Remember Brothers in Bonds

Remember them that are in bonds,

as bound with them;

and them which suffer adversity,

as being yourselves also in the body.

(Hebrews 13:3)

Remember them that are in bonds . . . . Pray! Pray for believers who are in prisons, kidnapped, enslaved, abandoned, persecuted, mistreated, suffering—because they are unashamedly Christians. When Hebrews was written, this was a common problem. The Roman government wasn’t too keen on Christianity. Nero blamed the Christians for the fire in Rome and tortured all those he could find to death. He made their deaths a spectacle sport. Hebrews was probably written the year Nero died.

Remember them . . . as bound with them. How would we pray if we were right next to the Christian tied to the stake? How would we pray, chained, in prison? How would we pray if we were trudging through the jungle, prodded on by our captors? How would we pray if tortured for Christ? How would we pray under interrogation? This is how we need to pray for our Christian brothers in bonds for Christ’s sake.

I’m not exaggerating. Today, perhaps every bit as often as in Roman times, Christians are being persecuted. Some are imprisoned just for teaching Sunday school to children. Some, because they attend an unapproved church. Pastors are kidnapped. Some endure tortures. Orphanage workers are expelled. People who try to help others, in the name of Christ, face danger. Churches and believers’ houses are destroyed. In some places, even to profess Christ means a death sentence. Today—2012—Christians need our prayers, as if we were right there beside them.

And them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. Have you ever stubbed your toe so badly that your stomach hurt? One part of the body hurts when another part hurts. This is an illustration of what happens in the Body of Christ when one brother suffers. Others suffer with him. Each person is connected to the others.

We’re to pray for those who have a hard time. Do you know anyone who’s in need of work, or ill, or hungry? Because they hurt, we need to pray . . . and, if we can help them in a practical way, we need to do that, too. (Proverbs 3:28)

It’s important to be aware of the needs of Christians all over the world who suffer persecution and captivity. When we know about them, we can pray. And, our prayers can make all the difference.

Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them.

How to Encourage Other Christians

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

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 10:24-25).

These verses come on the heels of verse 23: Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised). Because we know Christ and know He is faithful, we can then help others.

Do you find yourself struggling to get through your own life? If so, you must be human. It is overwhelming, sometimes, just to get done what you need to do.

And, you might forget about others.

These verses are a reminder to consider (think about) other Christians. We’re supposed to provoke them! (Provoke is one of those English words whose meaning has changed over the years. This word actually means “inciting.” You can think of it as “stimulating” or “encouraging” someone.) We’re supposed to encourage other Christians toward love and good works.

The next verse says we can best do this by assembling ourselves together. This assembly is the same word translated as “church.” It’s talking about a local church gathering. It’s not a virtual church or an Internet “service” or a Christian chat group. It’s the actual physical meeting together of God’s people. It’s real live interaction with other Christians. It’s a mutually beneficial worship time, where we can exhort and edify one another. We also exercise our spiritual gifts in our church.

How can we encourage other Christians? Did you know that your very presence in the service helps other Christians spiritually? It even encourages your pastor! (I know; I’m a pastor’s wife.)

We have a small church. Through the years, I’ve observed Christians enter our services with long faces and many burdens. By the end of the service, their faces are happy, and it seems that, for the moment at least, their burdens are lighter. What makes the difference? It’s praising God in song, listening to a message from the Bible, praying together for people’s needs. There’s something about worshiping together that feeds the soul.

God knows this. That’s why He commands us not to slack when it comes to church attendance. It’s one of the ways we encourage (provoke) others to love and good works.

The practical lessons:

• Consider others.
• Provoke them (biblically!) to love and good works.
• Go to church, so you can be an encouragement to other Christians.