You have heard it: “BY FAITH ABRAHAM..” and you know it from Scripture. Abram was blessed by God, called on to leave his ancestral home on a journey to a promised land. By faith Abraham believed God that his own son would inherit the promises of God’s covenant. But I’ll bet your western tradition of thought never looked so far back to the ancient middle east to recognize Abram as a Sheikh or Abram Son of Nahor the Sheik.
“For you set aside the mitzvah of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men — the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things.”
Words of the Messiah from the Gospel of Mark 7:8Hebrew Names Bible
History of Faithvs Traditions of History
In our previous Summer Rerun, I mentioned the Great Schism of the Christian Church & later divisions of the Protestant Reformation.
Before then, however, Christianity originates from the faith of Judaism.
In a prior Summer Scriptural Rerun we quote Jesus telling the Jews,
“You are mistaken, since you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God.
Now in this introduction to our next Summer Scriptural Rerun we will reintroduce the faith of Abraham.
ByfaithAbraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he left, not knowing where he was going
And what does this have to do with traditions of the Catholic Church?
In fact, Jesus makes the point to the Jews that FAITH through Scripture far outweighs the TRADITIONS of man.
Jewish traditions, Roman Catholic traditions, Orthodox traditions — even Anglican, Lutheran and other traditions of the Protestant Reformation must give way to Holy Scripture.
Looking only at Jesus, the Leader and perfecter of the faith..
The writer of the letter to the Hebrews encourages the saints of the church to look to Jesus Christ, the originator of all things and only Shepherd perfecting the faith of sons chosen by the Lord God.
FAITH: Swear it upon your biggest BIBLE, mention GOD four times only and Christ Jesus not at all — faith in US?
Does this ‘ONE NATION UNDER GOD’ claim faith without fear of the LORD?
(But I digress..) Returning to the Bible:
Do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord
Nor faint when you are punished by Him – Hebrews 12:5b
Speaking of those who would follow Jesus Christ as Lord:
8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
IN GOD WE Trusted
In the days of Moses, David and some some other leaders, a chosen and blessed Hebrew nation had trusted God. Yet at times they became divided to trust each in his own ways.
Some like Zerubbabel responded to the voice of God through Prophets like Haggai and repented (as we pointed out previously). Faithful saints suffered once more in a fading Empire of Rome, which persecuted both Jews and Christians.
The writer to first century Hebrews asks the church to remain faithful to God in Christ Jesus.
Is the U.S. ‘one nation under God?’
Or are claims of both divisions of this troubled PEOPLE no different from failing faith of a divided Israel and Judah?
Hear more from the letter to the Hebrews.
Warnings against Rejecting God’s Grace
12 Therefore, strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees, and make straight paths for your feet…
14 Strive for peace with all… that no “root of bitterness” spring up and cause trouble, and by it the many become defiled; 16 that no one be immoral or irreligious like Esau…
How are WE doing with this: our leadership United ‘underGOD?’
Contrast of Sinai and Zion
18 For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest..
For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking.
Hebrews 12:19 NLT
21 (.. And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”)
The Unshaken Nation
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks.
For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth;
but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”
.. the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—
Is your soul shaken by this?
Do you hear the Voice of the LORD?
28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,
let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:28b-29 KJV
Pray that this ‘one nation’ under God may repent and unite with He Who Was and Is and Will be forever unshaken.
Roger @ talk of Jesus .com
Amen.
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