Hebrews 7
All about Melchizedek:
Verses 1-4: How his name meant "King of Righteousness," and he was King of Salem, or Peace; with no genealogy or birth or death records. And Abraham gave him a tenth of all the spoils from the battle of the four kings against five kings (in Genesis 14).
5-10: About how even Levi, which tribe the Law said to pay tithes to, paid tithes to him, being still in sperm-form in Abraham's body (and wouldn't be born for three more generations!) This is how great Melchizedek was.
11-19: Now if a priesthood that came about by a Law could be sufficient, then why would another priesthood be needed?
And when the priesthood changed, then the law that determined it would also have to be changed. No one from the Tribe of Judah was eligible to be a priest, only the Tribe of Levi.
But Jesus wasn't of Levi, His legal father and mother were both from Judah. So that Law wouldn't apply to Him. His Priesthood is according to a higher order than the Law of Moses, because, the Law made nothing perfect.
Melchizedek, has become [a priest] not on the basis of a Law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life.
And, it is attested of [Jesus], "You are a Priest forever according to the Order of Melchizedek" (Psalm 110:4), a higher Order, to give us a better hope, by which we actually can approach God directly and curl up in His lap as His child.
20-25: There needed to be a lot of Old Testament priests, because they would grow old and die, but Jesus lives forever, so His priesthood is permanent. So He saves permanently everyone who draws near to God, as He lives to make intercession for us continually.
26-28: We needed a High Priest who is, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the Heavens who does not need to offer multiple sacrifices, because Jesus did this once for all when He offered up Himself.
Jesus was appointed our High Priest after the Law was completed, when the New Covenant overtook the Old.
We no longer need multiple priests offering multiple sacrifices day by day; we have our perfect High Priest, who Sacrificed Himself once for all, and is still ministering on our behalf as our High Priest, and He will forever.
O my Father, thank You for sending Your own Son to be our Sacrifice as the Lamb of God, then to also become our High Priest to present His Blood in the real, Heavenly Holiest Place, to atone forever and permanently for our sins and our sinfulness.
Thank You that we no longer need to repeat anything that He finished for us. I only need to work out the Salvation that You worked in me when You applied the Blood of Jesus to my fallen state. When You lifted me up out of the mire and put my feet on the Rock.
Father, continue to hold my hand securely, so that I will not be able to pull out of Your grasp, as You have promised me You would do. You will never let go of me, or let me go. Thank You.
Lead me, Father, where I am walking straight along that narrow path hedged in, that You had me enter through that Narrow Gate the day You showed me that Jesus took my death on the Cross.
Keep the ears of my heart attentive to Your still, quiet voice behind me saying, "walk here" whenever I make any decision or choice as to what to do or how to do it. Teach me to do all the tasks to accomplish the work You planned ahead for me to do, toward the promotion of Your Kingdom; that Your will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven.
And every eye shall see, every knee shall bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus, Your Son, is our Lord God Almighty, our Sovereign King of the Universe, to the Glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, July 4, 2019
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
Are We Really Saved?
Hebrews Chapter 6
Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation
The writer is saying that he doesn't want to re-hash all the first things that a new Christian should know.
These things are:
of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
Realizing that everything we do in our flesh is not acceptable to God, being tainted by sin, and putting our full faith in God's sending His Son to have done all the work by being our personal Sacrifice to wash away our sins. He did all the work.
of the doctrine of baptisms and laying on of hands,
Baptisms refers to ceremonial washings, as well as the Baptism we are instructed to submit to as a picture of having died with Jesus and being buried with Him under the water, then rising to live a new lifestyle.
And the laying on of hands refers to the elders conferring spiritual gifts on the new believer. These are both Jewish customs, as this letter is to Hebrew Christians.
and of the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
The teachings of all of these are what new Christians should know as the first things they learn to understand and practice, as baby Christians.
And this we will do, if God permits.
Now the writer wants to get into more of the solid food of the Word.
But he wants to make sure that these Christians understand fully this framework upon which to build their lives and before he goes on to deeper teachings.
Because:
For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the Heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come,
To apparently be saved, to show forth the appearance of having become a Christian.
and then have fallen away,
Then to leave it all to go back to the World's ways and thinking processes.
it is impossible to renew them again to repentance,
since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
If it would be possible for someone to really be born into God's family by the Holy Spirit coming into his spirit to make it alive, to then become "unborn" again, returning to his past life; then it would take Jesus coming back to die again on the Cross to be able to save him again.
There are some who claim to be Christians who do this: their worship service requires a cross with an image of Jesus still on it, and they re-create His crucifixion. Because they believe that we must do good works to "earn" God's grace to save them again. And again. And again.
For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;
but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned up.
The same water that nourishes the soil will bring up both food and weeds. The food is the spiritual nourishment for the children of God. But the weeds show that tares have been growing with the wheat, and their end is to be cast into the eternal fires.
But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany Salvation, though we are speaking this way.
This writer believes he is writing to true Christians, who have that relationship with God that He sent His Son for us to have, and not just nominal christians who only have a religion.
For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.
And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,
so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
He is saying that all appearances show that these people are true Christians, and that if they continue to do all the kinds of works and ministries they are doing, that will show that they have God's Spirit in them, enabling them to continue living this new lifestyle of service until the end, the same as those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you."
And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.
Abraham trusted God to be faithful to His Word, through many years, until he finally had the son God promised to him.
For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.
When someone makes a legal contract, they invoke the powers of the government to hold them responsible to the terms of the agreement, having given the government the authority to do so.
In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath,
so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.
God promised with an oath to give, if possible, even more weight to His faithfulness to accomplish what He said He would do. So we have strong encouragement to hang on to our faith no matter how long it takes or what we will need to face.
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast
This is where we get this image of Hope being an anchor. The World's idea of hope is a wish, but the hope we have in God is knowing the certainty of what we just don't see yet.
and one which enters within the veil,
This is the door into the holiest of holies, in the Temple of God in Heaven.
