but it is the Lord who has the final say. Furthermore, we have no reason to fear God’s control over our lives because we know that He loves us, that He died to save us, and that He is coming back to be with us some day.

The next time you are faced with the fear of failure, try to stop striving for control over the situation. Pray, be candid and share your feelings of fear with God, but don’t forget to rest in the reality that He is in control of everything. Thank God for his provision in your life. Ask Him to reveal what steps you should take next and trust that He will reveal the path before you.

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Hope For Damaged Relationships

Sometimes our love is not visible enough for it to reassure another person. When this happens, the question, “Do you love me?” must be asked. The most important relationships in life can become damaged. There are lots of reasons for this, but when someone is left wondering if there is still love, something is seriously wrong. The needs of this hurting person have been cast aside and their security has been lost. Can a damaged relationship be fixed?

Stories of Damaged Relationships in the Bible

The best place to look for help for damaged relationships is in the Bible.

Simon Peter, a disciple of Jesus, to his shame and great grief, experienced a time when he was asked this same question, “Do you love me?” It changed his life forever and opened the door to a stronger relationship.

Simon Peter was a favored disciple of Jesus who had become his closest friend, mentor, and hero. Yet after Jesus was arrested, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. Fear for his own safety had kept him silent about his friendship with Jesus. When he realized what he had done, he wept. At this moment, prideful Peter was humbled by his sin.

It is common for people to say things they don’t mean under stressful circumstances. Give people the benefit of the doubt.

A few days later, the disciples were fishing on the Sea of Tiberias where a man on the shore told them where to drop their nets to ensure a good catch. They thought it might be Jesus, but until He revealed his identity, they couldn’t be sure. Peter desperately needed to see and speak with Jesus. He wanted to make things right between them. Can you picture the scene? Anxious and ashamed, Peter needed a second chance.

Relationships Demand Transparency: Telling the Truth in Love

After their successful fishing trip, Jesus and the disciples sat down to eat a meal together.  Afterward, Jesus and Peter had a conversation… There are times when you know there’s going to be a conversation; you just don’t know when. Can you imagine how Peter must have felt?

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.  He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.  He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”  (John 21:15-16 KJV)

Why was Jesus asking the same question over and over? Peter had denied Jesus three times in the hours following his arrest. Each instance had to be discussed and resolved so no uncertainty remained.

Seeing Jesus now, alive, must have been awkward. Peter had revealed himself to be weak. He had violated his own honor code, valuing his life more than helping Jesus. He had been a coward. How galling to discover the appalling truth about oneself. His betrayal of Jesus probably haunted Peter’s thoughts the rest of his days. Yet, it spurred him to go on to become a great man of God. We can’t judge him, because we too would probably have done the very same thing.

How to Heal Damaged Relationships

Acknowledging sin is the first step to healing damaged relationships.

Jesus knew Peter so well, nothing could be hidden from Him. He knew his weaknesses and his strengths.  Jesus knows those who are His perfectly too. Yet the question was asked, “lovest thou me?” Peter didn’t have to say it because he knew Jesus already knew his heart. Yet, Jesus demanded he say it – three times, one for each of his denials. Grief must have filled Peter’s heart, his head hung, and his eyes filled with tears of anguish. Then Jesus forgave him.

Forgiveness is the only solution to mending relationships.

*Jesus wanted Peter to take his focus off himself and his own desires.

*Jesus wanted to restore their damaged relationship.

*Jesus forgave Peter.

*Jesus gave Peter a mission: a life of ministry and martyrdom.

What is important to you?

When our lives becomes self-centered, there is no longer any room to minister to the needs of others.  Those who are most important to us are often left wondering if they even matter. If we can push others aside, then we can push Jesus aside too.

Relationships require cultivation.

Jesus asks us the question, “Do you love me?” Jesus wants to extend His mercy, grace, and love to all who seek Him for salvation. The first step is to confess sin, placing your trust in Him to bring healing to your soul. Then, Jesus asks you to follow Him. Let Him transform your life and your relationships.

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Relentless Sowing: Lessons on Evangelism From Chernobyl

Chernobyl: Thirty years ago

The Chernobyl accident occurred thirty years ago – it seems like an eternity ago. In 1986, a series of steam explosions and fires occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. As the explosions destroyed the Chernobyl 4 reactor, deadly levels of radiation spread into surrounding areas. As the plant deteriorated there were several signs of the impending tragedy, but no one said a word. Lies, cover-ups, and the heroism of the “liquidators” surrounded the tragedy. Thousands of people died because someone was afraid to share the horrible news.

Opportunities for Evangelism after the Accident

I was serving in the army – the Soviet army – at the time, and one of my friends was being discharged just a month after the accident. He was a nice guy who grew up in a Belorussian village, 20 miles from the “zone of alienation”–the area that was evacuated because of high levels of radiation. I spent countless hours trying to convince my friend not to go back to his village. But his mom said that everything seemed to be okay when he spoke with her on the phone, so he decided to go home.

Once my friend left, I never heard from him again.

The Urgency of Evangelism

I get this helpless feeling when I try to share the Gospel with people and they smile and tell me that everything is okay. No need to worry. I think back to my friend who left without me telling him about Jesus Christ.  

During those moments of desperation I remind myself that God is sovereign. It’s the work of the Holy Spirit to convict people, to show them how amazing Jesus is.

I also remind myself of the countless times people I had given up on ended up opening their hearts to Jesus eventually. They live with God now because someone continued to share God’s love with them despite their seeming indifference.

PS – That’s why I am in radio: collectively we never give up. We are there 24/7, and the Holy Spirit opens hearts around the world every day.

