26 Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.

Hebrews 7

Oh how I find myself stressed out about work - how weak am I and how unfaithful am I to misplace my hope and rest in earthly matters.  Lord forgive me!

I read here how You truly meet our needs and how right this is:

²⁶ Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.

Without you we are both slaves to sin and slaves to the fear of death; with you we have the eternal hope of our sins getting washed away and eternal life in Heaven with You.  And as part of this great package we ALSO get God's rest, the rest one can find by "fixing" our eyes on Jesus.  THIS  does truly meet MY needs that's for sure.

This then becomes a matter whereby we must have patience, fix our eyes on Jesus, and to grow in Christ.

My Prayer: Lord, You ARE perfect, and You DO truly meet ALL our needs.  Yet  I place hope in jobs, and in earthly matters.  Please forgive me Lord and help me place all of my hope in You.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure (Hebrews 6:19)

Hebrews 6

Keeping mind my previous post, the questions today are include whether I am growing in God,  and am I being patient waiting for God to both bless me and to provide "rest" as he has guaranteed all of this in the same way he has to Abraham:

¹³ When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, ¹⁴ saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”¹⁵ And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.   

¹⁶ People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. ¹⁷ Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸ God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatlyencouraged. ¹⁹ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

Being patient, growing in God, and experiencing God's rest are all very interdependent and each reinforce each other.  However, I would say being patient is primary because this allows you to focus on growth because you see the end and you are not distracted by near term concerns - in other words you can more truly "fix your eyes" on Jesus.  In the same way, being patient - in how it allows you to focus on growth - allows you to experience God's rest because you are gaining a deeper understanding of Jesus and because the indwelling Spirit of Jesus is growing in you.


My Prayer: Lord, Your works are amazing as I have experienced with my own eyes significant life change and also I have seen Your glory in beautiful places you have created here on earth.  How awesome You are!  And You have created me for Your glory as well yet I disappoint.  I am lazy and I sin in many ways.  Lord I desperately need you and desperately seek Your forgiveness.  Please purify me and transform my heart and my life.  Help me have patience.  Help me fix my eyes on You.  Help me grow and not be lazy.  Help me glorify You.  I love you Lord Jesus.

We do not want you to become lazy

Hebrews 6

⁹ Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. ¹⁰ God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. ¹¹ We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. ¹² We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. 

 Wow...isn't it amazing how God talks directly to you, knowing exactly what is in your heart.  I often feel as if I am lazy about God, in many ways.  I read yesterday about how I am not supposed to become stagnant in my growth and today I read about how I am not supposed to get lazy....yet I often find myself  guilty on BOTH counts.  Holy cow...Lord help me!

My Prayer:  For as it says in Hebrews 4:12 and reinforced by Reggie McNeal today at church, God is new, alive and active.  Amen.  I have personally seen how God reveals himself in new and exciting ways in my own life and look forward to even more and exciting ways that He will reveal Himself to me in the future.  I KNOW that God is up to something and I thank Him for His great love, mercy and guidance.  Yet I am lazy so I pray desperately for energy to be the man God desires me to be.

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity

Hebrews 6

The author of Hebrews provides many warnings or stern admonishments, one of which that sticks in my mind is Hebrews 2:1

¹ We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

For me the message is clear that we are to walk daily with God - it is a matter of persistence; just keep going (walking with God). 

In Hebrews 6, the message is somewhat repeated but what is also present is a message for us to keep going in our growth.  Our walk with God is not flat - it must have a trajectory upwards:

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity - verse 1

This calls to mind another verse which for me serves as an encouragement - particularly as I strive to grow in my own faith:

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)

My Prayer: Lord, Your promise for us is great and it is unchangeable and true.  The more I reflect on Your promise to me, I am in awe of Your greatness and I desire to follow You with even greater fervor than I can muster - it is however with pain that I lament at how weak I am and how disobedient I am and how lazy I am.  Lord, please forgive me for all of this and help me truly fix my eyes on You.

