The Greater Endurance

Re-Cap the Hall of Faith from Chapter 11.

Hebrews 12:1–4 ESV

1 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, 2 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. 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

Olympic Marathon Runner Took Fifty Years to Finish the Race

Japanese Marathon Runner Shizo Kanakuri competed in the domestic qualifying trials for the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. Kanakuri set a marathon world record and was selected as one of the only two athletes that Japan could afford to send to the event that year. However, Kanakuri shockingly disappeared during the 1912 Olympic marathon race. He had had a rough 18-day-long trip to Stockholm, first by ship and then by train all through the Trans-Siberian Railway, and needed five days to recover for the race. Kanakuri, weakened by the long journey from Japan, lost consciousness midway through the race, and was cared for by a local family. Being embarrassed from his "failure" he returned to Japan without notifying race officials. Swedish authorities considered him missing for 50 years before discovering that he was living in Japan. In 1967, he was offered the opportunity to complete his run. He accepted and completed the marathon in 54 years, 8 months, 6 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes and 20.3 seconds, remarking, "It was a long trip. Along the way, I got married, had six children and 10 grandchildren." The Bible is full of stories of people who quit, but later, with God’s help, finished the race. Moses spent forty years in the wilderness before God renewed his call. Peter denied Christ, went back to fishing, but Jesus restored him. The list continues with John Mark, Sampson, and many others who eventually finished the race.

Big Idea: There are no participation Ribbons given in the Kingdom of God.

12:1 “We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.”

The great cloud is the picture of all the great heroes of the faith that we see pictured in chapter 11. We are not suppose to see this as an venue full of spectators cheering us on in the race of faith. It is ;what we see in them, not what they see in us, that is the writers point.

What does knowing all of the hardships they faced have to do with the obstacles and trials you are going through today?

It reminds us that others have faced great obstacles and have gloriously triumphed.

It reminds us that we come from a great heritage of faith.

1. What we must reject?

“We should lay aside the weight of sin”

We are to lay aside any thought, action, or attitude that keeps us from reaching our goal in the Christian life. Sin finds an easy victim in all of us, so we must stand strong and reject it when it comes crouching at our door.

Two Things could easily impede our Progress.

1. The weight that restricts our activity.

These Christian readers cannot afford to be hindered in the race they are running, it has eternal consequences. The word for weight in the Greek is used in classical literature for excessive physical weight and also for a burdensome load. In classical literature it is also used to refer to excessive unwanted clothes or anything that handicaps us.

The word also means obstacle, something immaterial that stands in the way and must be overcome, understood as something cut down lying in a persons way. (such as a wall, barrier, partition)

2. The sin that clings closely to us.

Sin finds an easy victim or target in all of us, this is why we must reject it’s entanglements.

Pick of Troy and Dad

Going cave diving with Troy.

We were lowered down by the park ranger into through a small opening in the rocks. We crawled for what seemed like hours under the earth with nothing but our headlamps to see ahead of us. When we finally reached the end it opened up into what seemed like a Cathedral.

All was good until we started going back, all of the sudden I began to get this sick feeling that we were going to be trapped and find our tomb under the piles of rock. Finally when I was about to give into my fear we saw a faint light in front of us leading the way out of the cave.

Sin’s ensnaring trap is much like being trapped under the earth. Its smothering power can feel overwhelming and inescapable. joy, peace, and hope can be fleeting in the darkness.

Though Christ has overthrown sin’s power we can give into temptation and allow sin to overthrow us. Our liberty can at times feel questionable as we struggle with our abiding sin. All believers struggle with sin generally, but most can identify a “overpowering sin.” I’m referring to a unique area of weakness in which we are particularly susceptible to give in when tempted. It may be anger that feels uncontrollable or lust that seems unquenchable, and the longer we allow sin to hang around the more likely we are to give into it’s power.

The daunting power of these sins feels inescapable. Yet God shines a promise into the ensnaring darkness. He pledges that there is a “way of escape, that we may be able to endure it when it comes crashing down on our lives.

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Sin would have us do anything but look at Jesus. Our adversary lays alluring pleasures before our hearts. Along with them, he whispers accusations, followed by condemning shame and paralyzing guilt. These thoughts stir a disillusioning whirlwind in our flesh.

DOES GOD TEMPT MAN TO SIN?

James 1:13 ESV

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

If God doesn’t tempt anyone then why did he tempt Abraham?

“God did not tempt Abraham, he tested him.” The word translated tempted is the word nocah which means to test, try, prove.

