Hebrews 12:21 - Prayer Tents



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Hebrews 12
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Discipline in a Long-Distance Race

12Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.G5105G2532G2192G4029G2254G5118G3509G3144G659G2249G659G3956G3591G2532G266G2139G5143G1223G5281G73G4295G2254 2Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.G872G1519G2424G747G2532G5051G4102G3739G473G5479G4295G846G5278G4716G2706G152G5037G2523G1722G1188G2362G2316 3When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!G1063G357G5278G5108G485G5259G268G1519G846G3363G2577G1590G5216G5590 4In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed!G478G3768G478G3360G129G464G4314G266 5So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either.G2532G1585G3874G3748G1256G5213G5613G5207G3450G5207G3643G3361G3643G3809G2962G3366G1590G1651G5259G846 6It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects.G1063G3739G2962G25G3811G1161G3146G3956G5207G3739G3858 7God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training,G1487G5278G3809G2316G4374G5213G5613G5207G1063G5101G5207G2076G3739G3962G3811G3756 8the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God?G1161G1487G2075G5565G3809G3739G3956G1096G3353G686G2075G3541G2532G3756G5207 9We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live?G1534G3303G2192G3962G2257G4561G3810G2532G1788G5293G3756G4183G3123G5293G3962G4151G2532G2198 10While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best.G1063G3303G4314G3641G2250G3811G2596G846G1380G1161G1909G4851G1519G3335G846G41 11At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.G1161G3956G3756G3809G4314G3303G3918G1380G1511G5479G235G3077G1161G5305G591G1516G2590G1343G1128G1223G846 12So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet!G1352G461G5495G3935G2532G3886G1119 13Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it!G2532G4160G3717G5163G5216G4228G3363G5560G1624G1161G2390G3123G2390 14Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you'll never get so much as a glimpse of God.G1377G1515G3326G3956G2532G38G5565G3739G3762G3700G2962 15Make sure no one gets left out of God's generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time.G1983G3361G5100G5302G575G5485G2316G3361G5100G4491G4088G5453G507G1776G2532G1223G5026G4183G3392 16Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite.G3361G5100G4205G2228G952G5613G2269G3739G473G3391G1035G591G846G4415 17You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God's blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.G1063G2467G3754G2532G3347G2309G2816G2129G593G1063G2147G3756G5117G3341G2539G1567G846G1567G3326G1144

An Unshakable Kingdom

18Unlike your ancestors, you didn't come to Mount Sinai—all that volcanic blaze and earthshaking rumble—G1063G4334G3756G4334G3735G5584G2532G2545G4442G2532G1105G2532G4655G2532G2366 19to hear God speak. The earsplitting words and soul-shaking message terrified them and they begged him to stop.G2532G2279G4536G2532G5456G4487G3739G191G3868G3056G4369G3361G4369G846G3361 20When they heard the words—"If an animal touches the Mountain, it's as good as dead"—they were afraid to move.G1063G5342G3756G5342G1291G2579G2342G2345G3735G3036G2228G2700G1002 21Even Moses was terrified.G2532G3779G5398G2258G5324G3475G2036G1630G1510G2532G1790 22No, that's not your experience at all. You've come to Mount Zion, the city where the living God resides. The invisible Jerusalem is populated by throngs of festive angelsG235G4334G3735G4622G2532G4172G2198G2316G2032G2419G2532G3461G32 23and Christian citizens. It is the city where God is Judge, with judgments that make us just.G3831G2532G1577G4416G583G1722G3772G2532G2316G2923G3956G2532G4151G1342G5048 24You've come to Jesus, who presents us with a new covenant, a fresh charter from God. He is the Mediator of this covenant. The murder of Jesus, unlike Abel's—a homicide that cried out for vengeance—became a proclamation of grace.G2532G2424G3316G3501G1242G2532G129G4473G2980G2909G3844G6 25So don't turn a deaf ear to these gracious words. If those who ignored earthly warnings didn't get away with it, what will happen to us if we turn our backs on heavenly warnings?G991G3868G3361G2980G1063G1487G1565G5343G3756G3868G5537G1909G1093G4183G3123G2249G654G575G3772 26His voice that time shook the earth to its foundations; this time—he's told us this quite plainly—he'll also rock the heavens: "One last shaking, from top to bottom, stem to stern."G3739G5456G5119G4531G1093G1161G3568G1861G3004G2089G530G1473G4579G3756G1093G3440G235G2532G3772 27The phrase "one last shaking" means a thorough housecleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable essentials stand clear and uncluttered.G1161G2089G530G1213G3331G4531G5613G4160G2443G3361G4531G3306 28Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander.G1352G3880G932G761G2192G5485G1223G3739G3000G2316G2102G3326G127G2532G2124 29He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire!G2532G1063G2257G2316G2654G4442


The Message (MSG). All Scripture quotations are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. More details.
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