“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” (Heb 10:25).

Here the ‘day approaching’ signifies the Coming of the Lord. What the writer of the epistle wanted to emphasize was that, as the Coming of the Lord is approaching, we should meet together and have fellowship with one another more than before. If this was so two thousand years ago how much more careful we should be now, not to neglect our meeting together in fellowship and worship, seeing we are in the last moments before the Coming of the Lord!

Once a young man named Jacob was going from one village to another village on a Sunday morning. He had to cross a forest. As he walked along a thief caught him and demanded all his money. Jacob pleaded with the thief asking him to release him as he had no money. The thief threatened to kill him if he did not hand over the money. Then Jacob again pleaded with him saying that he was a Pentecostal believer and did not tell lies. Immediately the thief took him by the throat and angrily said, “Then you ought to be in church now, this being a Sunday morning!” Jacob was cornered and had nothing to say. “Hereafter, will you regularly go to church?” demanded the thief. To this Jacob readily agreed. Then the thief asked, “Do you pay tithes?” Jacob was shocked. He hadn’t expected a question like this from a thief. He had already said that, being a Pentecostal man he didn’t tell lies. So he meekly said. “No, I don’t pay tithes.” The thief got very angry. Shaking him like a rabbit he shouted, “Hereafter, will you faithfully pay your tithes.” He hurriedly agreed and the thief let him go. The next Sunday Jacob came to church and gave a testimony about this incident during the service. His life was changed and he later became a very good servant of God.

Do not wait to be caught by “the thief” before starting to go to church and paying your tithes.

– Late Pastor T.U.Thomas