"Pefecter Maker...And...Perfect Ender"

"....By patience run we to the battle purposed to us, beholding into the maker of faith, and the perfect ender, Jesus, [Who] suffered the cross...."  (Hebrews 12:1, 2-- Wycliffe New Testament) 

Right after reading of the great People of Faith in Hebrews 11, the Holy Spirit now says there is someone greater to behold.  Now run your race, "beholding into...Jesus."     

The phrase translated, "beholding into," literally means to, "look away from."  There is a very real sense here that we, "look away from," as we are, "looking into."  An old hymn says, "prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love."  Now the more "spiritual" among us would never admit to this, and though we may not "sense" it, the reality of the temptation is there every day.  Why else would the Holy Spirit call us to, "Look away from to Jesus"?  There must be something/someone who will always be there from whom/what we need to, "look away from."  Our eyes are the entrance to our soul, our spirit.  To what and whom we "stare" inevitably will be at least a distraction, and at worse, our god. 

Our command to live, "Looking unto Jesus," is a (excuse the presumption here) very wise command.  We are commanded to look to the One Who is the only completely Selfless Being in the Universe.  Anyone and anything else we "look to" has issues, yes, that includes you and me.  From Mother Theresa to that person in your life whom you see as the most important, the most influential, none are as Jesus, Who alone is pure; only Jesus is, "the maker of faith, and the perfect ender...."  This in no way minimizes importance of the Hebrews 11 people or the people of faith who have been and/or are in our lives.  But our text commands our focus, our gaze, "Look away from to Jesus," Who Alone is our Savior.  "Look away from (all others) to Jesus," Who Alone, "bore our sins in His Own Body on the tree," and Whose Blood Alone, "can make the foulest clean," Whose Blood Alone "availed for me."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I am ever amazed just how limitless are Your Words.  When I think I have drained them, there is more, Oh, so very much more.  Amen.
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Dangers facing the European Union--and the USA 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 Look Away From To See Distinctly"

"....Let us lay aside...the sin which so easily ensnares us.., looking unto Jesus." (From Hebrews 12:1, 2) 

Victory is in the, "looking."  Get my gaze right, and my life will be right. 

The word translated, "ensnares," means, "easily surrounds."  It really doesn't matter who we are; sin "easily surrounds us."  And the frightening reality is, Oh, how, "easily [it does] surround[] us."  One of the greatest hindrances to going on in Christ is the refusal to admit this.  Such refusal will not only hinder growth, it will set us up for encirclement.  But how does one do this?  As one translation of Heb. 12:2 tells us, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus."  Another says, "We must focus on Jesus"; the Wycliffe New Testament says, "beholding into the maker of faith, and the perfect ender, Jesus...."  Glorious.

Whatever the depths of, "Looking unto Jesus," this is not what we "do" after we, "lay aside," encircling sin; it is concurrent.  "Looking Unto Jesus," is the "method" and power, the "oxygen" of laying aside.  Sin cannot rule when, "looking unto Jesus," any more than the violence of the waves could sink Peter while he was walking on the sea, "looking unto Jesus."  Eyes off, man down-- Eyes on, man up.

"Looking unto Jesus," literally, "looking away from something/one else to see distinctly," is the overcoming faith victory.  Keep the person and words of Jesus always before us; think of Jesus, commune with and in Jesus.  Have a continual openness to His Blessed Majesty, Holy Spirit, in His continual witness to us of Jesus.  Then, "....and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall."

Father, in Jesus' Name, "Open the eyes of my heart."  Amen.
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Peace?  How to: www.apf327.blogspot.com

Unreached Peoples: www.apfunreachedpeoples.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

In Remembrance of Kristallnacht, November 9 & 10, 1938

On loan from Jacob Wiener (Zwienicki), Sver Spring, Maryland, USHM

Selma Zwienicki was one of 5 Jews in Bremen who were killed during Kristallnacht. She was shot by SA stormtroopers when she refused to reveal the whereabouts of her husband. Her death certificate (below) hides the true cause of death; it states only that she was found dead.

 

"Throw Off [Whatever] Hinders"

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders,..fixing our eyes on Jesus." (Hebrews 12 NIV)

Here is another great, "therefore," of Scripture.  In light of Hebrews 11, the testimonies of the great People of Faith, those who saw some of the promises and those who saw none of them, but nevertheless, "embraced them," and did not give up or "throw in the towel," we are called to, "throw off everything that hinders," because if we don't, we will miss being a part of this, "such a great cloud of witnesses."

