Thank you firebrand for the ping, and for those words.
My daily verse in Biblegateway this morning was this:
"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..."
Hebrews 12:28
I am looking forward to Amir's message. He is truly gifted. When Obama was in power, the overwhelming darkness of his actions often took me away from my focus on this world, and directed me more towards God and His Kingdom. It was in the latter that I found more hope. I must confess that since Obama has left the scene, I have sometimes mistakenly concluded that this world was more secure with Trump in power. But it is not.
I read the entire chapter of Hebrews 12 this morning:
There is so much there. That link is the ESV version, which I do like. But verse 1 also says in the NIV "and the sin that so easily entangles" or in the KJV "and the sin which doth so easily beset us."
This world is such a weight, and the temptations do so easily ensnare us. Sometimes, I find it so very easy to walk away from God and His holiness. There are 1,001 distractions in just one day that can take me away from Him.
A commentary for Hebrews 12 is here:
https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/hebrews/12.html
Sometimes I wonder why I don't have as much money as I think I should have, or why I don't have a lake or beach house like some of my friends or relatives, or why I don't have as nice a car, or why I don't have this, or that....OR why do I have these problems, why do I have to carry these burdens that have been given to me....
But then I read about what Esau did, selling his birthright to Issac for a meal.
How easily we get ensnared by the lusts of the flesh, be they food, desire, greed, envy, sex, anger, bitterness, and all the rest.
First, Esau’s sin. He profanely despised and sold the birthright, and all the advantages attending it. So do apostates, who to avoid persecution, and enjoy sensual ease and pleasure, though they bore the character of the children of God, and had a visible right to the blessing and inheritance, give up all pretensions thereto.
Secondly, Esau’s punishment, which was suitable to his sin. His conscience was convinced of his sin and folly, when it was too late: He would afterwards have inherited the blessing, etc. His punishment lay in two things: 1. He was condemned by his own conscience; he now saw that the blessing he had made so light of was worth the having, worth the seeking, though with much carefulness and many tears. 2. He was rejected of God: He found no place of repentance in God or in his father; the blessing was given to another, even to him to whom he sold it for a mess of pottage. Esau, in his great wickedness, had made the bargain, and God in his righteous judgment, ratified and confirmed it, and would not suffer Isaac to reverse it.(2.) We may hence learn, [1.] That apostasy from Christ is the fruit of preferring the gratification of the flesh to the blessing of God and the heavenly inheritance. [2.] Sinners will not always have such mean thoughts of the divine blessing and inheritance as now they have. The time is coming when they will think no pains too great, no cares no tears too much, to obtain the lost blessing. [3.]
When the day of grace is over (as sometimes it may be in this life), they will find no place for repentance: they cannot repent aright of their sin; and God will not repent of the sentence he has passed upon them for their sin. And therefore, as the design of all, Christians should never give up their title, and hope of their Father’s blessing and inheritance, and expose themselves to his irrevocable wrath and curse, by deserting their holy religion, to avoid suffering, which, though this may be persecution as far as wicked men are concerned in it, is only a rod of correction and chastisement in the hand of their heavenly Father, to bring them near to himself in conformity and communion. This is the force of the apostle’s arguing from the nature of the sufferings of the people of God even when they suffer for righteousness’ sake; and the reasoning is very strong.
Very sobering words. Praise be the Grace of Christ, that gives me forgiveness, and unearned redemption.
This world is still heading towards its end. I pray that I will concentrate more on God's plan for this world, and my life.
May God's blessing be with you all brothers and sisters.