LET US CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER

Hebrews 10:25

“not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

            One of the things that challenge our faith is whether we have mass gathering or not. This has become a struggle to many church leaders today including me but praise God for the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment.

            Just like a “pinikpikan” (an Igorot way of cooking a chicken by slowly killing the chicken before cooking), this pandemic is not only killing our economics but also killing many of us mentally, socially, and spiritually. Mentally, many are experiencing anxiety, fear, and depression whether you are a believer or not. Socially, we are strictly mandated to keep distance for our safety and to prevent the spread of this virus. Some may not use to it because we are relationship-centered people. Spiritually, some may fall and give up on their faith because of the absent of physical gathering. Wisely enough to think that this pandemic is not only a biological war but also a spiritual warfare where the “thief comes to steal, and skill, and destroy” (John 10:10a).

            The battle is not actually the virus but the battle is whether we remain faithful until the end. For this reason, the author of the Book of Hebrew did not just suggested but commanded the early Christians not to abandon or forsake the habit of meeting together. Commentators agreed that Christians have an obligation to fellowship with other Christians to encourage, strengthen, and meet each other’s need. Anti-Christ forces will grow in strength. Difficulties will arise but they should not stop us from our fellowship with one another.

            Studying carefully the Bible, especially the Book of Acts or the History of the Church, meeting one another for fellowship does not imply a structure or a building but rather referring to small group of people meeting together in one house. In short, The New Testament church, the “called-out ones”, the believers met at their homes daily for fellowship, breaking of breads, praising God and prayer. Church buildings or “basilicas” were introduced when the Roman Empire was converted to Christianity around third century. It was the period when many of the Christians were corrupted and diverted their faith to touchable things rather than the untouchable.

            So let us not be discouraged if for the meantime, we have no mass gathering in our church building. But that does not mean we no longer meet together for this is also disobedience to God’s command.  I believed in my heart that God want us to restore the New Testament way of church gathering which is “Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their numbers those who were being saved (Acts 2:46-47).

As a strict reminder, if we meet together in our homes, let us observe social distancing, wear our mask, and limit our number to less than 10. The more that we should not give up the habit of meeting together in our homes as the days are approaching. We need to encourage and strengthen one another. Happy Sunday and God bless.