DON'T SHRINK BACK...

Hebrews 10:32-39 (NRSV)

Do not abandon your confidence

But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion for those who were in prison, and you cheerfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves possessed something better and more lasting. Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward. For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
For yet "in a very little while,
the one who is coming will come and will not delay;
but my righteous one will live by faith.
My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back."

But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved.

DEVOTION

History teaches us that the early Christians were often persecuted for their faith. They were whipped, humiliated, imprisoned, and sometimes even killed.

Paul often wrote his epistles from a jail where he was languishing because of his bold declaration of his faith in Jesus Christ!

If anyone had a right to "shrink back" and silence his proclamation it was Paul. In 2 Corinthians 11 he states, "Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food, cold and naked. And, besides other things, I am under daily pressure because of my anxiety for all the churches..."

Most of us will never know the level of persecution that Paul and the early Christians experienced because of their faith and commitment to share the good news with others.

I live in America where I can boldly speak about Jesus, carry my Bible, and share with my friends. Some of you may live in countries where it is more dangerous to be so bold. Daily I am grateful for the religious freedoms I have here in my country.

I was recently talking to a new friend from Sudan and he explained to me that he had to flee his country as a refugee because his life was threatened for being a Christian!

I was amazed by his joy and faith, despite his many obstacles, hardships, persecutions, and loss of family, friends, and hardship.

In the face of great danger, trial, tribulation, trauma, and grief, he chose not to shrink back! He chose to allow Jesus' Joy to reside in his heart. He chose the path of love, joy, peace, and forgiveness--when it was not easy at all!

This man is my hero and when I "grow up" I want to be just like him!

May God grant that we do not shrink back in the face of opposition to the Gospel. May we be bold in sharing with those who have not heard and/or do not believe. May we be willing to endure a little bit of discomfort, or even persecution, for the sake of the gospel. And may we be compelled to step out of our comfort zones to proclaim with boldness, "JESUS SAVES AND HE SAVES TO THE UTMOST!!"

Let us pray: God, please help me to be a bold witness to the good news that Jesus lived, died, and rose again to forgive our sin and gift us with eternal life. Please keep me from shrinking back under pressure, opposition, humiliation, or even danger to life or limb. You were willing to risk all to redeem us; please cause me to be willing to risk all to love you and my neighbors as myself. I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.

INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaLta

YOU ARE FREE!

Hebrews 10:26-31 (NRSV)

God's judgment

For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy "on the testimony of two or three witnesses." How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by those who have spurned the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know the one who said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

DEVOTION

Yikes! Today's good news Bible reading, sounds more like bad news to me!

Thanks be to God for Love and Amazing Grace which looks beyond our faults and sees our needs!

I don't know about you, but I am so grateful that Love gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life.

I am so thankful that when we confess our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness!

The good thing about being in a love relationship with God is that we have a desire to live holy and righteous lives. We do not purposefully choose to sin. Rather, as we allow Spirit to live, move, and breathe in us, we do our best to make choices that cause God to smile.

When we unintentionally sin by word, thought, or deed, we are driven to our knees to ask for forgiveness from our loving and compassionate God who freely pours out grace and mercy in response to our confessions.

When the early Church was just getting started, there were some who thought that since Jesus died for the forgiveness of sin that meant they could do anything they wanted--no matter how atrocious--because they were already forgiven by God.

Lord, have mercy!

Now, we certainly know that it is not right to purposefully sin. Sin ought to be abhorrent to us. We should never take Jesus' blood and sacrifice for granted!

So, we avoid unloving behaviors at all costs, but, if we do sin, we know that we have an advocate with the Father, who is Jesus Christ the righteous! Jesus is the atonement for our sin and not for our sin only, but for the sin of the whole world!

Do not be afraid, it is God's good pleasure to give us the kingdom!

Remember, there is NO-thing that is impossible for God to forgive. We can't out sin, out run, or out fox our loving and compassionate God. If we have messed up, we ought to confess it to God, ask for forgiveness, and move on...

If we are able to make amends with the person we harmed, we should do so. If we cannot, let us pray for the person and trust God to make things right.

We carry too many burdens on our shoulders because we are unable to forgive ourselves! Today, I want to invite all of us to give those burdens to God. God will forgive us and put our sin as far as the east is from the west, and remember it no more!

We are forgiven because of the Unconditional Love and Amazing Grace of God!

Walk in it, dear one...YOU ARE FREE!

