I like these two shows. You're getting a big dose of real enthusiasm here. The book of Hebrews, though difficult to read, is fascinating. It's practical—as long as you're a Hebrew.

SHOW 22

Hebrews 6:4-6 is one of those verses that really trips up the body of Christ. Well, it's not for the body of Christ: "For it is impossible for those once enlightened, besides tasting the celestial gratuity and becoming partakers of holy spirit, and tasting the ideal declaration of God, besides the powerful deeds of the impending eon, and falling aside, to be renewing them again to repentance while crucifying for themselves the Son of God again and holding Him up to infamy."

The Hebrews can’t renew their faith on a thing that already passed by. They just want to play around with all the old, traditional, familiar stuff. They hate leaving their comfort zone. But the miracles of Pentecost aren't returning. So they just have to man-up and ask, "What has God done lately?" Paul is here to tell them what God is doing. It's not great news for them, but they've got to confront it. The Israel kingdom has been postponed. We in the body of Christ can't fall away from our expectation. Christ cannot disown Himself, that is, His own Body. For the Hebrews, their expectation was far off. Ours is near!

SHOW 23

We live in LaLa land and are spoiled because of our familiarity with ruts. We have forgotten about judgments of the past. Man’s religion and politics are to be destroyed, not gradually, but suddenly. We’re in a window of grace that will close. Paul’s evangel is the modern-day ark. We don't want to be like the Hebrews in that we think that, since God hasn't done anything new in a couple thousand years, that He's never done anything sweeping and new. This is such mistaken thinking. There was not only the disruption of the world, but the flood of Noah.

Breaking into body of Christ truth in 2 Thessalonians, Paul talks about those who will “incur the justice of eonian extermination.” We, at this time, will "be having ease" with each other and with Christ. This is the best passage I know of to prove that we will not be on earth during the day of indignation.

The last few minutes of this show is some hardcore, slam-bang evangelism. I jump off the Hebrews Train and talk about our evangel and how to share it. I listen to myself thirteen years ago and I'm an encouragement to my present-day self. I think I will be an encouragement to you as well.

As has been his habit during the Hebrews Series, Rodney finishes with a track from my one-and-only published CD: "Part-Time Sinner." The message of this clip is "You don’t have to die to self." Wow. This message is as radical as they come. During this talk from Newport News, Virginia, in 1996, Rodney runs some video footage of tombs and graves. It's quite shocking to think of all the folks who have died in just the last 2,000 years since Christ. It is sobering and depressing as Monday morning. Ugh, I hate death. But as you watch, think that Jesus knows ALL these people, and He is going to raise them all and eventually make them happily immortal.

I am writing this in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, having just arrived home with Maria last night, from Lima, Peru (her home country), at 10 pm. I love Lima, but it's nice to be home. Whalen and Regena will be in Peru for a few more days. They are visiting the old Inca capital of Cusco, and then Machu Picchu.

Thanks to all of you who have financially supported the work this month. The work went forward, even in Peru. Because of your encouragement, I never took a day off. Nor is it my intention to every take a day off. I never want to take a day off from this work. It's too important. You have let me know that it's important to you as well. And for that (and many other reasons) I love you all.

From the Floridan peninsula once again,

—Martin