Where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a High Priest forever according to the Order of Melchizedek.
And he goes back to this again, to tie together this whole section of his letter.
This High Priesthood of Christ is the linchpin to all the parts of Salvation and Redemption. We really need to get a grasp on how this all works out.
O my Father God, please help us as Your children to understand how much You Love us, and planned out this whole Opera! We are still here, acting out our parts, trying to perform on cue, struggling through all the directions and lines, interacting with one another as fellow actors in Your Story of Mankind.
As our Director and Producer, help us with all the parts of our performances, to be authentic and true to Your Truth, humble and submitting to one another, so they can also perform their roles.
Thank You for casting Your Son Jesus in the Starring Role. This script is all about Him and His heroism, rescuing us all out of the clutches of the dastardly villain and our own inbred waywardness.
And You have told us the End of the Story already, as You have written it, and are directing us all as we make our choices.
You are so wise and clever and smart and powerful that You have determined that all of our "free will" decisions only progress Your story along! Just as You have written it.
And at the final bow, You will receive all the accolades and every award! Every item in the Credits as they roll will name Your Name as the One who has filled every position and every part. Wonderfully and Beautifully and Entertainingly!
And every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. And Father, You receive all the glory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation
The writer is saying that he doesn't want to re-hash all the first things that a new Christian should know.
These things are:
of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
Realizing that everything we do in our flesh is not acceptable to God, being tainted by sin, and putting our full faith in God's sending His Son to have done all the work by being our personal Sacrifice to wash away our sins. He did all the work.
of the doctrine of baptisms and laying on of hands,
Baptisms refers to ceremonial washings, as well as the Baptism we are instructed to submit to as a picture of having died with Jesus and being buried with Him under the water, then rising to live a new lifestyle.
And the laying on of hands refers to the elders conferring spiritual gifts on the new believer. These are both Jewish customs, as this letter is to Hebrew Christians.
and of the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
The teachings of all of these are what new Christians should know as the first things they learn to understand and practice, as baby Christians.
And this we will do, if God permits.
Now the writer wants to get into more of the solid food of the Word.
But he wants to make sure that these Christians understand fully this framework upon which to build their lives and before he goes on to deeper teachings.
Because:
For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the Heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come,
To apparently be saved, to show forth the appearance of having become a Christian.
and then have fallen away,
Then to leave it all to go back to the World's ways and thinking processes.
it is impossible to renew them again to repentance,
since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
If it would be possible for someone to really be born into God's family by the Holy Spirit coming into his spirit to make it alive, to then become "unborn" again, returning to his past life; then it would take Jesus coming back to die again on the Cross to be able to save him again.
There are some who claim to be Christians who do this: their worship service requires a cross with an image of Jesus still on it, and they re-create His crucifixion. Because they believe that we must do good works to "earn" God's grace to save them again. And again. And again.
For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;
but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned up.
The same water that nourishes the soil will bring up both food and weeds. The food is the spiritual nourishment for the children of God. But the weeds show that tares have been growing with the wheat, and their end is to be cast into the eternal fires.
But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany Salvation, though we are speaking this way.
This writer believes he is writing to true Christians, who have that relationship with God that He sent His Son for us to have, and not just nominal christians who only have a religion.
For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.
And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,
so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
He is saying that all appearances show that these people are true Christians, and that if they continue to do all the kinds of works and ministries they are doing, that will show that they have God's Spirit in them, enabling them to continue living this new lifestyle of service until the end, the same as those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you."
And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.
Abraham trusted God to be faithful to His Word, through many years, until he finally had the son God promised to him.
For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.
When someone makes a legal contract, they invoke the powers of the government to hold them responsible to the terms of the agreement, having given the government the authority to do so.
In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath,
so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.
God promised with an oath to give, if possible, even more weight to His faithfulness to accomplish what He said He would do. So we have strong encouragement to hang on to our faith no matter how long it takes or what we will need to face.
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast
This is where we get this image of Hope being an anchor. The World's idea of hope is a wish, but the hope we have in God is knowing the certainty of what we just don't see yet.
and one which enters within the veil,
This is the door into the holiest of holies, in the Temple of God in Heaven.
Where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a High Priest forever according to the Order of Melchizedek.
And he goes back to this again, to tie together this whole section of his letter.
This High Priesthood of Christ is the linchpin to all the parts of Salvation and Redemption. We really need to get a grasp on how this all works out.
O my Father God, please help us as Your children to understand how much You Love us, and planned out this whole Opera! We are still here, acting out our parts, trying to perform on cue, struggling through all the directions and lines, interacting with one another as fellow actors in Your Story of Mankind.
As our Director and Producer, help us with all the parts of our performances, to be authentic and true to Your Truth, humble and submitting to one another, so they can also perform their roles.
Thank You for casting Your Son Jesus in the Starring Role. This script is all about Him and His heroism, rescuing us all out of the clutches of the dastardly villain and our own inbred waywardness.
And You have told us the End of the Story already, as You have written it, and are directing us all as we make our choices.
You are so wise and clever and smart and powerful that You have determined that all of our "free will" decisions only progress Your story along! Just as You have written it.
And at the final bow, You will receive all the accolades and every award! Every item in the Credits as they roll will name Your Name as the One who has filled every position and every part. Wonderfully and Beautifully and Entertainingly!
And every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. And Father, You receive all the glory.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Jesus, Our Eternal High Priest
Hebrews 5: 1-10
For every High Priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins;
All the High Priests in the Old Testament were appointed to be High Priests, and only if they had been born into the priestly family line of Aaron. No one decided for himself if he would be a priest or a high priest.
And they were appointed to be the go-between for the people who were giving gifts to God or offering sacrifices to cover their sins.
He can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weaknesses;
These priests can sympathize with the people because they also are sinners living in their flesh bodies.
And because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself.
