Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

I continue my study of Hebrews, and this morning my focus is Hebrews 12:1-11, and and I am assisted in my understanding by the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary Series for Hebrews. The commentary outlines two divisions for this text: 

I. Run the Race (12:1-3): Here, the commentary shares how author of Hebrews uses an athletic metaphor as a means to encourage us to keep striving in our faith - keep running. We are encouraged to keep running because God sustains us.  The commentary describes how in v2 it states how God is the "founder and perfecter of our faith" (ESV), and we can look to Jesus to help carry us through to the end of the race.

II. The Father’s Discipline (12:4-11): Here, the commentary shares how author of Hebrews compares an earthly father's discipline to that of how God disciplines us and how both are done out of love for us - first by our earthly father, then by our Heavenly Father. We must be prepared at any time for discipline.  The commentary wraps by sharing that "Christians question how God can work for good through horrifying loss. Yet God was working for our good in the gruesome death of his Son. If ever we doubt God’s love because of our circumstances, we can look to the cross and remind ourselves that God gave us his own Son so that we might in turn become sons of God."

Keep running, have faith and look to Christ for encouragement, discipline, training as means to run the race to the end.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for never leaving or forsaking me as I continue to run the race of faith.  Thank You for the inspiration, encouragement, and discipline/training along the way.  There have been periods of challenge for sure - but I see how You have been part of all of it for my good and Your glory.  I am undeserving of how You have blessed me during my race.  My sin is great and it continues..daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

A Finish Line Like No Other Requires Two Visions, Unified By God

Hebrews 12

¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ²³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Here I see a finish line like no other - one that leads to heaven.  Even more striking in this passage are the messages that teach us HOW to run the race:

- "run with perseverence"
- "fix[ing] our eyes on Jesus"
- "for the joy set before him"

The underlying message is that we are to run on earth with a vision of the finish line - of heaven.  This requires us to fix our eyes on Jesus DURING the race, and we are to run with perseverance DURING the race.  What is not said here but is said elsewhere in scripture is that:

- we are to be good stewards of our time, treasures, talents (Luke 12:48)
- we are to gain strength and speed in our running ability over time (Hebrews 5:12-14)

These messages require that we have a vision of BOTH our time on earth (so that we can properly run the race) and of heaven (the ultimate finish line).  The former is something I have been thinking quite a bit about - a spiritual scorecard.

My Prayer: Lord, You ran the race here on earth like no other and the finish line that You set before us is unlike any other finish line.  To be in Your kingdom, to have You as our God as the ultimate coach, mentor, father, etc. is awesome!  Yet I don't train and run as You desire me too - Lord please forgive me for this.  Help me build up my strength and endurance and help me fix my eyes on You and focus on the ultimate finish line.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

1 Corinthians 9

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. v24

Paul wants believers to stay focused and to press on towards the prize - which is eternity in Heaven with Jesus.  He likens the Christian journey to that of an Olympic race and the training required for such a race.  We should be focused and self-disciplined.  John Piper helps breakdown what that means for us.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who strengthens me as I run my race - thank You Jesus.  I am unable to run without You.  Thank You for such love and care.  I am undeserving of such love and care.  I worry and my sin is great.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

Acts 20:3-21:16

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Acts 20:24

Day 343 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues as I move further into the New Testament - this morning my focus returns to Acts where Paul leaves Corinth (where Romans was likely written) enroute to Syria as my commentary* notes "...Paul addresses the elders from the church at Ephesus and tells them that he anticipates possible imprisonment and persecution upon his return to Jerusalem. Paul undoubtedly also warns them of the danger of falling away from the teaching of Christ—a concern which he will address at length in various letters later in his life. Sadly, concluding his close association with the church in Ephesus, Paul leaves resolutely to face whatever outcome awaits him in Syria." While in Caesarea, a prophet named Agabus prophecies that Paul will be bound and handed over to the authorities in Jerusalem. Yet Paul is not concerned.

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

All of us will encounter troubles in our lives (see also John 16:33, , ) and we can look to Paul for encouragement in how he modeled his race.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3

My Prayer: Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who will never leave or forsake me.  I know that whatever challenge I encounter, You are with me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love. My sin continues.  I worry and I have other sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your word for me today and every day.

But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city.

Acts 14

But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. v20

Faith is a race...a long race...and we are to be persistent and we are to have endurance.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2.

