johnmarkharris.net

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.

We ask for things of God, and He wants us to. Jesus also cried out to God. Who can forget Jesus’ quotation of Psalm 22 “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me!?” And yet, God had not forsaken Him. Jesus’ laments in the garden and from the cross were heard by God, they were just not answered right away. Jesus had to wait 3-days to show His vindication to the world. We do must wait, sometimes days, sometimes years, yet we wait. Faith compels us to wait. Wait on the Lord, shouldn’t we trust Him?

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

It is one thing to know something with your mind, it is another to know something through experience. That’s the kind of knowledge Jesus has. God didn’t want to just know our struggles with His mind, He came to this earth and lived as a man so we can know that he knows us, really knows us. He’s not just a distant God sitting on His throne shouting commands, He understands. When we need it, we receive grace from a good God who understands what we need. Trust Him today.

12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

Don’t let apathy change who you are. If you believe in Jesus, you are here to share Christ with others. Sure, the world has it’s problems and we’re all in this boat together, but Jesus is the answer. Don’t let this world make you retreat into inaction. Christians should be the first ones energized to spread the word. Is your heart getting hard? Do you care about whether fewer people are participating in the life of the church? Not just notice, but care enough to make a positive difference? What does that say about us if we are content to complain about people not coming to Jesus, and yet, it’s been days, weeks, or months since the last time we personally invited someone? Are our hearts heard? Repentance and revival are the only answers.

how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?

There is a tendency for us to want to approach God on our terms, as though this is some kind of a negotiation. We are fine with Jesus, as long as he doesn’t change our plans, interrupt our schedule, or require us to do anything crazy like short-circuit “family time” by asking us to attend church. The reality is, God’s program for the world is the church. When we neglect his plan, there is no “plan-B.” The attitude that would neglect the gospel, and think one can substitute their own program for following Jesus, speaks volumes about who’s still on the throne of our lives. It’s Jesus, or it’s not. If it’s not… well, there is no plan-B. We’re called to offer people the good-news of the Gospel, not a quazi-gospel of buffet style convenience. 

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son

Mormonism, Islam, some forms of “Christianity” still have “prophets” speaking, so they say, a word from God. I do not believe it. Not only do I not believe it, the Bible makes clear that Jesus is the final revelation, we don’t wait for another “testament” or any more books of any more Bibles… Jesus was it. When He ascended to heaven, the next word we get will be a trumpet blast. No more “prophets” no more books, we have everything we need, let’s get to work on the Great Commission.