Let brotherly love continue.

Hebrews 13:1-6 

Let brotherly love continue. Hebrews 13:1

I move closer to the end of my study of Hebrews, as I start reading chapter 13 - the final chapter of this book.  In the text today - 13:1-6, we see a number of commands related to how we are to love others and treasure God above all.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?:  God loves everyone and seeks to save as many as possible, because all are fallen and are in need of Savior.  To this end, God wants believers to show hospitality to strangers (vv1-2), to love and serve those who are in prison and mistreated, and to honor the marriage bond by avoiding sexual immorality and adultery - vv3-4.  We must value and treasure God above all, and the text explicitly and specifically seeks for us to avoid the love of money and instead to "be content with what you have" (v5a). Vv5b-6 quotes Deuteronomy 31:8, Joshua 1:5 and Psalm 118:6 as promises to encourage us to be content as God gives us all that we need, is always with us, and is our refuge and rock.    
• What do we learn from the text about people?: We are prone to seek our own selfish desires vs loving and serving others.  The hurts and needs in the world around us are staggering - thus God wants us to love Him first then others (2nd most important commandment).  We must put aside and deny ourselves of our selfish desires and go to where the needs are and serve those in need - let brotherly love continue. 
• 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 the love of money (or anything else where you treasure that something above Him).  Claim the promises that God will never leave or forsake you and that the Lord is your helper.  Follow the example of those who love and serve others, including those who go into the prisons and serve those who are mistreated.  Love God, then love others.  

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who will never leave or forsake me, and You are my helper.  Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of how You love, save, and bless.  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.

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and this let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12:18-29 

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and this let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.  Hebrews 12:28-29

I continue my study of Hebrews, and in the text today - Hebrews 12:18-29 - the author pivots from the theme of enduring hardship as discipline from God to a description of the eternal kingdom of Jesus that cannot be shaken.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Vv18-24: Jesus’ kingdom is contrasted with the presence of God on Mount Sinai where only Moses could ascend the mountain to speak with God, and no one could touch the mountain lest they die.  Jesus’ kingdom is alive and in the “heavenly Jerusalem” with the Father (sitting at the Father’s right hand) where God is “judge of all,” and where believers are glorified and “made perfect.”  Believers are also now brought to Jesus who is the author of a new and better covenant than the one offered at Mount Sinai.   Vv25-27: Those who encounter Jesus and His new kingdom are encouraged to not refuse or deny Him, because we will not escape being shaken and eternally condemned.  Vv27-28: Those who do accept and surrender to Jesus are encouraged to be grateful that we belong to a kingdom that will remain after all else passes away and only the New Jerusalem exists. 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Vv28-29: Believers proper response to belonging to such an eternal kingdom that cannot be shaken is to “offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”  See also Romans 12:1 where Paul defines believers’ offering of their bodies and lives as “a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, [as our] spiritual worship.” 
• 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 refusing or denying Jesus and as a result being shaken to the point where you will not remain and instead be eternally condemned. Claim the promise that if you accept and surrender to Jesus, you belong to an eternal kingdom that cannot be shaken.  Confess your sin, repent, believe, and remain (abide) in Him. 

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves, saves and whose kingdom cannot be shaken and You are my rock!  Thank You for how You love, save and never change - giving me peace and rest that I can never be separated from Your love.  I am not deserving of how You love, save, and bless.  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.

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled[.]

Hebrews 12:12-17

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled[.] Hebrews 12:14-15

I continue my study of Hebrews, and in the text today - Hebrews 12:12-17 - the author, based on how he exhorts believers to see discipline as training from God, and good, issues a call to action for believers to press on with the mission to share the gospel and to support other believers in their journey so that they not "shrink back."  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Vv12-13: God seeks for us to grow, and this often includes painful periods of discipline as God is using our circumstances to prune and shape us into who He seeks for us to serve His purpose. V14: God knows that believers must be a light if His Great Commission is to gather and sustain any momentum. V15-16: Unity in the church is critical as one "defiled" person may defile many - therefore He wants us to support and encourage other believers.      
• What do we learn from the text about people?: My previous post highlighted text where discipline is sometimes viewed as painful - temporarily.  While this may be true it also inevitably makes us stronger and resilient as our spiritual muscles tear, heal, and grow back stronger - this is vv12-13.  While persecution and other interpersonal clashes may cause us to lash out to others in response, v14 encourages us to "strive for peace with everyone," because if we don't demonstrate being a light (holy and set apart), we risk apostasy and eternal damnation.  Vv15-17 concludes with the author seeking for believers to encourage and support other believers such that we avoid a "root of bitterness" among us that again may lead to disunity in the church and apostasy of believers. The example of Esau is used as he "despised" his birthright (Genesis 25:29-34), allowing this "root of bitterness" to drag Esau away from holiness.  
• 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 discouragement and a root of bitterness to fester and drag you away from God and into sin.  Claim the promise that God disciplines those He loves and see your circumstances through what God is causing or allowing in your life for good and His glory.  Encourage and support other believers to press on with the Great Commission.  

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus for how You provide support and encouragement from other believers.  I am not deserving of how You love, save, and bless.  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.

