Hanging in there ...

Scripture: Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, such hostility from sinners against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. (Hebrews 12:3-4)

Observation: Evidently, at the time of the writing of Hebrews some were toughing it out with Christ while others were walking away from Christ in order to avoid persecution.

Application: Hang in there with Jesus all the time so that when tough times come, you will already be in the habit of doing so.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, praise your name for hanging in there. Now may I hang in there with you as well.

Yield: ... to Jesus

How did you do that?

When I ask someone the question, "How did you do that?" I expect to hear about planning, study, training, procedure, tools, time, etc.

But the Bible is one of those curious books. In Hebrews, chapter 11, the writer is actually writing our a very brief history of God's people. For example, he summarizes the first five books of the Bible in the opening twenty-two verses! And, as he begins the story of the good works of the star characters he says: "By faith ..."

That would be like me saying ...

• By faith I got up;
• By faith I cleaned up;
• By faith I ate breakfast;
• By faith I added to my facebook;
• By faith I blogged;
• By faith ...

Scripture wants to impress on us that there is absolutely nothing good we can do without trusting God for faith is simply trusting God so much that it spills over into good works for God, neighbor, enemy and self.

When times get tough ...

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. (Hebrews 10:32-36)

Just waiting ...

Waiting ... just waiting ...

Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him (Hebrews 9:28).

Just wondering ...

John Wesley was, of course, the founder of the Methodist way ... a method of people meeting together to do spiritual checkups on each other. So I thought of his last words which were "God is with us" today because I read them in Isaiah 8. Was the victory of God as follows on his mind in his dying moments?

Band together, you peoples, and be dismayed;
listen, all you far countries;
gird yourselves and be dismayed;
gird yourselves and be dismayed!
Take counsel together, but it shall be brought to naught;
speak a word, but it will not stand,
for God is with us.

Isaiah 8:9-10

God's victory can be ours if only we trust that in the end all will be good because of Jesus Christ.

Worth the Reading ...

Over the years I have read quite a few leadership works. The one I have not yet finished I am already recommending. For those in the business world, the authors of the book I am reading recognize the well-researched leadership qualities highlighted by Jim Collins in his books Good to Great and Built to Last.

The authors of the book I presently reading are Harold Myra and Marshall Shelley. They write about a CEO named Billy Graham. The title of the book I am reading is The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham. And, as is true in many of the works of the Graham association, there are "Leadership lessons" at the end of each chapter.

It is worth the reading for both method and motivation.

I have had a ball putting together tomorrow's sermon. It will be from the final chapter of Genesis in which Joseph's response to his brother's will help to answer the question:

How can our faltering economy be a means of grace,

a way God gets his grace to us?

See you then.

In preparation, I invite you to pause and listen to the sermon text:

Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, ‘What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?’

So they approached Joseph, saying, ‘Your father gave this instruction before he died, “Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.” Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.’ Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

Then his brothers also wept, fell down before him, and said, ‘We are here as your slaves.’

But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.’ In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

Genesis 50:15-21