Tried With Fire

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. Hebrews 11:13 This was a good verse to ponder while unpacking our earthly belongings. It is such a relief to be done with the move and to unpack rather than pack. But I'm also aware that this house and this earth is not my permanent home. It's easy to say that my citizenship is in heaven, but still be so tied to this world that I don't want to leave it. So as we begin to make this house a home, as pleasant as that is, I pray that my heart would be find its permanent address in Christ alone.

Pastor Ryan's message was on Hebrews 10:32-39, titled Remembering as We Endure . Those early Christians knew that taking a stand for their faith meant immediate persecution. They joyfully accepted the loss of property, possessions, and lives because they found One who was the better possession and abiding one. Yet, the writer of Hebrews needed to remind them. They needed to remember this so that they would endure and not throw away their confidence. These statements stood out to me: They lost the things we cherish in our comfortable Christianity - comfort and security, being liked, material goods - three things that plague 21st century Christianity. We take perseverance lightly. We believe that it is by faith alone in Christ alone but in the back of our minds is it with the thought that I get to keep my comfort and security, too? This message was so timely because on Friday evening, I was shaken by something. It really wasn't that much, but it was enough. Almost immediately,...