For the word of God is alive and active.

Hebrews 4

As I continue to study the subject of God's rest and how I enter his rest through faith and obedience, I pause to reflect on the nature of God's word and how it plays a role in my life:

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. ¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (verses 12-13)

In hindsight I can see how my study of His word has been a two-way dialogue. 

1. I read God's word and hear God's voice 
2. I reflect on God message for me and I come to Him to "true up" my faith relative to the passage which I have read.

This I believe is what is meant by the judging of the thoughts and attitudes of the heart and the uncovering that must take place.  We come to Him and we find Truth - it is only through Truth that we reveal in ourselves how we fall short.  We must step up - I must step up.

My Prayer: Lord, Your grace is both wide and deep for me - that You love me as You do is amazing given how broken and sinful I am.  I come to You broken and in need of Your love and power.  I ask that you forgive me for my weakness in my faith and for my laziness.  Purify me of thoughts that separate me from You and I ask that You transform my heart and my life.  Help me stay near to You and Your word.  Help me trust and obey.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Hebrews 3:12-15

To avoid drifting (Hebrews 2:1) and the subsequent unbelief that may follow a sustained period of drifting, the author of Hebrews implores us to focus on our unity as a church body:

¹² See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. ¹³ But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. ¹⁴ We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.

Key to me in these verses is verse 13:

¹³ But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 

I see two key messages from this particular verse:
1.  That we should walk along side our brothers and sisters in Christ and to encourage one another - this is something about which I already feel strongly about and this is also supported throughout scripture.
2. That we should encourage everyday - encouraged is defined as "to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope" - this is done either by our action or by our words.  We can encourage both believers and non believers and most importantly we are to glorify God by demonstrating the hope that only Jesus Christ can provide.

My Prayer: Lord, I love You deeply because You have saved me from slavery to sin and slavery to death.  You provide hope everlasting.  Yet there are times when I am not hopeful and I am also deeply sorry that my faith is weak in these times and seek Your forgiveness.  Help me grow in my faith and my trust in You and help me daily demonstrate the hope everlasting that can only come through the good news of Jesus Christ

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 3:7-11

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, 

Yet even with this warning, I DO harden my heart because I look at how I view my current job circumstances and even though I may feel peace from time to time, I many times feel stress and unease.  I hear His voice and see Him working in my life one day but with a change in direction and intensity of the wind aka another day, I forget that I have heard His voice and I don't heed the warning of unbelief. 

I have often thought about how I am so unlike the Israelites who lost their faith during times of great trial as they wandered in the wilderness after being freed by God from Egypt.  Yet here I am often swaying in the wind like the house built on sand. 

I desperately need you God.  I need what Paul writes about in 1 Thessalonians 5:18:

¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

My Prayer: Lord, Your voice is Truth and Your Love is Enough.  You have blessed me beyond what I can even write, think or even talk about - oh where can I even begin to talk about how you have blessed me!  Yet with all of this I have blessed by, my faith is weak - I do pray that You will forgive me Lord and that You will grow  inside my heart to purify me and to transform both my heart and my life.  I need You desperately God...badly and desperately.

Fix your thoughts on Jesus

Hebrews 3:1-6

¹ Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.

I desire to fix my thoughts on Jesus but I often struggle to do anything but fix my thoughts on my own selfish desires or on earthly matters.  I do wish to be rid of these desires so that I can truly focus on thoughts on Jesus Christ Our Lord - I need to place my hope in Him.


My Prayer: Lord, You are Holy and I am not.  Please forgive me and my selfish desires and inability to focus on You.  Purify me Lord and help me get my strength from You.

Do I exhibit the greatness of salvation available through Christ Our Lord?

Hebrews 2:4

In my previous post, I wrote about my desire not to "drift away" as warned about in Hebrews 2:1. For many reasons I don't want to drift away because I want to be fully used for His glory, and I also want to avoid most certain punishment as indicated in verse 2-3:

 ² For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, ³ how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? 