Elsewhere in scripture we are admonished for trying to be first...by focusing on our own status but here we are encouraged to focus on glorifying Jesus with a zeal to win FOR CHRIST.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24

My Prayer:  Lord, You are indeed an awesome God...creator and capable of all things....all knowing and full of love for me and all humanity.  Even though we sin...You see me and everyone else as perfect and deserving of grace.  What a great God You are!  I am not worth such love, blessing and kindness...I am selfish, lazy, prideful, quick to anger, slow to listen, full of envy, etc.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus...help me turn from my sin and towards You Jesus.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith...help me be obedient to apply Your message for me today.

For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.

Psalm 149

For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. v4

Humility is very important - we must not allow our plans, our desires, our selfishness, or our ambition to be what people see in us.  We must deny ourselves and allow Jesus to be seen in us - others must see in us the Light that is Jesus Christ.

Also key to this verse is that we race for crown that is not of this world - we should strive for glory and victory for Jesus.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Jesus, please help me be humble so that I can run the race You set before me and run it to win the crown that lasts forever. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God, full of love, compassion, patience, etc. for me, even though I am not deserving. Thank You Jesus for Your love and great mercy.  I often fail to love others as You do.   Please forgive me and help me overcome my lack of trust and faith.  Help me overcome my unbelief!  Help me turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord....Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.

Genesis 6-9

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord....Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. Genesis 6:8-9

This morning I align myself with the study chosen by my fellow men in my Friday morning Bible study group - Ten Men of the Bible: How God Used Imperfect People to Change the World - eBook (for purchase). Day one of this study focuses on Noah and the overarching theme of how God provides hope and how those of us given this gift of hope must use this hope to provide hope for others. 

The scripture reading this morning starts with God's disappointment and regret for what He had made with the human race:

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” Genesis 6:5-7

But the story quickly pivots to Noah and how one man living a righteous life stands to provide a basis for power and hope for all of humanity.  Late in scripture, we see how Jesus becomes this hope for all of humanity for all of eternity.  

Scripture also tells us how Noah was righteous and how he found favor in the eyes of the Lord.  Three times in Genesis 6-7 it says Noah "did everything just as God commanded him" (Genesis 6:22, 7:5, 7:9). I am going to refer to this as "hopeful obedience".  Hebrews 11 - often referred to as the "Hall of Faith" as it emphasizes great Biblical figures who lived by faith but did not "receive what was promised" under the First Covenant (Hebrews 11:39-40). In Hebrews 11 it says this about Noah:

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. Hebrews 11:7

It took one year and ten days (see Genesis 7:11, 8:14) for the flood to completely recede and for God to call Noah and his family to come out of the ark. Noah then builds an altar to the Lord (Genesis 8:20), and offers sacrifices to God. God finds this pleasing and promises (to Himself): 

Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Genesis 8:21-22

God then blesses Noah and his family, and then makes a covenant with them (Genesis 9:1-17). Unfortunately, we end Noah's story with his drunkenness - not a particularly hopeful way to end his story but we still can clearly see how Noah was both faithful and hopeful.

Faith and hope go hand in hand - we cannot have one without the other. 

For me, the first key to Noah's story is how believers can remain hopeful because we find joy in obedience to God. 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who gives me hope - an abundance of hope in this life and hope in the eternal rewards that await those in Heaven as God has saved a room for all of us.  Hope indeed!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of this hope by a long shot!  I have grave sin in my life, from murder (actual and in my heart) to worry and a host of other sins!  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sins to You Jesus!  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.

Psalm 119

Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. v165

One thing is for sure that my love of God's Word has grown.  I do love God and His Word but I still often worry and stress out...of course this means I am falling short of God's greatest command from Matthew 22:37-38: 

Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.

Yet I know that our relationship with Jesus is one of a journey where God directs us (see biblical references in this Psalm alone to path, footsteps, etc.), and that we are running a race (Acts 20:24, 1 Corinthians 9:24, 2 Timothy 4:7) and that we should run this race with endurance and persistence (Hebrews 12:1).  The implication is that we are to expend all of our energy and effort.  We don't walk, we run.  We may stumble from an earthly perspective, but when we run with God, He directs our steps and is in control.  Any stumble we experience is designed or allowed by God as part of His plan....

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God, and I know You love me in ways that words cannot describe.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love.  I am weak, and broken.  Please forgive me for my worry and stress.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me continue to run the race You set out before me.  Help me run with endurance.  Help me focus on the eternal.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin, and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Proverbs 4

How things are written are of course clues to message that is being delivered...in today's case it starts out with the words "above all else". 

