"Today, if you will hear His voice...." (Hebrews 3:7b)
I once had a man in our parish who said that he wanted a preacher who went through the Bible verse by verse. When I did, he left. I'm not sure whose, "voice," he wanted to hear.
Hebrew 3 calls us to, "consider...Jesus." Here are some things to consider:
Hebrew 3 calls us to, "consider...Jesus." Here are some things to consider:
1. Jesus is, "the Apostle and High Priest of our confession"
2. Jesus, "was faithful to [Father] Who appointed Him"
3. Jesus is, "Worthy of more glory than Moses"
4. Jesus, is He Who, "built the house"
5. Jesus is, "over His own house"
6. We, the Church, are His, "house"
7. We have all the promises of God, "....if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end."
"The confidence," will bring, "the rejoicing of hope...."
The Holy Spirit then tells us, "Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion...," and tells us that it is possible for even, "born again," people to have, "an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." He tells us that the First Covenant People did, "not enter His rest...because of unbelief." One of the meanings of, "unbelief," here is "not faithful, because unpersuaded."
What are you "unpersuaded" of today? Sooner of later in life, we all come to things "unpersuaded." Only the, "Words of God," and the Holy Spirit can persuade us. If it were someone else who persuaded us, that persuasion of faith will not stand the test of trials and time. "For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end...." Only as, "partakers of Christ," can the Church, "hold...our confidence...to the end." As I daily partake of Jesus, I have, "the faith of Jesus," which is the only, "to-the-end," faith.
Father, in Jesus' Name, You are my hiding place; I cling to You today. Oh, may it be, "to the end."
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Possible "Mass Aliyah of Jews From Turkey"--- www.apf327.blogspot.com
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
