Do we gather together to ask the Lord’s blessings and worship together in church? What aloaded question to begin a story God stirred after reading Hebrews 10:25!

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Hebrews 10 gives insight to how God hopes His children will live, love, and worship. We are encouraged, as Christians, to be confident and courageous as we walk in faith and share worship with one another. Verses 19-25 are like a bridge between two parts of Hebrews which explain why the new covenant is pleasing to God for it is all about LOVE … loving Him first and loving one another! It is a roadmap to guide our steps and keep us lifted up as we live out our faith.

The old covenant is based on law that can cause lonely hearts to become complacent and discouraged with rules dominating how we live and worship. God shared in Old Testament scriptures His intentions to replace the old covenant with a new covenant. Jesus is LOVE and fulfills all the prophecies. He lived love as He hung on the cross and gave His life as a sacrifice for our sins. For that and so much more Jesus is and does, we should be encouraged to hold strong to our faith even in these troubled times when we could face persecution as His disciples did. Being a confident Christian living in faith is good; however, we can’t become puffed up in a confidence that makes us haughty.

When we know Christ’s salvation but stray and choose to act against His will, there are consequences we will face just as God’s children — who disobeyed and made false idols — faced in their quest to reach the promised land. We may feel alone as we walk and talk with Jesus while watching God being removed as the foundation of our land.

Giving up and giving in are not in His plan! We must stick together in unity as believers who love the Lord with all our hearts and stay faithful to Him as the world seems to fall apart. Christianity is not a faith that God wants His children to live out alone. When we love God first and love one another, we will be encouraged to hold fast to our faith and assemble with others in pure, precious, love for the Lord and Spirit flowing worship. How do you worship?

While some might call the New Covenant blind faith, those who embrace worship and day to day living — loving God first, loving one another, and loving to praise and worship Him wherever He leads know the beauty of believing and being all in with HIM! How do you praise, worship, and spend time with Him?

Worship and love for the Lord, life, and living closely connected to Christ can come walking on the beach, hunting in the woods, sharing stories of Jesus with little children, sending Valentines with words of love, helping people in need, reading His Word and spending time together in your special place. My little prayer room (under the steps in my house — with no door) is one of my favorite places to spend time with Him. Yet, when I go to God’s House to worship, learn songs with Lifted friends to sing about Jesus and His love, fellowship with fellow believers in church, sing hymns, hear sermons filled with Holy Spirit stirrings, embrace Bible Study with like minded friends focused on living and loving like Jesus…peace and promise flow like a river! So, how do we worship?

The world may be unraveling at the seams our Father so lovingly and precisely put together, but we must keep on walking in faith and ‘hold fast’ to the TRUTH. It may seem silly to some; yet, it’s not blind faith but evidence that supports the fact that Jesus is God’s ultimate plan for our salvation. We can’t get careless and lazy — ‘for such a time as this’! Instead we march forth as soldiers of the cross with a confident faith and loving attitude in these difficult days. Our heavenly Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is calling Christians to believe and act out in love and good deeds.

Oh, the joy we can enjoy when we nurture a personal relationship, worshiping and seeking Him in solitude ( while being careful not to live our faith out alone) and when we assemble in church. Let us never forget we are the church! How we live and love makes a difference in our lives here and for eternity!

Becky Spell Vann is the owner/operator of Tim’s Gift Love Ministry.