Because they are also sinners, they were required to offer sacrifices for themselves first, then offer the sacrifices for the people. But only the priests were authorized to bring the sacrifices to God, no one else.
And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.
And none of these priests decided for themselves that they would be priests at all, they were born into this position, and it was God who appointed the High Priest from among them. Just like God told Moses that Aaron would be the priest, Aaron didn't ask for it.
So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a High Priest, but He who said to Him, "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You" (Psalm 2:7);
When Jesus came to be our Christ, He did not decide for Himself that He would also be our High Priest, this was determined by His Father.
In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.
While Jesus was living in His flesh body, in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed earnestly to His Father, who alone could have delivered Him (Matthew 26:39-44; Mark 14:35-39). But He knew that this was the only way we would be able to live with Him forever, so He submitted to the Father's plan.
Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.
Even though Jesus was God's only-begotten Son, and the Lord God Almighty, He still needed to learn as a Man to be obedient to His Father. This is incredible. If even Jesus had to learn to obey, how much more do we need to learn!
And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal Salvation,
Jesus was never deficient in anything at any time, but as a human being like us, He had to grow up and mature from infancy through childhood to adulthood, learning everything we all need to learn along the way, as we mature. So His being made "perfect" means that He matured properly, learning all the lessons He needed to learn as a human.
Now He is equipped to be the Source of our Redemption, to buy us out of the slave-market of sin and give us freedom.
Being designated by God as a High Priest according to the Order of Melchizedek.
Because His priesthood is according to the Eternal Order, called the Order of Melchizedek, He will never outlive His authority to save us.
O my Father, You have thought of and planned out every detail of how You would work out everything, and it all fits together so perfectly. And You have been doing everything You wanted to do, and You have even told us the whole progress!
Father, I love you! You have Loved me so much, to choose me, to rescue me, to teach me, to lead me, to work Your miracles in me so often! O Father You are the Best!
And every knee will bow to You! And every tongue will proclaim in every language, earthly and heavenly and from below, that Jesus of Nazareth is our High Priest and Christ and Redeemer, the Lord God of the Universe and our Sovereign King, to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For every High Priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins;
All the High Priests in the Old Testament were appointed to be High Priests, and only if they had been born into the priestly family line of Aaron. No one decided for himself if he would be a priest or a high priest.
And they were appointed to be the go-between for the people who were giving gifts to God or offering sacrifices to cover their sins.
He can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weaknesses;
These priests can sympathize with the people because they also are sinners living in their flesh bodies.
And because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself.
Because they are also sinners, they were required to offer sacrifices for themselves first, then offer the sacrifices for the people. But only the priests were authorized to bring the sacrifices to God, no one else.
And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.
And none of these priests decided for themselves that they would be priests at all, they were born into this position, and it was God who appointed the High Priest from among them. Just like God told Moses that Aaron would be the priest, Aaron didn't ask for it.
So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a High Priest, but He who said to Him, "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You" (Psalm 2:7);
When Jesus came to be our Christ, He did not decide for Himself that He would also be our High Priest, this was determined by His Father.
Just as He says in another passage, "You are a Priest forever according to the Order of Melchizedek " (Psalm 110:4).God also had the Psalmist make this declaration, that it was the Father appointing the Son as High Priest, not in the Order of Aaron, but the Order of Melchizedek, the Old Testament Priest of Salem who has no genealogy recorded anywhere, no birth or death records at all (Genesis 14:18-20). So this Order of Priesthood technically has no beginning or end, it is eternal.
In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.
While Jesus was living in His flesh body, in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed earnestly to His Father, who alone could have delivered Him (Matthew 26:39-44; Mark 14:35-39). But He knew that this was the only way we would be able to live with Him forever, so He submitted to the Father's plan.
Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.
Even though Jesus was God's only-begotten Son, and the Lord God Almighty, He still needed to learn as a Man to be obedient to His Father. This is incredible. If even Jesus had to learn to obey, how much more do we need to learn!
And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal Salvation,
Jesus was never deficient in anything at any time, but as a human being like us, He had to grow up and mature from infancy through childhood to adulthood, learning everything we all need to learn along the way, as we mature. So His being made "perfect" means that He matured properly, learning all the lessons He needed to learn as a human.
Now He is equipped to be the Source of our Redemption, to buy us out of the slave-market of sin and give us freedom.
Being designated by God as a High Priest according to the Order of Melchizedek.
Because His priesthood is according to the Eternal Order, called the Order of Melchizedek, He will never outlive His authority to save us.
O my Father, You have thought of and planned out every detail of how You would work out everything, and it all fits together so perfectly. And You have been doing everything You wanted to do, and You have even told us the whole progress!
Father, I love you! You have Loved me so much, to choose me, to rescue me, to teach me, to lead me, to work Your miracles in me so often! O Father You are the Best!
And every knee will bow to You! And every tongue will proclaim in every language, earthly and heavenly and from below, that Jesus of Nazareth is our High Priest and Christ and Redeemer, the Lord God of the Universe and our Sovereign King, to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, July 1, 2019
The Rest God Gives
Hebrews 4: 1-16
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
We need to be afraid, if we're letting a promise of rest to not be experienced by us.
For unto us was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
The same Good News was taught them, that the Sacrifice would take their sins away; but they didn't believe they deserved that death, so it had no effect for them. The faith they needed was to trust God to do what He said He would do for them.
For we who have believed do enter into rest, as He said,
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Because everything that needed to be done to redeem us was determined before God created anything, so it is certain to happen, according to His Plan.
For He spoke in a certain place of the seventh day in this way:
And in this place again,
Again he quotes the same verse, showing that this rest is still available, since they did not believe God.
Again, He limits a certain day, saying through David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts (Psalm 95:7-8).
So long after the creation account, God has David write that "Today" is the day we need to pay attention to what God says, as "today" is the only time we have. The past is gone, and if we put it off for tomorrow, we'll never do it. Right now is the time to believe God. To put it off is to harden our heart.
