Some Thoughts from Hebrews 12:1

Heb. 12:1 ¶ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 

“Wherefore” – Based on what we just read

“compassed about…witnesses” – The writer is speaking in reference to the people of faith just talked about in chapter 11 and identifies them as witnesses.  Webster’s definition of a witness adds a lot of perspective:  “…testimony.…That which furnishes evidence or proof….One who is cognizant; a person who beholds, or otherwise has personal knowledge of, anything.”

Most significantly, their lives testify to us of the evidence of the power of faith in the life of an individual. To be surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses seems to make reference to a group of spectators watching a competition in context with the rest of the verse.  I know scripture refers to the angels not just as spectators, but as those ministering to us and engaged in spiritual warfare to help us.

2 Kings 6:15–17 “And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”

Daniel 10:12–13 “Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.”

1 Corinthians 4:9 “For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.”

Hebrews 1:13–14 “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”

When running a race, one can only do his best when free of extra weight or impediments.  In context, our race as believers is to finish the race or fight (from the Greek) of our life with faith.  This is in line with the message of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians.

1Corinthians 9:24-27  “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.  I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

And to Timothy:  1Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

Sin is obviously a great impediment to our success, and is compared to an extra weight that can be put aside.  It also jumped out that we are to “lay aside every weight AND the sin….”  Sin isn’t our only hindrance; sometimes the choices we make aren’t as distinct as between good and bad, but are often between good vs. better, with better obviously being less a hindrance.  Other “weights” that can hinder us if we allow them to are the trials and tribulations that are part of life on this earth.  If we keep our focus on the Lord, trusting that He is allowing these things for “good” (Romans 8:28), then we can continue to run without carrying the burden of worry that would cause us to stumble.

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

It is interesting, however, to note that the writer makes note of the importance of running with patience as well.  The life of a believer is more to be compared to a marathon—not a sprint.  The Greek for patience states:  “cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy…patient continuance (waiting).”  In other words, it’s a reference to our attitude, our mindset as we run the designated course.  As I thought about that in connection with the verses in 1Corinthians, it made more sense.  Paul states that there is one winner in a race, and that we are to run to win.  Considering that we are all running on a different race course, we can all be winners.  And every true person of faith will be a winner.  How can I say this?  Because the fruition of true faith is the work of Christ in the individual.

Philemon 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ….”

I was about to move on to the next verse when I noticed that the race is before us.  We are not to be focused on what is in the past; we are to focus on what’s ahead.

A Meditation from Hebrews 4:12

Another meditation from my study in Hebrews.  May it both challenge and comfort you.

Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

I like the wording of the Complete Jewish Bible for this verse:  “See, the Word of God is alive! It is at work and is sharper than any double-edged sword — it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit  and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart.”

I like the wording of the New Living Translation for the last phrase:  “It exposes us for what we really are.”  

I think of the soul as that part of me that identifies who I really am; it is my self consciousness.  It is the part of me that is expressed through my character and relationship toward others.  I think of the spirit as my spiritual life force.  It is the part of me that relates to God—my God consciousness.  When man chose to sin in rebellion against God, it was spiritual death that he first experienced.  That spiritual death resulted in man also experiencing physical death. Had we not sinned, we would have lived forever in fellowship with our Creator.

The word of God is the scripture as revealed to men of faith through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and as revealed in the person of His Son Jesus Christ.  You can’t really separate the word from the person.  

The point of this verse is that God’s word gives us a true picture of who we are by how we measure up to its truth.  When we read it with an open heart, God will convict us of our sin and give us the words of eternal life.  When we read it with the heart of a servant, He will show us how to overcome temptation and be obedient.  When we read it with the heart of a child, He will minister comfort to our soul and joy to our spirit.  All this is done through the person of the Holy Spirit as He works to grow us in faith.  When we look to Jesus, we have a living example of the truth and power of God’s word in the life of the person of faith.  In Jesus, we have a hope for the future as evidenced by His resurrection.    

In the light of God’s word, our thoughts and intents are revealed as to what we treasure or value and the motives for our actions.

The mirror of God’s word gives a true reflection of the person we are if we are willing to look.  Our flaws and imperfections will be made very clear.  But unlike earthly mirrors, the mirror of God’s word also shows us how to get rid of those flaws and imperfections by choosing to follow the example of Jesus, the Word made flesh, in faith and obedience to the Father. 

A Meditation on Hebrew 4:11

I am going through Hebrews again and decided to share this verse with you for meditation.  May it bring you a blessing!

Heb. 4:11 ¶ Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 

The wording of this verse seems to be contradictory.  The writer recognizes that accepting God’s free gift of salvation in faith is not an easy thing for us to do.  It involves humbling ourselves before God and repenting of our sin.  It means that we have to admit that God has provided everything for us in the person of His Son Jesus and that we can do nothing whatsoever to add to what He has done.  We have to accept that God’s way is the only way, that His provision is sufficient.  We give evidence to the truth of our profession through obedience.  I repeat—obedience gives proof to our possession of true faith.  The Greek for “unbelief” specifically states “disobedience.” 

