From Hebrews Three

"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:

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

"Perfect"

"For it was fitting for Him, for Whom are all things and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." (Hebrews 2:10)

I wish to share two principles from today's text.  First, the words translated, "for," and, "through," are the same Greek words.  The definition for both uses is, in the former, "through throughout, by the instrumentality of," and in the latter, "on account of, by the reason of, for the sake of, because of."  So, the"....all things," mentioned here just, "are," you see, "on account of" Jesus Christ, "by the reason of" Jesus Christ, "for the sake of" Jesus Christ," and "because of" Jesus Christ. 

Secondly, the word translated here, "perfect," as you know, does not mean what most people think of as "perfect," nor even the oft used alternative, "complete."  It means "the principle end, aim, purpose, sum, utmost, to consummate, reaching the end stage, working through the entire process to reach the final phase, the end-goal.  It is well illustrated with the old pirate's telescope, unfolding (extending out) one stage at a time to function at full strength (capacity, effectiveness)."  It is the same word translated, "perfect," in Matthew 5:48). 

My Lord and my God, we tend to simply look at, read, hear so glibly, yet many times fail to come to greater understanding of what is so powerful to understand all Who Jesus Christ Is, and all which Jesus Christ does in our lives.  There was no need of "perfection," as most people count "perfection," in Jesus Christ.  He Is Perfection Personified.  But something needed completion so that you and I could be "complete in Him"---------- "sufferings," His Passion, the Blood-Stained road to Calvary. 

Now, dear friend, we are, "complete in Him," not because of anything we have done or could ever do, but because, "the Captain of [our] salvation," at the Cross reached "the principle end, purpose, work[ed] through the entire process to reach the final phase, the end-goal"---------- "bringing many sons to glory"!!

Father, in Jesus' Name, Thank You.  Amen.
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New Article at:     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

I Guess I'm Doing a Study in Hebrews

"But we see Jesus...." (Hebrews 2:9a)

Hebrews 2:3 speaks of, "so great a salvation," which is not a change of subject; it is the "natural" progression of chapter one.  Read Hebrews one and you have the, "so great a salvation."  To that person who would say, "There's no reference to, "salvation," in the first chapter, just talk of Jesus," I would say, "You're learning."

The writer then goes on to talk about the subjugation of the earth to man, "You have put all things in subjection under his feet."  I am not going to speculate here, just take the phrase, "all things," for what it means, "all things.  For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him" (v. 8).  Now if you and I do what the writer apparently did, we would come to his next conclusion, "But now we do not yet see all things put under him." 

Ah, but no despair; the Holy Spirit immediately brings us to the whole issue of life, "But we see Jesus, who was made a littler lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone."  The word, "taste," here does not mean what some may think.  If I say I tasted something, it means I have just taken or experienced a little of that something.  Strong's says that the Greek word means, "to experience, to eat, partake fully of."  It was not just a "sampling" of death which Jesus bore for you and me.  He "part[ook] fully of" death on that Cross. 

After our Lord Jesus took the, "death for everyone," which was necessary for the complete remission of sin, the Bible tells us, "Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (NIV).  So now today you and I know what to do if we wish to glorify, "God the Father."

Father, in Jesus' Name, may my worship begin and end with, "Jesus Christ is Lord."  Amen.
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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

"God...."

"God...." (Hebrews 1:1a)

"God"-- whatever follows in the Book of Hebrews, we are about to learn of, "God," Who He Is, what He has done and is doing, and how you and I are included in Him and His Eternal Purposes.  Now what follows in chapter one the introductory, "God," is all about God our Father speaking in Jesus the Son, communing with a lost Planet.  This is the Bible 101 course, which much of contemporary Christendom would do well to to audit.

We are told that, "God...spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets."  But in the appearing of Jesus Christ, all the, "various ways [God] spoke," are brought to the fore, interpreted and fulfilled in Jesus.  Here is some of what we have of Jesus is this first chapter:

1. Jesus is God's Word.

2. Jesus is, "heir of all things."

3. God, "made the world," through Jesus.

4. "The brightness of God's glory, " is Jesus.'

5. "The express image of His Person," is Jesus.

6. Jesus is, "upholding all things by the word of His power."

7. Jesus, "by Himself purged our sins."

8. After accomplishing the purging of, "our sins," Jesus, "sat down at the 

  right hand (position of highest honor) of the Majesty on high."

9. Jesus is, "so much better than the angels."

10. Jesus has, "a more excellent name than," the angels.

11. Father says to Jesus in the hearing of the universe, "You are My son."

12.   When Father introduces the Son Jesus to the world, He says, 

"Let all the angels of God worship Him."

13.   Father astounds the Jews and the nations of the earth by saying to Son Jesus, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of   righteous is the scepter of Your Kingdom.  You have loved    righteousness and hated lawlessness...."

14.  Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, New Agers, Humanists of all generations are appalled to here Father say to Jesus, "You, LORD, in the   beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the   work of Your hands."  (Selah.)

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for including me.  Amen.

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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

Just Some "Labor Day" Thoughts

"And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him to Pilate." (Luke 23:1)

Over the years, I have watched special news reports and documentaries of a battle in the Arab-Islamic war on the United States of America, which, by the way, the Arabs won hands down.  The 10th anniversary of that fateful day is approaching. 

Just a couple of weeks ago I was on a bike ride and stopped by the Flight 93 Memorial, which is just about 23 miles from where I am sitting, and only 9 miles from where I spent 7 years of my childhood.  I have flown out of Washington Dulles and Newark, from which two of the ill-fated planes took off.  I had been on the Pan Am, "Clipper Maid of the Seas," plane which on December 21, 1988, was Pan Am Flight 103 out of Frankfurt; just one week before, I flew out of Vienna.  One time in Romania, I was looking across the street and talking with one of our pastor friends and without looking, began to step into the street when a speeding car went right in front of me by inches.  In June of 1991, I stepped backwards thinking the width of the hydraulic lift platform of the moving truck I was on was the same as the box of the truck and fell backwards directly onto a cement step, knocking myself unconscious.  An x-ray revealed that I had fractured my skull.  The doctor later told me that I was "very lucky; I have seen people die from lesser injuries."  I'm sure many have similar stories.  Now I am not a fatalist.  Some people believe their "day" is predetermined, which can be a philosophy that excuses negligent behavior; I'm not so sure about such philosophy.  I am sure, however, that the eternal destiny of every Follower of Jesus Christ is secure in our Lord Jesus Christ. 

What sealed that "destiny" was what I read of in today's Gospel reading, Luke 23.  The first verse is a part of the progression of Jesus' Passion.  He had shared a Passover Meal with His Disciples, had been before the religious leaders.  Now, "....the whole multitude of them arose, and led him to Pilate."  After Pilate, the Cross; after the Cross, the tomb; after the tomb, the Resurrection; after the Resurrection, the Ascension, and a few days after the Resurrection, Pentecost!  Now, "in His Cross," and, "in His Blood," we have forgiveness of sin, the resurrection of the body, and life eternal.  

There were Believers in Jesus Christ who died that September 11.  At our 50th reunion, one of my classmates who had heard of our oldest son's passing, said, "My only question was, 'WHY?'"  So very many people ask this question in the face of the unanswerable.  Over the centuries, how and at what age Believers left this life's journey have varied so very much.  The one constant in it all is that they all went to be, "with the Lord," Jesus Christ. 
"It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that Your mercy and grace have always kept that "why" from entering my life.  Thank You for that same mercy and grace which brought me into Your Life.  Amen.

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