Hearer or Doer

504.  " Hearer or Doer"                          April 24, 2012
Summary of Hebrews

Review:
Even though the author of Hebrews is unknown to us, he was known to his readers, since he did not identify himself. Most scholors consider Paul as the author. It was probably written in the first century. the readers are second generation Christians, so the date would be earlier than A.D. 70. That is when the Roman army destroyed the Temple. Timothy is still alive as the letter was written. It is interesting to recall that many quotes were from the Old Testament and were written in Greek, not Hebrew. (That was the language in which the OT was written.)

Topics covered by the author include: The superiority of:

• Jesus Christ's position: A better name, better than angels, Moses
• Jesus Christ's priesthood: a High Priest, fulfillment, like Melchizedek
• Jesus Christ's priestly ministry: a better covenant, sanctuary, sacrifice
• the believer's privileges: faith that saves, is false, genuine, heroes of faith, persevering faith
• Christian behavior in relation to: others, ourselves, God
• the postscript. 

[Resource: The MacArthur Bible Commentary]

LET IT GLOW

Actually, in thinking about any lesson, whether it is given in a classroom setting, a church setting, or a home setting, is designed to encourage the listener to a course of action, to get up and do it. Isn't that why we have the teachings of Jesus-He told His New Testament followers and modern Christians how to live. We have the teachings of Moses-the law which God gave to instruct the way of life and worship by His chosen people, the Israelites. We have the teachings of Paul-directed by the Lord as encouragement to increase our faith, and living by faith. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us in faith and obedience.

James 1:22 says, But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

I want to be a hearer and a doer, a sort of Mary and Martha in one. "I can't hear what you're saying for seeing your actions" is not what I want said of me. How about you?

The book of Hebrews is intensely practical in its application to everyday living. The writer himself even refers to his letter as a "word of exhortation." Exhortations were designed to stir the readers into action. Those exhortations were given in the form of six warnings against:

1. drifting from "the things we have heard" (2:1-4)
2. disbelieving the "voice" of God (3:7-14)
3. degenerating from "the elementary proinciples of Christ" (5:11-6:20)
4. despising "the knowledge of the truth" (10: 26-39)
5. devaluing "the greace of God" (12:15-17)
6. departing from Him "who speaks" (12:25-29).

{Resource: The MacArthur Bible Commentary]

LET IT GROW

I always like to review some scriptures that were special to me, those which I highlighted. Here they are:
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. (1:1-3)

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him.  (2:3)

What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? Or the Son of man, that Thou visitest Him? (2:6)

Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet. (2:8a)

For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things... (2:10)

For every house is builded by some man; but He that built all things is God. (3:4)

Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear His voice, Harden not your hearts...
(3:7-8a)

But exhort one another daily... (3:13)

For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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. (4:12)

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (4:15)

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (4:16)

...it was impossible for God to lie... (6:18)

Which hope (Jesus) we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.  (6:19)

Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him (Jesus), seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.  (7:25)

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. (9:27)

By the which will  we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 
(10:10)

And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.  (10:17)

For we know him that hath said, Vengence belongeth unto Me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge His people.  (10:30)

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.  (10:31)

Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. (10:38)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  (11:1)

But without faith it is impossible to please him. (11:6)

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. (12:6)

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (13:8)

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.  (13:15)

LET IT GO


Be a hearer of the Word and a doer of the Word of God.

Saying Good Bye

503.  "Saying Good Bye"                         April 23, 2012
Hebrews 13-Part 10
And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words.   Hebrews 13:22


LET IT GLOW

How did I say good bye? I always knew there would come a day when it was the last time I saw him or I would say my last good bye. We visited at Thanksgiving, but not at Christmas. I had plans to call him on his birthday, but it was too late. We buried Dad on his birthday. However, I did send new pictures of the kids, which he got in time. It's been 25 years so I can't remember the exact words we spoke.  So now, I should consider how I leave someone I love. What would I say if I knew those were the last words I would ever speak to them? Is there something else I would want to say?
Here we are at the end of another book in the Bible. It's hard to believe. How did the writer close his letter?

Because the most majestic and memorable benediction in the whole Bible is recorded in Hebrews 13:20-21, it is fitting to use it as the benediction for us.

May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever.  (NIV)

Before we depart from our friends, don't we often wish them the best? "Have a good time, be safe, come again, see you later," sometimes  are our fairwells.

LET IT GROW

The primary nature and purpose of this epistle has been for exhortation. His last adminition is that they might bear with it. (Falwell)

New International Version says, Brothers, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written you only a short letter.

The KJV uses the word suffer, which means to bear with, to listen; exhortation means to admonish (warn against, reprove mildly), to exhort (urge to a course of action).

In his Bible Study guide on Hebrews, Charles Swindoll says:
In verses 22-25, the writer give three comands:

1. Bear with the truth of God. (verse 22) He is encouraging his readers to do more than just listen to the Word and read its concepts. He wants his readers to abide by the concepts, to apply them to readers to take pains to absorb them.
2. Take notice of the people of God. (verse 23) It is likely that Timothy had been released from prison. it was a common experience, back in days, to be incarcerated. We're surrounded by peoplein a variety of prisons. Instead of being prisoners of steel bars, they may be captives of illness, grief, the unwanted horror of divorce, or the battle of trying to discover themselves. We must take notice of them and reach out with acceptance.
3. Express and accept greetings. (verse 24) Salute means to bid welcome, greet. In New Testament times, it referred to delicate affection and touching, kissing, embracing, and hugging. Chirstians in modern times usually shake hands. At times we need to embrace, not in a romantic or seductive sense, but as a way of exhibiting care and providing affirmation. This kind of touch says, "You're a part of me. You mean something to me."
4. Grace: A Final Farewell. (verse 25) He didn't say, "Obey my warnings or else!" nor "Live and let live. Have fun!" He simply says, "Grace be with you all!"

Do I apply the Word of God and not just read it? Do I help those in their own prison to be set free by Jesus and His Word? How friendly am I with greeting someone? do I share the grace of God with others?

LET IT GO

Greet people like they are special.

Instead of just walking away, say a special fairwell to my loved ones.

Listen and apply God's Word to my life.

Ask God to open my eyes to see those in their own prison, who need Jesus to free them.

Spread grace around.

In Need of Mending

502.  "In Need of Mending"                          April 20, 2012
Hebrews 13-Part 9
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.  Hebrews 13:20-21


LET IT GLOW

I have not been a fisherman, soldier, a sailor, nor a doctor, but my broken heart has been in need of mending, my ways need mending or changed, I need outfitted with the Armor of God in preparation for spiritual battle, even equiped for my journey of life. God sees to it that I have these things. Let's stop our walk and look closer.

In this benediction, we see the major themes  of Hebrews:

• peace-Concerning Christianity, peace is the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is; the Lord who is the author and promoter of peace. (Thayer's Lexicon)                      mmIn Numbers 6:24-26, God told Moses to tell Aaron and his sons how to bless the children of Israel saying:The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
• the resurrected Christ-He is brought again from the dead. (Acts 2:24) Jesus said,"I am the resurrection and the life..." (John 11:25)
• the blood-We are justified by Jesus' blood. (Rom. 5:9)
• the covenant-Genesis 9:16 talks about the rainbow as a reminder of this everlasting covenant of not flooding the earth again as to destroying all flesh; Genesis 17:7-8 tells of the everlasting covenant God made with Abraham: possession of the land of Canaan, and He would be their God, the covenant would continue with his seed.
• spiritual perfection (maturity)-integrity, clear mind, clean heart, lively affections, regular and resolved wills, which result from the work of God. 
• God's work in the believer-He works through and in us by way of His Holy Spirit.(Gal. 5:22-26)

We also see the titles of Christ: God of peace, our Lord, Great Shepherd of the sheep (who died for the sheep, lives in us today and in heaven( John 10:11). As Chief Shepherd, He will come for the sheep (1Peter 5:4). As our High Priest, Jesus interceeds for us now.

Do I praise Him for being the God of Peace, my Great Shepherd that leads me and provides for me daily?


LET IT GROW

In the rest of his closing prayer, the writer asks God to "make you perfect in every good work to do His will." Make perfect is translated in the word katartidzo, to doctors means "to set a broken bone;" to fishermen it meant "to mend a broken net;" to sailors it meant "to outfit a ship for voyage;" to soldiers it meant "to equip an army for battle."

