Participate In the Promise -- July 14, 2009

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."
Hebrews 11:13

Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David, Deborah and the list of heroes that goes on all died without ever receiving the promise of the Savior coming. Even though they were far from the promise they managed to participate in the promise by the way they let their faith drive their life. They were even willing to call themselves tourists (pilgrims) while they were here on earth. They knew they were just strangers passing through. This passage tells us they passed all the way through and didn’t receive what they were promised. Yet they died in faith.

The writer of Hebrews is teaching us to hold on even when we don’t see the benefits of following Christ. We have a great benefit over our predecessors because we are blessed with the presence of the Holy Spirit in our person. They had to hold on based on sporadic visits from the Deity and His Spirit. We have Him with us constantly. Won’t you confess with me that we are strangers in this place and we are traveling to our future home? Let’s live like visitors who don’t really have ownership in this place. That is how it was when we visited Mexico on our missions there. We loved the people and we ministered but we knew we weren’t part of their lives. We knew we were going home when our time was up. That is how we need to see our lives now. We love people and we minister (even to the most basic human needs) but we know we are going home when our time is up. Psalm 73:23-24 says, "Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory." We have a better promise because we have Him with us continually to show us the way and we will have Him to escort us to our reception in glory.

I write this to you, the ones I hold dear in my heart, hang on! Jesus has left His Spirit to be with us to the end of the age or our lives which ever comes first. Do whatever it takes to be there in glory. Someday each of us will have the announcement made that we have gone on. When my announcement comes I want to be received in glory. I want you to be there too because we have received the promise.

In His Hand,

Pastor Jason