Part of being fully used for His glory includes bringing others into His kingdom by living a life of obedience and service to others.   Bottom line, we must allow Jesus to work through us as we (and by extension the gifts given to us) become an instrument of God's glory - following the lead of Christ himself:
 

⁴ God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. 

My Prayer: Lord, Your blessings have my cup runneth over as I am blessed in ways too many to mention - how gracious and loving You are to care for me as You do.  You are great and Your love is great.  Yet I fall short in many areas of my life, including laziness.  Please forgive me and help purify me of my laziness - help me gain energy from You Lord.  Help me by fully used by You as an instrument of Your glory.

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away

Hebrews 2:1

Yesterday evening our BSF class dove into Hebrews and this particular verse struck me both like a whack on the head (warning) and as a tug on my heart strings (encouragement).

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

I certainly don't want to drift away from Christ but too often I feel "anchored" to other Gods, whether it be my work, tennis, sexual urges, or even my own leisure (because I deserve rest and relaxation!).  On this latter point, I need to recognize that I worship my leisure time.

For all of this, I am deeply sorry and I desire to run back into the welcoming arms of my Lord Jesus Christ, just as the prodigal son was welcomed back by his father.

At the same time, I seek to repent from my sins, just as Peter so confidently admonished the Israelites to do on the day of Pentecost:

 ³⁷ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 

 ³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

 ⁴⁰ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” (Acts 2:37-40)

My Prayer: Lord, I know Your love for me is both deep and wide.  That You love me both inspires and encourages me, yet at the same time, I feel Satan's attacks daily in many forms.  And I fall prey to his attacks.  Lord please forgive me for drifting away, even for a moment or a day.  I never want to leave you.  Please help me stay near to you.

...Sustaining All Things By His Powerful Word.

Hebrews 1

While the author of Hebrews is not known, it is clear to me that one of the primary purposes of the book is to encourage believers.

One of the most encouraging lines is early on:

³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. 

Over the past year or so, my desire for God's word has grown and it has fed and even greater desire for His word.  As well, God's word has not only sustained me, but it is transformed both my heart and my life!

My Prayer: Lord, You are radiant beyond the brightest sun.  Yet I do things in my life to block Your light - please forgive me Lord for not allowing Your light to shine throughout all areas of my life.  Thank you for your grace and the blessings in my life and help me love you with all of my heart.

Do We Respond With Certainty and With Confidence Only the Holy Spirit Can Provide?

Acts 28

As Paul makes his way to Rome to meet with Caeser, he and his companions are shipwrecked but find safety in Malta.  While on shore, he is bitten by a viper but his response is nonchalant:

⁴When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” ⁵ But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. ⁶ The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. 

While there is no mention of a more dramatic response from Paul to this snake attack, one is left to assume that he did not scream or agonize - almost as if the attack was expected and the outcome expected as well.  When we are attacked, by Satan, or other threats - do we respond with such certainty that God is in charge and God will protect, heal, etc.

My Prayer: Lord, You DO protect, heal, provide and SO MUCH MORE!  How awesome You are and how desperately I need You because of my brokenness.  Help me grow in my faith, trust and devotion in service to You Lord.

The Best Defense is a Good Offense

Acts 26

As Paul is in prison in Caesarea, he makes his defense in front of Felix, Festus, then Agrippa.  One thing that stands out is out Paul's boldness and clarify in his own defense of his faith.  Take for example a number of his statements:

In verses 4-5 Paul proclaims how he was just as Jewish as those who rise up against him.

 ⁴ “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. ⁵ They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee. 

Then Paul states how his hope in Jesus is the same hope that the Jews have for the messiah:

⁶ And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today. ⁷ This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me. 

Then Paul asks the question that should be on everyone's minds which is, why is he on trial for proclaiming something that we know God is capable of doing?

Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? 

Paul of course attributes his own story to Jesus:

²² But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike.