Our Savior in heaven wants to equip us for life on earth. He tenderly sets our broken bones in our lives so that we might walk straight and run our life-races successfully. He wants to repair the breaks in the nets so that we might catch fish and win souls. He wants to equip us for battle and outfit us so that we will not be battered in the storms of life. He wants to marture us, work in us and through us, that which pleases Him and accomplishes His will.

Do you have anything in need of mending-marriage, relationships, feelings, ways, etc.? Jesus is waiting to help.

What does God use to equip us? He uses the Word of God (2Tim. 3:16-17), prayer (1Thess. 3:10), and fellowship of the local church (Eph. 4:11-12).

Do I ask the Lord to make me perfect ion every good work to do His will? Do I ask Him to work in me that which is well-pleasing in His sight? Do I live through Jesus for His glory? 
[Resource: Warren Wiersbe's book Be Confident]


LET IT GO

Praise the God of Peace, the Great Shepherd, my Resurrected Savior.

Don't resist His breaking me, since it is for my good and His glory.

Watch as He equips me for the storms and battles of life.

Live to please Jesus and to do His will.




    

Pray, Pray, Pray

501.  "Pray, Pray, Pray"                           April 19, 2012
Hebrews 13-Part 8
Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.  Hebrews 13:18-19
LET IT GLOW
Ministers and Christian leaders need prayers offered up for them daily. We should pray that God will teach those who teach us. That God would make them vigilant, wise, zealous, successful, assist them in all their labors, support them under all their burdens, and strengthen them under all their temptations. (Matthew Henry)

"It isn't out of our resources that we pray prayers of intercession, but out of God's inexhaustible grace,"says The Preacher's Commentary Series on Hebrews.

Here is a cry for help, a person in need. If it is Paul writing this letter, he's probably in prison. What kind of help is he asking the readers to give?

1. Pray for us. (Don't we assume that an admission of need is a confession of guilt?) This is definitely not the case here. Pray, used here, refers to praying to God, supplication, pray earnestly for.

          Prayer is in present imperative verb tense. It looks for continuous activity and implies that they
          had already been prayling for him. (Guzik)

          We are created interdependent people, whether a society or a church, functioning like a body.
           Each part has its abilities, which it offers to the whole, yet each part is dependent upon other
           members of the body for its supply of strength. So it is with prayer. God has given us
           responsibility for one another. (The Preacher's Commentary)

           How faithful am I to pray for my brothers and sister believers? Do I specifically pray when
           asked? Am I spending enough time in prayer, that God wants me to spend?

How am I to pray, according to scriptures?

• so that your faith fails not (Luke 22:32)
• night and day praying exceedingly (1Thess. 3:10)
• that ye do no evil (2Cor. 13:7)
• to come over here (Acts 16:9)
• for them that despitefully use you and persecute you (Matt. 5:44)
• fall on your face (Matt. 26:39)
• kneeled down (Acts 9:40)
• pray, pray, and pray, even a third time (Matt. 26:44)
• in a solitary place (Mark 1:35)
• when you stand praying, forgive (Mark 11:25)
• in my house (Acts 10:30), on the house top (verse 9)
• in the city (Acts 11:5)
• singing praises to God (Acts 16:25)
• in the temple (Acts 22:17)
• praying always (Eph. 6:18)
• giving thanks (Col 1:3)
• do not cease to pray for you (Col 1:9)
• when someone is afflicted (James 5:13)
• everywhere-on a mountain, in the wilderness, on a lake

I think I'm getting the picture-It is important that I pray for myself, other believers, and the lost.
Jesus interceeds to the Father when we pray in His name. Even when we don't know what to pray.

LET IT GROW

What else does the writer have to say, according to New American Standard?

       2. We are sure that we have a good conscience. King James Version uses the word
            "trust."  Trust is putting to proof, experience. Conscience is a co-perception, a
            moral conscience. "A good conscience is sanctified by the Spirit of God, sprinkled by the
            blood of Jesus," stated John Gill. They are walking in purity.
            "A good conscience has respect to all god's commands and all our duty," said Matthew Henry.

      3. Desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. The term desire is from a Greek word
          that conveys the idea not of a"wish," but of "firm determination."  They were determined to live
          honestly-not as men, but as ministers, faithfully dispensing the Word of Truth; willing to behave
          with decency and propriety.
      4. I urge you all the more to do this (pray). This writer, soldier of the cross, is healthy and pure,
          but he's in need of reinforcements. Keep on praying! Bring in the assistance I need so that I can
          survive through this battle. He wants to revisit the readers again. (Swindoll)

Do you have an urgent need? Are you willing to share it with us  so we can pray for you? You may want to use generalities.

LET IT GO

When I feel the urgency to pray for another, let go and do it.

Keep prayer as my priority.

Fetch Some Eggs

500.  "Fetch Some Eggs"                           April 17, 2012
Hebrews 13-Part 7
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.   Hebrews 13:17


LET IT GLOW

It is hard to believe that today is my 500th posting on this blog, by my counting. May God bless you as you read. To Jesus be the glory, honor and praise!

When I was a child, I was often sent to the garage to fetch some eggs for Mom to use in cooking. Now that was a dreaded task. The hens wanted to keep their eggs so they would hatch baby chicks instead of letting me have them peacefully. They would ruffle up those feathers, make loud clucks, and peck at anything that came near them, which was me. So I devised a method-I wouldn't get pecked if I used a croquet mallet to carefully scrap them out of the nest, away from her, on the ground. Now I thought that was pretty smart for a kid my age, until they chased me out of the garage. I obeyed what Mom told me to do, but not very joyfully, I admit.

It is for my benefit that I obey my spiritual leaders and do what they say, this verse is telling me. What do they do for me? They watch over my soul. They are accountable to God. I am to give them a reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. I am to obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to me. (NLT, NIV)

According to Thayer's Lexicon:
obey  means to listen to, yield to, comply with;
rule is leading as respects influence; overseers or leaders of Christian churches;
submit means to resist no longer, but to give way, yield; to yield to authority and admonition;
watch is to exercise constant vigilance over something (an image drawn from shepherds).

I want my spiritual leaders to do their work with joy, cheerfully because I am obeying their teaching, preaching, and leading scripturally. Do I no longer resist what they point out in the Word of God? Do I obey the biblical principles they are showing me?

Warren Wiersbe said, "When a servant of God is in the will of God, teaching the Word of God, the people of God should submit and obey. This does not mean that pastors should be dictators, nor church members have a flippant attitude toward pastoral authority. One day both will have to give an account to the Lord. When a shepherd is faithful to watch for souls, it is important that the sheep obey him."

Do my leaders duck away into hiding when they see me coming? Do I make their life miserable or joyful? Or do the have a smile on their face?

As a children's leader and a mission's leader in my church, I am accountable for those under my leadership and how I lead them. Am I leading them down the right path, as the Word of God directs?


LET IT GROW

Liberty Bible Commentary says, submit denotes an assent to another's direction. God has given these leaders the work of overseeing, not by being an overlord but by being an example. (1Peter 5)

Am I willing to turn, change my ways and opinions to follow what the leader says? Do I joyfully submit?
Resist no longer is a good definition for submit. As I yield my will to Christ's will, I will submit to my leaders in authority over me. That makes my Lord happy.


LET IT GO

Submit to and obey joyfully my spriritual leaders that God has put over me.

Be a leader in subjection to the Word of God and those in authority over me.

 

What Pleases?

Hebrews 13-Part 6
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.   Hebrews 13:15-16


LET IT GLOW

What pleases me? A smile from a stranger, an encouraging word from a friend, a hug from a child, an unexpected bouquet of flowers, hearing "I love you"spoken to me, just to name a few. What is important isn't what pleases me but what pleases God? That's what I want to find out. I have been searching for answers for almost two years as I have been walking on this road of faith through the New Testament. Have I found the answers? Some. Today's key verses fill in the bits and pieces missing.

What pleases God?

