He hung on a Roman execution rack, naked and humiliated. Nothing but sin and obtuseness of soul can exclude us from living fellowship with saints of all communions and sects, denominations and ages. Look up! 12:11). When you give yourself to Jesus, who triumphed over death and experienced the shame caused by your sin, you will not only have forgiveness for what you have done, but it will be the beginning of the end of your shame. As soon as we begin to pray, we say, Our Father which art in heaven, forgive our sins; give us our daily bread. What you are experiencing has either been sent or it has been allowed by Him for your good. Hebrews 12 summarizes the process with refreshing honesty: "No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (v.11). One enterprising pastor had a special gathering in which he asked some of the church people to come dressed in the costumes of Bible heroes and the great saints of church history. And when she came out of it all, she said this: "If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. Or the reckless choices of Samson? God has many heroes who are unsung on earth. If we allow pain to train us, it can lead us closer to God and into His Word. As I've tried to convey to Steven the little I know about the sport, he has developed some of his own strategy. He must be revealed to the soul by the power of God; we must behold his glorious Godhead and his suffering manhood by the eye of faith; and we must view him as the incarnate God; the only Mediator between God and man. Carrying this world's weight hampers our fellowship with the Lord and keeps our hearts from rising in love for Him. When they needed help, they turned to other sources (vv.10-11,14-16). When you sin, guilt and shame are the appropriate emotions to feel. And only as that love grows will it guarantee that our fear of God is the right kind of fear. Are you feeling out of the running today? After being humiliated, insulted, spit upon, whipped, beaten, and nailed to a cross, His executioners claimed victory and declared Him dead. To master temptation, keep your eyes on the Master. Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away; O Thou who changest not, abide with me! al. —D. It is all of grace, from first to last. Every throw of the stone was planned, and at last the treasured toy was brought back to his waiting hands. We are told not to despise the Lord's chastening and not to be discouraged when He rebukes us, because it all flows from His love (vv.5-6). . "No," she answered. it is a proof that I am a child of God The faithfulness of our lives may determine how difficult their journey will be. What awe and gratitude must have filled the hearts of godly Israelites—but the wicked were terrified! That no one may become guilty of sexual vice, or become a profane (godless and sacrilegious) person as Esau did, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 23. During one such scolding he said to her imploringly, "You must be nice to your little boy!" He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.(1). Moses must have asked, 'Why?' What cared he for the spiritual prerogative of the first-born to act as the priest of the clan, and to stand in the possible lineal descent of the Messiah. De Haan. He proved this by wonderfully providing for her and Ruth after they returned to Israel. As a result, others will come to see that the Lord you serve is such a wonderful Person they will want to know Him too. How are we to respond to God's grace? His goal in life was to be a decent person and to find as much enjoyment as he could. Humble yourself then under the mighty hand of God; mourn before Him; The man then applied this to our relationship with the Lord: "Now that I'm a Christian, I understand that when God begins to clean up my heart, I get closer and closer to Him.". He too discovered what it's like to realize suddenly that something of great value has been lost (Genesis 25:29-34). 13. How does God correct His children? Yet, as meaningful as that is, it cannot compare to the privilege that belongs to us when we approach the Lord’s Table. God is your Father. But I rejoice to know that the day is coming when God shall finish the work which he has begun; and he shall present my soul, not only perfect in Christ, but perfect through the Spirit, without spot or blemish, or any such thing. Affliction, when we accept it with patience and humility, can lead us to a deeper, fuller life. To win the race, we must "lay aside every weight" that would drag us down and rob us of our strength and endurance (Hebrews 12:1). Then said the Holy Ghost, lift up your eyes and see. In the six long decades since our conversation, the sad truth of that warning has been repeatedly verified by my experiences in pastoral ministry. As a result, companies either change or they don't survive. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. So run that ye may attain! He met an acquaintance who had just thrown away a Bible that had been stored in the attic of his ancestral home for generations. Perhaps you have broken a vow or betrayed a trust. . If you are to practice these things, it must be now." You are guilty and you feel ashamed. By the time the woman realized what she had done, the precious gems had been sold to an unknown buyer for a dime. With the Holy Spirit's help, let's uproot any bitterness right now. So see to it that you do not reject Him or refuse to listen to and heed Him Who is speaking [to you now]. I've heard them respond something like this: "You're not really afraid of God, are you? Hebrews 12:22-24 The Church Indestructible. No one is too old to serve God. Put aside the sin and worldly weights that are holding you down (Heb. He insinuates, “Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of his children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus.” All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within. Individually and collectively, they remind us that the spiritual battle is not over. Jesus said, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23). —Mart De Haan, The strength that brought Him from the grave. God wants us to see results as we work for Him, but His first concern is our growth.
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