"By faith Enoch was taken from this life....Before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God." (Hebrews 11:5b, NIV)
I want nothing else in life than, "Before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God."
It's that time of the quarter that I read Hebrews 11, Biblical Theology 101. You will find no greater Gospel message, no greater exhortation, no greater encouragement to press on than in the, "God-Breathed," Words of Hebrews 11, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." The Greek states that, "they bore witness to this, and thereby, "gained approval," the approval of King Jesus Himself. You and I cannot expect "approval" if we do not heed the "theology" of Hebrews 11. One might gain some religious experience, but not, "were commended for."
Hebrews 12: 2 is the summation of Hebrews 11; it is key to understanding what the Holy Spirit is declaring in the chapter 11. We are simply told that the person of faith in Jesus is one who looks to, "things not yet seen," who, "obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going," who is, "looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God," to the personages who admit, "they were foreigners and strangers on earth," to the person who, "regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward." And note, "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised," because if they did, you and I would have been left out.
There is still a very real sense in which you and I have not, " received what had been promised." You and I too are of the Church who is awaiting those yet to come to Jesus, for which Jesus is preparing, "a place for you,..since God ha[s] planned something better for [them] so that only together with us would they be made perfect/complete." Hold on, dear Follower of Jesus. These are evil days, days in which the enemies of the Cross of Jesus are increasing in number, nations and individuals, "denying the Lord Who bought them." But as Paul told Timothy, "....they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all...."
Here is my encouragement to you: "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Father, in Jesus' Name, that I may be one who pleases You. Amen.
I want nothing else in life than, "Before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God."
It's that time of the quarter that I read Hebrews 11, Biblical Theology 101. You will find no greater Gospel message, no greater exhortation, no greater encouragement to press on than in the, "God-Breathed," Words of Hebrews 11, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." The Greek states that, "they bore witness to this, and thereby, "gained approval," the approval of King Jesus Himself. You and I cannot expect "approval" if we do not heed the "theology" of Hebrews 11. One might gain some religious experience, but not, "were commended for."
Hebrews 12: 2 is the summation of Hebrews 11; it is key to understanding what the Holy Spirit is declaring in the chapter 11. We are simply told that the person of faith in Jesus is one who looks to, "things not yet seen," who, "obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going," who is, "looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God," to the personages who admit, "they were foreigners and strangers on earth," to the person who, "regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward." And note, "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised," because if they did, you and I would have been left out.
There is still a very real sense in which you and I have not, " received what had been promised." You and I too are of the Church who is awaiting those yet to come to Jesus, for which Jesus is preparing, "a place for you,..since God ha[s] planned something better for [them] so that only together with us would they be made perfect/complete." Hold on, dear Follower of Jesus. These are evil days, days in which the enemies of the Cross of Jesus are increasing in number, nations and individuals, "denying the Lord Who bought them." But as Paul told Timothy, "....they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all...."
Here is my encouragement to you: "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Father, in Jesus' Name, that I may be one who pleases 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
