Upper Loft Meditation - Hebrews 12:1

“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.” - Hebrews 12:1

It was only a small bug, but its presence on her shoulder caused a nuclear reaction.  The decibel level, the jumping up and down with escalating speed, all this was a reaction calling for immediate removal of the small bug as far away as possible.  All other issues, cares, conversations were set aside.  Only one thing mattered - bug removal.

Our journey of faith is portrayed here as a race.  In running such a long race it is easy to become casual, comfortable, and contented.  We can become spiritual tourists focusing on the experiences of the moment, the roadside attractions, and forget we are in a race with a glorious finish line ahead.

There are three thoughts in this phrase that will help us focus in this race.

1. We all carry encumbrances with us on the journey.  These hindrances are to be identified and put out of the way.  An Olympic runner removes everything but the bare essentials to run the race.
2. These obstacles you carry with you may be good things.  The choice then is between what is better or what is the best.  What will most help me in the race and what slows me down?  No marathon runner carries a backpack with 20 of his favorite CDs, a large sandwich, 1/2 gallon of power drink, and the morning paper for his break time.  He is not in a race.  He is sightseeing!
3. If you are too busy for Bible study, prayer, or serving to bless others, than your business is an encumbrance.

The goal is to run free by the grace of God to bless others, to proclaim His goodness and to enjoy Him forever.

Upper Loft Meditation - Hebrews 12

“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.” - Hebrews 12:1

The challenge is our journey of faith is to be focused.  Everywhere we turn there are distractions.  Amusement.  Entertainment. Attractive offers.  A feeble reason to stay on the couch.

There is a saying, “His head is in the clouds.”  What that means is that he can’t see anything that is happening around him.  His ideas are unrealistic and impractical.

The cloud image here does not refer to confusion and uncertainty, but it is used to encourage, convict, and call for hope in the midst of your trials.

The author of Hebrews gives us guidance on how to find our focus.  The exhortation begins with “Therefore” in verse 1, which refers to the previous chapter.  Here is laid out a quick tour of the faith hall of fame that includes those who are famous, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and Rehab and those who are nameless.  The impression given is of a great number who were faithful.

The cloud of witnesses conveys two ideas here.  First, there is a great number who have gone before you that testify by their very lives of God’s faithfulness.  No faith journey is the same.  But God remains the same yesterday, today, and forever.  “We are so surrounded by this dense throng, that wherever we turn our eyes many examples of faith immediately meet us.” (John Calvin)

Secondly, there is a unified voice that sings out in their witness; “Be strong and take heart, all of you who hope in the LORD!” Psalm 31:24.  This unified voice is not of spectators but of witnesses who speak of their own experience of God’s faithfulness.

As you look around what does the cloud of witnesses say to you today?

Upper Loft Meditation - Colossians 1

“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” - Colossians 1:27

Paul is sharing with the believers in Colossae a spectacular secret that God seeks to make known.  It is priceless, “the glorious riches of this mystery.”  Paul piles on the superlatives; for this is a truth that stretches his mind.  It is a simple truth with profound implications.  What is it?  Christ is in you and his presence is a confirmation of your future glory.

“To paraphrase Dr. Ray Stedman, Christians who have discovered the truth of “Christ in you”, not merely in an intellectual sense, but in a practical sense that affects their living day by day are seldom bored.  To them, everything is exciting.  Even difficulties and trials are regarded as adventures and they look forward to how the Lord will work them out.  They may feel a sense of risk.  Perhaps even danger, but they also have a sense of excitement and anticipation as they look for God to act.” (F.B. Meyer) God is at work in you to be a blessing to others and to manifest his glory that all may praise his name.

C.H. Spurgeon helps us with a right perspective.  “It seems a strange thing that a sinner should ever have anything to do with glory when he deserves nothing but shame.  We are neither kings nor princes, what have we to do with glory?  Yet glory is to be our dwelling, glory our light, glory our crown, glory our song.  The Lord will not be content to give us less than glory.”