²³ Above all else, guard your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it. ²⁴ Keep your mouth free of perversity;
    keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
²⁵ Let your eyes look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.

 There are other clues today, specifically, repetition or saying the same thing over and over again although using different words:

⁵ Get wisdom, get understanding;
    do not forget my words or turn away from them.

...

²¹ Do not let them out of your sight,
    keep them within your heart;

 ...

²⁵ Let your eyes look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.

 In the case of above - the message is about FOCUS.  Where should we focus - and the answer is of course Jesus.  This is amplified elsewhere throughout scripture, including here:

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  Hebrews 12:1-3

Perseverance is something that means several things....I must continue to study hard in the program where I am at right now; most importantly it is about staying focused on Jesus over a lifetime.  We will endure much and the "race" will be painful as any endurance race is but we should focus on the finish line....

My Prayer: Lord - what an awesome God you are!  You know our lives our difficult in many ways and you use all of our lives to build our faith and for Your glory - how You are able to use someone as ordinary as I am is incredible! I am weak however and my faith is weak...I am weak in prayer time and this is yet another aspect of my faith where even though I am weak, You love me anyway.  Thank You that You love me anyway.  Please forgive me for my weak prayer  life and help me with this.  Build up my faith and help me have a strong faith in all areas so that I can be fully used for Your delight and glory.
  

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. v1-3

John Piper offers - in my view - an extraordinary encouragement on these verses, particularly with respect to how we should not run aimlessly.

Piper says:
- "So into the church has crept the disease of drifting and neglecting. People are growing careless, spiritually lazy, and negligent." 
- "They have begun to have a kind of lazy sense of security. A false notion that nothing really huge is at stake in their small group meetings or whether they meditate on the Bible or take time alone to pray or fight sin. They assume all will be well. Hebrews is written to teach them otherwise."
- "They made a profession of faith and went into a passive, coasting mode. This is utterly wrong."
- "Endure, persevere, run, fight, be alert, be strengthened, don’t drift, don’t neglect, don’t be sluggish, don’t take your eternal security for granted".
- "Don’t stroll, don’t meander, don’t wander about aimlessly. Run as in a race with a finish line and with everything hanging on it."
- "Then along comes a text like this which says that passivity and coasting and drifting are mortally dangerous."

We must RUN...and FIX OUR EYES on Jesus - this requires focus!  Focus implies a plan.

Piper suggests we "plan [a] fall run with Jesus".

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has provided MANY great witnesses, Your Word, The Holy Spirit, the church, my brothers and sisters in Christ, all of which give me coaching training, etc. - thank You Jesus!  I know You are always with me.  I am undeserving of such love.  I am harsh with my words and actions.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Senseless people do not know, fools do not understand, that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.

Psalm 92

Senseless people do not know, fools do not understand, that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever. v6-7

I am often distracted by the things of this world.  Much of that distraction is how I view others...envy, jealousy, impatience, anger, etc.  I am also often distracted by my own judgement of others' sin.  Yet I allow all of these distractions to take my eye off Jesus.  The world and all of its wickedness will go away - but Jesus will not.  I must fix my eyes on Jesus and continue to run the race set before me.

But you, Lord, are forever exalted. v8

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2

My Prayer: Lord, You are forever, and You are my rock - never changing like the shifting shadows.  You never lie and You always keep Your promises.  We can rest in You because You provide refuge and shelter from the storms of life.  You are worthy of my praise and worship.  Thank You Jesus for how You bless me daily.  I am not worth such love and blessing.  I am too easily distracted by the world and I take my eyes off Jesus and the race You set before me.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Give me strength. Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - aided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 9:19-27. The main idea offered by the commentary*: "All preferences and rights are worth giving up to bring others to Jesus."  The introduction* then further develops this main idea by describing "soul winning" and a "simple gospel presentation" called the "Romans Road." It then shares that for Paul, "[s]oul winning was a priority for the apostle, and it should be a priority for every follower of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 9:19-27 Paul allows us to examine the heart of a soul winner."  The following two divisions provided by the commentary* unpack the text in more detail:

1. I Deny Myself to Win Souls for Christ (9:19-23): "Paul gladly flexes and bends to win others to Christ." He is not disobedient to God but he denies himself personally (slave to Christ - do anything to follow His call to bring Him glory), religiously (i.e. respecting, adapting to (but not necessarily practicing when no longer in place such as ceremonial law/sacrificial system), and not arrogantly looking down upon Jewish practices), socially (interacting with the Gentiles), and completely (referring to how Paul will also work humbly to save "the weak" or those who are seeking or new believers but have previously followed paganism or idolatry) for the sake of saving others. 
   
