"Come On In" (God)

"You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them....But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem....You have come to...Jesus the Mediator of a new covenant....Therefore, since we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably ('in a well-pleasing way') with reverence and awe.... " (From Hebrews 12, NIV)

Much of mankind, right up through the Middle Ages, even up to today, has always had a "fear of the gods."  It was not fear of God, but rather dread of God, some sort of god which was unknowable.

Even though the Bible teaches, "I know it will be well with those who fear God," all who are in Jesus Christ, and we in Jesus, have the glorious promise/invitation of Hebrews 10, "Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the Blood of Jesus,..let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings...."  No one is "worthy" to, "....come to Mount Zion.., the Heavenly Jerusalem...."  Only in and through the Blood of Jesus is one worthy, and only in and through the Blood of Jesus can one, "worship ('serve') God acceptably...." 

As we worship, pray, do anything today, we are called to live in the reality that, "we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken,.." that we have been invited in the Blood of Jesus Christ to a Glorious life in the Godhead, "by a new and living way opened to us through the curtain, that is, His Body...."   In Jesus Christ, "Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."  No one has to live in fear, dread, or hopelessness.  In Jesus Christ, "darkness, gloom, and storm," become Light, Rejoicing, and Peace, life in, "a Kingdom that cannot be shaken."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You so much for what You have dispelled, and what You have opened.  Amen.

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Read about "The New Axis of Evil," 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

Oh, Yes---"And Fire"

"He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire." (Luke 3:16)

The, "fire," here is not what so many have propagated over the generations.  It is not shouting, dancing, blaring instruments, fiery preaching.  It is the, "For our God is a consuming fire," of which Hebrews 12 speaks.  The context tells us, "He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."

Now there are other aspects of our text which one could point out, but this reality should delight the heart of everyone on Planet Earth.  Enslaved by the "filth" of sin, Jesus comes to us in the Holy Spirit and, "....will thoroughly clean.., and gather the wheat into His barn", or we can say into, "the household of faith," the Church, the Family of God.  The Bible teaches us that in God's House there is no place for sin, rebellion, disobedience; therefore, in order for you and I to, "dwell in the secret place of the Most High....He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is subsequent to the New Birth; the Book of Acts teaches this.  Jesus, in His infinite mercy and grace, receives us when we receive and surrender our lives to Him.  Then the "working" of Romans 6 begins, "....that we should no longer be slaves to sin....For sin shall no longer be your master"; hence, "His winnowing fan is in His hand....The chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."  Yes, we Praise the Blessed Trinity that in the Holy Spirit we have a new "prayer language."  In the Holy Spirit the gifts and fruit of the Godhead now work in us.  And, along with all that which most have taught, written books about, and preached about, in our text we have a call to, as the book title of so long ago states, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life.

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to have a new and greater appreciation of, "....and fire."  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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"Why Have You Done This?"

Then the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: "I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, 'I will never break My covenant with you.  And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.'  But you have not obeyed My voice.  Why have you done this?"  (Judges 2:1, 2)

"I will never break My Covenant with you."  Nothing about this ever changes.  "Never," means, well, "NEVER."  People who do not read the Old Testament miss out on much of what we can know about the Living Triune God.  If people refuse to read the whole Bible, they will miss the "whole picture."  For example, the Old Testament and the New Testament put forth the same principle: Our Lord does not take well to people who disobey His Statutes.

Why is this?  Simply stated in the Pentateuch, "They are your life."  Of course, a reading of Psalm 119 will greatly reinforce this, "Blessed are those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart" (v.2).  Now you do want to be, "Blessed," do you not?  Well, "The Word of God," teaches us that blessing is not an emotional, goose pimple experience.  Bible theology, not just one verse, teaches humanity that the phrase of the old hymn, "Blessings all mine, and ten thousand beside," come to, "....those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart."  If we have any "blessings" outside of this reality, they are "fools' gold." 

People who do not like statutes-talk have never realized that Jesus did not give options; Jesus only gives commands, viz., "statutes."  Our Lord Jesus told the young ruler, "But if you want to enter into life keep the commandments."  Now most evangelicals have belittled these words because most evangelicals- charismatics have an anti-works obsession.  "O," they say, "Jesus was showing the "rich young ruler" that the commandments are not necessary to be, 'born again.'"  Of course not, but if one is, "born again," he/she will keep the commandments.  The New Birth brings us into the Kingdom, into, "the Household of Faith," i.e., the Church.  The, "statutes," are the "how-tos" for daily living in the Church, the Kingdom.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that You have never left me with "how to" live, be, or do anything in Your purposes.  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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"Nothing New--It Has Already Been"

"'Vanity of vanities,' says the preacher; 'Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.'...One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever....There is nothing new under the sun.  Is there anything of which it may be said, 'See, this is new'?  It has already been in ancient times before us."  (From Ecclesiastes 1)

The Hebrew Word for, "Vanity," also means, "absurdity, frustration, futility, nonsense."  This is anyone's life without Jesus Christ.

Moreover, the reality of the Universe is that God creates; man merely discovers.  Everything man has discovered, or as some would say, invented, was already there.  Man puts things together, that's all.  Now I am not belittling what man has d0ne.  I only belittle his pride, his, "Look what I have done, and I needed no "creator" to help."  That deserves nothing but belittling. 

This is Solomon's last of the books we have in the Canon.  It is what he calls, "the conclusion of the whole matter."  One could say that it was the "conclusion" of his life.  He speaks of his great accomplishments; "I built me," is a phrase which he repeats many times in Ecclesiastes.  The Interlinear translates it, "I built to me...."  What a revelation of the human spirit.  But Solomon, after a life of self-indulgence, realized his sin, his failures, and realized that to, "Fear God and keep His commandments," was, "the conclusion of the whole matter."

Where are you today?  Have you come to this conclusion, which is the "right" conclusion?  To fear the Lord Jesus Christ, to keep all His Words is the path to living in his, "....peace..which passes understanding...."  One who said "the sinners' prayer" but does not go on to, "keep His commandments," should never be surprised if life does not seem to "work out" the way the religionists said it would.  Read the, "Words of God," regularly and one discovers just how wonderfully "fulfilling" is, "the conclusion of the whole matter." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I see this more and more.  Thank You for your patient mercy and grace.  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.'"

Hebrews 12:2