January 29, 2011
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the door, the sword, the crown ~ through faith & patience (Hebrews 6:11-12)
Hebrews 6:11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
the door
opened
is this a trick
it taunts me
where is the promise of Your coming?
are You a liar?I have a little strength
no, I have no strength
I am sluggish
I have no faith
I have no patience
Revelation 3:8 I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.
the sword
entrusted
is this a trick
it taunts me
where is the promise of Your coming?
are You a liar?I have a little strength
no, I have no strength
I am sluggish
I have no faith
I have no patience
II Samuel 23:9 And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. 10 He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the LORD brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain.I Timothy 1:11 ... the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted... 6:20 ... guard the deposit entrusted to you... Ephesians 6:17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
the crown
desired
is this a trick
it taunts me
where is the promise of Your coming?
are You a liar?I have a little strength
no, I have no strength
I am sluggish
I have no faith
I have no patienceI Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
II Timothy 2:4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.
Revelation 3:11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.* * *Hebrews 6:11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may NOT be sluggish, but imitators of those who THROUGH FAITH AND PATIENCE INHERIT THE PROMISES.
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE, WE WHO HAVE FLED FOR REFUGE MIGHT HAVE STRONG ENCOURAGEMENT TO HOLD FAST TO THE HOPE SET BEFORE US. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.Lord God, Forgive me. Forgive my unbelief. I know full well You are not a liar. I have been walking by sight and not by faith. I have become entangled in civilian pursuits. I have tried in vain to take refuge in the world of men and in the refuge of self and am coming back to You hungrier and thirstier for You than ever. Forgive me for being brutish, foolish and ignorant, for I have already tasted and seen You are good beyond measure! I have lost my vision and taken my eye off Canaan's clusters and turned from them to the devil's turkish delight, which is no true delight to my soul. To have turned away from You now is most grievous to me and despicable. Whom have I in heaven but You! You are my perfect Portion, my exceeding great Reward! And so today, Lamb of God, I come, a lamb who has strayed and turned to my own way, but I am a lamb for whom You died, for on You my iniquity has been laid. Today I come. I am a beggar. This is true. I am not worthy. Nothing in my hands I bring, only to Your cross I cling. Be merciful to me, a sinner. I am fleeing to You today for refuge once more. It is Your desire for me to show the same earnestness to have full assurance of hope until the end. I confess I have been sluggish and have lacked the earnestness You desire. My soul clings to you, uphold me with Your right hand! Cleanse me from my sins of unbelief and idolatry Jesus' sake. Grant me strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before me. Holy Spirit, fill me with faith and patience in abundance, so I might not be sluggish but earnest. Fill me with full assurance of hope to keep my eyes fixed on the imperishable crown rather than perishable earthly crowns. Strengthen me to go through the door, employ the sword, run the race and fight the good fight to be pleasing to you and to obtain the promise to Your glory.
Related:Ash Wednesday: Do you despise yourself? | Job 42
backslidden child (Jeremiah 3)
the gall of bitterness (receiving glory from one another ~ ministry's temptation)
true repentance leads to joy (Letter 37 on assurance & fighting for joy)
Sacrifice
my best resolutions
here I stand ~ the sparrow's song ~ I have found grace in the eyes of the Lord
Rejoicing in the battle (Judges 20:27-28) | Letter 103 on assurance & fighting for joy
"I Have Need of Patient Endurance Today"
Tonight I am weak . . .
thoughts on necessity (Richard Baxter, myself)
Naphtali News: God speaking to me about my failures & the one thing needful
Why not pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit
trusting the eagles' wings (reliance on the Holy Spirit)
As a deer pants ... Is your soul panting for God? (Psalms 42 & 43)
Keep me away from the paths of the destroyer that I might behold Your face. (Psalm 17)
a conversation with Jesus about misplaced joy ("do not rejoice in this" - letter 73 on joy)
Are you a radiant Christian or a drunken old woman? (letter 82 on assurance & fighting for joy)
the lost treasures of the Church: fools who preach Christ with great joy (letter 86)
Encouragements to press on - Series LinksScripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Comments (4)
aman
'My soul clings to you, uphold me with Your right hand!"
I can feel His hand in mine, that''s all I need to know.
Habakuk 3:19 - rest of chapter really comforts me right now. praying you are reassured again and again today of His love and care for you. ((hugs))
@dmcx2010 - Thank you.
@quest4god@revelife - The hard part comes when we are in the dark and we don't feel, and then we must wait upon Him to come to us more than watchmen wait for the morning. Psalm 130:5-6.
@JulieDeer - Thanks, deer. My feet have not been very deerlike as of late. Christ brought me to the end of my human strength (once again) so I might know Him as my strength. Praying He might draw near to you as you draw near to Him.