• Faith-Without faith is its impossible to please Him. (Heb. 11:6)
• A gentle and quiet spirit is of great worth in God's sight. (1 Peter 3:4)
• Obedience-To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed than the fat of rams. (1Sm. 15:22)
• The condition of the heart-Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Sam. 16:7)
• Deny self, take up your cross daily, and follow Jesus. (Luke 9:23)
• Love, bless, do good to, and pray for your enemies. (Matt. 5:44)
• Forgiving others. (Matt. 6:14)
• Mercy shown.(Hosea 6:6)
• Prayer and fasting. (Matt. 7:21)
• Loving God-with all your heart, soul, and mind. (Matt. 22:37)
• Loving your neighbor-as yourself. (Matt.22:39)
• Look after the orphans and widows in their distress, and keep yourself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)
• Meditate on His Word. (Ps. 119:11)
• In everything give thanks. (1Thess. 5:18)

I am sure the lists could continue, and will continue. Maybe that should be my next project.


LET IT GROW

Now, what do our key verses say are the kind of sacrifices which please God?

1. A sacrifice of praise that is offered continually. Sacrifice, used here, means a free gift; praise is a thank-offering, a sacrifice of praise presented to God for some benefit received.(Thayer's Lexicon) What kind of free gift can I give to God, who owns everything? Praise is what He wants, thanks for what I have received from Him. What might that be? The gift of salvation in Jesus, breath of life, daily needs, unending love and forgiveness, understanding, patience, mercy and grace, and so much more from Him. In Hebrew, the language in which the Old Testament is written, praise is made up of two words, hallal, meaning to praise, and jah, which is the word for God. So praise means "praise be to God" or "praise the Lord."(Harold Sala)

      Proper praise that pleases God is offered:

• by Jesus, who is our High Priest, who offered Himself as the blood sacrifice for me, on the         altar of the cross (He interceeds for us, we go through Jesus to get to God). Jesus is the                altar upon which we lay our sacrifices of praise.
• continually, so I am always praising Him.
• is a sacrifice, so it may be costly (not feel like praising) or inconvenient (outside                 the church, with non-believers).
• is the fruit of our lips, more than just thoughts directed towards God. Fruit means praises, which are presented to God as a thank-offering. It is spoken out unto  the Lord, either in prose or in song. (Guzik)

     2. Giving thanks to His name. Thanks means to praise, celebrate. We should approach the
         presence of God, attend the house of God, and acknowledge the work of God with an offering of
         thanksgiving. We thank God for what He has done and praise Him for who He is. We recognize
         the names of God, giving glory and honor of His divine perfections.

     3. Do good and share with others. Give to those in need and communicating with the poor. These
         acts are done in faith, and springs from love, is direffted to the glory of God. Koinonia can mean
         fellowship and generosity, sharing, contribution, or gift.

Do I give God an unending offering of praise out of my heart thoughout the day? Do my sacrifices involve my tongue, my actions, and my finances? Do I remember to present my body as a living sacrifice to God daily? (Rom. 12:1) (Falwell)

The sacrifices of praise coming from the lips of God's people please Him only when accompanied by loving action. (MacArthur)

Do I just speak words or do I share and care? Things to ponder.


LET IT GO

Sing praises to the Lord continually today.

Thank Him for all things.

Do good and share with others.

Strive to please God in all that I do.

Camping Out

Hebrews 13-Part 4
Wherefore, Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.   Hebrews 13:12-14


LET IT GLOW

During one summer visit to our family, my sister inlaw's family and mine decided to camp out locally. Neither families had a tent nor any camping gear. It was a last minute whelm. They threw a mattress in the back of their truck and we threw  lawn chairs into our car. (It was only a few miles from my in-laws' house.) The guys went up stream fishing while we gals set up camp. Actually, all we did was start a campfire, set up lounge chairs, spread out blankets, and got cozy for our private night on the lake. However, it didn't seem to be the secluded spot to camp that we thought it was. Some guys walked by us after dark, then set off fireworks a short distance down stream. That resulted in us women folk and kids getting nervous. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, the guys returned to camp. I thought we women were making the sacrifice of comfort so the men could enjoy fishing, but it turned out that they were as cold as we were. (Wind off the lake gets cold at 2am.) And they didn't catch any fish, either, so they actually sacrificed comfort so we could have a good visit. The men's sacrifice was made outside of camp, just as our key verse describes Jesus' sacrifice that was made outside the camp. What does it mean?

First, verse 11 tells about the High Priests who made the sin offering for the people, on the Day of Attonement, mentioned in Leviticus 16 and Exodus 29. They killed the goat, sprinkled its blood on the Mercy Seat, then burned the goat's flesh outside the camp.
Jesus fulfilled that, when He suffered outside the city gates of Jerusalem, where the temple was located, on Golgotha's cross. As our sin offering, Christ has been seperated from the Jewish camp. Those who have turned to Him for redemption must also join Him outside the camp. (We don't hold to Judaism's offerings.)
We do not participate in the sacrificial ritual because Jesus is our Sacrificial Lamb.


LET IT GROW

We have no continuing city, Jerusalem with its temple. We seek our city, which  is to come, the New Jerusalem. Is my faith inside or outside the camp? Because of Jesus, I am a citizen of that  heavenly city.

Figuratively, believers must join Jesus outside the camp of the world, no longer beign a part of its unholy systems and practices (2 Tim. 2:4). This would also depict the departure from the Levitical system. The uncommitted Hebrews needed to take the bold step of leaving that system and being outside the camp of old covenant Israel. (MacArthur)

How bold are my steps? Do I bear Jesus' reproach?

Reproach, according to Webster's Dictionary, is a charge with a fault; shame, disgrace.

Thayer's Lexicon says reproach is such as Christ suffered (for the cause of God, from its enemies).

As a believer and follower of Christ, am I willing to seperate myself from the world, pay the price, and accept the same abuse, mistreatment, or persecution He took upon Himself at Calvary? Grace is worth it all.

Can I be charged with being a follower of Jesus? Am I guilty of living for Him instead of self? Do I act like a citizen of this world or a citizen of heaven?

LET IT GO

Let go of the world and cling to Jesus.

Join Jesus outside the camp.

Act like a citizen of the New Jerusalem.

Strengthened by Grace

Hebrews 13-Part 4
Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were thus occupied were not benefited. We have an altar, from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.
Hebrews 13:9-10


LET IT GLOW

Do I get hung up on what I can eat or don't eat? Do I judge others by what they eat or don't eat?
For six months I followed a very strick diet so I would not have to take a shot every week. My efforts paid off. So far, so good. The problem is, since I don't have the pain, I tend to slide back into my old ways. Yesterday I ate strawberries, barbq chicken, and corn, which were some of my forbidden fruit. My body told me about it, too. I said all of that to show that I enjoy the benefits of following my diet. It strengthens my body. Also, I enjoy the benefits of grace. I don't have to offer animal sacrifices for my sins, as in the Old Testament days. Shall we look closer into grace?

Is my heart strengthened by grace?
Legalism weakens the heart; human restrictions deter growth. It is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were thus occupied were not benefited. No person is ever benefited by following a heresy.

Ephesians 2:8 says, For by grace are ye saved though faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Grace has been defined as unmerited favor. It's a gift, not one that we deserve, can work for, nor can get on our own. Since Jesus doesn't change, His grace is always available.
God's grace is uncontainable. Time and space do not restrick it.

Ann Voskamp said in her daily devotional, God in the Moment:

Grace means favor, from the Latin word, gratia. It connotes a free readiness, a free and ready favor. That's grace. It is one thing to choose to take the grace offered at the cross, but to choose to live as one
filling with His grace? Choosing to fill with all that He freely gives...with glory and grace and God?
It is a choice.
This act of naming grace moments, this list of God's gifts, moves beyond the shopping list variety of prayer and into the other side, the other side of prayer, the interior of His throne room, the inner walls of His powerful, love-beating heart. The list is God's list, the pulse of His love-love thrums on the other side of our prayers.

Do I thank the Father for His free grace? How often do I thank Him? Can I list a thousand gifts of grace this year for which I am thankful?


