Thought for September 12, 2023

 Coming to you from Vienna, Austria

  • 1910: First known female policeman appointed--Alice Wells by the LAPD
  • 1933: Leo Szilard conceives the idea of a nuclear chain reaction while waiting for a red light
  • 1958: Supreme Court orders Central High School in Little Rock to integrate.
  • 1959: Soviet's launch Luna 2--first spacecraft to impact on the moon.
  • 1981: "The Smurfs" first broadcasted in North America
  • Born: Henry Hudson, Jesse Owens, 
  • Died: Peter Roget, Anthony Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jack Kramer, Ray Dolby, 
Thought:
Look with me at Hebrews 4:2 this morning. Here is a reminder to me that knowing about Jesus, studying the Bible, listening carefully to sermons and taking copious notes will not be profitable if not accompanied by faith. All of us have had the gospel preached to us. All of us have studied the Word, perhaps memorized passages. All of us may regularly attend church, participate in a Bible study or engage in good works. But if this is not united with faith. it is not profitable. 

So this makes me think about what is real faith and what is real profit. Chapter 11 will give us a chance to carefully consider faith, but just for today, what does faith really mean. I have trouble with this word because our English does not give it the biblical meaning. Faith does not simply mean that I have heard the gospel, read the Bible and believe it is true. It means I so strongly believe that it is true that I will bet my life on it, bet my future on it, bet my eternity on it. It means I will follow and obey it even if it means sacrifice, affliction, death. It means I will give up every position, friendship, relationship, opportunity that conflicts with it. I have told you before that the first time I understood what faith meant was when my grandfather used an illustration in church. A man rode a bicycle across Niagara Falls on a tight rope. Crowds would gather to watch. He would ride back and forth and then approach the crowd--"who believes I can ride this bicycle all the way across?" People would cheer. "How many believe I can ride this bicycle across with someone riding with me?" People cheer. ""Who will ride with me?" No one accepts the invitation. Faith is riding with Jesus, He is in control and I risk everything to ride with Him. 

What is the profit of riding with Jesus? Go back and read Mark 8:34-38. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? What a comparison--I could choose to have the entire world and everything in it--and lose my soul. Satan knew this so he tried to tempt Jesus with the whole world. What a liar, what a deceiver. Satan offered to give Jesus something that Jesus created and owned. So what is the profit? Eternal life with the One who loves me and died for me. Adoption by God the Father into a family that will never die or end. Joint heir of all the riches of Christ. An amazing investment--accept Christ's invitation and have everything good and perfect--reject the invitation and have everything bad and evil. For eternity!

Lord, give us more faith.

Blessings
Larry

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