Genesis 22:1 ESV

1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

God allows Satan to tempt us, but James is correct in saying, never does God “Himself tempt anyone.” God cannot be tempted by sin, since He is absolutely and unchangeably perfect.

The Progression of Sin

James 1:14–15 ESV

14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

1) Lured into Sin

When you go fishing what is the most important part of your tackle? The bait, you can have the perfect rod, the perfect line, the perfect spot. However, if you do not have the right bait you are not going to lure any fish to bight your hook. Satan knows this tactic all too well. He looks uses your weaknesses against you.

2) Enticed into Sin

The source of sin comes from within, not from without. It comes from inside of sinful man. While God does not and cannot actually tempt anyone to sin, He can and does allow us to be tempted or enticed by Satan and our own lustful desires. Of course, His purpose in permitting (but not producing or promoting) evil is to make us more perfect.

God in his sovereignty allows evil and sin to exist in the world. God allowed Satan to tempt Job so that Job could say “When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold”. God allowed evil to befall Joseph at the hands of his brothers. But in the end Joseph was able to say to them, “you meant it for evil against me; but God meant it for good”

3) Desire gives birth to Sin

When our desire is conceived it gives birth to sin. This is the point of no return in the process. James uses the illustration of the process of procreation. Getting pregnant never happens if you do not have sex. The moment you have sex there is a greater chance of conception being the result.

It is the same way with sin. The longer you allow Satan to hang around and lure or entice you into sin the greater chances are that you will enter the point of no return and give into the sin.

If we are going to reject the weight of sin we must look at how we are running?

Long distance running

Anybody here ever run long distance, or cross country? My football coach in high school made me sign up to run long distance in the off season. I did not understand why? I thought it was a cruel joke he was playing on me. What is the key to running long distances successfully? Anybody know?

You must pace yourself. If you expend all of your energy at the beginning of the race then there is little left in the tank for the final stretch run.

Long distance running also takes months of training to build up the endurance to maintain the pace of the race that you are running. Every race is different, you must be prepared to keep pace no matter what the obstacles.

2. How we must run?

What kind of race do believers run?

Who sets the parameters of your race?

Is it a race we define and purpose for ourselves?

Believers are expected to run with perseverance or endurance, a word which appears several times in this letter. Jesus ‘endured’ the cross and also, before his death, ‘endured from sinners such hostility against himself’.

What does it take to run with Endurance.....

1) We must run with a laser focus.

Christians must expect that to ‘follow i his steps’ is to experience opposition, pain, suffering and rejection.

NOTE: When you are in the heat of a race, you can ask any runner, the biggest challenge is to stay focused on the finish line not to get distracted or thrown off by the other runners around your.

2) We must run with Eyes wide open

Pick of running

Not long after coming to Killeen I met a bunch of guys who were into doing extreme races. My first was the spartan sprint and my last was the Spartan Beast which was 13 miles of insanity.

If you have ever run off road in Texas it is an adventure. You are constantly having to watch out for cow patties and other obstacles in our way.

The last race I ran was before turning in my running shoes was with Nate Bliss. The morning of the off road Marathon it was raining so hard you could hardly see your hand in front of your face. I though surely the race would be called off, however, Nait showed up in front of my house at 6:00 a.m. ready to go. During the course of the race I got lost twice, and Nait fell and gashed his leg on a rock. I finally found a pack of runners and followed them back to the finish line.

3) We must run to Win the Race

We are not just mere participants in the race of faith

we are running with the purpose of winning the race. We strive to finish strong in our faith. God makes us all winners when we cross the line. There are no participation ribbons given out in the kingdom of heaven. The reward is that we get Him forever. Therefore, we all win God by persevering in faith and getting to the finish line.

Runners must work hard to strengthen and prepare their bodies for the race ahead. Runners must properly nourish their bodies, and recover well, but they also build up endurance, they do speed workouts. They lift weights. They stretch. They push through pain. They have sore muscles and tired lungs.

Just like runners work hard to strengthen themselves for the race as Christians, we must work hard to strengthen our faith to endure the race of faith. We must seek him daily in his word and in prayer. We must seek fellowship with other believers and let our fellow church members encourage us in the faith. We must welcome rebuke when it comes and embrace trials.

Personal discipline is essential if we are to keep our eyes focused on Jesus.

3. Where we must look?

Jesus has provided his people an example to follow in facing life’s trials.

