“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
~ Hebrews 3:13
Hi James and Ellen,
Would you like to someday build a shelter? Do you know what you will need to build a shelter? If you were to build a tent out of hides, you will need to cure animal skins. If you were to build an igloo out of snow, you will need to cut blocks of packed snow. If you were to build an adobe dwelling, you will need sticks and mushy muck. If you were to build a rock refuge, you will need to chisel stones. If you were to build a building out of bricks, you will need to bake rectangular bricks in a very hot kiln. If you were to build a residence out of lumber, you will need to dry and saw trees into boards. Animal hides, dirt, grass, stones, cement, tiles, wood or carpet may be a shelter’s floor. Animal skins, straw, palm branches, gooey mud, ceramic tiles, tin sheeting or shingles may be a shelter’s roof. A shelter may have one room or more than one room. A house, townhouse or condominium is a shelter for a nuclear family to eat, sleep, play and entertain. A house, townhouse or condominium is a shelter that has been built to provide protection and privacy for a nuclear family. Do you know who built the house/shelter that you are living in at this time? The house – the structure, that you are living in at this time was built by guys. The guy who scribed the Hebrews Book explains to the readers of his missive in Hebrews 3 that the lives of Christ-follower guys, gals and kids are to be seen as houses. This means per the guy who scribed the Hebrews Book that as Christ-follower kids, your lives are houses. The guy who scribed the Hebrews Book uses the life of Moses as an example of a faithful house. Do you know Who is building the houses that are your lives? The houses that are your lives – which includes a heart and mind inside a very complex body shell, are being built by God. The guy who scribed the Hebrews Book author wants his Christ-follower readers of his missive to grasp the difference between the created and the Creator. Moses’s life was a built or created house/shelter. God – as God the Father, is the Builder or Creator of all houses/shelters.
The guy who scribed the Hebrews Book likes to make the readers of his missive think. The guy who scribed the Hebrews Book also likes to give the Christ-follower readers of his missive practical suggestions on how to live their lives. The guy who scribed the Hebrews Book wrote in verse 13, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” The reason that the t in today is capitalized in this verse is because the guy who scribed the Hebrews Book wants to reinforce the reality that there is still an opportunity for guys, gals and kids who have not been divinely led by God – as God the Spirit, to the faith/grace door to trust in God – by faith, through accepting God’s undeserved grace, to do so. This takes place when a guy, gal or kid passes by a blood stained cross that is at the grace/faith door entrance and as he or she joins the other Christ-follower guys, gals and gals in a ‘house’ that is called or known as the universal church or the body of Christ. What kinds of interactions have you seen go on between guys and guys, gals and gals and/or kids and kids? How often have you heard and/or seen a guy demeaning another guy? How often have you heard and/or seen a gal criticizing another gal? How often have your heard and/or seen a kid humiliating another kid? How often have you heard and/or seen a guy condemning a kid and/or gal? How do you feel when you are being disapproved of, put down, shamed, and falsely accused by another kid and/or by a guy or gal? Your grandpaa sometimes feels as if his house – his life, has been smacked really hard by a demoralizing punch in the stomach each time when a guy or gal debases, censures, disgraces and/or attacks him – resulting in God being set back at building your grandpaa’s house – your grandpaa’s life. How often have you heard a guy supporting another guy? How often have you heard a gal affirming another gal? How often have you heard a kid encouraging another kid? Do you feel depreciated when you are being cheered on, respected, cared for or complimented by another kid and/or a guy or gal? Your grandpaa feels like his house – his life, which God is building, has received an invaluable planet Earth assist for God to build stronger each time when another guy or gal demonstrates esteeming, communicates appreciating him, validates him and/or gives tributes to him. How do you prefer that your houses – your lives, be built by God? How are you helping the kids who you know build their houses – their lives?
Your grandpaa has to confess that he has not always helped God – as God is building the houses – the lives, of your grandpaa’s kids – who are your dad and Aunt Lynn. Your grandpaa has to confess that he has not always helped God – as God is building the house – the life, of your grandmaa. Your grandpaa has to confess that he has not always helped God – as God is building the houses – the lives, of the guys, gals and kids who God has brought into your grandpaa’s life to help Him build. Your grandpaa knows that he must use Jesus’ life as the ultimate model for how he is to help God build houses – lives, who are all around him. God has put Jesus – as Himself as God the Son, over all the houses – over all the lives, that He has already built, that He is building and that He will build. Whose houses – lives, have you helped God build Today?
Hebrews 3 (754)