"He Pleased God"

"By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, 'and was not found, because God had taken him'; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God." (Hebrews 11:5)

The only people I can find in the Bible who, "pleased God," are those who obeyed God.

Do we want to know what it "takes" to have the same epitaph as Enoch?  Obey Jesus Christ, not only in the, "Thou shalt not," but also in the, "Thou shalt."  Remember the young man who said to Jesus, "All these things I have  kept from my youth."  Jesus gave him a sobering Word, "One thing you lack...." 

It is a well known fact that people who claim that they "know the Lord," or are, "born again," or are "prophetic," who see thousands saved and healed may, nevertheless, may not, "please[] God."  We all know the "famous" ones, but there are thousands who no one knows what they do, as our Lord Jesus describes, "in secret."  Don Basham's book, True and False Prophets, is perhaps the most revealing on this sad reality.

It is a most sobering "revelation" in Scripture.  People please the Living Triune God of the Universe when we walk in obedience, the "do not" and the "do."  I call upon you and me today to, as Paul told the Corinthian Church, "examine yourselves."  It is called living a life style of repentance, what David prayed and we should all pray regularly, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me,..and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."  May I say, "the way of obedience?"  Amen.

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See what German Intel has revealed at:        jhs58.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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Because Jesus "Stood," You, "Will Stand"

"Then some began to spit at Jesus; they blindfolded Jesus, struck Jesus with their fists, and said, 'Prophesy!'  And the guards took Jesus and beat Jesus....Who are you to judge another's servant?  To his own master he stands or falls.  Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand." (Mark 14:65, NIV, & Romans 14:4, NASB)

I am sharing with you some thoughts on two texts from today's readings.  In the Mark passage you will note that I changed the pronouns to nouns.

The Mark passage is not supposed to invoke pity.  This is to tell you and me the "price" of our Salvation, what Jesus took, "bore," and, "carried," for you and me.  To say it was humiliation is gross understatement, "spit on Him, and...blindfolded Him, struck Him with their fists....And beat Him."  And this was before Jesus went to Pilate.  All was to fulfill, "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.  He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain....He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by His wounds we are healed."

Then we have a passage about not getting all "bent out of shape" over some of the "convictions" of others in the Church.  For much of what others do which irritate us, the Holy Spirit tells us in Romans 14:1, "....not to dispute[] over doubtful things."  And beyond this command we read of a great, indeed, very great promise, "....and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand."  With all of our peculiarities, our failings and shortcomings, you and I have the promise that even though it may seem as though we are weak and stumbling, our Lord Jesus, "is able to make him stand."  I leave you with the great reality today for all of us who are, "in Christ," and Christ in us, "....and he will stand...."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I cannot, "stand," without You.  I thank You for the promise, "and he will stand."  Amen.
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* Read the truth about Turkey at:   jhs58.blogspot.com

* Berlin Mission, October 6-27

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

No One Has To Stay There

"I loathe my very life....Why then did you bring me out of the womb?  I wish I had died before any eye saw me.  If only I had never come into being...." (Job 10, NIV)

There are people like this all around you.  They may even be in that "pew" in front of you in church-------------- with hands raised.

There is a song which came out several  generations ago entitled, "Smile."  One verse says,
        "With your fear and sorrow
        Smile and maybe tomorrow
        You'll find that life is still worthwhile
        If you just smile."
But those in such a state as was Job know that it takes much more than just, "Smile." 

The pain of someone who says such things as in our text is more than we can imagine.  Life is over for such a person, and far too many just give up with life and end it.  But there are many around us, perhaps we pass them every day somewhere, at work, the store, school, who just keep plodding along in life, never coming to any sense of victory, "overcoming," or "break through."  A smile just covers a broken heart. 

Job was in a very deep "hole."  As the Book continues to unfold, Job doesn't seem to get any relief; the Words of our text just keep plaguing Job in one form or another.  We know that Jesus, "The Word of God," finally speaks to Job, "out of the storm."  Perhaps, "the storm," is the appropriate environment for Jesus to speak to Job, whose life, in a very real sense, had become one.  Yet notice that the Blessed Trinity did not come to Job as you and I tend to come to people who are so down, discouraged, poor-imaged.  There is a rebuke in God's Words to Job.  In effect, He says, "Your inability to understand your life has led you to foolish speculation."  Of course it does.  That is all you and I are capable of apart from the Lord Jesus Christ reining in us.  Job was doing what too many of us do with life.  We look at that "life" instead of, "Looking unto Jesus."  The temptation facing you and me is what Job gave into----- self-pity.  Jesus told Job and tells us to get over it.  Jesus "got over it" for us all.