Hebrews 12:2–3 ESV

2 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. 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

In the race every Christian athlete must continually be redirected towards the object of his faith, Jesus Christ.

NOTE: The word used here “aphorontes” translated looking, indicates the action of one who, aware of the rival attractions around himself and deliberately looks away from other things.

The runner must keep his eyes fixed on Jesus, not only at the beginning of the race but constantly through the whole struggle of life.

How do we continually redirect our gaze toward the object of our Faith?

Philippians 3:13 ESV

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

We look to Jesus the author and perfecter of our Faith.

The writer brings to bear the faith of the former runners and the triumphant completion of their race towards the finish line.

Our moral integrity is essential, but it cannot bring our faith to completion.

Our devoted service is valuable, but that cannot perfect our faith.

Our spiritual experiences can be exciting and illuminating, but Jesus is faith’s only consummate.

Believers rely completely on Jesus because he ran the greatest and most perfect race right to the finish line, and we can only come to fullness of life in him.

They must consider him lest we become exhausted.

Hebrews 12:3 ESV

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

We must consider His endurance in the face of bitter hostility. The writer uses two vivid words about the danger of growing ‘Weary and Fainthearted.”

Consider, what is the first thing the athletes did in the Olympics after they crossed the finish line after a big medal race? They fling themselves on the track in sheer exhaustion. The runner flings himself on the ground in panting relaxation and collapses after surging ahead to win the race.

“The writer of Hebrews is in effect saying, don’t give up too soon; don’t relax before the tape; don’t collapse until the winning post is past; stay on your feet until you get to the end.” No man or woman can hope to stay on course in such a draining contest without divine assistance.

NOTE: This letter and the rest of the New Testament assure us that the promised help is in Jesus. We must look away to him.

4. The Correction we need.

Hebrews 12:4–11 ESV

4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

NOTE: The writer of Hebrews is continually concerned with the believers walking away from the race of faith all together and becoming an apostate, or un-believer.

Christ endured the contradiction of sinners and was ultimately brought to a cruel cross, but they had certainly not had to resist the enemy to the point of shedding their blood. They might find themselves imprisoned, attacked and made to suffer abuse for Christ, but hey must not look on these experiences as pointless adversity. God may very well be using these events as a means of necessary correction and discipline in their spiritual lives. The same spiritual pruning that Jesus talks about in John chapter 15.

In Times of Testing those who believe in God must.....

1) Remember God’s word (12:5-6)

Have you forgotten the exhortation....? Not all who read or hear God’s word give their total attention to what he is saying. At times the truth of God’s word falls on deaf ears. There are basically three responses people have when they are undergoing His discipline.

a.) Some are indifferent.

5b “Do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord.” Some Christians may well be in danger of ignoring or dismissing the fact that God’s sovereign hand is working through life’s adversities as well as it’s joy and rewards. He may well be saying something extremely important to us, however, we are may be so self-focused, naval gazing all the time that we are incapable of seeing God at work through our circumstances.

b.) Some become overwhelmed.

Some Christians lose courage when adversity overtakes them. Weighed down by their troubles, they become despondent and feel sure that the Lord must have forgotten about them. No matter how great our struggles He is greater. We must remember that the God who tests us is the God who loves us enough not to leave us where we are at but to continue to work in order to bring us to complete holiness on the day of the Lord.

c. Some rejoice in Suffering.

The father disciplines those He loves. Adversity should not drive us to despair. Those who are not loved by God in this way are not tested. The devil is content to leave most of his subjects in the superficial ‘peace’ of spiritual apathy and ignorance.

Those who are in fellowship with Jesus Christ and His spirit are sure to be wounded by the arrows which are constantly directed at Christ himself. Jesus told his disciples that they should expect nothing less. These sufferings prove that, through faith in Christ, we belong to God’s family.

THE LORDS CORRECTIVE MINISTRY VERIFIES OUR ADOPTION IN CHRIST.

2) Remember God’s care (12:7-9)

*God demands holiness in His People

a) A Good Father treasures His Children

God is treating you as sons and daughters.

Hebrews 12:7 ESV

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

The greatest threat in any of our lives is our own sin, because every sin deserves God’s wrath. The God we offend - The God we rebelled against - shielded us from his full righteous punishment when he crushed his Son on the cross.

Isaiah 53:6 ESV

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:10 ESV

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

Cultural Note:

Here is where the rub comes in our lives. Galatians as a whole suggests that we will be tempted to compromise and deny the gospel by treating God as an impersonal Master, and not a father.

