Visiting Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota was a long-awaited adventure. Sherry had visited with her family when she was young, but it had always been a dream of mine, ever since I saw a ViewMaster slide of it as a young boy. But what about these faces on a cliff?
Hebrews 12:1:
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
Seeing the witness of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln can be inspiring. Washington the “father our country”; Jefferson the “father of the Declaration of Independence” that set the foundation for our constitution and laws; Roosevelt whose “Bully pulpit” preached American values; and Lincoln who often quoted the Bible and fought to keep our nation together. Lincoln, whose image stands to the side of the other three, spoke the words of Jesus that a “house divided cannot stand.”
If I were to carve faces on a cliff, I might choose four others. Just as Washington, Jefferson, and Roosevelt are in a group in chronological order. I would put Abraham, Moses, and the Apostle Paul in a chronological group. Abraham is the “father of all who believe.” Moses declared independence from the evils around him and provided a law for a godly lifestyle. Paul used every opportunity to preach the risen Christ and the power of the holy spirit.
Just as Lincoln fought to bring all Americans together, so Jesus Christ fought to conquer sin and bring all nations together in one new body. I would put Jesus Christ off to the right like Lincoln. He deserves the greatest place of honor as God’s only-begotten Son who always did the Father’s will. But unlike all others, God raised him from the dead, and he is now Lord of all.
Hebrews 12:2
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
It is nice to see the Washington-Jefferson-Roosevelt-Lincoln images to help us remember their accomplishments to bless our nation. And maybe we’ll never see the Abraham-Moses-Paul-Jesus Christ images on a cliff. But their example and accomplishments will bless all nations for eternity!
We have great memories of praying for our son to be born. And now we’re praying as his son will be born in a few days. Here is a 40-week guide about pregnancy with related scriptures. There is also some interesting information about how a baby develops. God is faithful to help us, and He gives us the desires of our hearts.
You might trust the words of a friend who had true, experiential understanding of a subject. Peter’s first letter to the church is written by a man who lived with Jesus and understood how to be spiritually one with the Father, as Jesus prayed he would be. Peter understood the rest and refreshing we have when God’s glorious spirit lives within us. We can trust his advice on how to live.
Most of us like to try and figure everything out. But there are some things that are beyond our mental understanding. God’s love in Christ is one of those things. It’s more than we know, but it is real and healing and makes life worth living.
The Gospels are full of records of Jesus healing people and casting evil spirits out of them. In fact, in the Gospel of Mark [where Jesus is portrayed as a servant] there are the most records of him commanding evil spirits to leave the bodies and lives of men.
The epistle of I Thessalonians is thought to be the first letter Paul ever wrote to a Christian church. It followed his visit to them, as recorded in Acts 17:1-9. It was not an easy time, but Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy gave their all to help these new believers to the faith. The hope of Christ’s return and our gathering together unto him fills this epistle.
God wants us to finish strong in this race of life. During the nearly 20 full marathons I’ve done, I often remember getting past the 20-mile mark and growing tired. It would be easy to stop and say I’d done enough. But with God’s help, I summoned the resolve to pick up the pace and run strong across the finish line. The same is true as we live each day, knowing Christ could return for us at any moment. The finish line could be now or years later.
We’ve been staying with Sherry’s Dad, her sister, and our nephew for nearly two weeks. It was like being “home” again, because we had lived here for five years previously. Palos Verdes, California, is one of my favorite places in the world: pristine beaches, rugged cliffs, expansive ocean views, and cool ocean breezes. The best thing though, is being with people you love. We got to spend some quality time with family, and also visit old friends. Life is good.