Writings by Barri Cae MallinThinking about KittyWednesday 28 July 2004 - 09:14:16For this reason, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. Hebrews 2:1 It was a spring night in 1964. Kitty Genovese, a twenty-eight year old woman from a working - class family from Queens, New York was returning home from work. Suddenly, from the darkness, an assailant attacked her, stabbing her several times. She screamed for help. The attacker fled, yet returned shortly to inflict more stab wounds. Kitty screamed, yet no help arrived. Yet after fleeing again, the assailant returned once more, robbing Kitty and stabbing her until she died. The incident lasted over thirty minutes, her cries, sobs and pleas for help were heard by at least thirty-eight people, yet no one called the police. After the ordeal, thirty minutes later, a neighbor finally called the police. No one got involved that spring night to come to the aid of Kitty, their neighbor. Some were afraid; others thought it was just a lover's quarrel. There were many excuses, the most apathetic was the one that the neighbor was too tired. Apathy reigned that evening. In the letter to the Hebrews, the author exhorts its recipients to pay closer attention to what they have heard, lest they drift. The word 'drift' means to float past, to slip away almost unnoticed, or to drift past a certain point. The word also means to fall away from the truth. As we go through these troubling times, we can look around and see evidence of drifting. Violence on our streets, crass language use, R-rated subjects viewed on prime-time TV. We have not only drifted away, we have chosen to move away from that neighborhood. It is hard to live as a believer these days. Try opening up and reading your Bible on an airplane, or in the airport gate and see how that makes you feel. The believer's walk of faith is a battle. Am I making daily choices to exalt God or exalt myself? Am I following the crowd or am I following God? Does my speech align with my walk? We must give heed to, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard in order to stay on course. Prosecho is the Greek word used here and it came mean to give ear to; to hold onto one's course toward a place, to take heed or to keep guard. The opposite of this word is amaleo, which means to have apathy or neglect. We must guard that which we know about salvation, about our walk with Yeshua Jesus. Shamar in Hebrew means to guard, to protect, to preserve, to abstain one's self, to keep watch, to put a hedge around one's self. We must shamar - guard all areas of our lives, even more than ever before. We are to shamar, to keep the way of the LORD, Gen. 18:19. Only give heed to yourself and keep (shamar) your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Deut. 4:9 So what are we to do to guard ourselves, to pay much closer attention? The answers follow in the book of Hebrews. Take heed - Heb. 3:12 Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God. Encourage others - Heb. 3:13 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 Hold fast - Heb. 3:14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end; Receive God's work by faith and profit from it - Heb. 4:2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. Don't harden your heart - Heb. 4:7 "Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts." Be diligent to enter God's rest - Heb. 4:11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience Hold fast your confession - Heb. 4:14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Press on to maturity - Heb. 6:1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, Be diligent - Heb. 6:11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, Don't be a slug - Heb. 6:12 that you may not be sluggish, Imitate other overcoming believers - Heb. 6:12 [be] imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Draw near to God - Heb. 10:22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. Get into God's word. There is a word for everything that you are going through. Make it a habit and stay in God's word. Give God the opportunity to work in your heart. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Heb. 10:23 Battle in faith to grab hold. Trust that God is at work. Have childlike faith and you will overcome. |
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Copyright © Barri Cae Mallin. |
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