2. I Discipline Myself to Win the Crown (9:24-27): Paul uses the analogy of athletics and winning a competition to describe believers efforts to run a race, endure, and to win eternal rewards. As they endure, believers must exercise both self-control (avoid sin and sinful influences) and self-discipline (practice spiritual disciplines).  We should not act aimlessly but with intention and endure based on God's direction and commands for us.
   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace - delivering me from my sin and saving me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and grace.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

*Akin, Dr. Daniel L.; Merritt, James. Exalting Jesus in 1 Corinthians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

Psalm 86

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. v11

I now I am easily distracted by things of this world, and I too desire an undivided heart. 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2

As we "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles" us, we are called run the race marked out for us.  And we need to fix our eyes on Jesus.  Everyone's race is unique in terms of of developing and using our spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12).  I am reminded of John Ortberg's book If You Want to Walk On Water You Have to Get Out of the Boat.  We have to get out of our comfort zone and focus on Jesus...He is the only one who can can do this for us.  

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God, able to accomplish all things, creator of all things and in control of all things.  You hold my life in Your hands and You are full of gentleness, patience, kindness, mercy, etc.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worthy of such treatment.  I am not willing to get out of my comfort zone...please forgive me Jesus and help me have an undivided heart and to fix my eyes on You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects of chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, apply, and be obedient to Your message for me today and every day. 

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

Hebrews 12

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Hebrews 12:12-13

I continue my study of Hebrews, and this morning my focus is Hebrews 12:12-17, and and I am assisted in my understanding by the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary Series for Hebrews. The commentary outlines two divisions for this text: 

I. The Charge: Keep Running (12:12-13): The commentary emphasizes how the author of Hebrews uses metaphors of drooping hands, weak knees, and lame feet, etc. to underscore how the Christian life is often one of struggle and we are encouraged to continue to persevere and endure. The author uses language from 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 where the analogy of a race is also used. We are warned about obstacles to our faith - the commentary shares: "If you are going to run a race well, you will need a clear path, and to get a clear path, you will need to remove any obstacles. You don’t want to leave any dangerous spots where you could twist an ankle or trip over a rock....We must arrange our lives so that sin’s opportunities to ensnare us are significantly reduced."

II. The Challenge: Live Holy Lives (12:14-17): The commentary highlights v14 where Christians are to live at peace with everyone - not just the community of believers.  This is important particularly during periods of persecution as beliefs in the church are currently under attack - do not respond harshly. We are also reminded to be holy - recognizing that we are not perfect - and to fight sin. To do so, v15 seeks for believers to watch out for one another and to avoid division in the church. Finally, the commentary for the text wraps by pointing to a negative example - in contrast to the positive examples in chapter 11 (the Hall of Faith) - for believers. Esau traded his birthright for a meal (see full story in Genesis 25, 27).  The commentary describes this action as an irreverent and unthinkable action.  Esau then lost his father's blessing to Jacob.  Although Jacob did so deceptively, it was lost nonetheless and Esau is described in the commentary as showing regret but not repentance. We are referred to 2 Corinthians 7:10 where Paul compares Godly to worldly grief and the commentary describes Esau as displaying the latter. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Jesus, You are an awesome God who has given me great examples of faithfulness so that I can continue running the race of faith to the finish - through scripture, my brothers and sisters in Christ, and of course in Yourself!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You encourage and save me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.

Arrival
Psalm 139

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

God knows me, even better than I know myself.  He of course, then, knows what is best for me - His will and purpose for me is perfect, as is everything about God.  Paul refers to life as a race (1 Corinthians 9), with the prize being Heaven and eternity with Jesus.  I must submit to Him and His will for my life - this is my race.  When I do, He promises to bless me.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God - I know You are with me every day and all of the time.  You are with me when I sit and when I rise.  You know everything about me, including my sin...and You are for me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such a God.  I worry far too much.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please cure and heal Lisa of her cancer, including all of the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message today and every day.

We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Hebrews 6

We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. v11-12

In v4-10, the author is warning us of a fate that awaits those who fall away.  John Piper addresses this very topic and I think he nails it here.  Piper, using the same analogy from Hebrews 6 (v8), warns us that a "persistently fruitless" faith that leads to a state of mind where we "are unwilling to put [our] faith into practice, and so [our] faculties are getting dull, right and wrong are becoming hazy...".