Ask God to give you a rich understanding of these seven words of mystery.

Upper Loft Meditation - Luke 17

“Remember Lot’s wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” - Luke 17:32-33

Jesus warned His followers to remember Lot’s wife.  And this warning is passed on to us today.

Lot’s wife was forced to leave her prosperous home in Sodom, taking only what she could carry.  Angels had come to warn her and her husband of God’s impending judgment on the city.  They told her not to look back - not to linger, not to long for her old way of life.  But she did, and as a result, judgment fell on her as well: she was turned into a pillar of salt.

The example of Lot’s wife reminds us that the return of Christ will be just as sudden as the judgment on Sodom - and the consequences of longing for an old way of life just as severe.

Eugene Peterson translates the passage as: “If you grasp and cling to life on your own terms, you’ll lose it, but if you let that life go, you’ll get life on God’s terms.”

Luke had earlier talked about how Jesus shared how someone could save or lose their life (Luke 9:24). A selfish person is only interested in his own life in this world.  But he will lose it when the Son of Man returns.  But the Christian who spends his life for God and other people in this world will save it in heaven.

Albert Einstein once said that, “Strange is our situation here on earth… there is one thing we do know: That we are here for the sake of others.”

Today, we must ask ourselves the question.  Are we selfishly clinging onto our life on our own terms, or are we willing to let our “idea of life” go in favor of others?

Upper Loft Meditation - Romans 5

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” - Romans 5:1-5

It is sealed, closed, and completed.  “We have been justified by faith”.  We, therefore, “have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1)  Then Paul says (5) this hope that we have will not put us to shame.  This is a strong word here.  We wouldn’t be embarrassed.  Why?  Because, we know and continue to experience the love of God in our mind and in our heart.  The love of God in our heart is a confirmation of the hope we hold.

The experience and knowledge of God’s love is facilitated in us by the indwelling Holy Spirit.  God wants His people to be confident about the certainty of our hope.

Notice that Paul does not say “God has given us his love.”  He uses the word “poured out”.  It conveys the idea of a gushing overflow that cannot be contained.  This is not dependent on your love for God.  It is God’s initiative and gift of love for you.  “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

Have you ever stood under a waterfall?  The water keeps coming and coming.  “May the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

Upper Loft Meditation - 1 Peter 3

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect.” - 1 Peter 3:15

Here is a great exhortation for believers about our hope and a very important qualifying statement about our response to others.

1. “always” - at any time, often when you least expect it, from any body - people you know and even from strangers.
2. “be prepared to give an answer” - this implies that you take time to think through YOUR answer before you are asked.  What is it about your relationship with Christ that gives you hope for today?  Your hope will impact what you say and how you live.  Are you ready to explain yourself?  You should have both a 2-3 minute short answer and a longer, “let’s sit down and I can share my story with you”, answer.
3. “give a reason for the hope that you have” - This implies that your hope is observable, either in what you say or in how you act.  Your visible hope will produce in others a great question.  How can this person be so hopeful?  Truly, light shines brightest in the darkest places.  For many people the hope you have will be considered out of place!

Your answer to the query about your hope should reflect the very nature of Jesus.  Your answer is not to be an aggressive attack or a defiant defense, but as one beggar sharing food with another.  Your words should be filled with kindness and tenderness as you speak about God’s mercy, promise, and faithfulness to you.

When people observe you, will they say you are hopeful or hopeless?

Upper Loft Meditation - 1 John 3

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” - 1 John 3:2-3

“I want to be like Jesus,” said a young boy when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up.  Is this your response?

John sets forth two great truths here.  A present truth, we are the children of God NOW and a future truth, when Jesus returns we shall be like him.

If we hold this hope we purify ourselves.  What does this mean?