Let us pray:

Good and gracious God, have mercy upon me. I have sinned in word, thought, and deed against you. I have sinned by what I have done and what I have left undone. I have sinned by what I have said and what I have failed to say. Please have mercy upon me. Cleanse and purge me; fill me with your Holy Spirit. Empower me to share the good news that Love gave Jesus to live, die, and rise again to forgive our sin and gift us with eternal life. I thank you for you for the precious gift of salvation and I love you so! I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.

INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaLta

Do Not Shrink Back!

SCRIPTURE

Hebrews 10:32-39 (NRSV)
Confidence that rewards

But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion for those who were in prison, and you cheerfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves possessed something better and more lasting. Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward. For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
For yet "in a very little while,
the one who is coming will come and will not delay;
but my righteous one will live by faith.
My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back."

But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved.


DEVOTION

Right about now a lot of people have come to the realization that being a follower of Jesus does not mean that we will never have to endure hardship, pain, or trouble.

Some people have the mistaken notion that being a Christian is an “automatic get out of jail free card” that allows us to pass on physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional anguish.

Unfortunately, this is simply not true! All we have to do is follow Jesus from the manger to the cross to know that “hard struggle, suffering, abuse, and persecution” are a part of living in a sinful and fallen world.

But, in today’s scripture the Apostle Paul has a good news word for us! He says, “Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward. For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. “

Hallelujah!

My ancestors used to say this same thing in a different way. They said, “Chile, trouble don’t last always!”

Even in these difficult days of home foreclosures, bank failures, job layoffs, out of control credit card debt, sickness and dis-ease, God is still IMMANUEL (God with us!)

Since God is with us, we know that we will emerge out of the refining fires of life. God loves us so much that God chose to enter into this world over two thousand years ago. He lived, worked, played, healed, helped, and ultimately died all with us in mind!

God says, “For yet in a very little while, the one who is coming will come and will not delay;
but my righteous one will live by faith. My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back."

During times like these, we must not shrink back. We must not give up. We must not throw in the towel. No matter what we are going through, God is with us and God has a good plan, not to harm us, but to give us a future and a hope (Jer 29:11).

As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birthday on December 25th, let us live with the certain hope and expectation that He is also coming again one day in great glory!

When the trumpet sounds, the clouds roll back, Jesus descends, and we are all caught up in the air to be with him truly the fullness of prophesy will be fulfilled—peace on earth, good will toward all people!

Won’t that be a great gettin’ up morning!?

Hallelujah and Praise the Lord!


Please pray with me:

Holy One, help me to hold out. I know my change is going to come for nothing is too hard for you! Even in these sometimes difficult and trying times, I know that you are with me. Please forgive me for wanting to shrink back. I know there is truly nowhere to go but forward into your loving arms. I love you and I know that you love me. Please help me to share our love with others. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.


THE INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

Increased Expectations!

SCRIPTURE

Hebrews 10:10-18 (NRSV)
New priest, new sacrifice once for all

And it is by God's will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, "he sat down at the right hand of God," and since then has been waiting "until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet." For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,
"This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds,"
he also adds,

"I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more." Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.




DEVOTION

"I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more." --- GOD

Hallelujah! What wonderful good news!

In this Advent Season which can feel so busy, stressful, and anxious, there is wonderful good news for all of us who have chosen to place all of our hope in Jesus.

We are invited to be at peace because Jesus has offered himself as a once for all time sacrifice for our sin!

On December 25th, we will gather to celebrate Jesus’ birthday! It is my prayer that it is the most wonderful party imaginable in homes all over the world.

As we eat cake, sing “Happy Birthday," go caroling, read scripture, pray and attend church on that day, we will be remembering to keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas!

I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to honor my best friend on His birthday!

God has “put God’s law in our hearts and written it on our minds.” We don’t have to lose our religion or our minds in these final days of Advent.

We don’t have to choose to be stressed out and anxious about every little thing. We can lower our expectations in regard to getting all of the shopping done and increase our expectation that the Holy Spirit’s love, joy, and peace will be enough on CHRISTmas morn, as we remember that JESUS is the reason for the season.

Peace be with you friends of God!


Let us pray:

Eternal and Everlasting God, I am looking forward to celebrating Jesus’ birthday on December 25th. Please help me to give Jesus the birthday party that he deserves in my body, mind, and spirit as I cultivate a spirit of worship in my home for myself and for my family. We love you and we want to put you first on your very special day. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.



THE INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html