JustJeff

The "great cloud of witnesses" referred to in Heb 12:1 are the saints that went on before us, never having received the promise, who depend upon us to make it happen. The analogy of a race is used here and in 1 Cor 9:24-27 to illustrate that it takes tremendous spiritual endurance to attain the finish line, to inherit our blessed hope, the New Jerusalem, the Kingdom of Heaven, eternity with our Savior, the One Holy Father. Jesus, being the First Born of the Dead, walked first in the flesh to prove that we can live holy lives in this place, He paved the way. His great faith in the Father allowed Him to endure all things, knowing that once finished, He would inherit His rightful place at God's right hand. By His resurrection He completed the work assigned to Him by Our Father, He perfected our faith, illustrating that we too, will be resurrected to glory with Him.

It seems that the Christ of Revelations is the Spiritual Bodied Christ as flesh cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. This fulfills the scriptures in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 John 3:2, key to our hope that like Jesus, this flesh will perish and we will be given a new body that will not die and is perfected.

All had great faith, based upon the word of God, directly or indirectly (as in Rahab). I would have to believe that after seeing 10 plagues and a pillar of fire by night and cloud by day the Israelite's faith was built on what they saw from Adonai. The Egyptians on the other hand based their faith upon what they saw the Jews do. Rahab's faith was real and opportunistic. There is no difference as when faith moves you, you have to seize the moment.

Christians are being persecuted to some degree in every country where Christians dwell. The Book of Revelation is our guarantee that our suffering is not in vain, that if we suffer with Him, we will reign with Him.

Because Moses could see past this world's pleasures he was able to suffer in his flesh, knowing that Adonai had a better hope for him. This faith is a vision of things not seen, as all we as Christians are expected to possess. This and other great testimonies in the bible are our assurance that what God says most certainly will come to pass. Our vision should become clearer as our faith increases, that of a heavenly home with God the Father and our Blessed Savior, Jesus Christ.

These verses tell us that the Father and Jesus His Son are eternal, the beginning and the end of all things but of utmost importance, they tell us that the Father and Jesus are One. This is huge in our understanding of Jesus, His Diety and the significance of His human walk, His humility and sacrifice that we might be reconciled with Him.

An alien or stranger does not feel at home in this world. It's lusts and desires are unpalatable, it's wonton sinful pursuits grievous to God, His Holy Spirit and those seeking the Lord. As a result a believer should want to come out from among them (the world). We do need to live in the world but we do not need to go along with the world's ways. To succeed we need to be strong in the Lord and the power of His might, thoroughly rooted and ground, anchored in His blessed hope. We must separate ourselves when we can and stay in fellowship with believers.

We are a reflection of what is inside of us, that which is in our hearts. Our witness and testimony as Christians is what ultimately sows the seeds that draw people to the Lord. It is our Great Commission. By His testimony and witness, His life, His Word, His death and resurrection we have a Rock, a firm foundation in which to place our trust. Jesus is our hope. Sadly today, many Christians really aren't,if they are they would not be ashamed of His Gospel and would place pleasing Him far ahead of political correctness. So too would they know with certainty that every person that the Lord places in front of them is to be witnessed to, as their life is in their hands.

When I was homeless I had a distinct impression that God was directing me to a certain place, bearing in mind that I had not had any relationship with Him for over 30 years. That place was a Christian church/mission. Two weeks after I arrived I was baptised in the Holy Spirit and received another word that I was called to this place to accomplish three works, all of which were based on my talents, nurtured in the world. That was 16 years ago. As I learned of Abraham, faith is doing. Abraham set an example that when God calls, we respond. Abraham's story demonstrates that God is faithful and counts our faith as righteousness. How encouraging! The final city for us is the New Jerusalem, in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Abraham believed God and he was judged to be a righteous person in God's sight. God wants those who believe in Him to seek Him so, since He is the giver of faith He needs complete faith to compliment His existence and power. He desires both elements. If ones believes in the Lord straight from the heart one knows the definition of faith.

To the best of my knowledge Judeo-Christian is the only faith that God gives hope, hope to spend eternity in heaven with Him. Others promise a return to earth in a new body or perhaps that of a butterfly, another a chance to go to a place called paradise and have certain fleshly desires provided, etc. I prefer the former. God's word moved Noah and it is that word which is the basis of our faith. Faith grows by hearing the word of God. Growth comes from studying and applying the word.

It is one thing to believe that God does exist. It is entirely another matter when we seek Him. When we are hungry for food, we know that food exists and if we eat, we will be satistfied. When we seek God, which is the second element of faith, we need to be filled with Him and all of His benefits. We desire to know Him, His character and nature, in order to be like Him and join Him in true fellowship. It is solely by seeking Him that we can be filled for if we do not we hunger and starve to death, spiritually.

