"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:7)
This was a part of my reading schedule a few days ago. It just never gets old.
I have shared with you the comment of one of my parishioners about 45 years ago when asked by a neighbor how he liked his new pastor. One of his responses was, "All we hear is Jesus, Jesus, Jesus." I was never paid a more handsome compliment. Why is this "my" theme? Why is Jesus the theme of the Bible? The Bible answers this way, "Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him....No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God Who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained ('declared, met, show[n] the way, unfold[ed]) Him." For me it cannot be any more clear, "No one comes to the Father except through me," or more literally, "except on account of, by reason of, for the sake of, because of me." Sorry to all the open minded people on the Planet; this excludes all religions and philosophies, even "Imagine."
I referred to Hebrews 11 yesterday. As I contemplated it more, it occurred to me anew just how significant is the passage which follows in Hebrews 12:1c, 2a, "....and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus...." In Hebrews 11 the Holy Spirit reminds us of the people of the faith. Some faith people lived a life of overcoming, kingdom conquering, giant slaying, promise obtaining, fire quenching, "mighty in war,..resurrection." Yet you know as well as I that most who refer to the "great hall of faith" in Hebrews 11, the aforementioned are the ones they think of, or at least want to think of. But there are others mentioned in Hebrews 11, people of a faith which most of us want nothing to do with, a faith of torture, "mockings and scourgings, yes also chains and imprisonment." People of the same faith who, "....were stoned, they were sawn in two,..they were put to death,..(men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground." These people receive little, if any, billing in liberal, evangelical and especially charismatic conferences and churches. Yet the Holy Spirit says of these men and women of faith, ....of whom the world was not worthy."
Now right after Hebrews 11, the Holy Spirit gives us wonderful advise, really, a command. When you and I think we are more in the situation of the latter part of Hebrews 11, when we think the people of "real" faith are having all the blessings, all the healings, all the money, all the "favor," well, all the everything, and we have so little of it, we are commanded to stop it! Instead we are commanded to do what they did. Just as, "....Abraham rejoiced to see [Jesus]' day, and he saw and was glad," so also did all the people of Hebrews 11. I saw in a "new" light today the connection between Hebrews 11 & 12, "THEREFORE we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (which very much and foundationally includes those mocked, scourged, stoned, and, 'put to death'), let us (also) lay aside every (lying) weight, and the sin (wow is me) which so easily ensnares, and let us run with endurance (just as they did) the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus...." It always "comes back" to Jesus. You and I want to be like them? Then run our race, "Looking unto Jesus." Jesus kept them; Jesus keeps us. There is just no difference. No matter how others seem to succeed and you seem to fail, He is the same Lord Jesus Christ He was to the "Hall of Faith" People. He just cannot help Himself, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I can really say little except, Thank You. Amen.
This was a part of my reading schedule a few days ago. It just never gets old.
I have shared with you the comment of one of my parishioners about 45 years ago when asked by a neighbor how he liked his new pastor. One of his responses was, "All we hear is Jesus, Jesus, Jesus." I was never paid a more handsome compliment. Why is this "my" theme? Why is Jesus the theme of the Bible? The Bible answers this way, "Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him....No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God Who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained ('declared, met, show[n] the way, unfold[ed]) Him." For me it cannot be any more clear, "No one comes to the Father except through me," or more literally, "except on account of, by reason of, for the sake of, because of me." Sorry to all the open minded people on the Planet; this excludes all religions and philosophies, even "Imagine."
I referred to Hebrews 11 yesterday. As I contemplated it more, it occurred to me anew just how significant is the passage which follows in Hebrews 12:1c, 2a, "....and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus...." In Hebrews 11 the Holy Spirit reminds us of the people of the faith. Some faith people lived a life of overcoming, kingdom conquering, giant slaying, promise obtaining, fire quenching, "mighty in war,..resurrection." Yet you know as well as I that most who refer to the "great hall of faith" in Hebrews 11, the aforementioned are the ones they think of, or at least want to think of. But there are others mentioned in Hebrews 11, people of a faith which most of us want nothing to do with, a faith of torture, "mockings and scourgings, yes also chains and imprisonment." People of the same faith who, "....were stoned, they were sawn in two,..they were put to death,..(men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground." These people receive little, if any, billing in liberal, evangelical and especially charismatic conferences and churches. Yet the Holy Spirit says of these men and women of faith, ....of whom the world was not worthy."
Now right after Hebrews 11, the Holy Spirit gives us wonderful advise, really, a command. When you and I think we are more in the situation of the latter part of Hebrews 11, when we think the people of "real" faith are having all the blessings, all the healings, all the money, all the "favor," well, all the everything, and we have so little of it, we are commanded to stop it! Instead we are commanded to do what they did. Just as, "....Abraham rejoiced to see [Jesus]' day, and he saw and was glad," so also did all the people of Hebrews 11. I saw in a "new" light today the connection between Hebrews 11 & 12, "THEREFORE we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (which very much and foundationally includes those mocked, scourged, stoned, and, 'put to death'), let us (also) lay aside every (lying) weight, and the sin (wow is me) which so easily ensnares, and let us run with endurance (just as they did) the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus...." It always "comes back" to Jesus. You and I want to be like them? Then run our race, "Looking unto Jesus." Jesus kept them; Jesus keeps us. There is just no difference. No matter how others seem to succeed and you seem to fail, He is the same Lord Jesus Christ He was to the "Hall of Faith" People. He just cannot help Himself, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I can really say little except, Thank You. 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
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
