But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

 Hebrews 10:19-39

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. Hebrews 10:39

I continue my study of Hebrews, and in the text today - Hebrews 10:19-39  - the author of Hebrews encourages believers to see how they have full assurance of faith as Jesus allows us to enter the most holy of places and share fellowship with God.  This encouragement also seeks to have us endure through suffering we will endure and to hold fast until the end so that we don't fall away.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God is described as faithful to all of His promises. He is also described as a jealous God who will punish those who do not submit to Him.  
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Building on previous chapters where Jesus is described as offering a better covenant, vv19-21 emphasize how this new covenant with Jesus allows us to enter the most holy of places and interact directly with God. V22 then exhorts us to "draw near" to God with a full assurance of faith that He has given us victory over sin and death. Vv23-25: A full assurance of faith allows us to hold fast to the rich inheritances of Jesus lest we fall away.  Our brothers and sisters in Christ are key to how we are to hold fast - corporate worship, group bible studies, praying and fellowship together, etc. as we encourage one another.  Vv26-28 describe how one falls away and how a "fearful expectation of judgement" preserves us and allows us to hold fast and endure.  Vv29-31 describes how God's judgement is something we should all avoid. Vv32-35 provides another exhortation for us persevere through suffering and difficulties by focusing on how we have Jesus Christ as our most treasured possession. This gives us confidence to endure as God is faithful. Vv37-38 refers to Habakkuk 2:3-4 for Old Testament prophecies of judgement day and how the faithful will overcome.  
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid neglecting spiritual disciples that may cause us to fall away.  Claim the promise that eternal rewards await those who abide and hold fast to the end. Abide in Him, do not shrink bank. 

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who allows us to directly share fellowship with You through a better covenant.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a gift.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given [Og, king of Bashan] into your hand, and all his people, and his land. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” So they defeated him and his sons and all his people, until he had no survivor left. And they possessed his land.

Numbers 21:21-35

But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given [Og, king of Bashan] into your hand, and all his people, and his land. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” So they defeated him and his sons and all his people, until he had no survivor left. And they possessed his land. Numbers 21:34-35

I continue my study of Numbers, and in the text today - Numbers 21:21-35 - God leads Israel into battle, as they defeat the armies of King Sihon and Og.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God is faithful (going all the way back to Genesis 15:18-21).  He rescued Israel from bondage in Egypt and directed Israel from the wilderness to the Promised Land and used Joshua and Caleb (see Numbers 14:6-9) to give confidence to the people that they should not fear the existing inhabitants - God is with them.  The text is once again explicit sharing how God spoke to Moses (and Israel) and told them not to fear Sihon, Og, and their armies.  God is more powerful than any earthly power and if it is His will to destroy them - He will.  For believers, Ephesians 6:12 clarifies how we are not [only] fighting against "flesh and blood, but against but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  We are directed to put on the "whole armor of God," which includes scripture, the Holy Spirit, etc.  Ultimately, we can take comfort knowing that He is saving a place for us in Heaven and the victory over sin and death is already won and our salvation is assured.          
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Since the Fall (Genesis 3), when sin entered the world, we experience violence, fear, sickness, death, etc.  We should not fear as Israel did in Numbers 14:10 when they sought to stone Joshua and Caleb for their confidence in the LORD.  We should bring our cares and concerns to the LORD (1 Peter 5:7).     
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Do not fear. Claim the promise that victory over sin and death is already won and salvation assured.  Follow the example of Joshua and Caleb who saw how God is with them and were confident.  Trust in God, and rest in how He is our strength and refuge.

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves, and You are my strength and refuge!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love and save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

 John 16:25-33

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

I continue my study of John and today I focus on John 16:25-33, where Jesus continues to help the disciples prepare themselves for the crucifixion and how they will be persecuted just as He was.   Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God loves the disciples and by extension all believers and wants us to know and love Him.  He knows they will have sorrow when He goes to the cross, and how they will be scattered (going into hiding for a period to avoid persecution).  As Jesus prepares the disciples, He recognizes their growing spiritual maturity and understanding of Him and He addresses them according to this maturity ("no longer speaking in figures of speech" per v25) - this is similar to text in Luke 12:48 where Jesus shares how much more will be expected from those to whom He has given more in terms of leadership, responsibility, etc.  God also wants us to grow and make full use of the spiritual gifts He gives us so we should recognize what God is doing in our lives to make more use of our spiritual gifts - see also Hebrews 5:11-6:2. We should all know that God the Father sent Jesus, that He loves us, that Jesus and the Father are One, and that we have access to the Father through Jesus (John 14:6).  In v31, Jesus assures the disciples that even though He is going away, He is not alone but will be with the Father - just as He loves us, the disciples love Him and can take comfort in His Word.  In vv32-33, Jesus provides both a warning and an additional encouragement that persecution and tribulation are part of the Christian life but that with and through Jesus we have assurance that either in this life or in Heaven we will overcome.         
• What do we learn from the text about people?: The disciples not only have faith but growing faith and spiritual maturity.The disciples in v29 appreciate that God equips and trains them up - driving spiritual maturity.  As one grows, we seek to be treated based on who we are (and as who Jesus expects us to be) not as who we were (spiritually dead).   
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid not growing in Christ and not worrying.  Claim the promise that with and through Him we will overcome the world just as He did.  Follow Jesus' example to do the will of God.  Take heart and trust in Him and rest in His promises.  

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  You give me assurance that the victory over sin and death is already won!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And the angel of the LORD solemnly assured Joshua, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here.

 Zechariah 3:1-10

And the angel of the LORD solemnly assured Joshua, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. Zechariah 3:6-7

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT (complete: Zephaniah, Haggai; to complete: Zechariah, Malachi) - using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my focus is an unassisted review of Zechariah 3:6-7, which the commentary outlines as the fifth of six divisions for the text 3:1-10 (3:1, 3:2, 3:3, 3:4-5, 3:6-7, 3:8-10).  Here, after the Lord removes Joshua's sin - see also previous two posts - the angel of the Lord (recognized by previous commentary as prophecy of Jesus) "solemnly assure[s] Joshua" that if he walks in God's ways and stay obedient to Him, then Joshua would rule in the temple (God's house) and have charge in his courts, which is rule over the government - essentially a religious and political leader.  One should not miss the back half of v7 where the angel of the Lord gives Joshua (if he walks in God's ways and is obedient) "right of access" among those who are standing here, which for believers is all persons of the Holy Trinity - including God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  What an incredible assurance!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are that You are available to me as promised here - thank You Jesus!  What an incredible assurance.  I am not deserving of such access and the associated blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.