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:7-11

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11

I continue my study of Hebrews, and in the text today - Hebrews 12:7-11 - the author continues to describe how discipline from the Father help us believers endure to the end.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God treats believers as members of His family - like sons or daughters whom He loves, so He disciplines them as a means to train them in the right way to go (see also Proverbs 22:6).  If we are not disciplined, then we are see as "illegitimate children" and it is implied we lose something with this "illegitimate" status - v8.  Vv9-10: If we respect the discipline from our earthly father, we should even more so respect discipline from our Heavenly Father. Vv10-11: Discipline from our earthly father is seen as an earthly or temporary gain while discipline from God forwards an eternal and heavenly purpose - one we should be joyous to experience.  It is of course not something expected to be grasped by non-believers but the author of Hebrews seeks for believers to look beyond the temporary pain of discipline to see the value and joy of what it produces - "the peaceful fruit of righteousness."     
• What do we learn from the text about people?: People don't like discipline - yes it is painful and many people avoid it because they don't want the pain.  While believers of course don't have invite discipline - we should not look at it as an unpleasant experience.  Whenever we experience pain or difficulties of any kind, we should attempt to see how God is at work pruning or disciplining us for good - Romans 8:28.
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?):  

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus for how You discipline and prune me for good.  I am not deserving of how You love, save, and bless.  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.

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

Hebrews 12:3-6

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?  “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.  For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” Hebrews 12:3-6

I continue my study of Hebrews, and in the text today - Hebrews 12:3-6 - the author builds on the previous two verses expanding on the example of Jesus and how He endured to the cross - giving us two ways for us to endure.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Jesus endured all the way to the cross, shedding His blood as He looked past His suffering and death to the eternal establishment of His Kingdom. VV3-4: He is a good example for us as He endured God's wrath for all of humanity's sin on our behalf - therefore our suffering pales in comparison to what Christ endured as He suffered and died for us.  Vv5-6: God disciplines those whom He loves - so we should see our suffering as both training and as love from Him. See also Romans 8:28.
• What do we learn from the text about people?: People often cannot endure difficulties and suffering, but with Christ we can. He is in us and He gives us the same power that raised Him from the dead. See also Romans 8:11 and Ephesians 1:19-20.  If we see Jesus as our example and as someone who is in our hearts and lives, we can endure - reason #1.  We can also endure by seeing suffering as training from God to perfect our faith.  The author of Hebrews uses Proverbs 3:11-12 to remind us how God trains us through suffering and discipline - if we keep this in mind we have reason #2.   
• 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 shrinking back (see Hebrews 10:39) when difficulty arrives. Claim the promise that we God is saving a place for us in Heaven - the New Jerusalem.  Follow the example of Jesus who endured, and gives us the same power that raised Him from the dead.  Focus on Jesus - treasure and love Him more than anything. 

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who gives me what I need to endure to the end.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  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.

Jesus, [is] the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Jesus, [is] the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 11:16

I continue my study of Hebrews, and in the text today - Hebrews 12:1-2 - the author builds on the previous chapter by encouraging believers to endure with faith until the end, just as Jesus did.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Jesus is seen as not just God but as a coach for those running the race of faith to the end.  This is not a sprint but an endurance race and we know we will experience tribulation as God tells us that we will (John 16:33) but he also tells us that we will overcome because He has overcome.  This encouragement comes on the heels of the encouragement from the previous chapter where the author of Hebrews shares that believers have a better promise - an eternal one - than the one from those mentioned in the "Hall of Faith."  We can endure because of the greater promise of Jesus and the inheritance we will share with Him. 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Believers are "surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses" - v1 - implies that God wants the light of our faith and love of God to cut through the cloud so that people can clearly see who the light is and be drawn to the light - which is of course Jesus!  V1 also describes how we do this - by enduring whatever is thrown at us and by focusing on Jesus - His Word, the Holy Spirit, church, spiritual disciplines, etc.    
• 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 the weight of sin which clings so closely and weighs us down as we endure with faith.  Claim the promise that God is saving a place for us in Heaven. Follow the examples of the many explicitly and otherwise mentioned in the "Hall of Faith" from Hebrews 11 who labored for a promise they did not see and did so in faith that they would receive the promise.  Focus on Jesus by making Him the most important relationship in your life - He will help you endure to the end!

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves You, who provides a better promise that allows us to endure until the end where our reward will be that God is saving a place for us in Heaven!  How awesome - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  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.

But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Hebrews 11

But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. Hebrews 11:16

I continue my study of Hebrews, and in the text today - Hebrews 11 - we see the widely read "Hall of Faith" where many of the Biblical heroes are described as enduring through fear, suffering, etc. and looking beyond their current circumstances to what God had in store for them - all based on their faith. Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: V3 describes God as Creator, and His Word as the basis for all of creation.  Also, while God's Word is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12), it is not seen as creation as seen.  Throughout the text God is seen as faithful to those described. In v16 God is described is unashamed by those who seek Him in faith as He is "preparing for them a city."
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Those mentioned explicitly and even those not not mentioned - vv33-38 - are described with their various attributes of faithfulness.  This faithfulness is described in vv13-16 as feeling more at home in God's kingdom (the eternal one) than in any earthly kingdom - "a better country...a heavenly one."   
• 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 growing comfortable in an earthly body - becoming a friend of the world.  Claim the promise that God is preparing a place for us in New Jerusalem. Follow the many examples detailed here that lived obediently to God's will through faith.  Trust and follow God. 

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who is faithful in all things and You are saving place for me in New Jerusalem.  How awesome!  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.