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Your Weekly I-Mail Vol. 36 July 06, 2006
"[Jesus] says, 'I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.' "
 L ast Sunday we explored God's invitation to hear His Son from the book of Hebrews. We looked in detail at how the following verses about hearing God can be applied when we gather together as a congregation. Please read these prayerfully with an open heart:
"In these last days [God] has spoken to us in His Son...For this reason we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it...how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard...God also testified to it by signs…and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will . (1:1-2; 2:1, 3b-4 NASV)
"Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family (NIV). So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says, I will proclaim Thy Name to my brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will sing Thy praise. (2:11-12 NIV, NASV)
"Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, 'Today if you hear His voice,
do not harden your hearts...But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called 'Today,' lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (3:7, 13 NASV)
"[T]he sprinkled blood speaks. See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking...And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised saying, 'Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.'"
(12:24-26 NASV)
God has spoken to us in His Son (1:1 - past tense) and do not refuse Him who is speaking (12:25 - present tense) are meant to be understood in tandem. Both statements taken together tell us that ever since God has sent His Son, He has been speaking a consistent word through Him. We are to anticipate that Jesus Himself will speak and manifest God's Name to us each time we gather. It's a promise He fulfills as the word of God is both declared and sung by God's people in worship. This ministry of hearing His voice is not just for preachers or worship leaders. The gifts of the Spirit which testify to the word of God and manifest the ministry of His Son are to be freely exercised by the entire congregation (see Heb 2:4 ). The following verse is key to our understanding:
"I (Jesus) will proclaim Thy Name to my brethren,
in the midst of the congregation I will sing Thy praise"
(Hebrews 2:12)
When we come together we are to listen for the sound of Jesus distinct voice
arising in our midst. He is the Great High Priest leading the direction of our worship into the Most Holy Place (10:19). The major focus of His ministry is the manifestation of the Father's all sufficient Name. (For those of you who missed the Sunday message, see the attached personal worksheet with the chart of God's compound names for your reflection. These characteristics of the Father Name are examples of that which Jesus comes to minister in relation to our needs.)
When we gather for church, we need to come together in an attitude of family. He is not ashamed to identify with us brothers, neither should we hesitate to identify with other as family. Many of our negative personal characteristics we have come to us through our natural family. Therefore, God designs the church as a spiritual family to help heal our past and promote our sanctification. As Jesus the Son manifests the Father's Name we are made more holy , taking on a greater likeness of His family image.
"For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified
are all from one Father (are all of the same family).
So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. " He desires intensely to come into our midst each time we meet. He calls us as brothers and sisters to stand in awe of the Father with Him. We are insufficient, but He is all sufficient. The surest way to grow as a believer is to gather with your spiritual family to hear Him manifesting the Father's name every opportunity we get. Let's keep this in mind as we go through the rituals of summer slumbers:
"Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is in the habit of some, but encouraging one another, all the more as you see the day approaching." (Heb. 10:25)
This Week at Immanuel
Please Pray for a successful last two days of VBS. A number of children have prayed to receive Christ for the first time. Let's pray for these children and those who are loving them into the kingdom.
CORRECTION: The Jews for Jesus sponsored concert with The Liberated Wailing Wall / Joel Weiskopf Messianic Jazz Trio
Free - at the Forest Park Band Shell 11:00am to 4:00pm. For more Information See: http://www.jesusforjews.org/local_events/?event=5
Your Weekly I-Mail Summer Time Notice: During the summer, Weekly I-Mails will be less regular with periodic updates and announcements from time to time.
Pastor Mark
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