Paul's own defense comes to a close with a bold answer to Agrippa's question whether Paul can convince Agrippa to be a Christian:

 ²⁹ Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” 

Besides the boldness of Paul's defense, several questions for me come to mind:

• Am I so clear in my own mind about the power of Jesus in my life that I can articulate my faith and live my faith as boldly as Paul?
•  Can I defend my faith to attacks as Paul does ?
• Would I be willing to pray for my enemies as Paul does?

Ultimately, can I use any situation, as Paul does here, as an opportunity to glorify God?

My Prayer: Lord, You use all people and all things for Your glory for You are almighty and Your will is both perfect and great.  That You love me and You use me for Your glory is amazing and humbling all at the same time.  I say humbling because I am broken in so many ways - in Paul's words in ways "small and great alike".   I pray that You will forgive me for being small - despite Your call for me to be bold.  Help me overcome my own lack of confidence and instead place my confidence in You that I can be the bold person you desire me to be.  

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

Galatians 2

As I am presented with new job opportunities, the looming question of course is whether I can understand God's will for my life.

As I have read recently and journaled in this blog, I believe God desires me to focus on Him and through this focus on Him I can allow Him to deliver to me the outcome He desires (vs a desire I have for myself).

Recent posts are consistent with what I have read tonight.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

The focus, once again must be removed from myself and on my Lord Jesus Christ.  Glory God and He will provide - He will provide the job He wants me to have and He will provide the wisdom to chose this job.

My Prayer: Lord, You provide all and give me no reason to worry.  Yet I worry sometimes and I know this is not Your desire for me so please forgive me.  Thank You for hope regarding my work situation and help me focus on You.

If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Galatians 1

I too often try and please people or to seek their approval or acceptance - either via prideful boasting, by not ruffling feathers in times of disagreement or conflict, or via sins of commission or omission that serve to further an effort conform to an accepted behavior or way of life.    This is really present in my life the more I think about it.

One top of mind example is my lack of confidence sometimes to pray a prayer to bless food when I have a meal with non believers, say people at work.  This is just one example and of course there are more.

This is why Paul's statement is so penetrating for me.

If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

My Prayer: Lord, Your work and plans are perfect as I have seen You work in my own life and the transformation You have set in motion in my life is nothing short of miraculous.  It is ONLY through You that such work is done.  Yet I don't thank You enough and I still don't love You enough and I still let You down - please please forgive me and I DO seek to be Your servant and I DO seek to love You with all of my heart.  Please continue to transform my heart and my life.

Focus On Glorifying God Not On Any Specific Other Results or Outcomes

Acts 23

Paul is simply following the Lord's will.  Paul's actions are confirmed and encouraged by the direct words of the Lord himself:

 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”"Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome".

I have often heard other believers say about certain things like evangelism that we should focus on the message and not worry about the outcome as God will take care of the outcome.  For me the broader message is not lost.  God does not say to Paul here (and a summary review reveals few occasions where an outcome is the focus - Matthew 28:19) I have not seen it that often to my knowledge) to focus on bringing X number of believers to Him.  Instead, He simply says to "testify about me [Jesus]".  In the same way, I should not focus too much energy on any specific outcome but instead on glorifying God.  If I focus on glorifying God then pray, be in the Word, seek wise counsel, seek confirming circumstances, and find peace, then I will continue to be led by the Spirit as "Your word [will be] a lamp onto my feet."

My Prayer: Lord, Your ways and Your will are perfect.  That you would use me - someone who is clearly broken in so many ways - is incredible.  How You do it is amazing and I AM truly amazed by Your greatness.  And I desperately need You because of my brokenness.  I think of my anger and how I am often in "fits of rage" - something that clearly disappoints You and something that is not indicative of being led by Spirit but instead by Satan.  Forgive me Lord - PLEASE!   Thank You that I have You because I need You to protect me Lord!  I need you to purify me Lord.  Help me focus solely on You and on glorifying You.  Give me wisdom to glorify You Lord.