While Peter was, "looking unto Jesus," he did the impossible.  The moment he looked at "life,"  he sank.  No, this is no an oversimplification of our existence.  There are many who want us to believe that life is too complicated for Bible "answers."  People have made a lot of money telling others that the answer to such an attitude as expressed in today's text takes a "professional," one who conducts seminars, writes books, yes, even preaches, to cure them.  I can save you a lot of money.  Fill every day with, "the Words of God," those "Words" which Job lost sight of, and keep Jesus' Thoughts/Words before us, sustaining us, empowering us.  Jesus paid the cost for our "therapy" ----------- so we don't have to.

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to be a help.  Amen.

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Read about the tactics which Arab/Islamists have been using for years against Israel: jhs58.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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"Arise, Go...."

"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me." (Jonah 1:2, from today's Minor Prophets reading.)

One thing which set Dietrich Bonhoeffer apart from most of his contemporaries was his Kingdom mindset.  He was mindful of, "The Kingdom of Heaven", while most around him were only mindful of "church."  Now to some this may sound disrespectful of the Church.  But I can tell you that if you and I are only "churchmen," we are missing the whole aspect of, "make disciples of all the nations."  Our text tells us that the Living Triune God commanded Jonah, "Arise, go to Nineveh," and, in essence, "make disciples."  And, just as Jonah, Dietrich also "went" to a "great city," and cried "out against it."

Through the centuries, people such as Bonhoeffer were not "political revolutionaries."  They were people who actually believed that, "the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."  Our Lord Jesus Christ would not have commanded us to pray, "Thy Kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven", if it was not His "Will."  This is not what so many react negatively to as "kingdom now theology."  Of course there is the reality of the "coming Kingdom" in the Scriptures.  But such a reality does not contradict, nor replace, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."  There is a very real sense in which this was Jonah's message to Nineveh. 

The video which I sent to you yesterday of Hillary Clinton expounding quite proudly her view of the unborn reveals just how evil the majority of Americans have become.  "Arise, go," because never before in the history of America has there been such blatant advocacy of murder as in the Obama and Clinton administration.  Does the American Church really want to reject the Biblical aspect of, "the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand," in the face of such evil?!?  Remember: "The gates of Hell will not overcome it," or, "get the upper hand," or, "prevail against it," viz., the Church.  Remember what Derek Prince once said, "'gates,' don't attack.  We attack!"

As Followers of Jesus, you and I cannot sequester ourselves in our Church meetings, "outreaches," in-house gatherings.  As Followers of Jesus, you and I are called to, "follow the Lamb wherever He goes."  And I cannot think of one aspect of First Century Culture which Jesus declared "off limits."  Mark 16 tells us that the Early Church, "went everywhere."  And where is, "everywhere?"  That's correct--"everywhere."  This is the reason I go to Washington, DC.  This is the reason we go to Berlin.  This is the reason you go to your place of business.  The Church has "boundaries."  The Kingdom does not.  "Arise, go...."

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to more and more, "Arise, Go...."  Amen.
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* "Arise, go" to California, September 9-18
* "Arise, go" to Berlin, October 6-27

* "Arise, go" to Washington, DC every month
* Latest on Germany:   jhs58.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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"From Days of Eternity"

"But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation." (Hebrews 9:11, NIV)

The Interlinear says, "Christ however having appeared as High Priest of the good things having come...."  Or, as the NIV says, "already here."  Of course everything Jesus does is, "already here."  When a person says, "Lord Jesus, I need Your forgiveness," Our Lord can respond, "already here."  This is Eternity.  This is much of what, "eternal life," means.  Perhaps, "It is finished," means something of what Micah 5 says of Jesus, "His goings forth are from long ago, from days of eternity."  Maybe history is just an explanation of what the Living Triune God has already done.

Notice that Christ's "work" is in a, "more perfect tabernacle...not...of this creation."  While everything around us attacks our physical senses, work, education, government, economy, you and I have Jesus Christ, "He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made," literally, "not by hand."  Jesus brought the un-created to the created to take the created into the realm of the un-created, viz., Eternity, "....that whoever believes in [Jesus] will not perish but have eternal life," which is not "some-day-life."  Why do we spend so much time living in "created" life?  Jesus has brought us into the "un-created" life, the life in Jesus which is, "from days of eternity." 

Musing on these things today has brought great blessing to me.  When I "stepped into" Jesus, I literally "stepped" into Eternity, into the "Eternal One."  I became a citizen of His Eternal Kingdom, His Eternal Family.  It is almost as if one could say, "I was in Him before I knew it."  Selah.

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me today to live where You "live."  Amen.
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* BERLIN MISSION:  OCTOBER 6-27
* SEPTEMBER 11 15th ANNIVERSARY OBSERVANCE AND TIME WITH SEVERAL CHURCHES IN CALIFORNIA: SEPTEMBER 9-18

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2