For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.
There remains therefore a rest to the people of God.
Since the children of Israel never could bring themselves to really trust God, even after all the miracles He performed for them, they never did enter into the rest that was promised. And since God always keeps His promises, there is still a "rest" that He has reserved for His people.
For he who is entered into His rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His.
When a person has entered into rest, he's stopped doing all his work. When God finished Creation, He stopped. He hasn't created any more. And when we enter into the rest He has planned for us, then we won't be doing any more of the work we must apply ourselves to now in this World.
Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
All right, he says we need to do work, but still believe. This is not working for salvation, this is doing the spiritual work in the power of the Holy Spirit that promotes God's righteousness in this World to bring His Kingdom.
For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
It looks like this dangerous weapon is not to be wielded wildly, but applied as a scalpel in our own hearts, to separate what is damaged or diseased from what is healthy, and what is in error from the Truth.
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
Nothing can be hidden from God. He sees each one of us all the way down to our molecules and the deep recesses of our subconscious thoughts. We will give account for every idle word (Matthew 12:36-37).
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, who is passed into the Heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
A prophet speaks to men for God, and the priest appeals to God for men. The High Priest brought the blood of the sacrifice into the Holy of Holies, where God sat upon the Mercy Seat between the Cherubim.
Our great High Priest, Jesus, presented His own Precious, Divine Blood into the very Holy of Holies in the Heavenly Temple, which was the Pattern God gave Moses for the Tabernacle. The Temple in Heaven itself, where God dwells. So it cannot be changed or corrupted.
This is why we need never let go of our hold on the Truth that has set us free, our testimony of what God has done for us.
For we have not a High Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted just as we are, yet without sin.
Just as I related yesterday from the last chapter:
This gives us the confidence to approach the Throne of God knowing that in His graciousness to us, He has put all the punishment we deserve for our sins and faults on Jesus, and we are cleansed by His Blood.
And we have access to the power of His Holy Spirit living in us to strengthen us in the very time we need to overcome temptation and turn from it.
O my Father, You are so good to us, to give us everything we need, and even to open the way for us to boldly approach Your own Throne for Your grace to help us when we need You. Your arms are always open to receive us, no matter where we are or what we've done or what we're facing.
Father, help me to turn to You when I find myself in the throes of temptation to do or say something that is not in alignment with Your plan for me. Teach me to turn to You in the power of Your Spirit in me and rely on Your guidance of every step I take each moment of every day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
We need to be afraid, if we're letting a promise of rest to not be experienced by us.
For unto us was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
The same Good News was taught them, that the Sacrifice would take their sins away; but they didn't believe they deserved that death, so it had no effect for them. The faith they needed was to trust God to do what He said He would do for them.
For we who have believed do enter into rest, as He said,
As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into My rest (Psalm 95:11):We who have trusted Jesus to be our Sacrifice, have entered into God's family and will experience that rest that He promised.
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Because everything that needed to be done to redeem us was determined before God created anything, so it is certain to happen, according to His Plan.
For He spoke in a certain place of the seventh day in this way:
And God did rest the seventh day from all His works (Genesis 2:2).This is the basis for the Sabbath, when we are to rest from our regular work and take a break. Jesus said this was for our benefit, to break up our work week with a day off so we could be fresh for another week (Mark 2:27).
And in this place again,
If they shall enter into My rest (Psalm 95:11).Seeing therefore it remains that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached did not enter because of unbelief:
Again he quotes the same verse, showing that this rest is still available, since they did not believe God.
Again, He limits a certain day, saying through David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts (Psalm 95:7-8).
So long after the creation account, God has David write that "Today" is the day we need to pay attention to what God says, as "today" is the only time we have. The past is gone, and if we put it off for tomorrow, we'll never do it. Right now is the time to believe God. To put it off is to harden our heart.
For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.
There remains therefore a rest to the people of God.
Since the children of Israel never could bring themselves to really trust God, even after all the miracles He performed for them, they never did enter into the rest that was promised. And since God always keeps His promises, there is still a "rest" that He has reserved for His people.
For he who is entered into His rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His.
When a person has entered into rest, he's stopped doing all his work. When God finished Creation, He stopped. He hasn't created any more. And when we enter into the rest He has planned for us, then we won't be doing any more of the work we must apply ourselves to now in this World.
Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
All right, he says we need to do work, but still believe. This is not working for salvation, this is doing the spiritual work in the power of the Holy Spirit that promotes God's righteousness in this World to bring His Kingdom.
For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
It looks like this dangerous weapon is not to be wielded wildly, but applied as a scalpel in our own hearts, to separate what is damaged or diseased from what is healthy, and what is in error from the Truth.
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
Nothing can be hidden from God. He sees each one of us all the way down to our molecules and the deep recesses of our subconscious thoughts. We will give account for every idle word (Matthew 12:36-37).
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, who is passed into the Heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
A prophet speaks to men for God, and the priest appeals to God for men. The High Priest brought the blood of the sacrifice into the Holy of Holies, where God sat upon the Mercy Seat between the Cherubim.
Our great High Priest, Jesus, presented His own Precious, Divine Blood into the very Holy of Holies in the Heavenly Temple, which was the Pattern God gave Moses for the Tabernacle. The Temple in Heaven itself, where God dwells. So it cannot be changed or corrupted.
This is why we need never let go of our hold on the Truth that has set us free, our testimony of what God has done for us.
For we have not a High Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted just as we are, yet without sin.
Just as I related yesterday from the last chapter:
Jesus faced tremendous temptations. In His flesh, He was just as vulnerable to temptation as all the rest of us are. The difference is, He never sinned. I have found several places in the Gospels where Jesus was tempted so strongly that He responded passionately in response, in forcibly rejecting the temptation.Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
So He knows how hard it is for us, too, and He is fully able to help us through even the strongest temptations we also face.
