Stirring and Being Stirred by David Jeremiah

Thursday, May 31 Stirring and Being Stirred    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 10:24-25    More Americans say they are Christians than attend church. The difference represents an obstacle to the spiritual maturity of the Body of Christ. The writer to the Hebrews draws a distinct connection between the “assembling of ourselves together” and the love, good works, and encouragement of Christians.

Recommended Reading: Hebrews 3:12-15

The writer names something we are to do and something we are not to do. We are to consider how to contribute to one another’s spiritual growth and we are not to exempt ourselves from meeting with the Body of Christ. The connection is apparent: It is in meeting together for fellowship, instruction, worship, and service that we “stir up love and good works” and encourage (exhort) one another. As the end of the age looms, and the return of Christ draws near, we need all the “stirring up” and encouragement we can get. Are you intimately involved in your church—stirring and being stirred by fellow believers? It’s God’s plan for your spiritual growth. The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer. Dietrich Bonhoeffer