Saturday, November 23, 2019

Mother Sarah's Amazing Faith: Hebrews 11. TEN YEARS!

First posted Saturday, October 10, 2009


Sarah, mother of Isaac, grandmother of Jacob, is our ancestral mother. We all come together in her.


Even if you are not a blood descendant of Sarah, she is, in Christ, your ancestor. Sarah is our mother.

We normally do not think of her in that way. We do not stop to reflect that, when Christ returns, the dead are raised, and eternal life is bestowed on all the faithful, that we will meet together at some great family reunion, and at the head of the table reserved for the parents will sit our grandmother, Sarah. Go ahead and call her "Grandma", if you want!

His (Abraham's) faith gave Sarah in her barrenness the power to be impregnated by seed when past the prime of adulthood, because he had faith in the One who made the promise.

Yes, it's true that Sarah mocked God when she was told that she would have a child. She was, after all, human, and little old ladies do not have babies, especially in the pre-in vitro age!

But there had to have been some element of faith in Sarah, as well as Abraham. And even though Abraham understood, sadly, the discouragement and demoralizing effect of a mocking wife (it's a wonder he ever accomplished anything!), still we must conclude that Sarah had enough faith to be counted worthy to be the grandmother of us all!

I cannot contemplate God so blessing this great woman, unless her basic pattern was to live in gentleness and acceptance, even though she entered old age without ever having given birth.

What can we learn from Sarah? I believe we can learn much, and it would be good to study and comment on her great qualities.

How about, for starters: accepting God's will for whether or not she ever bore children? How about choosing to be happy with or without children - in whatever state God has planted you?

Please reader - I am not making a judgment on any person living in these times of medical miracles. But let us never lose sight of these simple qualities of faith that were easier to come by, when it was humanly impossible for people to reverse apparent infertility! Faith is faith! And it cannot be expressed without hardship or disappointment.

Thank you, Grandma Sarah. Because you accepted God's will, His Kingdom could be planted, and today our family is millions strong!

Are You Ready, Really? Hebrews 10 - Ten years of reflectionary!

Originally posted Wednesday, October 7, 2009


World events are spiraling about. At times it all seems random. At others, like it is part of a grand Master Plan. At its root it is frightening. Jesus Christ seems to be the one most polarizing figure in History. From within the U.S. and without, His enemies - all those that do not believe in him - can come into great accord in the objective of wiping him, and his followers, from off the pages of History.

We talk a good game. We know that courage is a good quality. We admire those that have it. We can voice our connection to Paul, Peter, Noah, King David. We say that we are followers of Christ.

What happens when our professions of faith cause us to lose a job? What if our friendships, or family relations, suffer?

I was once told, by an elder in the Church, that I needed to cool it on my blogging. He said - "This could hurt you in getting a teaching job."

What? WHAT??

And you suffered for those who were in jail and accepted the impounding of your possessions with joy, knowing that you had a better and more lasting fortune elsewhere.

I would love to have a new car. A big house would be great. If only I could attract the most beautiful women with my affluence and wealth! Taking trips to any pleasure spot in the world, whenever I want, would be great!!

But, what is the cost of all of this? How much must I hide my faith in Christ?

Oh yes, I could say, "But let me gain my wealth first, and then think of how effective I will be in building God's kingdom!"

Friend, I tried that approach for twenty years. The outcome was not only spiritual failure, but professional, worldly failure, as well.

I took that fork in the road, and instead of worldly success, I gained professional decline, financial reverses, medical and dental bills, divorce, and even a lack of respect from among those in family and church that once admired me.

It doesn't work. You will fail if you try to get it both ways.

What are your talents? What can you do to build God's kingdom? I beg of you, change course right now and do it.

And please be willing to give up all your worldly possessions! They are worthless, and you are going to lose them anyway! True riches are only to be found in Christ.

Monday, November 11, 2019

A Terrifying Passage, Hebrews 10 - TEN YEARS OF REFLECTIONARY

First posted on Monday, October 5, 2009


 This verse from Hebrews used to terrify me:


Remember, if we knowingly choose wrong after gaining knowledge of the truth, we cannot offer sacrifice for our sins . . . we can only expect a fearful judgment and the heat of the fire waiting to consume the forces of opposition.

It sounds like, once you become a Christian, you had better be perfect from now on, or you will be doomed forever. And of course, I had not become perfect, so when I acted hatefully to someone else, or messed up and used bad language, or lied . . . it would be all over, for good.

So what then does it mean?

Well, the entire passage is about the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Christ on the cross, which forever washed away the sins of the faithful, of those that would receive his immeasurable gift. With such a perfect atonement, covering every sin of every sinner that ever sinned, how can it be made null and void, and imperfect, through this one pronouncement tucked away in the middle of a great discourse on grace? Are we forgiven completely and totally, or not?

It is talking about the vanity of thinking you can sin, and then do something to earn forgiveness . . . and then sin again and ask forgiveness through some act, in a never ending cycle. Let me say it again, a different way: you're forgiven! You are justified (made just and holy) through the blood of Christ! It's over!

The verse is also reminding us that we are going to die, anyway . . . the penalty of our original sin still holds. No matter what you do, you are going to die. And in the final day, God will indeed burn everything up! You can do wrong . . . and even if you are among the saved, you are going to feel the heat of judgment fire, like all the rest of us! You cannot stave it, or hold it off. You cannot pretend it will not happen; you cannot ignore God's judgment, through acts of sacrifice.

I believe that the writer of Hebrews is telling us to stop being so legalistic! If you live according to the law (do wrong) after having knowledge of the truth (God loves you, and you are saved), then you are still under the law! You will still be punished through death (we all will anyway). So why even try?

* You are saved. Christ will raise you up to eternal life on the last day, and,

* The world is still under the law (although you may be under grace), and we must all face death, for we have sinned.

Stop living as though you are under the law! The law is the law and it condemns us!

Live under grace and be free. Accept God's precious gift in Christ and live!

Read the original post here

Please comment and share. Help build up the open and honest study of the Words of Life.