Reflecting God: Embrace Holy Living from The Foundry Publishing of the Global Church of the Nazarene in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "God Is in Control" by Mary Egidio for Sunday, 25 November 2018 - Hebrews 10:26-39

Reflecting God: Embrace Holy Living from The Foundry Publishing of the Global Church of the Nazarene in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "God Is in Control" by Mary Egidio for Sunday, 25 November 2018 - Hebrews 10:26-39
Hebrews 10:26 For if we deliberately continue to sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but only the terrifying prospect of Judgment, of raging fire that will consume the enemies.[Hebrews 10:27 Isaiah 26:11]
28 Someone who disregards the Torah of Moshe is put to deathwithout mercy on the word of two or three witnesses.[Hebrews 10:28 Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15] 29 Think how much worse will be the punishment deserved by someone who has trampled underfoot the Son of God; who has treated as something common the blood of the covenant[Hebrews 10:29 Exodus 24:8] which made him holy; and who has insulted the Spirit, giver of God’s grace!
30 For the One we know is the One who said,
“Vengeance is my responsibility;
I will repay,”
and then said,
“Adonai will judge his people.”[Hebrews 10:30 Deuteronomy 32:35–36]
31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!
32 But remember the earlier days, when, after you had received the light, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings. 33 Sometimes you were publicly disgraced and persecuted, while at other times you stood loyally by those who were treated this way. 34 For you shared the sufferings of those who had been put in prison. Also when your possessions were seized, you accepted it gladly; since you knew that what you possessed was better and would last forever.
35 So don’t throw away that courage of yours, which carries with it such a great reward. 36 For you need to hold out; so that, by having done what God wills, you may receive what he has promised. 37 For
“There is so, so little time!
The One coming will indeed come,
he will not delay.
38 But the person who is righteous
will live his life by trusting,
and if he shrinks back,
I will not be pleased with him.”[Hebrews 10:38 Habakkuk 2:3-4]
39 However, we are not the kind who shrink back and are destroyed; on the contrary, we keep trusting and thus preserve our lives! (Complete Jewish Bible).
For you need to hold out; so that, by having done what God wills, you may receive what he has promised. (Hebrews 10:36).
When difficulties come our way in life, we have two possible reactions. We can either say, “God, how are you going to get me out of this?” Or we can say, “God, what are you going to teach me through this?”
Today's key verse encourages us to persevere. When times are hard and the tempter wants us to doubt God, be assured of the truth that He is still in control, and has a plan to use this difficulty for His glory. We may be facing the death of a loved one, the loss of a dream, an unexpected job loss, or devastating illness. With each difficulty comes a temptation. Whatever the cause, we can doubt God’s care for us. We may feel abandoned. We may believe the lie that God cannot be trusted. We may think we are being punished.
Will we doubt God and turn from Him? Will our reaction lead us down the path to sin? Or will we sink our roots deeper into God’s love and trust Him to bring us through the dark days to become a stronger, more useful vessel for the Master’s use? We have a choice to make.
Hymn for Today "Faith is the Victory" by John H. Yates.
1. Encamped along the hills of light,
Ye Christian soldiers rise,
And press the battle ere the night
Shall veil the glowing skies;
Against the foe in vales below
Let all our strength be hurled;
Faith is the victory, we know,
That overcomes the world.
Chorus: Faith is the victory!
Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory,
That overcomes the world.
2. His banner over us is love,
Our sword the Word of God;
We tread the road the saints before
With shouts of triumph trod.
By faith, they like a whirlwind’s breath,
Swept on o’er every field;
The faith by which they conquered death
Is still our shining shield.
Chorus: Faith is the victory!
Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory,
That overcomes the world.
3. On every hand the foe we find
Drawn up in dread array;
Let tents of ease be left behind,
And onward to the fray.
Salvation’s helmet on each head,
With truth all girt about,
The earth shall tremble ’neath our tread,
And echo with our shout.
Chorus: Faith is the victory!
Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory,
That overcomes the world.
4. To him that overcomes the foe,
White raiment shall be giv’n;
Before the angels he shall know
His name confessed in heav’n;
Then onward from the hills of light,
Our hearts with love aflame,
We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night,
In Jesus’ conqu’ring name
Chorus: Faith is the victory!
Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory,
That overcomes the world.
Thought for Today: because everything which has God as its Father overcomes the world. And this is what victoriously overcomes the world: our trust. (1 John 5:4b).
Please pray: For the ministry of caring for widows and orphans in Mesoamerica.
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