Tag Archives: Christianity

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I carefully read Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Read that middle part:

for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists...

Doesn't that seem obvious?  Yet, that's exactly what it says.

"...He exists..." - ἐστί - third person singular, "to be" - He IS.

And yet...(even as I write this the connection hits me)

First person singular:  I AM.  And the Old Testament statement that comes to mind...

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" (Exo. 3:14)

"I AM" -  הָיָה (hayah) - "to be".

It's such an odd statement - in order to get close to somebody you seek, you must believe that it exists.  Well...um...yes.

But if you but the "HE IS" alongside the Old Testament "I AM" , is it possible that the Hebrews passage is telling us that if we want to draw near to God, we must first come to the conviction that we stand before the "GREAT I AM", justified by grace, through faith.

Not the fluffy "feel good", "love is never having to be told I'm wrong" Jesus that we find too often in today's "theology lite".

No...the I AM who spoke creation into existence, the Father who gave His Son, the Son who died and the Spirit who convicts us of sin draws us.

In order to get close to God"...we have to believe in "I AM".

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Some ways to critique a sermon:

- How many times is Jesus mentioned?

- is Jesus the subject of the verbs? (Is Jesus the one doing the actions?)

- What are the verbs?  Are they the verbs of today's pop psychology or are they the verbs of Scripture?

- What was the problem that the preacher diagnosed.  What remedy did he give?

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Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD;

I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.

Hubakkuk 3:17-19 ESV

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You will say in that day:"I will give thanks to you, O LORD,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.

"Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation."

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
And you will say in that day:

"Give thanks to the LORD,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.

"Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.
Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."
Isaiah 12 ESV