"....HE TOO WAS DISTRESSED"

"In their distress He too was distressed.  It was no envoy or angel, but His own presence that saved them."  (Isaiah 63:9, NIV alternate translation)

"....He too was distressed", is also revealed in the Gethsemane incident, "And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

The hymn says, "He had no tears for His own grief, but sweat-drops of blood for mine."  The world's suffering is God's suffering.  It was He Himself Who was, "....being in agony..," in Gethsemane, "....He too was distressed."  Furthermore, the Father and Holy Spirit did not view the Cross from some heavenly sanctuary.  "God was IN Christ reconciling the world to Himself"--------------- "He too was distressed."

Jesus Christ is in us, right this very moment, participating with and in us in our grief, sorrow, sickness, pain and distress (Isaiah 53), all of which Jesus destroyed, "....in His Own Body on the Tree."  And the conclusion of our text, as indeed of Covenant History?   "It was...His Own Presence that saved them."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I too, "....stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene, and wonder how He could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean."  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

"PERSISTENCE"

"I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs."  (Luke 11:8)

Apparently, "persistence," has more influence than friendship.  

Now Jesus is in no way marginalizing friendship.  Rather, what He says here shows us how much our King Jesus enjoys our, "abide in Me," fellowship, our "pressing in."  

Our Savior is not saying that we must beg Him for our needs, "For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things."  He is calling us into a constant, abiding-in-Him fellowship.  For me, this is what the, "because of his persistence," means.  

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for such love.  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

"....THE SPIRITUAL ROCK THAT ACCOMPANIED THEM...."

"They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ."  (1 Corinthians 10:3, 4--NIV)

The Interlinear Greek also uses the word, "accompanied."  Other translations say, "followed."  I know the Greek experts probably have a reason some translated it, "followed," but, "accompanied," sounds more "friendship" to me.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, accompany means, "go somewhere with someone as a companion or escort," or, "be present or occur at the same time as (something else.)"  Regardless of my theologian gene (or whatever one may call it), for me it is quite wonderful and comforting that wherever I go, "the same spiritual food and...drink...that accompanied them," accompanies you and me 24/7, our Glorious King and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for your indwelling accompaniment.  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

"IN ALL THIS...."

"Then his wife said to him, 'Do you still hold fast to your integrity?  Curse God and die!'  But he said to her, 'You speak as one of the foolish women speaks.  Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?'  In all this Job did not sin with his lips."  (Job 2:9, 10)

I can say with certainty that if I had cursed God 53 years ago, "I might be alive and walking around, but I'd be as dead as a beaver hat."

Job's wife simply was a precursor to the millions who were to follow over the millennia.  There was a line in a movie decades ago where one guy said, "God hates me; that's what it is."  The other guy said, "Hate him back; it works for me."  This is stupidity on steroids.

The next time you encounter someone who has suffered terribly, and has turned their back on the Lord Jesus Christ, whether you say it or not, the appraisal of Job rings through the ages, "You speak as one of the foolish...speaks."

Father, in Jesus' Name, how could I ever?!?  Amen.
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CROW MISSION: AUGUST 1-15

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

"THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO...."

"Then Saul...put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.  David...tried walking around because he was not used to them....Then [David] took his staff in his hand.., and with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine."  (From 1 Samuel 17, NIV)

David must have not only felt silly, but looked silly as well.  The Bible tells us that Saul stood a head taller than everyone around him.  Can you imagine what Saul's battle dress must have looked like on this slight-built, teenage shepherd boy?!?

Now fast forward 3000 years.  This is exactly how someone who attempts to walk in someone else's armor looks like today-- silly.  I have often said that I think the reason we have four gospels and not just one is that God wanted the world to have, "The Gospel According to Matthew," according to Mark, according to Luke and according to John.  There is a flavor of, "salt of the earth," which you and I have, as well as a, "light of the world," which is unique to and in you and me.  

Now I'm not trying to take over for Mr Rogers here, but I do want us all to hear in this what our Lord Jesus Christ said to Peter when Peter asked concerning John, "....and what about this man?"  Remember the response of our Lord Jesus?  "What is that to you?  You follow Me."  

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that You have a common purpose for Your Followers as well as a unique purpose for each Follower.  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

"GO" WITH WHAT JESUS HAS GIVEN YOU

"'I cannot go in these,' he said, 'because I am not used to them.'  Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of His shepherd's bag...."  (1 Samuel 17:39c-40c, NIV)

Saul thought that David should go against Goliath in Saul's armor.  Don't try to fight life's battle in another's armor.  "I am not used to them," should be our caution also. 

We learn from others and listen to teaching.  Our Lord Jesus Christ, however, has given each of us a testimony which is unique to us.  Fish in the waters of your testimony, not Saul's.

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for my "shepherd's bag."  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