"APF DEVOTIONAL"

APF DEVOTIONAL "ONE RIGHTEOUS ACT"

No "Escape" Without "So Great A Salvation"

"....How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation...?" (Hebrews 2:3)

Ah, Hebrews again.  What a delight; the first book of the Bible I read when I was just beginning to read, reading it from a KJV Bible my paternal grandparents gave me on my sixth  birthday; my Grandpa Barnette's "favorite" Book of the Bible.  Anyone who reads this Epistle will see why.  Hebrews addresses the Covenant.  I don't like to say, "Covenants," because I believe there is only one Covenant.  What seems to be several covenants are really just various ways of foreshadowing the One Covenant which would be revealed in the appearing of Jesus Christ, what the writer refers to as, "a better covenant."  Just as the first verse of chapter one says, "God, who at sundry times and divers manners spake in time past to the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son...."  Biblical Theology teaches that all prophecy, all Scripture is fulfilled, revealed, completed, "in these last days...by (in) His Son," Jesus.  Hebrews is an "outline" of the Bible, a summation of what the German calls, Heilsgschichte, "Salvation History."

Our text is a "famous" passage of Hebrews.  The question here is rhetorical; no people who, "neglect so great a salvation," escape."  This, "so great a salvation," is the only Salvation of, "Our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).

Read Hebrews 1, the foundation of the question in our text.  No greater exultant revelation of Jesus exists anywhere, "heir of all things.., made the worlds.., brightness of [Father's] glory and express image of His Person, upholding all things by the word of His power,..purged our sins,..better than... angels,..a more excellent name."  And Father commands, "Let all the angels of God worship Him."  Father declares, "Your throne, O God is forever and ever .... You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.  They will perish, but You remain.... You are the same, and Your years will not fail------- so great a Salvation"!

The world system has neglected this, "so great a salvation," to its undoing, tragic devastation, hatred, bitterness, wars, emptiness, despair.  But to those of us who embrace, give our all, "press on," to walk in Jesus Christ, our, "So Great a Salvation," there is joy, peace, deliverance, unspeakable comfort and total victory. 

Father, in Jesus' Name, forgive me when I may have sought joy, peace, and unspeakable comfort in anything else.  Thank You for, "so great a Salvation." 

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Read of Methodist General Conference "Repentance" at:

www.jerberwash.blogspot.com

Unreached People Group: 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

Got "Sure Foundation"?

"If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3) 

The answer is, nothing.  First of all, without, "the foundations," there is no righteousness, no relationship with the Blessed Trinity.  Secondly, without, "the foundations," all effort of humanity is futile.  It just works to save humanity with powerless human resources, an effort to build a humanity without Jesus Christ as King, and raise the Tower of Babel.  The work for us today is to do as the Bible says, "raise up the age old foundations." 

What are, "the foundations"?  The word for, "foundations," here means simply "foundations, the stay of society."  The Bible says, "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your Throne....When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation.... Everyone who comes to me and hears My words and acts on them...is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built....For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."  Try this:  The, "everlasting foundation," of, "the righteous," is Jesus Christ and His Words.

Now sing it with me, "I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste (KJV), will not be disturbed (NASB), will never be stricken with panic (NIV), will never be shaken (NLT), will not be ashamed (Amplified), won't tremble (CEB), will not be disappointed (ERV), a trusting life won't topple (MSG)."  This is the promise, the guarantee of The Foundation Himself, Jesus Christ, who breathed these words on us, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."  The thought just occurred to me, Could his, "yoke ...and...burden," be Jesus Himself and His Words?

Father, in Jesus' Name, Glorious, Wonderful, Marvelous Foundation!  Amen.

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News, Commentary: Germany and Israel: www.jerberwash.blogspot.com

Unreached People Group: 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

A Parable Which Speaks to Geopolitics

"Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow." (Mark 4:1)

I'm sure you have heard it before, but the real determining factor in what has been referred to as "The Parable of the Sower," is really not the sower; it's the soils.  Verse 14 says, "The sower sows the word."  Each of the 4 soil types, however, is different.  They all receive the same seed from the same sower.  The difference?-- their handling of the seed.   Every time through the Old Testament I note that many of the good kings had bad sons, and many of the bad kings had good sons.  All four categories had the same "seed," which is the same "Law-Word," the same Covenant, the same God, the same opportunity as Abraham who, as Jesus told us, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."

We are living in a day of blame, nothing new here, just seemingly highlighted by humanist who are always trying to justify their philosophy of life by looking for "good" people, you know, the so-called "victims," the innocent, the helpless, and "bad" people, the people who are the reason for all the injustices in the world.  History reveals, however, that many of those whom they refer to as "helpless" have had an opportunity to change their victimization; that is what every successful revolution has been about.  It is easier, however, to find the world's evils in the corporate mogul who is oppressive, unjust, evil, or, some race, gender, people group whom one can hatefully attack as the personification of oppression.  I am not saying that there has not always been real victims and oppressors.  But, "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow"-------- among victims and oppressors alike.