This gives us the confidence to approach the Throne of God knowing that in His graciousness to us, He has put all the punishment we deserve for our sins and faults on Jesus, and we are cleansed by His Blood.
And we have access to the power of His Holy Spirit living in us to strengthen us in the very time we need to overcome temptation and turn from it.
O my Father, You are so good to us, to give us everything we need, and even to open the way for us to boldly approach Your own Throne for Your grace to help us when we need You. Your arms are always open to receive us, no matter where we are or what we've done or what we're facing.
Father, help me to turn to You when I find myself in the throes of temptation to do or say something that is not in alignment with Your plan for me. Teach me to turn to You in the power of Your Spirit in me and rely on Your guidance of every step I take each moment of every day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, June 30, 2019
But We See Jesus
Hebrews 2: 9-18
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the Angels in order that He would suffer death, then be crowned with glory and honor, so that He might taste death for every one.
Jesus is our example, our model. He was made like us, a little lower than the Angels for a little while, so that He could suffer our death for us to Redeem us. Then He was crowned with glory and honor.
This is the order that must be followed. Suffering first, then exaltation.
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Author of their Salvation perfect through sufferings.
Jesus is the Creator, who made us for Himself, and through Him God has revealed what He is like. He had to become like us, so that He would be able to suffer and die, in order to be made perfect; so that He could regenerate many people to be His brothers and sisters.
For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father, for which He is not ashamed to call them His brothers,
God the Father is the Father of our Lord Jesus, and when we are born into His family He also becomes our Father. So Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters.
saying,
And again,
And again,
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same,
Since we human beings, who are born into God's family as His children, are flesh and subject to death, so when the Son came to be our Savior, He also took upon Himself the same flesh and blood life that we have, being born of a human woman, Mary. So He would also be able to die.
that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
Jesus went through death in order to conquer death, and win the victory over the devil, who has the authority, the power, over death. So death has been conquered, but it has not yet been destroyed. It will be the last enemy to be destroyed (I Corinthians 15:26).
And might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
The fear of death is a primal fear that spurs us on to try to avoid it or deny it or ignore it. But as long as we're afraid to die, we are in the bondage of slavery to that fear. Jesus has conquered the god of death, the devil, and broken that stranglehold of fear that was on all of us. When we know that He took our death for us on the Cross, then we don't have to be afraid to die any more. Then we know that we are God's family, and He will take us into a Paradise or Heaven when this mortal life is finished. Nothing to fear there. His perfect Love dispels all the fear that used to scare us (I John 4:18).
For assuredly He did not take take upon Himself the nature of Angels, but He took on Himself the seed of Abraham.
When Jesus was born as Mary's Son, He had made sure that the bloodline was true. We have Mary's ancestral line all the way back to King David through his son Nathan, Solomon's brother. And David was twelve generations from Abraham.
And Mary's husband Joseph traced his line back to David, also, through Solomon and all the other kings of Judah, through the royal line.
But the last king of Judah, Jehoiakim, was so evil that God had Jeremiah pronounce that he would never have any blood descendants to sit on the throne of David (Jeremiah 36:30), so Joseph could not have been king.
However, Joseph was the legal father of Jesus, so Jesus had the blood-line through His mother, from whom He received the human nature, and was the legal Son of Joseph, of the royal line of kings of Judah.
Therefore, He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
So Jesus had to have a genuine human nature, to be able to die the human death that we all deserve, in order to be the Sacrifice to take away our sins as the Lamb of God (the Personal Sacrifice, Leviticus 1:1-13). Propitiation means the complete satisfaction, He paid the full price of the debt we owe for sin.
The High Priest brought the blood of the sacrifice into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled it on the Ark of the Covenant on the Day of Atonement, the most solemn of the six Feasts the Israelites were to celebrate each year (Leviticus 16:2-34).
So Jesus, as our High Priest, took His own precious Blood into the Heavenly Temple and sprinkled it on the Holiest of Holies itself.
For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
Jesus faced tremendous temptations. In His flesh, He was just as vulnerable to temptation as all the rest of us are. The difference is, He never sinned. I have found several places in the Gospels where Jesus was tempted so strongly that He responded passionately in response, in forcibly rejecting the temptation.
So He knows how hard it is for us, too, and He is fully able to help us through even the strongest temptations we also face.
O my Father, thank You so much for sending Your own Son to us. Thank You that He lived His life here as our example, to model our lives after. We all don't live the itinerant preacher life-style, but He did show us what our attitudes need to be toward whatever circumstance we face.
We can learn from Him how our thinking processes need to flow around every situation that comes up. Then our attitudes will align with His, and what we say and do will proceed from those right thinking and attitudes. And we will promote Your righteousness and Your Kingdom here in this World right now against the evil our enemy is surrounding us with.
O Father, You are so good to us. To every one of us, showering Your blessings upon each one of us every day. Father, remind Your children that You are Loving us every day. Open our eyes to see and recognize Your blessings each day, to praise Your graciousness and goodness and compassion that You lavish on us every day.
And Your Name will be praised, and Your character will be admired, and Your Person will be worshiped and adored.
And every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Christ and Messiah, the Lord God Almighty, our Sovereign King; to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the Angels in order that He would suffer death, then be crowned with glory and honor, so that He might taste death for every one.
Jesus is our example, our model. He was made like us, a little lower than the Angels for a little while, so that He could suffer our death for us to Redeem us. Then He was crowned with glory and honor.
This is the order that must be followed. Suffering first, then exaltation.
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Author of their Salvation perfect through sufferings.
Jesus is the Creator, who made us for Himself, and through Him God has revealed what He is like. He had to become like us, so that He would be able to suffer and die, in order to be made perfect; so that He could regenerate many people to be His brothers and sisters.
For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father, for which He is not ashamed to call them His brothers,
God the Father is the Father of our Lord Jesus, and when we are born into His family He also becomes our Father. So Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters.
saying,
I will proclaim Your Name to my brothers, in the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise (Psalm 22:22).Jesus will proclaim the Name of God to us, His brothers and sisters, and in the congregation of saints and Angels He will sing the Father's praise.