The contemporary definition of hope is one of being optimistic; the odds are in your favor, a strong possibility.  This is different from the Biblical view of hope, a present certainty of a future reality.  You can bet your life on it.

There are two meanings for “purify” in the New Testament, one is ceremonial, the outward appearance and the second meaning is used here of inward purity expressed in outward moral righteousness.

There are three key thoughts from this:

1. Becoming like Jesus is a work of the Spirit.  It is a process requiring your participation.  Central to this is the daily process of placing the Word of God in your heart, repenting of your sin, and doing the will of God.
2. Perfection is not possible this side of heaven.  But, because of the hope we have, we strive with the Spirit for His word of preparation in our lives.
3. The purifying process is part of our becoming like Jesus.  It is integral to seeing Jesus as he is and one day seeing that we are like him.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” - Matthew 5:8

Upper Loft Meditation - 1 Thessalonians 1:3

“We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” - 1 Thessalonians 1:3

In the midst of our struggles, you may hear the exhortation from a friend, “keep on keeping on!” There are many thoughts that may run through your mind.

• My friend does not understand my struggles.
• I don’t have anything more to give. I am done.
• They don’t know how I feel. The pain and disappointment is overwhelming.
• What I am doing will take a miracle.

Paul, in his prayer for the believers at Thessalonica, gives the right perspective for our struggles and for how to encourage those who labor valiantly for the work of the Lord.

Paul prays here and elsewhere that the living hope they have in the Lord Jesus Christ will cause them to renew their strength, to embolden their confidence in what God will do, and to receive the peace that God gives through their hope in Him in the midst of the storm.

Paul’s prayer is not to remove the difficulties but to enable them to stand with God’s staying power through the stress and hardship.

“Endurance” can also be translated “patience.” It is a patience that will wait upon the Lord for His resolution. It is not a call to shut down and wait, but to continue on with great expectation for what the Lord will do.

“I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.” - Psalm 130:5

Upper Loft Meditation - Hebrews 10

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” - Hebrews 10:23

The context of this great verse gives important perspective for how we are to live. The preceding verse exhorts us to come close to God, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.” Because the pathway has been cleared, we have passed security controls, and we are invited into His presence.

Verse 23 exhorts us to hold tight to the hope we proclaim. Our profession of faith is to be a witness in word and deed to God’s faithfulness. What we say must match how we live. Hold tight.

You may think that your spiritual grip is not very strong. The faith threats that mock your beliefs, the sinful splattering in your workplace, your sputtering steadfastness all threaten your ability to hold on tight. But, God has a hold of you. It is the power of His grip that will enable you to persevere. Hold fast to His faithfulness. Wear your spiritual seatbelt.

Verse 24 follows with a third exhortation, “let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” As we hold fast to the Lord, we are to prod, provoke, and incite one another to Christ-like action toward others. In other words, in light of God’s faithfulness and our secure hope in His promises, we must stir up one another to acts of love and mercy.

Our hope gives us confidence to boldly follow Christ’s example.

Upper Loft Meditation - Romans 12

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” - Romans 12:12

There is a children’s story of a little girl who would look out the window every morning. If it was rainy or overcast she would be sad, but if the sun was shining she would overflow with joy.

What determines if you are to be filled with joy today? The weather? No known problems that must be tackled? Aches and pains and a general feeling it will be a downer day?

Jesus, for the hope set before him, endured the cross. Such a great hope overrules all feelings and circumstances.

Our hope is found in Jesus. This is a hope for which we have a guarantee, the promises of God.

Notice that this exhortation to be joyful is coupled with two others, “patient in affliction” - to persevere or keep on going when it gets tough and “faithful in prayer” - to pray always.

If our joy is based on God’s faithfulness and His unfailing love for us, then we have confidence that our prayers are heard and that He will lead us through the valley of shadows. The joy in the midst of the storm is based on truths far greater than the storm.

Think of the great hope you have in Christ Jesus. I can picture your smile and hear your singing!

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