August 4th, 2006
Friendship Study – Edition #17: Fixed Eyes on Kleenex
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless.”
Mother Teresa
Hebrews 12:1-13
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
A big thanks to Captain Scott for the help on the paper. With you, my wife, and the writing center, I think it turned out pretty good. Hopefully the teacher will feel the same way. I was thinking that if through the struggles, hard times, and garbage that everyday life brings, that the only way to really get through it is by being what Hebrews says. I, of course, have my problems and trials. Who doesn’t is really the question… but, the solution to whatever trial is right there: “Fix my eyes on Christ.” Seriously, it sounds like a band-aid solution to a gunshot problem, and I say this being one who is bi-polar and one who is dealing with what could be a major health issue. I mean, someone can walk up to me and spout off the solution… and it just wouldn’t click. Now, I don’t know who wrote Hebrews, most likely Bob trained by Paul, no one really knows. It could’ve been Bob, but it doesn’t matter who wrote, it is about the quantity therein. When one is depressed, it takes training to get out of it. The writer says “Let US…”. It is a group effort here. So if someone is depressed, the group gets together and, as a whole, pull the poor soul out of it. It takes things like training the person to “Consider him so that you will not lose heart.” “Think about Christ so that you will not grow weary and tired, and then lose focus.” And the really neat thing is this… at the end of it all, when we ALL persevere, the great reward is waiting. And if the depression is for whatever reason lingering…
Revelation 7:14-17
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
God has the hanky to wipe the tears. Need any Kleenex? Need a moment to collect yourself? God is there. His son went through it all, and whatever pain I am feeling now, Christ had it worse. Whatever loneliness I feel, Christ had it worse. Whatever temptation I feel, Christ had it worse. Christ is the best superhero ever. He knocks Superman down. He topples tall buildings full of sin in a single bound. He’s faster than a speeding temptation. And he is stronger than the Devil. What other superhero does any need? And the best thing about him, he’s on call 24/7. So is his nemesis.
When a friend befalls temptation, struggles, or hardship, they need help, from both above and here. A good neighbor helps his friend in their time of need. That is what love is about. Love your neighbor as yourself, it is written. I mean, do you want help in time of need? I know I do. Anyway… I need to be a better neighbor, a better friend. 168 hours in a week, 8,760 hours in a year… 8,784 hours in a leap year; it just doesn’t seem like enough time until you look at it like that. Roughly, I am already 283,656 hours old… give or take a few, and that is if I was born at 12:01 AM on my birthday… and going into midnight tonight… so I will be off by a few hours. Minutes: 17,019,360 old. Seconds: 1,021,161,600 old… where does the time go? I seriously had a point with all this, but I got lost in my math. I do love math. Encourage your friends… time is short. Maybe that was it… I don’t know. Take care. :-) Johnny Out.
Friendship Study – Edition #17: Fixed Eyes on Kleenex
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless.”
Mother Teresa
Hebrews 12:1-13
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
A big thanks to Captain Scott for the help on the paper. With you, my wife, and the writing center, I think it turned out pretty good. Hopefully the teacher will feel the same way. I was thinking that if through the struggles, hard times, and garbage that everyday life brings, that the only way to really get through it is by being what Hebrews says. I, of course, have my problems and trials. Who doesn’t is really the question… but, the solution to whatever trial is right there: “Fix my eyes on Christ.” Seriously, it sounds like a band-aid solution to a gunshot problem, and I say this being one who is bi-polar and one who is dealing with what could be a major health issue. I mean, someone can walk up to me and spout off the solution… and it just wouldn’t click. Now, I don’t know who wrote Hebrews, most likely Bob trained by Paul, no one really knows. It could’ve been Bob, but it doesn’t matter who wrote, it is about the quantity therein. When one is depressed, it takes training to get out of it. The writer says “Let US…”. It is a group effort here. So if someone is depressed, the group gets together and, as a whole, pull the poor soul out of it. It takes things like training the person to “Consider him so that you will not lose heart.” “Think about Christ so that you will not grow weary and tired, and then lose focus.” And the really neat thing is this… at the end of it all, when we ALL persevere, the great reward is waiting. And if the depression is for whatever reason lingering…
Revelation 7:14-17
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
God has the hanky to wipe the tears. Need any Kleenex? Need a moment to collect yourself? God is there. His son went through it all, and whatever pain I am feeling now, Christ had it worse. Whatever loneliness I feel, Christ had it worse. Whatever temptation I feel, Christ had it worse. Christ is the best superhero ever. He knocks Superman down. He topples tall buildings full of sin in a single bound. He’s faster than a speeding temptation. And he is stronger than the Devil. What other superhero does any need? And the best thing about him, he’s on call 24/7. So is his nemesis.
When a friend befalls temptation, struggles, or hardship, they need help, from both above and here. A good neighbor helps his friend in their time of need. That is what love is about. Love your neighbor as yourself, it is written. I mean, do you want help in time of need? I know I do. Anyway… I need to be a better neighbor, a better friend. 168 hours in a week, 8,760 hours in a year… 8,784 hours in a leap year; it just doesn’t seem like enough time until you look at it like that. Roughly, I am already 283,656 hours old… give or take a few, and that is if I was born at 12:01 AM on my birthday… and going into midnight tonight… so I will be off by a few hours. Minutes: 17,019,360 old. Seconds: 1,021,161,600 old… where does the time go? I seriously had a point with all this, but I got lost in my math. I do love math. Encourage your friends… time is short. Maybe that was it… I don’t know. Take care. :-) Johnny Out.
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