Not quite in my own words but; "God said it, I believe it, that's it." Faith is a tangible hope, a hope that we know will come to pass because Jesus promised that it would be so. This faith inspires and is life, giving us knowledge that as long as we trust in the Savior everything will be all right. It is shalom, a peace that passes all understanding.

When you know that you shouldn't do it and go ahead and do it anyway, you are deliberately sinning. This is not absentmindedly caving in to a fleshly desire, this is apostasy. The application of the term apostasy here has given me a clearer understanding of the scripture.

I find that by His Holy Spirit, living in me, I am in constant communion with the Father and, by being attentive to that still small voice, and obedient, I am able to stay upright, stumble some times but never fall. I wish I could explain why God has such exultant joy toward me. I was a wretch and still am fleshly. In 1 Cor 13: 10-12 I see where I am a work in progress. I am being sanctified as I grow in the Lord. When He takes me home I will be completed and presented to the Father, blameless.

Keeping myself in God's love is for me to be obedient to His commandments and in my service to my Lord. It is to be in continual communion with Him in worship, praise and prayer. To strengthen my relationship with my King is to stay in His word, to study to know Him better and become more understanding of His character and nature. To help grow in His love is to stay the course, never quit.

God wants us to come to Him of our own free will. To demonstrate this to Him we need to hunger for Him and this can only be done when we are self motivated. I try my best to show my Heavenly Father of my zeal for Him by studying daily, praying quite often, attending bible stuies with the body of Christ and visitors, going to church often and working in ministry. It never seems to be enough and I always find myself desiring to do better. I owe Him my life.

Like any team Christians need one another for building faith, unity, morale, strength and spiritual growth. What motivates us should be our hunger to worship, praise and togetherness with the Lord. One hundred and twenty people praying together allowed the Lord to change history and gave Him the opportunity to dwell within His people now and forevermore. The flesh is the vehicle to stops people from fellowship with their brothers and sisters. Those that are weak in the faith will surely give way to carnal desires and fall away. I witnessed this far too many times. Very sad. Equally disheartening is the difficulty in bringing backsliders into the fold. It is better to be aware of those who need support and work with them before they are lost. Most importantly, lots of prayer is needed, another advantage of assembling ourselves together.

For me, to be called is the greatest thing to ever have happened to me. Imagine, the God of all creation, the ever living Father calling me. Sometimes I can't fathom it at all considering my sinful state at the time. That is what is so special. And, as I grow to know and love Him more, my faith grows proportionately.

In the Old Testament the veil separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (the Especially Holy Place). Only the High Priest Could enter in to make atonement for sin. When the veil was torn in two upon Jesus' crucifixion the statement was made that all could now enter in to the Holiest of Holies. The new and living way that we have access to God is Jesus, who is alive and well. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. This is new because we all have access to the Father, at any time. Living, because as mentioned, we go through Jesus, who is very much alive.

When someone beats on another person, continually, it is not because of what the beaten person has done, it is because of the anger that the aggressor has inside. Beating someone does not remove the anger. When sacrifices were made they did not remove the desire to sin so guilt remained. This guilt keeps us from God because a sinful person cannot have a relationship with a holy God. In order to come boldly to the throne room we must repent to clear our conscience and go through our High Priest, Jesus Christ.

Matthew 12:26; "If Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?" It would seem to me that with so many pastors falling and with so many "Christianity Lite" messages being preached and with the bible being taught materialisticly rather than spiritually, it would be impossible for those who preach such things to preach against themselves. As a result, sin abounds in our churches.

There was no provision for forgiveness of intentional, flagrant rebellion against God in the Old Testament. Persons were either put to death or driven from the Hebrew population. Praise God that we can now be forgiven for sin, even intentional, by the New and better Covenant. One must simply admit that he or she is a sinner, confess, and then, repent, not to do that sin any longer.

A person who willing submits to the desires of the flesh becomes captive to the sin that the flesh succumbs to. Think of a drug addict or alcoholic. Totally a slave to the sin and completely at the feet of the devil. The path to righteousness and freedom begins with a broken and contrite spirit and true repentance. That is to turn away from the sin, not to willingly do it again. Sin is in the person, not the other way around. To love a person is to hate the sin that enslaves them and do your best to bring them to the Deliverer, Jesus Christ. It's easy to avoid being judgmental to someone living in sin. Just look in the mirror everyday and see what Christ has made you to be as opposed to what you were before you gave your will and being to Him.

Sexual sin comes from our own bodies and becomes our God. Today's church has become conformed to the world and tolerates all manner of fornication, including homosexuality thus Christianity is complacent. Interestingly enough the primary Cannanite Gods were slabs,pillars, trees, and poles which all represented sexual deities. The Israelites fell into the same situation that we are in today. A slave nation to sexual fulfillment. Hedonistic.