There is no temptation, no debauched life style, no compromise with the present world system which is worthy to be compared to membership in the, "so great a cloud of witnesses," Family.  In That Day to see all the saints who have gone before us, to know Eternal fellowship in the Blessed Trinity, Father, Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit, Enoch, Noah, Shamgar, Samuel, David, the Prophets, the Apostles, and other Brethren, what glory Divine.  My friend, you and I have not begun to even imagine what worship, what celebration, what glorious victory!

"Do you see what this means-- all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on?  It means we'd better get on with it.  Strip down, start running-- and never quit!  No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.  Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in.  Study how He did it.  Because He never lost sight of where he was headed-- that exhilarating finish...." (The Message)   

Father, in Jesus' Name, I am totally dependent upon You living in me, Holy Spirit, for grace, power to, "throw off everything that hinders."  Amen.
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Here Are the Antipas Prayer Force Blog Sites:

Article on 73rd. Anniversary of Kristallnacht: www.apf327.blogspot.com

Prophetic Video: www.antipasprayerforce2.blogspot.com

Unreached People Groups: www.apfunreachedpeoples.blogspot.com 

Devotional Archive: www.apfdevotionals.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

"God Had Something Better"

"These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." (Hebrews 11:39,40-NIV)

The word, "perfect," here means, "complete, accomplish, as a course, a race...I finish."  The "end" of our race is that, "....God had something better...," of which so few "run" after.  Blinded by, "the cares...of the world and distractions of the age, and... deceitfulness of riches, and the craving...for other things," most pray and, "labor...for the meat which perishes."  Those who do will miss, "....God had something better...."  

"None of them received what had been promised."  Apparently there is something about the promises which we in our limited, time- space thinking do not understand.  We tend to consider the promises of the Godhead as things which apply to us personally, the old "me and mine" syndrome, "My God shall supply my need," as though I were the only one in God's Family, and only "God-will-give-me-a-new-car" promises are worth anything. 

I am a citizen in the Kingdom of Heaven; I am not the whole Kingdom!  We are a part of the Church of Jesus Christ, "cells" in the Body of Christ, united in the Historic Church, the Present Day Church, and the Church in Heaven.  The word "Church" became a bad word in the charismatic movement of the last generation.  It was a stupid, selfish motive to think that we would reach more people for Jesus Christ if we just got rid of the word, "Church."  Who did such people think they were/are?!?  The purpose of the appearing of Jesus was, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us....He who has seen Me has seen the Father....For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost....For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil," and of equal importance, "Upon this rock will I build My Church."

There are promises for you and me which are yet to be fulfilled because there are people yet to be saved, yet to come to Jesus as King and Savior in order that they can, "see...and enter the Kingdom of God."  What is that, "something better for us," which our Living Triune God has, "planned"?  We may not see "it" now, but could the Habakkuk principle apply here?-- "For the vision is yet for an appointed time...; though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."

Father, in Jesus' Name, whatever that may be, I do not want to miss Your, "something better."  Amen.
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News, Commentary New Articles:  www.apf327.blogspot.com
New Blog: Unreached People Groups:  www.apfunreachedpeoples.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

What Constitutes a Life of Faith?

"And what more shall I say?  For time would fail me to tell of"---------- (Heb. 11:32)

Faith is not always revealed in what you have.  It is also revealed in what you gave up.

The list of people of faith in the latter part of Hebrews 11 is far longer than any of us can imagine.  One thing about the list is that there are two categories of people which the succeeding verses of our text reveal.  In modern charismatic evangelicalism, one group would be asked to speak in big conventions, have wildly popular television, radio and print media "ministries."  The other, however, would never be asked to speak anywhere, never gain an arena-filled church, and if they did right a book, no one would buy it.  In short, one in great demand, the other not. 

People flock to the charismatic achievers, the smooth personalities who can bring to them a resume which is full of nothing but great success stories.  Yet while Hebrews 11 speaks of such people, it also speaks of the "failures," the people who not only did not escape with just their lives; they did not escape at all.  They were, "tortured....Others had trial of mockings and scourgings...and imprisonments.  They were stoned, they were sawn in two....They wondered about," not in Cadillacs and $500.00 suits, but rather, "in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented."  But then the Holy Spirit says something which should give you and me a perspective not of this world, "of whom the world was not worthy." 

The "success" of people of faith is not based on their spread sheet.  It is based on their selflessness.  They gave up the "American Dream" to obtain, "the city which has foundations whose builder and make is God....They desire a better, that is, a heavenly...."  Now, you may have much or you may have little, but remember the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ when He responded to Peter's question, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?... Assurdely I say to you, that...everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My Name's sake shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are the first will be last, and the last first." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, always, always I desire Your perspective.  Amen.
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News, Commentary:  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