LET IT GROW

In verse 9, we are to not be carried away from grace, by various, different (divers), new, unheard(strange), teachings (doctrines).  (Thayer's Lexicon)

These teachings are of a variety of colors pleasing to the eye and wooing to the senses. Although the doctines of others may be appealing, they may be fake. Don't be led astray. (Swindoll)

Some of the Jewish Christians were being tempted to return to the ritual of the Jewish system. Meat was a vital element of Jewish ritual. The distinction of what was clean or unclean for eating was largely based upon that which was clean or unclean upon the altar. (Falwell)

It was according to the Levitical laws.  There are four specifics listed here that touch the lives of those who embrace grace and the person of Jesus Christ:

• We have an altar, which is the cross, where Christ's sacrificial offering was made.(verse 10)
• We have a reproach to bear. Believers should be willing to pay the price for identifying with Christ. There's a seperation stigma with which we must live. To fully and genuinely align ourselves with Christ is to accept the same abuse, mistreatment, and persecution He took upon Himself at Calvary. It's part of the curriculum of grace. (verse 13)
• We have a city to seek. It is a city which God has designed and built located in heaaven, not on earth. We aren't home yet. (verse 14)
• We have a sacrifice to offer. It is a sacrifice of praise, of doing good, and of giving. It is a sacrifice of ourselves. (verse 15) (Swindoll) 

Jesus told His disciples, in Matthew 16:24: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

 

 LET IT GO

Hold up the cross of Jesus, no matter what the cost.

Die to self and live for Jesus.

Endure what I must in order to remain faithful to my Savior.

Yellowed with Age

Hebrews 13-Part 3
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.  Hebrews 13:8

LET IT GLOW

I have an old Webster's Dictionary that I use quite frequently. It sits on my bookshelf in two parts, with tattered pages, which are beginning to yellow. I don't even know how old it is because the cover and front pages are missing. Oh, I have newer dictionaries that I could use, including the internet ones, but this old faithful one is just fine. It has the old words. Some things that are yellowed with age are still usable, such as Mom's old cookbooks, the deed to our farm. I find comfort in knowing that some things don't change. Our key verse tells us that Jesus Christ is one of them. Let's look a little closer.

The word same means immutable, which means unchangeable.

Unlike the weather, seasons, and people, there are some things which do not change. God's truths do not change. The Trinity, God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit do not change. God is not proone to change; He is constantly the same. My problem in understanding this is that I haven't known such a person. God is not fickle; His moods don't swing, and His dealings with us are not subject to cancellation or redefinition. (Swindoll)

I am secure in knowing that God's love, faithfulness, mercy, grace, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, kindness, laws, promises, judgements, and plans don't change. His character has been the same since before the creation of the world. He is the same person as in ancient days, Old Testament times, during His walk on earth, New Testament times, and modern times, today. Jesus is my prophet, priest, and King as He was back then.


Joni Eareckson Tada, in her devotional book, Diamond in the Dust, told what her friend Francie's
Grandma  Grace wrote in her worn Bible saying:
"There 's nothing old or worn out about the love of God. His love has not yellowed with age. It is neither fragile nor ragged at the edges. God's love is as current now as it was a century ago, as fresh today as it will be tomorrow. Today, praise the Lord that He is the same, always loving, always merciful, and that with Him there is no shadow of turning."

Joni goes on to pray,"Jesus, I'm amazed that You never change. You are always faithful. Your promises are time-tested. Together with the saints of the ages, including Grandma Grace...I praise You!"

Do I completely trust Jesus, who is the same always, immutable person, Savior?


LET IT GROW

Verse 7 tells us that as Christians, we are to show our faith by:

• remembering our leaders, (spiritual fathers who were dead/martyred) who led properly,
• recalling those who spoke the Word of God to us, (led us to Christ as Savior),
• consider the outcome of their way of life, (godly character), the right outcome,
• imitate their faith, (follow their example).

Consider means to look upon a subject to investigate and observe it accurately. I am to study the life of individuals, pastors, teachers, parents, and even biblical ones. Are they having a godly influence on me?

Charles Swindoll gives us three lasting principles as guidelines for me:

1. It is unbiblical to support wrong leadership, no matter how sincere it may appear.
2. It is unwise to claim no leadership, no matter how comfortable it may feel.
3. It is unprofitable to resist right leadershiop, no matter how painful it may be.

Spiritual leaders are unlike domestic, business, or professional leaders in that they look over the souls of their constituents. They carry a burden for their people. They're concerned whether or not those under their leadership are growing and having their souls adequately nurtured in faith.

Do I daily pray for my spiritual leaders?

LET IT GO

Thank Jesus for remaining the same, unchangeable, immutable Savior He always was, is, and will be.

Pray, encourage, and show respect for the spiritual leaders that God has placed over me.

Content with a Twelve-year Old Car

                                        
Hebrews 13-Part 2
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.  Hebrews 13:5-6 KJV

LET IT GLOW

There are four promises in verses 5-6, which are quoting Old Testament verses, .
1. God will never leave thee.
2. He will never forsake thee.
3. The Lord is my helper.
4. I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

God told these promises to three men and a nation-he would never leave, fail, forsake them. To whom did He speak them?
*to Jacob in Genesis 28:15,
*to Joshua in Joshua 1:5,
*to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28:20, and
*to Israel in Dueteronomy 31:6,8.

It is a divine adage. What was said to them extends also to us. He will never withdraw His presence nor His help. (Bengel)

John Gill says, "These promises made Joshua belongs to all believers. God won't leave us destitute of His presence, nor will He forsake the work of His own hands in them, but will perform it until the day of Christ. He won't leave or forsake them, so as that they shall perish. He won't forsake them in life, nor at death, nor at judgement. He is able to help, and does help, when none else can."
Men can do nothing against God, and God can make all that men do against his people to turn to their good. (Matthew Henry)
The last promise is quoted from Psalm 118:6, The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
The word fear means to be afraid; to be struck with fear; to be seized with alarm, of those who fear harm or injury.
Do I still fear people after reading these promises?
Isaiah 12:2a states, Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid.

LET IT GROW

My 12 year old car had a dent in the front finder (my fault), an air conditioner that didn't work, the seals around the windows chopped up (ugly), 3 windows that wouldn't roll up or down because they stuck in that positon, back armrest broken off, just to name a few problems. I spent a few years dissatisfied with it, grumbling any chance I got. Finally, seeing the advantages of keeping it instead of buying a new one (twice the gas mileage of an SUV, no car payment), I didn't want to get rid of it. After all, I only drove it to church and work twice a week. Then a car, just like it, only a different make, was dropped into my lap. Now that was God's blessing to me. It is even the same color. Why can't I learn that lesson about other things? Contentment, grateful to God for all He has given me.

The first part of our key verses tells us how our manner of life (conversation) should be-without covetousness and be content with what we have.

Covetousness means loving money; loving silver.

This is the only scripture listed which has that particular meaning. Found elsewhere, it means dishonest gain, and the wish to have more.

Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have, states New Living Translation.

Let your way of life be free from the love of money, being content with what you have, says New American Standard.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, says New International Version.

Greed is a sickness of the soul, a malignancy in the spirit, a bottomless pit that Christians are to steer away from at all costs. The love of money is the root of all knds of evil because it is a kind of addictive idolatry (1Tiom.6:10). The more the greedy person gets, the more he or she wants. (Shepherd's Notes)

"It is not money or the lack of money that is the problem, but the love of money. Christians are not to set their affections on the almighty dollar or make the increase of money their purpose for living," states Swindoll in his Bible study book Hebrews II.

Liberty Bible Commentary states:

These Jewish Christians to whom this epistle was written had been spoiled financially by their persecutors, and they had accepted it joyfully at first (10:34). But it grew more difficult to live with the condition as it continued. The author then bases his admonition to contentment upon two Old Testament promises. When trust is placed in money, it will only produce covetousness and contention (1Tim. 6:9-10).

Lusting after material riches is "a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness" (1Tim. 3:3). (MacArthur)

It sounds like, that often as the new wears off, we become dissatisfied. It wasn't until I became content with my 12 year old car that God provided a better one for me. (same year, but better condition)
The second point in verse 5 tells us to be content. Content means to be satisfied with a thing.
Paul learned to be content in whatever state he was in (Phil. 4:11-12). Oh, that I could.