We must be obedient, have faith in action, and be "doers" of the Word.  

We must also persevere and have endurance as we run the race.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who will never leave or forsake me - thank You Jesus!  I need You badly as I run the race of faith.  You provide courage, endurance, etc. - thank You.  I am not deserving of such love and blessings - I sin...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Psalm 121:1-3

I continue to lean on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at how God is constantly working for believers. We need to see this is as supernatural encouragement - as only God can provide. John Piper writes that "God is a tireless worker. He never wearies. Think of God as a worker in your life. Yes, it is amazing. We are prone to think of ourselves as workers in God’s life. But the Bible wants us first to be amazed that God is a worker in our lives[.]"  Piper refers to the following verses as means to substantiate his claims:

• Isaiah 64:4: From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who works for those who wait for him.
  
• 2 Chronicles 16:9: The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.
  
• Mark 10:45: The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.

Life is a very long race for most - one that requires perseverance, endurance, encouragement, etc.  We should seek to go the One True God who created all things and provides all things as our source of provision for what we need to run and finish the race.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who never sleeps or stops working for believers, including me - thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such love.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family,  my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow."

Jonah 4

But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow." v10

Jonah is of course saved by the Lord and then goes on to warn Ninevah about God's anger towards them and about what will happen to them if they don't repent and turn to the Lord.  They do repent and God shows mercy on them and does not destroy the city.  Jonah then is angry with the Lord...his anger stems from his own belief that God's judgement lacks wisdom, and that his own judgement is more suitable. 

When we become more absorbed with our own thoughts vs those of God we of course can't see the greatness and wisdom of God.  This plays out with Jonah as his anger stews over the withering of the plant (that God provided!) that provided him shade:

Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant[a] and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.” v5-9

I cannot claim of course that I don't do this.  The key here is to set your eyes upon Jesus...as the "race" is long and we will never perserver unless we keep our eye on the finish line:

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  Hebrews 12: 2

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, everything You have done and everything You do is perfect and great.  I have seen Your greatness in my life and in the life of those close to me.  I am not worthy of such love and blessing.  I am weak and selfish.  I know You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus!  Help me so that Your desires are my desires.  Help me so that I can fix my eyes on You always and never lose sight of You and how Your greatness is present in all things and all the time.

So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.

Mark 13:24-37

So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Mark 13:29

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 13:24-37.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of three) division (vv28-31):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "Jesus Will Come Again, and the Time Is Near." 
• "Jesus drops an interpretive bomb in verse 30: “I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place.” The question is, Who is “this generation”? The answer is not a simple one, and how you understand and interpret other parts of Mark 13 will influence how you answer the question."  
• The commentary offers four prevailing views on this question: "(1) The contemporary generation of Jesus’ day who would see the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. (2) The eschatological generation that will be alive at the end of history who will see all these things because they occur in close proximity to one another. (3) The Jewish people, with the word “generation” being understood to mean “race”—a particular race of people. (4) The generation of Jesus’ day who would see the coming of the kingdom."   
• View (2) is what is presented as the most biblically supported. "This generation refers to those who will see all these things occur in rapid-fire succession just before Jesus comes again. I believe the future tribulation (v. 24) will be a period of seven years." See also Daniel 9:27, Revelation 7:14, 11:3, 12:4, 6, and 13:5.   
• Per v31, the end of times promises finality for all things of this world that many hold dear and all that will remain will be God, His elect, and what He has created for God's elect - the New Jerusalem. We can take comfort from God's words.  "Nothing is so true, stable, permanent, and abiding as the word of our Lord. Here is a firm foundation on which we can stand forever. No wonder the prophet Isaiah was inspired to write, “The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever” (Isaiah 40:8; cf. 51:6)."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who saves, who is eternal and whose Word is eternal.  Thank You Jesus for Your Word that offers not just salvation, but also great comfort and encouragement in how it gives us confidence - Your Promises always come to pass so You are faithful in what You tell us will happen.  I am not deserving of my salvation nor how You comfort with Your Word.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

Acts 20

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. v24

Paul is leaving Ephesus and saying farewell to the elders there.  He knows that difficulty, hardships, persecution, etc. awaits him (v22-23) yet he is led by the Spirit to focus on God's calling for his life.  We are ALL called to share our testimony and the Good News of Jesus Christ - to our family, and others.  This morning I think of how I must snatch others from the fire.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God and You have snatched me from the fire - thank You Jesus!  I am grateful - yet I am undeserving.  I sin...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and Spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.