To labour is a reference to being earnest and diligent.  In this body of flesh, we will continue to be subject to the temptation of sin in the flesh and the attack of the enemy—and it takes earnest effort and diligence to obey God in faith.  When we receive our glorified bodies, we will finally experience the fullness of the promised rest for the people of God.  We will no longer struggle in our walk of obedience.  We will have no sin nature to contend with nor will we ever have to confront the attack of the enemy again.  That is a rest worth every bit of effort we put forth in resisting the flesh and the enemy and making choices that declare our faith in God through His Son.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT RACE RELATIONS -- ALL LIVES MATTER

This is a post I published about 4 years ago that I believe is very timely concerning events in the news today.

I listened to a powerful sermon yesterday by Dr. Tony Evans regarding the biblical view of race relations.  I wish every professing Christian would reflect the truth of this teaching in their lives.

THE COMING RAPTURE

The Rapture is the term used to describe when the LORD Jesus comes to take all believers home to heaven, the time when we receive our incorruptible, immortal bodies.  The following scriptures describe this event.

John 14:1–3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

1 Corinthians 15:51–53 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

1 Thessalonians 4:15–17 “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Observations from these verses:

• Jesus will come again and receive us to Himself.  Specifically implied is that the LORD is going to take us to the Father's home to the place He has prepared for us.
• Not everyone will die; the Greek for “sleep” makes reference to death.
• Those who are alive when Jesus comes for us will immediately be changed from a corruptible mortal body to an incorruptible immortal body.
• This change will happen in the twinkling of an eye.  Research does not provide a concrete answer for how fast that is; it is the time it takes light to go from the front to the back of the eye.
• The LORD will descend, the dead in Christ will rise, and we who are alive will then be caught up together with them to meet the LORD in the air in the clouds.  From that point on, we will be with the LORD.

This event is very different from the return of Jesus to set up His earthly kingdom for the millennial reign.  Scripture clearly describes this event as the time when Jesus defeats the forces of Satan and binds him for 1000 years in the bottomless pit.  During that time Jesus will rebuild His temple and take the throne of David in Jerusalem from which He will rule the whole world.  That return is described in Revelation 19.

Revelation 19:11–16 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Revelation 19:19–20:3 “And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled….”

The contrast to the rapture is obvious.  The return of Jesus as King will be obvious to everyone on planet earth.  He will be on a white horse and wearing a garment that is drenched in blood.  Though He comes with all the armies of heaven (all riding white horses and dressed in clean white linen), He alone will defeat the nations with the sword that comes out of His mouth.  Scripture elsewhere tells us that this sword is His word.

Ephesians 6:17 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”

It is quite obvious that Jesus is coming to earth to establish His kingdom in contrast to meeting believers in the air to take them to the Father’s home in heaven.  The rapture will happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.  The second coming will be a process that will be quite visible to all on earth.  

Many debate when the rapture will happen.  I think scripture is clear in telling us that this event can happen at any moment—a point in time that only the Father knows.  In contrast, His return as King will occur exactly 7 years after the Antichrist signs the covenant that establishes peace between Israel and the nations as described by the prophet Daniel and affirmed in the book of Revelation.  (Detailed studies about these scriptures are found in my verse-by-verse journals.)

The majority of evangelical Christendom believes in a pre-tribulation rapture.  The tribulation being the general term for the last seven years before Jesus returns as King, the beginning of which is marked by the signing of the covenant.  Those who posit a mid-tribulation rapture believe that it will occur at the end of the first 3.5 years of the tribulation.  Post-rapture followers believe that the rapture will happen at the end of the tribulation.  There is another view called pre-wrath, and my research revealed two different viewpoints in connection with this label.   

Though I am not a scholar, my studies lead me to a bit of a combined expectation.  I personally believe that the first five seals described in Revelation 6 have already been opened.  Their connection to the “sorrows,” or birth pains described by Jesus in Matthew 24 are too strong to be coincidental in my opinion.  I believe the rapture could happen at any moment; however, my studies seem to point to a time just preceding or in conjunction with the opening of the sixth seal (which could happen at any moment), specifically identified as the wrath of the Lamb, the LORD Jesus.

Revelation 6:16–17 “And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

My belief is strengthened by the fact that chapter 7 describes the sealing of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses that will spread the gospel and the truth of God’s words during the first half of the tribulation along with the two special witnesses that will testify from Jerusalem.  Just as the church picked up the mantle of witness from the people of Israel, these tribulation witnesses will pick up the mantle of witness from the church as God's focus turns back to Israel.

Paul is also clear that the church will be raptured before the Antichrist is revealed when he signs the covenant.

2 Thessalonians 2:3–8 “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God….And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming….”

“our gathering together unto him” = the rapture

“withholdeth” = holds fast, restrains

“letteth” = same Greek word as “withholdeth”

These verses tell us that some force is holding back the Antichrist, the man of sin, the son of perdition, from being able to reveal himself.  The Antichrist receives his power from Satan (see Revelation 13), so the power holding him back must be more powerful than Satan.  When that power is “taken out of the way,” Antichrist will then be allowed to reveal himself.  I believe that power is the Holy Spirit that indwells every true believer.  When the body of believers is raptured, the Holy Spirit is taken with them.

I believe that the chaos that ensues from the opening of the sixth seal and the rapture of the body of believers paves the way for the Antichrist to come on the scene as the long-awaited Messiah (to the Jews), the great world leader that those deceived by Satan have long desired to establish their new world order here on earth.

I could certainly be wrong.  Only the future will reveal the truth.  I will say, however, that these last two months (March-April 2020), have opened my eyes to how quickly change can happen, how quickly people can become sheeple through fear and deception.

My cry continues to be—Come, LORD Jesus!