Covetousness is the opposite of contentment. Contentment has much more to do with what you are on the inside rather than what you have. Real contentment comes only when we trust in God to meet our needs and to be our security. It's amazing that we are often more likely to put security and find contentment in things far less reliable and secure than God Himself. (Guzik)

Contentment frees you to enjoy every good thing God has given you. It demonstrataes your belief that God loves you and has your best interest in mind. Discontent stems from the sin of ingratitude and a lack of faiath that God loves you enough to provide for all that you need. Strive to be grateful for all that God has given you. A grateful heart has no room for envy. (Blackaby)

Paul told Timothy, But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. (1Tim. 6:6-8)

Swindoll said, "It is doubtful that anything can bring us greater and more lasting satisfaction in life than being committed to our mates and contented with our life-styles. If it has a price tag, it won't bring lasting satisfaction."

Do I really need more things outside my current situation to make me happy or fulfilled?
Do I accept my life-style as God-given and sufficient, regardless of my surroundings or any other person's status?

I don't know about you, but I have some homework.

LET IT GO

Let go of discontentment and confess it as sin.

Be  satisfied and grateful for my lot in life.

Thank God for all He has given me.

Don't worry, be happy.

Trust God to never leave me nor forsake me.

What is Showing?

Hebrews 13-Part 1
Let brotherly love continue. Hebrews 13:1


LET IT GLOW

Because I wear longer skirts and dresses, some are down to my ankles, I bought new longer slips to wear with them. However, I did hem up a few outfits to my calves. The problem I had was that I forgot this longer slip I wore one Sunday morning was longer than a shortened jumper, so it was evident, showing below my jumper hem. I realized this when I sat down, seeing my longer slip. How could I solve this problem and at church, mind you? I went into the restroom and did some tucking in from above, if you know where I'm talking about. It was a temporary solution. Now I remember to wear the shorter slip with that jumper. Well gals, just as my slip was showing (though not desired),
 I do want my faith to be showing. Are there any evidences of faith in my life as I walk by faith and not by sight? What is showing as the Lord looks upon me? I found some suggestions to help me here in chapter 13.

Chapter 13 can be described as essential practical ethics of Christian living. They portray the true gospel to the world, encourage others to believe in Christ, and bring glory to God. (MacArthur)

As Christians, we are to show our faith by:

  1. Keep on loving each other as brothers.

• The basis for this fellowship is brotherly love. (verse 1) The deepest kind of fellowship is not based on race or family relationship; it is based on the spiritual life we have in Christ. A church fellowship basesd on anything other than love for Christ and for one another simply will not last. (Rom. 12:10, 1 Peter 1:22)
• Love used in verse 1 is the word Philidelphia in the Greek. It refers to the love which Christians cherish for each other as "brethren." (Thayer's Concordance) "It speaks of brotherly friendship and affection; the love of deep friendship and partnership; from the root word philia. (Guzik)

  2. Do not forget to entertain strangers. (Some have entertained angels without knowing it.)

• Where there is true Christian love, there will also be hospitality. (verse 2) Traveling ministers and poor saints needed a place to stay, so since the churches met in homes, it was natural for a visitor to stay with his host. Pastors and all saints should be "given to hospitality."(Rom. 12:1) We are to show compassion to people we do not know, strangers (wanderers, refugees, froeigners, nonacquaintance). (Swindoll)

 3. Remember those in prison, as if you were their fellow prisoners.

• Love also expresses itself in concern. (verse 3) Early Christians were arrested and imprisoned for their faith, so they needed ministering. We should pray for those around the world that suffer for their faith.

 4. Remember those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

• "This reference to prisoners includes the Christians of the time who were undergoing persecution, beatings, bruising, and rejection because of their faith in Jesus Christ," states Charles Swindoll. Falwell said it like this, "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them."

Is my faith showing by me doing these things?


LET IT GROW

5. Let marriage be held in  honor.

• The home is the first place where Christian love should be practiced. (verse 4)
•  Purity and loyalty in the marriage honors the Lord. (Eph. 5:3-6) Set our standards high; keep our marriage vows, whether we ar veterans or rookies. God originated it and set its rules.

6. Let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

• Adulterers, fornicators, homosexuals, and sexually immoral will be judged.
• Undefiled means "free from contamination." Something contaminated is soiled, infected by contact or association, made unfit because of the introduction of unwholesome and undesirable elements.
• God does not demand of His people anything that is unreasonable or impossible. Strict and tough, yes, but not impossible. (1Cor. 6:16-18) Disgrace, shame, and guilt invade the heart. The mind is affected as with no other sin.
• God does forgive sin when asked. He gives strength to withstand temptations, when asked.
• It takes a commitment to one's mate and working through problems, to stay together so that the relaionship can grow. We must keep on renewing our commitments daily.

LET IT GO

Let my faith be evident.

Show brotherly love to other Christians.

Be hospitable.

Have concern for those who are suffering.

Keep my thoughts pure so I honor and love my spouse.

Honor God with my marriage.

1. 3.    

My World Shaken Up

Hebrews 12-Part 7
Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.    Hebrews 12:26

LET IT GLOW

Only a few months ago, we felt the after shock of the earthquake in Oklahoma, a five hour drive away. It was evening and my husband and I were watching television. All of a sudden, the floor and walls shook. I suggested it was an earthquake, but he was doubtful. We heard the next day that it was. It caused a helpless feeling inside of me as I just sat there, looking for things to fall into the floor. They didn't, of course. Since then, we have had other trimmers. It is an unusual thing to have earthquakes in our area of the state. Scripture tells us to expect it to happen. Our God will shake up things in our world.

God is shaking this world in which we live by earthquakes in diverse places. (Matt. 24:7 warns us.)
In verse 26, the author is quoting Haggai 2:6, where the Lord says He will not only shake earth, but heaven  again. It is referring to the time of Jesus' Second Coming.
When were there earthquakes?

• at the time of giving the Ten Commandments,
• when Jesus died on the cross,
• when Jesus rose from the dead.

He is shaking the economic systems of the world. He is shaking the very things men think are unshakable. He will shake the earth when Jesus' feet touch the Mt. of Olives.
There are some things which cannot be shaken:

• God's Throne
• God's Word
• God's Son
• God's Church
• God's Kingdom.

[Reference: Things Which Cannot Be Shaken, a sermon by Stan Coffey]

It is the things which are made, the physical things, that will be shaken. They will be removed. Those things that cannot be shaken will remain. (verse 27)
Is God shaking up things in your world? He is mine.


LET IT GROW

Verse 28 says, Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have greace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.

In Revelation 1:17b-18, Jesus said, Fear not; I am the first and the last; I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the key of hell and of death.

What are we exhorted to do?
*Let us have grace, (echomen charin in Greek), is translated better as "Let us be grateful."
An ingratitude lies at the very root of all sin and rebellion against God (Rom 1:21), so gratitude is the pulsating heartbeat of every positive response to the gospel. (Liberty Bible Commentary)
Grace, in Thayer's Concordance, as ussed in verse 28, means to be thankful to one.

*Serve God with reverence and godly fear, as well as love and gratitude.
We are encouaged to hold onto grace and thus be able to approach God and see Him fully revealed as awesome and consuming. We are prone to use grace as an excuse for not talking God seriously, for allowing our level of commitment to slide. Where do you fit into this scheme? How significant is God to you? If god suddenly and silently left the scene, how long wold it be before you missed Him in your life? Would you be aware that He was gone? (Swindoll)

I Thessalonians 4:18 says, In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Philippians 4:6 states, Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Am I continualy giving thanks, or is it only at mealtime? I have joined Ann Voskamp in having a Gratitude Journal in which I number things for which I am grateful. Will you join us? (She has a website for further assistance.)

LET IT GO

When my faith is shaken, hold onto Jesus.

Be ready for when He shakes up my world.

Give thanks for all things.

Thank God for His immovable and unshakable Kingdom.

Listen When He Speaks

Hebrews 12-Part 6
See that ye refuse not him that speaketh.    Hebrews 12:25a

LET IT GLOW
Some voices I recognize on the phone and the caller doesn't have to identify themselves. My dad's voice was one of them. Although it has been twenty-five years since I heard my dad speak, I would recognize it if he spoke today. One day my uncle recorded dad's voice on a cassette recorder, which he was trying to fix. Dad walked into his house during that process. It is a precious thing to me all these years later. How I miss his voice. So it is when I don't hear my heavenly father speaking to me. I miss His voice. (Do I listen when He speaks to me?) Our key verse gives us a warning. Shall we look further into it?