And again,
I will put my trust in Him (Psalm 18:2; Isaiah 12:2).Jesus knows He can trust the Father implicitly, and we can trust Jesus implicitly, with no reservation or hesitation.
And again,
Behold, I and the children whom God has given to me (Isaiah 8:18).The Lord God told Isaiah that we would be His children, His family members.
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same,
Since we human beings, who are born into God's family as His children, are flesh and subject to death, so when the Son came to be our Savior, He also took upon Himself the same flesh and blood life that we have, being born of a human woman, Mary. So He would also be able to die.
that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
Jesus went through death in order to conquer death, and win the victory over the devil, who has the authority, the power, over death. So death has been conquered, but it has not yet been destroyed. It will be the last enemy to be destroyed (I Corinthians 15:26).
And might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
The fear of death is a primal fear that spurs us on to try to avoid it or deny it or ignore it. But as long as we're afraid to die, we are in the bondage of slavery to that fear. Jesus has conquered the god of death, the devil, and broken that stranglehold of fear that was on all of us. When we know that He took our death for us on the Cross, then we don't have to be afraid to die any more. Then we know that we are God's family, and He will take us into a Paradise or Heaven when this mortal life is finished. Nothing to fear there. His perfect Love dispels all the fear that used to scare us (I John 4:18).
For assuredly He did not take take upon Himself the nature of Angels, but He took on Himself the seed of Abraham.
When Jesus was born as Mary's Son, He had made sure that the bloodline was true. We have Mary's ancestral line all the way back to King David through his son Nathan, Solomon's brother. And David was twelve generations from Abraham.
And Mary's husband Joseph traced his line back to David, also, through Solomon and all the other kings of Judah, through the royal line.
But the last king of Judah, Jehoiakim, was so evil that God had Jeremiah pronounce that he would never have any blood descendants to sit on the throne of David (Jeremiah 36:30), so Joseph could not have been king.
However, Joseph was the legal father of Jesus, so Jesus had the blood-line through His mother, from whom He received the human nature, and was the legal Son of Joseph, of the royal line of kings of Judah.
Therefore, He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
So Jesus had to have a genuine human nature, to be able to die the human death that we all deserve, in order to be the Sacrifice to take away our sins as the Lamb of God (the Personal Sacrifice, Leviticus 1:1-13). Propitiation means the complete satisfaction, He paid the full price of the debt we owe for sin.
The High Priest brought the blood of the sacrifice into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled it on the Ark of the Covenant on the Day of Atonement, the most solemn of the six Feasts the Israelites were to celebrate each year (Leviticus 16:2-34).
So Jesus, as our High Priest, took His own precious Blood into the Heavenly Temple and sprinkled it on the Holiest of Holies itself.
For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
Jesus faced tremendous temptations. In His flesh, He was just as vulnerable to temptation as all the rest of us are. The difference is, He never sinned. I have found several places in the Gospels where Jesus was tempted so strongly that He responded passionately in response, in forcibly rejecting the temptation.
So He knows how hard it is for us, too, and He is fully able to help us through even the strongest temptations we also face.
O my Father, thank You so much for sending Your own Son to us. Thank You that He lived His life here as our example, to model our lives after. We all don't live the itinerant preacher life-style, but He did show us what our attitudes need to be toward whatever circumstance we face.
We can learn from Him how our thinking processes need to flow around every situation that comes up. Then our attitudes will align with His, and what we say and do will proceed from those right thinking and attitudes. And we will promote Your righteousness and Your Kingdom here in this World right now against the evil our enemy is surrounding us with.
O Father, You are so good to us. To every one of us, showering Your blessings upon each one of us every day. Father, remind Your children that You are Loving us every day. Open our eyes to see and recognize Your blessings each day, to praise Your graciousness and goodness and compassion that You lavish on us every day.
And Your Name will be praised, and Your character will be admired, and Your Person will be worshiped and adored.
And every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Christ and Messiah, the Lord God Almighty, our Sovereign King; to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, June 29, 2019
Jesus Made Lower, Then Crowned
Hebrews 2: 5-9
For He did not subject to Angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking.
God did not give Angels authority over this World we live in, or over the New Heaven and New Earth that will come.
But one has testified somewhere (in Psalm 8:4),
He created us to spend a little while lower, or inferior to, the Angels, while we live on this Earth now; but we will have the authority over all Creation to rule and govern, including the Angels.
For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
So God's Plan is to have us to be His kings and queens, exercising authority and rule over all the created Universe. But we're not there yet. We don't have control over the whole World, even though some people think we do.
We have great power to work together and accomplish anything we can imagine, but we are still little children in school while we live our lives here now. We're only learning and practicing for when we will take our thrones.
But we see Jesus ...
Our right and authority to rule is under the headship of our Lord and King, Christ Jesus. We will sit on His throne with Him, as He sits on the Father's throne and rules with Him.
O my Father, thank You for sending Your only-begotten Son to be our Lord God Almighty. Thank You for giving us Your Law and for telling your Prophets what to write. Thank You that our Lord was willing to come to be with us for a little while, to make us fit to live with You and rule over the works of Your hands.
Father, Your great Plan of the Ages has been unfolding before our eyes here on Your Earth, in this World we have built on it. You have given us to be able to accomplish so much here that some think that we are gods, and have become puffed up with pride.
But You are teaching us that the rulers that are fit to govern are those who have learned humility and kindness and compassion.
You have given us Christ Jesus to be our example, and You are molding us and making our characters like His. He humbled Himself for our benefit, and we are to humble ourselves for others' benefit, also.
O Father, continue to work in us, and on us, and with us, and through us, to benefit one another; as You have shown us. And when we are able to succeed in our humility and obedience and compassion, then You will get the credit, the glory, because we cannot do any of this in our flesh, of ourselves.
