Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

 Proverbs 11:25, Galatians 6:2, 6:10, Matthew 25:35-40, and 1 John 3:17-18

Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. Proverbs 11:25 

I pause my study of Numbers to focus on text that will be discussed Friday morning with my men's small group.  This text is focused on two sets of five texts that will be used to derive Godly wisdom for a personal situation faced by one of my brothers in Christ. Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God does want us to be a light like He is - He seeks for us to bless and do good so that others can see Jesus in us.  We are encouraged especially in Galatians 6:10 to do good "to those who are of the household of faith."  God seeks for us to build up the church as unity and strength of the church is important - this is amplified in 1 John 3:17-18 as John exhorts us to love our brothers and sisters in Christ.  God does not like when we see someone in great need - He wants us to attend to the needs who need it the most - the "least of these" (Matthew 25:35-40).      
• What do we learn from the text about people?:  My brother in Christ is struggling with a situation where He is not sure whether to give outside his family or to give within his family.  Both are good and this is indeed a struggle worthy of giving to God to seek His wisdom!
• 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 being a light.  We should also avoid NOT abiding in God and His Word which is the source of all truth and wisdom.  We should claim the promise (2 Timothy 3:16-17) that all scripture is "is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."  We should follow the example of Jesus who gave everything that believers could have life to the full now and for eternity. Do good and be a light.  

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves.  Thank You Jesus for saving me and for also giving me Your Word that I might fellowship with You.  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.

Now may the God of peace...equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.

Hebrews 13

Now may the God of peace...equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Hebrews 13:20-21

Today, I wrap my study of Hebrews, as my focus is the concluding verses 15-25 of Hebrews 13.  I am assisted in my understanding by the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary Series for Hebrews. The commentary outlines five divisions for this text:

I. Offer Up Pleasing Sacrifices (13:15-16): The commentary emphasizes how the author of Hebrews is focused on Jewish converts to Christianity, and these readers are familiar with the Old Testament.  The OT required animal sacrifices, yet with Christ, WE are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) by modeling Christ and doing good out of our love for Christ. This includes praise and worship - both corporate and through our own testimony and evangelization to others.

II. Submit to Your Leaders (13:17)

III. Pray for Us (13:18-19)

IV. A Remarkable Benediction (13:20-21): The commentary describes the text here as "one of the most beautiful prayers ever uttered by a Christian." It also highlights how the text shares that it is God who equips us - not in our own strength.

V. Final Words (13:22-25)

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are good and You allow me to come to You directly - without an intermediary, and I don't need animal sacrifices - and You forgive and save!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You do all of this for me...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 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.

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

Hebrews 13

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Hebrews 13:15

I continue my study of Hebrews, and today my focus is Hebrews 13:15-25, and my unaided observations of the text. Use of the word "then" at the start of v15 seeks for us to build on what has already been said in this chapter such that we read this verse as an imperative with the reason already defined in previous verses. The imperative here is to "continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God" - because of what Jesus did for us on the cross (outside the camp - v12) we should follow Christ (v13) and praise Him for what He has done for us.  In v16, we are also exhorted to "do good and to share what [we] have," as God sees these sacrifices as pleasing. V17-19 seek for us to support and encourage church leaders as they "watch over [our] souls." The concluding verses (v20-25) of the chapter include a benediction and final greetings from Paul.  The benediction reminds us that it is God who equips us (v21) to do his will. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who offered Himself such that I could have life - to the full now and forever - 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 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.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Galatians 6

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. v9-10

As Paul winds down his letter to the church in Galatia he includes encouragement to endure in our journey to love others, particularly other believers. As part of our love of others, Paul wants us to to hold others accountable (v1 - gently), and to carry each others' burdens (v2).  We must also continue to do good - and not become weary.  This is the essence of faith - to believe in something we know is less visible to "earthly" eyes.  We may grow weary or impatient not "seeing" a desired impact but then again this is the point - is that we have faith and focus on eternal rewards vs earthly rewards.

Hebrews 11 is a great reminder of faith with the author reminding of us those in the the Old Testament that lived by faith, including Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, etc.  

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible....All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.  Hebrews 11:1-3, 13-16

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has transformed my heart and life by giving me the Holy Spirit, Your Word, freedom from the sting of sin and death, and so much more - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love.  I sin 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 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.