The New Living Translation says, Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!
According to Strong's Concordance, speaketh (laleo in Greek) means to talk, speak, tell.
Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancrestors throught the prophets. and now in these fianl days, he has spoken to us through His Son. (Heb. 1:1-2a from NLT)
In the Experiencing God study by Henry and Richard Blackaby and Claude King, we learn these principles about God speaking:
1. God speaks to His people. In the Old Testament days He spoke in many different ways.
    He spoke through angels,visions, dreams, the use of the Urim and Thummim, symbolic actions, a
    gentle whisper, miraculous signs, and other ways.
2. That God spoke to people is far more important than how He spoke.
3. When God spoke, it was usually unique to that individual.
4. When God spoke, the person was sure it was God.
5. When God spoke, the person knew what God said.
6. When God spoke, that was an encounter with God.
7. If I do not have clear instructions from God in a matter, I will pray and wait. I will not try to
    bypass the love relationship.

The danger lies in refusing to hear the warning of Him who speaks from heaven; for if those at Mont sinai did not escape God's wrath, much more shall not we escape.One may escape God's warnings now, but God will not be escaped then. (Liberty Bible Commentary)

The Experiencing God has more to say to us:

• God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.
• When I come to God's Word, the Author Himself is present to instruct me. Truth is never discovered, truth is revealed.
• God reveals His purposes so you will know what He plans to do. (Amos 3:7)
• God reveals His ways to us because they are the only means to accomplish His purposes. ( Prov. 19:21)
• When the Spirit directs my attention to a truth, I write it down, meditate on it, and adjust my life to it. I alert myself to watch for ways God may be that way in my life during the day.
• What God says in prayer is far more important than what you say. (John 16:13)
• god wants me to know how to accomplish things only He can do. He wants me to know what He is about to do so I can join Him. He wants me to have faith to believe He can do what He says.
• Go to God and ask Him to show you His perspective on your circumstances. Jesus watched circumstances to know where the Father wanted to involve Him in His work. 
• Apart from the body(church) you cannot fully know God's will for relating to God's people. Jesus Christ is the head of a local church. He places every member in the body as it pleases Him. He makes us interdependent, needing each other. Every member needs to listen to what the other members say.

Am I listening?

LET IT GROW

Swindoll says, "Our tendency when approaching the mountain of grace is to change certain things because of the freedom we enjoy. When laws are set aside and rules are put away, we tend to write our own laws and make our own rules. That's why these verses appear as a final warning in this book. We're not to lower God's standards to human standards. Although His covenant may be new, His character remains the same. Grace does not alter our responsibility to be obedient.
To say that we are operating under new management in no way suggests that God no longer speaks with authority. God's word is nnow more intense: first, because a heavenly revelation is more emphatic than an earthly one; and second, the Sinai demonstration was limited, but Zion's is limitless. If His Word was to be obeyed back then, how  much more should it abe obeyed now?"
Remember, we are in the grace race. How significant is God to me? Can I tell that I am on the right road of the race?
God is not an error boy to have around; nor is He a pal, chum, or bully. He speaks from His throne, since His work of salvation is finished. His works speak to us presenting His blood, righteousnesss, and sacrifice.  We should not refuse whatever He is saying to us, make light of it, nor neglect it. We should hear it and do it.
In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, Behold I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Have a wonderful Easter dear friends! Let's praise and worship our Risen Savior in church this Sunday together throughout our nation and world.

He is Risen!

LET IT GO
Keep my ears open listening for God's voice; eyes open to see where He is working.
Don't refuse to listen to my heavenly Father speak to me; keep my heart open to Him.
Obey what He tells me to do.
Run the race of grace.
Share His love today.

Mountains

Hebrews 12-Part 5                 
For ye have not come unto the mount that might be touched...
but ye are come unto  mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels...
Hebrews 12:18a, 22

LET IT GLOW

One summer our family drove out to Glorietta, a family camp near Sante Fe, New Mexico. It was such a beautiful place, up in the pine mountains. We took some time away from meetings, just the four of us, and visited some Indian ruins. It was located on the mountain peaks, where one could see forever, mountains upon mountains in every direction. The wind blew strongly up there that day. I recall it because there was an eagle soaring in the wind, high above everything. As I stood taking in the scenery, I felt Jesus there, showing me that I could soar with Him above any problem that the wind blows my way. Eventually, we left, and came down from the mountains, but the image is still there in my mind. When I need refreshing, I can go there.
Like the song that Cynthia Clawson used to sing, "You've got to come down from the mountain top, to the people in the valley below, or they'll never know that they can go to the mountain of the Lord."

Our key verses mention two mountains,  Mt. Sinai in the wilderness and Mt. Zion where the city of Jerusalem is located. The reference is Exodus 19:10-25. God gave instructions for the Israelites to prepare for the third day, when they would meet the Living Lord.

How were they to prepare?
*Sanctify themselves.
*Wash their clothes.
*Abstain from sexual relations.
Do I prepare daily  to meet with the Lord in His sanctuary? Am I prepared to meet the Lord face to face in eternity?
David Guzik contrasted Mt. Sinai and Mt. Zion.
 Mt. Sinai:

• marked by fear and terror,
• spoke of earthly things,
• only Moses was allowed to draw near,
• characterized by guilty men in fear,
• Moses was the mediator,
• brings the Old covenant, reatified by animals' blood,
• was about the Law.

Mt. Zion:

• was a place of love and forgiveness,
• speaks of heavenly things,
• was where a general assembly was invited to draw near,
• features just men made perfect,
• has Jesus as the Mediator and Judge of all,
• brings a New covenant, ratified by the blood of God's precious Son,
• is all about grace.

Did the fear of the people promote holiness anmong the people of Israel? Forty days later they worshipped a golden calf, so their hearts were not changed. Only Jesus can change a heart.

LET IT GROW

To what have we come?  Verse 22 answers that question.
By having salvation and faith in Jesus Christ, upon death, we will come to:

• the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God,
• countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering around the throne of God,
• God, who is the judge of all people,
• an assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaaven,
• Jesus, the one who mediates the New Covenant between God and people,
• the sprinkled blood of Jesus. which speaks forgiveness. (New Living Translation)

Abel's sacrifice was pleasing to God because it was offered in faith and obedience, but it had no atoning power. Jesus' blood alone was sufficient to cleanse sin (1John 1:7).  The sacrifice of Christ brought redemption, forgiveness, and compleete salvation, better than that of Abel. The blood of Abel's sacrifice only provided a temporary covering, but Christ's blood sacrifice decclares eternal forgiveness (Col. 1:20). (MacArthur)

Oh the blood of Jesus, it washes us whiter than snow. Thank You Lord Jesus that You became my blood sacrifice, took my place in paying for my sins. I am forever in debt to You.


LET IT GO

Meditate upon what Jesus has done for me.

Have a thankful heart.

Share with others.

Unwed Mothers

Hebrews 12-Part 4
For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. Hebrews 12:17


LET IT GLOW

I know several women who were unwed mothers as a teenager. Later, they regretted having done this sin, but still loved the child. Daily they faced the consequences of their sin, but it didn't change the situation. Esau's situation is similar. How?

In verse 16, there are words words used:  For fear of (lest) being like Esau, a fornicator (immoral), or a profane person (ungodly).

Profanity involves more than one's speech; it's the quality of one's life. Esau sold his birthright to his brother, Jacob, for a bowl of stew. To profane is to regard something as unhallowed, to make something sacred to be common. Every Christian must beware lest he count as unimportant what God considers sacred. (Falwell)

In his Bible study Guide on Hebrews II., Charles Swindoll says:

Esau came in from hunting and was hungry. His brother was cooking a savory stew. Esau embraced, and acted upon, the worldly mentality: buy whatever you need to satisfy yourself; sell whatever's necessary to find pleasure.
Worldliness is a mentality that discounts or denies Christ as Lord. It is a secular magnet that influences our minds, appeals to our emotions, and weakens our wills so that we live our lives without Christ as our Lord. the whole world system as we know it today lies in the power of Satan and his forces. Insstead of tolerating the Esau syndrome, run the race with endurance, fix our focus on Christ, meditate on Him, pursue peace with all people, be different, separaated and different, care about others running the race, show grace, don't let bitterness take root.