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God’s Sanctuary: The Substance and the Shadow

To confound Beijing with Paris, or Bogota with Tokyo would appear bizarre to most people; after all, the differences in location and style set them far apart. Nevertheless, when it comes to Christian experiences such mistakes may occur without raising too many eyebrows.

It is generally accepted that the first rule of orientation is to know where we are in relation to a known location—the North Pole being generally the point of reference. If this rule is accepted, a significant number of evangelicals must have lost not only their compass but their map as well, for fantasy is often mistaken for substance and virtuality for reality.

Discerning the substance from the shadow

The problem can be traced back to the way material entities usurp the place of their spiritual counterparts. Too often the shadow is being mistaken for the object or the contour for the substance.

This is by no means new. Jesus had to clarify such misconceptions a long time ago. The Samaritan woman for instance was confused about the acceptable place of worship. “Our fathers worship on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” This sounds like a modern evangelical debate doesn’t it? Is it here, there, or in both places?

The answer Jesus gave didn’t provide mere information. It reached deep into her spirit and ministered life: “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem worship the Father. … … But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him” (John 4:21&23). This is not empty spiritualizing. It is a call to reality, a reality being recurrently eclipsed by material substitutes and mental simulations.

In the days of Jeremiah the same thing was happening. People thought everything was fine because they were worshiping in the temple (Jer. 7:3–8). In many ways they were the equivalent of traditional churchgoers. They stood in their emblematic sanctuary unaware that the real one was as far from their heart as paradise from their eyes.
The apostle Paul had to tackle the same problem. While writing to the Colossians he points out that several things are but the shadow of things to come (Col. 2:17). Obviously, some Christians in Colossae were entertaining themselves with umbras while forgetting the substance. Paul had to remind them that the body is of Christ (Col. 2:17). The word he uses for body is σῶμα, which means in the context: That which casts a shadow as distinguished from the shadow itself (see Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). The Orthodox Jewish Bible reads: “Which are a shadow of the things to come in the Olam HaBah; but the reality, the substance, is Moshiach”. 
I believe shadows are still confusing several well-intentioned Christians today. The line between appearance and substance is so thin that to discern the one from the other is not always easy, yet the former is lifeless while the latter is life imparting.

For instance Jesus declares in John 6:63: “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” But then Paul draws the line between the mere reflection and the object being reflected: “who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor. 3:6). It is this existent duality that can engender confusion and lead to what has been called a stagnant Christian life.

The Shadow: earthly sanctuaries

There are still plenty of earthly sanctuaries surrounding us today. Tabernacles are found on street corners, offering opportunities to enjoy the smell of heaven on the pulse of hymns or rock beat, and this, with the best intentions in mind.

Now please! Don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying such places should not exist. I am only pointing out the deceitful presumption existing in many minds that the temple justifies the experience, which often falls short of spiritual reality. For if clothes don’t make the man and a book should not be judged by its cover, evangelical experiences should not be canonized by the stones of a building or the name of a preacher. But regrettably what should not be done often is, and books are being bought at first glance and religious practices evaluated on their evangelical tint.

Substance: the true tabernacle

“Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man” (Hebrews 8:1,2).

This is the tabernacle justifying the experience, the true and eternal sanctuary where spiritual reality strikes the mind and enlightens the heart. Therein stand the seraphim with their faces covered with two wings, one crying to another saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:3). In that temple there is no grumbling, no backbiting and no arrogance. There is only reverence and everyone says: “Glory!” (Psalm 29:9).

When we cavil or belch out resentment, when we utter falsehood or scoff at our neighbor we are not in His temple. We might be inside an earthly sanctuary amidst hymns and prayers, but surely we haven’t crossed the everlasting doors. Maybe the woman next to us has crossed them; maybe she is beholding the throne of glory. If she does you can be certain her life is experiencing a transformation. She is being changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18). But are we?

Why do we run after earthly goods so much? How is it that through consumption society has succeeded in hypnotizing such a large sector of our evangelical world? Maybe the old song has the answer: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of the earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” If these words mean anything at all, much of His glory must be hidden from many evangelical worshipers, for what is being observed provokes the question: Where are we standing? Can we say with Jeremiah: “A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary” (Jeremiah 17:12).

Changing perspectives in the sanctuary

I believe there is something of great importance to be learned in Psalm 73. The psalmist narrates how he was envious of the boastful when he saw the prosperity of the wicked. His heart was full of questions and doubts. What he observed disturbed him/ He was soaked in frustration and exasperation. But suddenly we see him waking up. His meditation is abruptly transfigured. The veil of deceitful appearance is lifted up and truth appears in all of its glory.

How did it happen? Verse seventeen explains how: He went into the sanctuary of God. This made the difference. Amidst angelic hosts and rays of divine light he reached the place of understanding. The question of Job had finally been answered: “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:12 & 20). At last the psalmist knew, and knew with certainty, where the place of understanding was. One single entrance into the Ancient Tabernacle was sufficient to captivate his entire being and enlighten the eyes of his understanding.
Isaiah experienced the same thing. Inside the heavenly temple his life underwent a restoration. There was a sudden change at the level of the mind. He could now discern between the profane and the holy, between the clean and the unclean. At once he realized he was unfit for the Master’s use: “Woe is me, for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:3).
Inside these gates virtuality cannot breathe. All shams are laid bare and smashed on the floor of factuality. The conscience is shaken and the thoughts exposed.

What I am saying is that nothing has changed. The place of understanding still exists and we can enter and dwell there.

Entering the true tabernacle

Brethren! Let us not be at ease in Zion (Amos 6:1). Let us strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees (Isaiah35:3; Hebrews 12:12). “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And 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 10:22–25).

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