We will try to prove ourselves to him and earn his love when he has already loved us, from eternity past and sent his Son to die for us.

Galatians 4:4–7 ESV

4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

When God redeems he secures us forever..... He never forgets of forsakes his own children....

God may discipline you as your loving Father, but he will not punish you a second time because he already punished you on his Son. (Romans 8:1) You are safe and secure in the care of your Father.

The Father doesn’t come back and hold your sin over your head and beat you up with it again and again. That is is what the evil one does to try and get us to doubt our Fathers love.

God has rescued us in Christ. He paid our debt, bought our forgiveness and freedom, and staked our security and worth of his Son.

b.) A good father Corrects His Children

“What Son is there whom the father does not discipline?

A Father who really loves his Children is anxious that they should realize their potential and come to maturity. Without his discipline they will remain immature, childish and undeveloped.

I do not know of one child who has been properly disciplined throughout their developmental years that has not come back later in life extremely grateful and thankful that their parents cared enough to discipline them and teach them right from wrong.

Now, in the same way I have heard from many adults that were either left to themselves or not appropriately disciplined that wish their parents had cared enough to show them discipline when they were younger. One of the biggest problems our society has today is with the absent Father.

My wife worked at TYC lock-up in Crockett Texas for several years and experienced an interesting thing when it came to Father and Mothers Day. Inevitably every inmate on mothers day wanted to make sure and send their mother something to commemorate the day, however, when fathers day rolled around inevitably no inmates wanted to recognize their fathers. Why? Because the fathers did not care enough to stick around and bring their kids up to maturity as responsible adults.

c.) A good father equips His Children

Notice that the good father does not just stand around and issue orders; they encourage a response by the quality of their love and do all withing their power to help us. ‘We respect our earthly fathers, but let us submit ourselves fully to our heavenly Father.’

NOTE: Father of Spirits is used here to differentiate between our relationship with our earthly fathers and our heavenly father. Those who are subjected to the Father’s discipline gain life not death.

NOTE: The whole goal of God’s Fatherly activity is that we may share in His Holiness.

Discipline is always at the discretion of the one giving out the discipline.

The motives of parental discipline are not always commendable and, the human may fail as to the method, and his purpose may be selfish. However, God’s disciplinary process are directed towards our good. There is an immediate benefit to the discipline of our Lord. His very nature as our loving and generous Father, he could not possibly introduce any kind of discipline into our lives which would not be of real help and benefit to our lives.

More than anything else, he longs that we might “share in his holiness.”

NOTE:Our closeness to God often become much more real in grim and difficult episodes of life. Adversity sometimes helps us to enter more fully into our indebtedness to God, our partnership with Christ and our reliance on the Spirit. This is how we share more fully in His holiness.

At the time all Discipline is painful.

Have you ever heard the line from a parent right before they give you the punishment that “This is going to hurt me more that it will hurt you.” Yeah right, who believes that line. I think all of us would agree to the painful character of discipline. It is always difficult to appreciate the purpose of discipline at the point of impact.

The idea of being pleasant seem’s utterly foreign to our way of thinking. I still remember the first paddling I received in elementary school. There was nothing pleasant about it.

Notice that fruit does not appear immediately on a fruit tree that has just been planted. If life’s adversities, and God’s use of them in discipline, produce in the end both inward peace and moral uprightness, we cannot possibly have suffered in vain.

WHEN A MAN GETS RIGHT WITH GOD HIS HEART HAS PEACE.

Romans 5:1 ESV

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The ultimate outcome is the permanent effect of true peace in our lives. Divine correction provides the church with well-trained Christians. Those who are trained well know that it all requires effort, but it is abundantly worth while.

Take for example the National Football League. Why is it so hard for the Super Bowl team from last year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneer’s to repeat the feat this year. Because it took allot of training and effort to get to the Super Bowl and very few teams have what it takes to put that kind of effort into a consecutive season in order to get back to the Super Bowl. First according to ESPN analyst the obstacle of the extreme focus it takes for a team to get to the Super Bowl. Another point made is that every team will be gunning for the Super Bowl winners from the previous season. Everyone wants a piece of the champs. Many times players assume they are the reason you won the Super Bowl and they start to free lance and forget about the team. It’s hard to stay humble said Chiefs coach Andy Reid.