Which is my choice-worldliness or godliness?


LET IT GROW
Am I a  common person who lives for the world and not for God?  Esau despised his birthright and sold it to Jacob, and he missed the blessing because it was given to Jacob.

What sins will rob us of the enabling of God's grace? Lack of spiritual diligence, bitterness against othesr, sexual immorality, and living for the world and the flesh? God's grace doesn't fail, but we can fail to depend on God's grace.
Wiersbe says for us to take a look-look back at the bad example of Esau, look up for the glory of the heavenly city, and look ahead for an unshakable kingdom.
Where am I looking?

The result in Esau's life was that afterward, when he wanted that blessing of Abraham and God, he was rejected. He repented with tears, but the situation was irrevocable. (Falwell)

Esau desired God's blessings, but he did not want God. He regretted what he had done, but he did not repent. Esau is an example of those who willfullly sin against God and who are given no seond chance because of their exposure to the truth and their advanced state of hardness. (The MacArthur Bible Commentary)

At a later time, Esau realized how foolish he had been. with tears he tried to reverse the transaction. He found no place for repentance. The consesquences for imbibing worldly thinking were irreversible.
(Swindoll)

In the end, only God looks upon the heart. He knew whether Esau truly repented or was just sorry for the conquences of his sin. I leave that in His hands. However, sometimes people get so deep into their mudhole and pit of sin that they don't feel remorse, thus not repenting. On the other hand, some people do repent, but still suffer the conquences of their sin; some seeing it daily. That's when God's grace sees them through with His love.

Do I prefer the gratification of the flesh to the blessings of God? Do I resist the rod of God's discipline callingme to repentance? Do I have faults and follies that need correction by the Father? Does my faith find grace?

LET IT GO

Don't make something profane; keep sacred things sacred.

Watch my actions and words.

Avoid worldliness and cling to Jesus.

Step Around the Obstacles

Hebrews 12-Part 3
Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Hebrews 12:12-13

LET IT GLOW

When I was a kid, I enjoyed walking over the forty acres on which I grew up. The hillside below the chicken houses was covered with white daisies in the springtime. So I would take the cows' path and go pick a bouquet . Now, I had to watch where I was stepping while I was on the cows' path because the cows would often leave a patty or two there. I certainly didn't want to take home anything on my shoes, much less the smell. I couldn't clear that path, but I could step around the obstacles on it. For some reason, the daisies are gone now, some fifty years later, but the cows still have a path there. (It's good to know some things don't change.)

Here we see an athelete who has weakened hands/arms and feeble knees. It depicts those who were too weak or weary to run with endurance the course which lay before them.

Are you weak and heavy hearted? Tell it to Jesus; He's a friend that's well known. You've no other, such a friend or brother, tell it to Jesus alone. What a song.

What am I to do when I get weak hands and feeble knees?
*If/when my hands are letting go, slipping, then tighten my grip, take a firm hold, strengthen my
  drooping hands, take a  new grip with my tired hands.
*If/when I feel weak in the knees, then stand firm, stiffen the stand of my knocking knees, strengthen
   my knees, strengthen my paralyzed knees.

[References: The New Living Translation, New International Version, Beck Translation, Williams Translation, N T in Modern Translation ]

Lift up (anorthoo in Greek), means to straighten up, as with the crippled woman who was healed (Luke 13:13) and once more stood erect.Some of the runners have become so weary that they have become stooped and need the spiritual strength to be straightened up again. The path must be simple for those who are weak. It is the weak one who is commanded to keep his path straight for his feet. He must keep the obstacles which would trip him up spiritually out of his path. (Falwell)

The Message says it this way, So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it!

Can it get any plainer than this? Even when I am discouraged or disciplined by the Lord, I am to come to Jesus with my sins, troubles, situations, etc. Get on my hands and knees before the Lord and have a good heart-to-heart talk with Him. I have to clear my path first, then I can help others in their struggles and challenges of life.

David Guzik says, "Get strong, get right, get bold, and watch out."

Charles Swindoll tells the one being disciplined, "Don't fight, don't resist it, don't panic. We're all connected with one another in the Body of Christ. some members are in need and must have role models. These are the limbs that are about to be put out of joint. We each have a part of our own selves that is in need of exercising and healing."

Are my hands and knees sluggish, inactive in prayer? in hearing the Word? in holding fast to their profession? Are they weary and fatigued with weights and burdens of sins and affliction?


LET IT GROW

Do I have any obstacles on my path of life? Yes, some try to trip me into sin, some try to turn my ankle of faith, some are just stinky temptations wanting to stick to me. Jesus helps me overcome. He forgives me when I fail and sin.

If I don't  make my paths straight for my feet, what might happen? ( In Webster's Dictionary, lest means for fear that, to avoid.) I should do it:

• for fear that I become lame, crippled, disabled, dislocated, put out of joint, or to turn aside;(Christians can leave the teachings of the Word for the world, or legalism);
• to follow, persue, peace with all men;
• so I strive for holines because without holiness, I will not see the Lord;
• looking diligently, for fear of some not saved and fail to experience grace;
• for fear of any root of bitterness spring up to cause trouble and defile me;
• for fear of becoming a fornicator, sexually immoral person;
• for fear of that I become a profane person, who makes something sacred to be common.

LET IT GO

Strengthen my faith, holding tight to Jesus.

Stand firm for the Word of God.

Clear the path for my feet; walk in faith, holiness, truth, and the Word.

Get strong, right, bold, and watch out.

Clear the path for others so they don't stumble and fall, spiritually, and turn an ankle by turning away from God and His teachings.

God is at work; give Him the glory.

Discipline by a Hairbrush

Hebrews 12-Part 2
You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding of blood, in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives." It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
Hebrews 12:4-7 NAS


LET IT GLOW

The minute their father drove out of the driveway, my two sweet, young children started their fighting with each other again. Dad was going to be gone a few days to a Bible conference, so I was determined to not have to put up with that mess the whole time he was gone. My hairbrush applied to the seat of both children got the point across. It was worth breaking my hairbrush in order to have peace in the house the rest of the time their father was absent. (I'm not sure if it was the shock of Mom doing it or the pain of it, whichever, it was quite effective.)

Disciplining our children was not an enjoyable thing to do, yet it was needful so they would learn to do right and to obey. So it is as a child of God-His discipline is not enjoyable, but needful in my life.
Our scriptures touch on it today.

Verse 4 in the NIV says, In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

In comparison to those Heroes of Faith we read about in chapter 11, my struggles and challenges are just the size of a splinter in my finger. Some of those faithful followers, plus Jesus, actually did shed their blood, gave their life, because of the cause-faith in Jesus.

Jesus does not ask more of us than what He has Himself experienced, and that He knows exactly what we are going through keeps us from becoming weary and discouraged in your souls. God can never be the author of evil. He can use the evil choice another makes to work out His ultimately good purpose. He allows difficult times so we can comfort others with the same comfort God shows toward us in our crisis (1 Cor. 1:3-7). ( David Guzik)

Why was there discouragement in the readers' time of difficulty? They forgot. They forgot that because God loves us, so He disciplines us, corrects us, and chastens us.
Those enduring men and women of faith had lived with confidence through times of crisis and suffering; they all confidently endured God's discipline. These forerunners say to us, "Keep on!" (Swindoll)

The Greek term for striving is our word antagonism; it refers to suffering brought about by external persecution; sinful things done against believers in order to terrorize them into abandoning the faith. Isn't it better for God to discipline us than man to annihilate us? Discipline is better than death.

Discipline proves the Father's love. God cares enough about us to discipline us, and them. Now that's good news if I ever heard any. How do I react to His discipline? Do I take it lightly, cave in, overreact, turn away, deny the need, or learn from it, change, and grow stronger faith and obedience?



LET IT GROW

Chastening is the word which the  King James Version uses for discipline; (in Greek is paidein) it means disciplinary correction, instruction.