We must have the power of Your Holy Spirit in us to do any of it at all. That's why You have given Him to us to live in us.
Father, everything You do is perfect and beautiful and lovely. Everything You want to do for us is for our benefit.
My Daddy, my Father, please use me to find Your precious little lambs who are still lost in thickets and on mountain crags. Use me to haul them out of the pits they have fallen into, and to carry them wounded back to the safety and nurturing of Your fold. Gather all of Your sheep, Father, that there will be One Fold with One Shepherd.
And Your House will be full. And every eye will see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord God Almighty over us all, to the glory of God the Father who planned it so.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For He did not subject to Angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking.
God did not give Angels authority over this World we live in, or over the New Heaven and New Earth that will come.
But one has testified somewhere (in Psalm 8:4),
What is Man, that You remember him? Or the son of Man, that You are concerned about him?
You made him for a little while lower than the Angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor, and have appointed him over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things in subjection under his feet.God has noticed us. God has considered Mankind and chosen to Love him, each one of us.
He created us to spend a little while lower, or inferior to, the Angels, while we live on this Earth now; but we will have the authority over all Creation to rule and govern, including the Angels.
For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
So God's Plan is to have us to be His kings and queens, exercising authority and rule over all the created Universe. But we're not there yet. We don't have control over the whole World, even though some people think we do.
We have great power to work together and accomplish anything we can imagine, but we are still little children in school while we live our lives here now. We're only learning and practicing for when we will take our thrones.
But we see Jesus ...
Our right and authority to rule is under the headship of our Lord and King, Christ Jesus. We will sit on His throne with Him, as He sits on the Father's throne and rules with Him.
O my Father, thank You for sending Your only-begotten Son to be our Lord God Almighty. Thank You for giving us Your Law and for telling your Prophets what to write. Thank You that our Lord was willing to come to be with us for a little while, to make us fit to live with You and rule over the works of Your hands.
Father, Your great Plan of the Ages has been unfolding before our eyes here on Your Earth, in this World we have built on it. You have given us to be able to accomplish so much here that some think that we are gods, and have become puffed up with pride.
But You are teaching us that the rulers that are fit to govern are those who have learned humility and kindness and compassion.
You have given us Christ Jesus to be our example, and You are molding us and making our characters like His. He humbled Himself for our benefit, and we are to humble ourselves for others' benefit, also.
O Father, continue to work in us, and on us, and with us, and through us, to benefit one another; as You have shown us. And when we are able to succeed in our humility and obedience and compassion, then You will get the credit, the glory, because we cannot do any of this in our flesh, of ourselves.
We must have the power of Your Holy Spirit in us to do any of it at all. That's why You have given Him to us to live in us.
Father, everything You do is perfect and beautiful and lovely. Everything You want to do for us is for our benefit.
My Daddy, my Father, please use me to find Your precious little lambs who are still lost in thickets and on mountain crags. Use me to haul them out of the pits they have fallen into, and to carry them wounded back to the safety and nurturing of Your fold. Gather all of Your sheep, Father, that there will be One Fold with One Shepherd.
And Your House will be full. And every eye will see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord God Almighty over us all, to the glory of God the Father who planned it so.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, June 28, 2019
Today!
Hebrews 3: 7-8, 12-16
Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me.
Here he's talking about when Moses led the people out of Egypt, and for forty years they wandered in the Wilderness because they refused to take Him seriously and kept complaining.
Take care, brothers, that there not be in anyone of you an evil heart of unbelief that falls away from the living God.
He says that a heart that turns away from God because they don't believe Him is evil. This is a strong word.
We like to see the variations of grey, but God sees good-and-evil in monochrome, white and black. What is good pleases Him and what is not good is evil, with no shades of grey.
But encourage one another day by day, while it is still called "Today,"
We are to be positive, in encouraging each other whenever we have the opportunity, while it is still "Today." Don't put it off until tomorrow.
so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
"Sin" is an archery term that refers to "missing the bulls-eye," and it refers to missing the mark of what God intends for us to understand.
When we try to reason it out in our own minds, we tend to go by our feelings. This gets us in trouble, because our own hearts, our feelings, are not reliable to be true.
I can feel bad when my child disobeys me, and these feelings could cause me to excuse the bad behavior and spoil the child. But my love for my children prompted me to discipline them to teach them to do right. Discipline is redemptive, and looks ahead, while punishment looks back.
God's discipline of us always wants us to learn to trust Him and take Him seriously; to do what is right for the betterment of us all.
For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,
Our assurance here is being sure that God is worthy of our trust and will do what He said He will do.
While it is said,
When Billy Graham was a young man, he didn't feel that he could trust everything in the Bible to really be true. He wrestled with this doubt, and finally while he was in a wooded area praying, he set his Bible on a stump and declared to God that he would believe every word, every story, every lesson in it. He settled it in his own mind, and that was the beginning of his ministry of preaching.
If you have any doubts, please get them settled in your own mind; decide you will believe God, no matter what the World says. The mind must lead the heart, and when the decision is made, then the feelings will come along, too.
For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?
Now the writer goes back to the children of Israel in the Desert. By seeing the power of God against the Egyptians, and the parting of the Red Sea, and the quails and the manna, God intended for them to trust that He would meet all their needs if they would only rely on Him, not themselves, and not even Moses.
Moses trusted God because he knew God and respected His power and authority.
By refusing to believe God, the people were "poking Him in the eye!" After all the miracles and good things He did for them and gave them, they still wouldn't trust Him. So they all died while they were still in the Wilderness, and none of them lived to enter into the Promised Land except for Caleb and Joshua. Two men out of six hundred thousand. Not very good odds.
God doesn't depend on "odds," though. He is ready to rescue and redeem every person who wants to come to Him, regardless of their "Yesterdays."