Many teams have forgotten what it took to get them there in the first place. The writer at the end of this section returns to the athletic imagery when he speaks of training. We know that the Christian life takes great effort and sacrifice. Many times in the race Christians lose focus, or they stop being humble and try to do it on their own apart from the body of Christ.

Now in verses 12-17 the writer gives us several spiritual ideals we must pursue in order for the training we have undergone to have it’s full affect.

2 Practical Responsibilities

1) We need to be careful about our own spiritual lives.

Despondency: despairing, desperate, implies a deep dejection arising from a conviction of the uselessness of further effort

NOTE: The picture of drooping hands, weak knees, an utter attitude of discouragement and despair. He knows that some members desperately need to be healed, for some of these vital limbs in the local church have been put out of joint. But if healing is to come, it is not simply the responsibility of the leaders, tireless pastors though they are, but of every single member of the body.

It is easy to become defiled by immorality or infidelity. There is no room here for a casual or superior attitude to the possibility of defilement. Believers can be seriously hindered by the bad example, low standards and corrupt teaching of others. Christians need to see to it that they are not defiled.

Why is it that Christians think they can lower the standard to meet the world?

Remember Paul told the Corinthians: ‘Let any on who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.’ (Do not portray a holier than thou attitude)

2) Be helpful to others in their spiritual lives.

The Christian life is about far more than keeping our own garments clean and undefiled by the world. When the church is exposed to spiritual and moral hazards, it is everyone’s responsibility within the Church to help others on their spiritual journey as well.

“I absolutely refuse to gratify the Devil by being downhearted all the time.”

NOTE: Have you ever seen the Christian who is always moping around and seemingly hopeless and out of sorts. Our personal example is essential; the straight paths we make with our feel lead a path for others to follow.

If we continue to create peaceful relationships and pursue Christian holiness, our example will be a blessing and path for all to follow.

Every Christian has some pastoral Responsibility.

Warm Encouragement

Sensible Advice

prayerful sympathy

supportive fellowship

Regular sharing of spiritual truth

Mutual correction

Verses 18-24

The writer gives a dramatic picture of Mt. Sinai as Moses ascends into the presence of God to receive the ten commandments. The writer then makes the contrast of Moses trembling in fear and us coming to Mount Zion the Holy City of God, the heavenly new Jerusalem with angels beyond number and all those assembled who are enrolled in the Book of Life. At the center of this great festival is God himself the ruler and judge of all creation, and the spirit of the righteous that has perfected us and made us holy in His sight.

Under the old covenant God’s holiness and majesty were only witnessed by natural signs which accompanied his presence, sometimes a blazing fire (the burning bush, pillar of fire in the wilderness), and the piercing blast of celestial trumpets. Under the old covenant the emphasis was on the infinite distance between God and man. Two things are given special attention here.

First, the Divine voice was overwhelming. They could not bear to hear God speaking and implored Moses to communicate the word to them. The contrast here is how now God speaks directly to his children through the revealed word of God.

Second, the divine presence was unapproachable. The Hebrew people were instructed to keep away. Even if a straying animal, let alone a responsible Israelite, touched the mountain, it had to die. But under the New covenant to go up is to live. It is by a new and living way that believers come into the presence of God.

We now come to a matchless one sentence description of the Christian believers destiny. The ceremonial provisions of the old covenant were temporary. It is apparent here that we come to the rich provision of not only a new covenant, but an eternal one. It will last forever, because it belongs to the realm of the imperishable.

“But you have come to mount Zion and to the City of the Living God.”

Hebrews 12:25–29 ESV

25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

How do you respond to the Unshakable Kingdom?

1) We respond with immense gratitude.

Note: Believers are constantly in danger from either taking these things for granted, or of trivializing them by our flippant attitudes or inappropriate language.

The true Christian should live their lives in adoring gratitude, for he of all people has received a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

2) We respond with extreme reverence.

Note: God has made himself known to sinful humanity. The fire on Sinai is a thing of the past, but the blazing fire of God’s holy mountain, jealous and righteous love will never be extinguished. The believer knows that it the presence of that bright light all his sins are exposed. He also rejoices that mercifully, in its refining flames, they can also be consumed.

CLOSING

How will you respond to the Eternal unshakable Holy God today?

will you respond to God’s discipline with obedience to his good purpose?

will you avoid the actions that produce bitter fruit and contaminate other lives?

will you live like newborn people whose names are written in the Lambs book of life in heave?

will you respond to God with gratitude for his mercy and with reverence for his majestic character?

There is not a neutral position with God. How will you respond today?