Warren Wiersbe, in his book, Be Confident, says there are three proofs that chastening comes from the Father's heart of love:

1. The Scriptures (verses 5-6) The writer quotes Proverbs 3:11-12. We are adult, adopted children in need of discipline and guidance. ( Because of God's love, He corrects me and gets me back on the right path.)
2. Personal experience (verses 7-11) Just as our earthly parents disciplined us so we would obey, respect them,  and do what was right, so does our heavenly Father. It proves we are His child. 
3. The blessed results (verses 11-13) No chastening is pleasant at the time, but the benefits are profitable. Instead of continuing in sin or rebellion, we should repent and turn our life over to Christ.

Charles Swindoll, in his Bible study guide, Hebrews II, gives us four principles that help amidst hurt:

1. Discipline assures us of sonship.  (verses 7-8) God's curriculum for us is associated with suffering and discipline. We run with endurance because it is part of God's disciplining plan.  no discipline=no sonship
2. Discipline deepens and enhances life. (verse 9) We're in the classroom of learning-loss of job, loss of child, disease, etc. It's a required course all of our lives. We stop fighting God and our existance becomes living.
3. Discipline continues for our benefit. (verse 10) Earthly fathers do what they believe best, even though they are fallible, occasionally unfait, inconsistent, and even extreme.
4. Discipline, though initially painful, is ultimately valuable. (verse 11) Peaceful fruit of righteousness and partakers of holiness is the ultimate result of discipline meant to be ours. It's not joyful, but sorrowful and painful. Would we not want it?

What will it be, Linda? I wonder if God is asking me that question.
What will it take for me to submit to God?
 Do I learn from His discipline?

LET IT GO

What do I need to let go of so I will completely follow Jesus?

Welcome the disciplining hand or rod of God.

Draw closer to Him because of it.

Produce fruit of righteousness and holiness.

Be willing to change for His glory.

Our Race Against Time

Hebrews 12-Part 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, 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. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.  Hebrews 12:1-3


LET IT GLOW

Earlier this month, my husband and I went on a business trip by plane. Our connecting flight was in Chicago, with only a few extra minutes between flights. So when we landed, we hit the ground running. Each of us was carrying a backpack so it was a challenge. It was especially for me because I had my laptop, medicines, and purse inside my backpack. It quickly weighed me down and thus slowed me down in my pace. My husband realized it and took the backpack from off my back and carried both. The loud speaker announced the last call for three passengers-the two of us and another. We made it in time, in our race against time, but I was worn out. It was quite stressful since there was no other flight to our destination until the next day, which was when our meetings began. I thought of that when I read our key verses. Shall we take a closer look?

Here are some main points:

• The race is our spiritual journey, Christian life. My race is set before me by God. Race, in Greek is agona, is a conflict or struggle of many kinds; a contest of athletes, runners. (Our English word agony comes from it.) How am I to run it?
• I am surrounded by a great  multitude of witnesses listed in chapter 1, the audience. As I walk, I read from the Word of God about great men and women, courageous martyrs, shouting words of hope, endurance, and encouragement to people in the battle. These witnesses are not witnessing us as we conduct our lives. Instead, they are witnesses to us of faith and endurance. So they aren't watching me, but telling me how they continued with faith to the end. Their lives are models showing me how to make it through my race, to persevere.

LET IT GROW

How do I handle this race in order to please God?
         (1) Prepare by throwing off everything that hinders me, by laying aside every weight and sin which so
               easily beset me. Sin and/or hinderances can keep me from running effectively the race God has for
               me. What weighs me down? Is it an indifferent attitude, a lack of discipline, procrastination,
               impatience, worldly cares, pride, the law? Am I aware of any excess baggage I'm carrying around?
               The entangling sin is unbelief. Do I doubt that God can do what He says he will do?
          (2) Follow the command to run with endurance the race set before me. Endurance means to abide
                under or to wait with patience. How do I endure?
          (3) Fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith. Don't yield to distractions. Jesus endured
                the so much to provide my salvation. He finished His race perfectly, accomplishing all that God
                had planned for Him. Now He sits at the right hand of God.
          (4) While running, keep an attitude of an encouraged heart and a calm mind. Consider, in verse 3,
                 means to reckon, compare, weigh, think over. When I am meditate upon and occupy my mind
                 with my Lord Jesus, then I will be calm and encouraged.

The Bible is like a road map; step into the vehicle of application and drive.

[Resources: John Gill's Bible commentary, David Guzik's Bible Commentary, Hebrews II. , a Bible study guide by Charles Swindoll.]

LET IT GO

Look at the winners.

Look at myself.

Look at Jesus.

Look ahead.

Live by faith.


                                                                     

All of Us Together

Hebrews 11-Part 21
And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, morover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatsskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.  Hebrews 11:35b-40


LET IT GLOW

One of my favorite activities in grade school was jumping rope. Two girls would turn a long rope while some of us would take turns jumping it. We even made up chants to say while jumping. Of course, we would switch with the turners and let them have a turn to jump. It took all of us together in order for us to enjoy our activity. And so it will be when time on earth is completed and eternity is in session.

All those saints of Old Testament times obtained a good report through faith because they believed  in the promises of God-the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, and an eternal heaven, a new Jerusalem, and the law pointed them to Him. The New Testament believers saw the Messiah in the flesh, but believed in their salvation by Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection. Christians in our time believe Christ fulfilled the law by being the sacrifical Lamb in our place as payment for our sins. It shall be all of us believers, Old Testament, New Testament, and modern times that will make up the eternal church. What a sight and sound that will be, when we all together sing praises to our God (Rev. 19)!

So we have more reasons to hold onto our faith than these heroes of faith did. Even though they obtained a good testimony through faith, they never saw the promise in the same way that we do on this side of the cross.We have been provided something better, seeing and enjoying the completed work of Jesus on our behalf. Therefore, don't let discouragement and tough times defeat us.
The older saints aren't perfect, which means complete, without us. They looked forward to Jesus and His work, while we look at it from behind, and enjoy the fruits of His work. (Guzik)

LET IT GROW

By faith, some saints were victorious under their circumstances, even though they were:

• tortured, which refers to being stretched on an insturment of torture resembling a drum, and beat to death. (Strong's Concordance)
• not choosing deliverance, but death, looked for a resurrection of life, eternity.
• mocked curely-Isaac by Ishmael, Samson by the Philistines, Elisha by children, Jeremiah by Pashur, Jews by Sanballat and Tobiah when building the Temple, prophets, whom God sent to the Jews.
• scourged-smitings as Jeremiah (Jer.20:22) and Micaiah (2Chron. 18:23-24).
• bonds (chains) and imprisonments-Joseph, Samson, and Jeremiah.
• stoned-Zechariah was stoned to death between the altar and the temple; Naboth was stoned to death by Jezebel's henchmen; Jerusalem stoned the prophets that were sent unto her (Matt. 23:37).
• sawn in two-Jewish tradition says Isaiah was by the order of Manasseh.
• were tempted to renounce their worship of God-an outside source states that Eleazar, along with his 7 brothers and mother were burned.
• were slain by the sword-85 priests murdered by Doeg, prophets in Elijah's day, priests of Nob ordered aby Saul, prophets of the Lord by Jezebel.
• wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins-Elijah, Slisha, and John the Baptist.
• destitute of food-Elijah was fed by ravens, the widow of Zarephath (1Kings 19:4-10).
• afflicted-refers to being driven to greatst straits, despairing of life, weary of it.
• tormented-or evilly treated, reproached, persecuted, made the filth of the world, offscouring of all things.,
• of whom the world wasn't worthy-such spiritual believers living for God were befriended by the world.
• wandered in deserts, mountains, dens, and caves-David, Elijah, prophets under Obediah's leadership.
• obtained a good report through faith-either those previously mentioned, or who were martyred.
• received not the promise of Canaan, the Messiah, and heaven.

[Resources: John Gill's Bible Commentary, David Guzik's Bible Commentary)

After reading about all these kinds of persecution for the faith, it seems such a small thing when I'm made fun of or criticized because of the stand I take for my Savior and His Word. I tend to let thosse things get me discouraged, but I shouldn't.

Did you notice that it took 21 lessons to make it through chapter 11? I have certainly enjoyed having you walk with me through it. Feel free to share any comments with us.

By faith Linda...


LET IT GO

Endure all for Jesus.

Keep the faith.

Walk with Him everyday.