Today is a brand-new Day! Today is when I can do something. Today is when I can decide to trust God and believe what He says, and let Him guide me every step I take today.
O my Father, thank You for giving me Today! Thank You for giving me every moment that I can be alive. Thank You so much for revealing Yourself to me, and for carrying me through all these decades of time, prompting me to trust You at every turn.
Thank You for being such a great, trustworthy, Truthful God! Thank You for Your great patience with us, knowing how weak our flesh is. Thank You for calling Your sheep to faith, drawing us into Your Fold.
Thank You for sending Your Son to fulfill what He said to the Prophets and in the Law so that we can know He is Who He said He is.
Thank You for all the proofs You have given us. Father, I pray for all Your little lambs who are still lost, to find their way; send Your under-shepherds to find them and lead them back to the Fold.
Send Your workers out into the fields so white for harvest. Protect them as they do Your work of sharing Your Good News of Redemption to gather all of Your children into the safety and protection of Your Church.
And may all the goats in sheep's clothing be revealed for who they are; protect Your children in Your Truth, that they not be led into the deception of doubt or explaining away the Truth of your written Word.
Help us, Father, to not trust our own feelings or reasonings, but to trust You in what You have told us. Mold our minds to think Your thoughts, to form Your attitudes, and to accept Your gifts and blessings. And prosper us, Father, to be able to share with one another to meet physical needs as well as emotional and spiritual needs.
Draw all Your children together, Father, and may Your House be full! May every place at Your Banquet Table be filled, and Your Joy be shared all around!
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim in every language, that Jesus is Christ and Messiah, our Lord God Almighty, to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me.
Here he's talking about when Moses led the people out of Egypt, and for forty years they wandered in the Wilderness because they refused to take Him seriously and kept complaining.
Take care, brothers, that there not be in anyone of you an evil heart of unbelief that falls away from the living God.
He says that a heart that turns away from God because they don't believe Him is evil. This is a strong word.
We like to see the variations of grey, but God sees good-and-evil in monochrome, white and black. What is good pleases Him and what is not good is evil, with no shades of grey.
But encourage one another day by day, while it is still called "Today,"
We are to be positive, in encouraging each other whenever we have the opportunity, while it is still "Today." Don't put it off until tomorrow.
so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
"Sin" is an archery term that refers to "missing the bulls-eye," and it refers to missing the mark of what God intends for us to understand.
When we try to reason it out in our own minds, we tend to go by our feelings. This gets us in trouble, because our own hearts, our feelings, are not reliable to be true.
I can feel bad when my child disobeys me, and these feelings could cause me to excuse the bad behavior and spoil the child. But my love for my children prompted me to discipline them to teach them to do right. Discipline is redemptive, and looks ahead, while punishment looks back.
God's discipline of us always wants us to learn to trust Him and take Him seriously; to do what is right for the betterment of us all.
For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,
Our assurance here is being sure that God is worthy of our trust and will do what He said He will do.
While it is said,
Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.Today is the only time we really have. Yesterday is gone, and Tomorrow may never come. Today, right now, is when we must decide if we will trust God or not. If we will trust Him implicitly, without reservation. If there's any doubt at all, then face it and decide to believe anyway.
When Billy Graham was a young man, he didn't feel that he could trust everything in the Bible to really be true. He wrestled with this doubt, and finally while he was in a wooded area praying, he set his Bible on a stump and declared to God that he would believe every word, every story, every lesson in it. He settled it in his own mind, and that was the beginning of his ministry of preaching.
If you have any doubts, please get them settled in your own mind; decide you will believe God, no matter what the World says. The mind must lead the heart, and when the decision is made, then the feelings will come along, too.
For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?
Now the writer goes back to the children of Israel in the Desert. By seeing the power of God against the Egyptians, and the parting of the Red Sea, and the quails and the manna, God intended for them to trust that He would meet all their needs if they would only rely on Him, not themselves, and not even Moses.
Moses trusted God because he knew God and respected His power and authority.
By refusing to believe God, the people were "poking Him in the eye!" After all the miracles and good things He did for them and gave them, they still wouldn't trust Him. So they all died while they were still in the Wilderness, and none of them lived to enter into the Promised Land except for Caleb and Joshua. Two men out of six hundred thousand. Not very good odds.
God doesn't depend on "odds," though. He is ready to rescue and redeem every person who wants to come to Him, regardless of their "Yesterdays."
Today is a brand-new Day! Today is when I can do something. Today is when I can decide to trust God and believe what He says, and let Him guide me every step I take today.
O my Father, thank You for giving me Today! Thank You for giving me every moment that I can be alive. Thank You so much for revealing Yourself to me, and for carrying me through all these decades of time, prompting me to trust You at every turn.
Thank You for being such a great, trustworthy, Truthful God! Thank You for Your great patience with us, knowing how weak our flesh is. Thank You for calling Your sheep to faith, drawing us into Your Fold.
Thank You for sending Your Son to fulfill what He said to the Prophets and in the Law so that we can know He is Who He said He is.
Thank You for all the proofs You have given us. Father, I pray for all Your little lambs who are still lost, to find their way; send Your under-shepherds to find them and lead them back to the Fold.
Send Your workers out into the fields so white for harvest. Protect them as they do Your work of sharing Your Good News of Redemption to gather all of Your children into the safety and protection of Your Church.
And may all the goats in sheep's clothing be revealed for who they are; protect Your children in Your Truth, that they not be led into the deception of doubt or explaining away the Truth of your written Word.
Help us, Father, to not trust our own feelings or reasonings, but to trust You in what You have told us. Mold our minds to think Your thoughts, to form Your attitudes, and to accept Your gifts and blessings. And prosper us, Father, to be able to share with one another to meet physical needs as well as emotional and spiritual needs.
Draw all Your children together, Father, and may Your House be full! May every place at Your Banquet Table be filled, and Your Joy be shared all around!
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim in every language, that Jesus is Christ and Messiah, our Lord God Almighty, to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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