Making every effort
When we think about the avengers, we think about this group of men with super powers that are out to save the world. To name a few we have; Captain America, Hulk, Iron man, and Spiderman, there are about 15 avengers in the series. These are; in the comic theoretical version, the saviors of the world. The word savior within the context of todays verse means “yasa”, to save, to deliver, to avenge, to open, to wide, to free. The bible teaches us that Jesus is our savior; his names comes from Jehoshua which means Jehovah saves (Mt1:21). The bible also teaches us that God is our avenger (Ro12:19), and that he will repay to those who do us harm.
Obadiah 1:21
21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord‘s.
Now the title savior or hero is not one that anyone wants to have, but no matter how much people reject the title it is what it is. God calls some saviors to come and save the kingdom. This was the dream king Nebuchadnezzar had about a great rock cut down and break the statute and spread throughout the world (Da2:45). Save the kingdom one might ask? Does not God protect and saves the kingdom? The scriptures says that God’s kingdom suffers violence (Mt11:12), but that the violent take it by force. Such violence as those believers in Haiti that were taken captive whose captures are asking 1k per person for their release is that latest kingdom violence noted. But, saviors take the kingdom back by force, and not stand down. 340 Million Christians and rising around the world suffer some sort of violence today. The scriptures tells us to make every effort to enter into the kingdom at whatever cost (Lk13:24). It is what heroes or saviors do, make every effort to open the way for others to enter into the kingdom (He4:11). The kingdom is the Lord’s, but one day at the right time God will submit all kingdoms and people to Christ (Ep1:22-23).
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,a] because he will save his people from their sins.”
19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”a] says the Lord.
45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. “The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”
12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence,a] and violent people have been raiding it.
24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.
11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.