"A sower went out to sow."  The promises of the sown Word are for everyone, whether one considers them in the categorization of oppressor, victim, saint, sinner, white, black, male or female, corporate giant or worker.  The issue is, What does a person do with the seed?!?  I have wondered, If, "....Abraham rejoiced to see My day," why couldn't so many others, perhaps even all humanity?  Skeptics love to ask, "What about those who never heard?"  What about them?  Jesus tells us that "the sower" sowed seed in practically every situation imaginable.  Abraham did not have a Bible, did not have a missionary or evangelist who shared with him "The Four Spiritual Laws."  Abraham just had a heart to hear The Word of God, to receive "the Seed" which Jesus sowed in his heart.  Frankly, I believe that, "The Word of God," Jesus Christ, Himself the Seed, has been sowing Himself throughout history in places and among people of whom you and I may know very little.  Jesus said, "Some fell," here and there.  I pray for the soils.  

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me with my soil.  Amen.

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Unreached People Group: 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

"APF DEVOTIONAL"

APF DEVOTIONAL GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM

"Special," Not Because of Me, But of Jesus

"Jesus Christ...gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."  (From Titus 2:13b, 14)

In June of 1969 I was a part of a Billy Graham School of Evangelism, held during the Billy Graham Crusade in Madison Square Garden, New York.  As a seminary student and pastor, all of my expenses were paid by the Graham Association.  Since we were not "local," each night after the crusade we were left pretty much on our own to go to the various "stations" and participate.  I chose to go outside the arena and talk to people on the street.  One night I ran into what someone once called a "turtleneck fundy" trying to "witness" to a drunk man; the drunk was claiming to be a Christian.  The self righteous, Bible toting was saying something like, "How could you possibly be a Christian; look at yourself."  Those exact thoughts came to me of this "pharisee."  After the accuser left, the drunk man's eyes met mine.  I said, "Gave you a rough time, eh?"  I listened to his story, in some ways not very much different from yours or mine.

Our text says that "Jesus Christ...gave Himself for us," to, "purify for Himself," not to purify for myself.  He did not purify me so that I could take off on my own, sins forgiven, feeling better about myself, all the while feeling disgusted at those who are not as "pure" as I.  Jesus spilled His Blood, died on a Roman cross for you and me so that we would be, "His own special people."  He did not die for you and me to go around touting our specialness.  Yes, we are special, but it is only because, "Jesus...gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us...for Himself." 

The Jews too would have done well over the centuries to realize that, "chosen," did not mean "better than."  If we ever loose sight of the reality that we were lawless, full of lawlessness and, "every lawless deed," we will walk as the "turtleneck fundy."  If we walk, however, as one for whom, "Jesus Christ...gave Himself.., that He might redeem us...for Himself," we will walk, not as our own special people, but, "His own special people." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I confess that apart from You, there is absolutely nothing in me

to justify specialness, but I thank You that surrendered to You there is.  Amen.

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Read of the "May Day Terror Threat": www.jerberwash.blogspot.com

Unreached People Group: 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

"....Forever and ever....For ever and ever"

"I will extol Thee, my God, O King; and I will bless Thy name for ever and ever." (Psalm 145:1)

Verse two also says, "For ever and ever."  This is not just a present age declaration.  "I will bless Thy name for ever and ever....Every day will I bless Thee; and I will praise Thy name for ever and ever."  Then we read that the Lord is great; He is, "unsearchable," greatness; His acts are, "mighty"; His, "majesty [is] glorious honor".

 

I have attempted to preach on this my "favorite" Psalm over the years and just felt so very inadequate.  I guess I really feel the same about all Scripture; what can I really add to this?  But we do.  We are called and privileged to, as verses six and seven say, "....speak of the might of Thy awesome acts: and I will declare Thy greatness.  They shall abundantly utter the memory of Thy great goodness, and shall sing of Thy righteousness."  What privilege to speak of, "the glorious honor of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works,..Thy...goodness,..Thy righteousness," that our Lord Jesus Christ, "Is gracious and full of compassion; slow to anger and of great mercy", that our Living Triune God, "is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works."  What else can I do, but join, "All Thy works," to, "praise Thee...and Thy saints," to, "bless Thee-- speak of the glory of Thy Kingdom, and talk of Thy power-- make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His Kingdom.  Thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom ('Kingdom of all ages') and Thy dominion endures throughout all generations.  The LORD Jesus Christ upholds all that fall, and raises up all those that be bowed down."  Okay, you can take it from here.

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to, "declare Thy greatness."  Amen.

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Excellent Article on the history on diplomatic deception

 in the last century: www.jerberwash.blogspot.com

Unreached People Group:     www.apfunreachedpeoples.blogspot.com

We now have  $1150.oo for the roof, and a commitment of another $500.00

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