| Archive - October 2007 The Nature of GodPosted Oct-31-07 05:58:59 PDT Because God wanted to make the own changing nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath. 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 offered to us, may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.
Hebrews 6:17-20a
God's promises are unchanging and trustworthy because God is unchanging and trustworthy. When promising Abraham a son, God took an oath in His own name. The oath was as good as God's name, and God's name was as good as His divine nature. These two unchangeable things are God's nature and His promise. God embodies all truth; therefore, He cannot lie. Because God is truth, you can rest secure in His promises; you don't need to wonder if He will change His plans. Our hope is secure and the immovable, anchored in God, just as a ship anchor holds firmly to the seabed. To the true seeker who comes to God in belief, God gives an unconditional promise of acceptance. When you ask God with openness, honesty, and sincerity to save you from your sins, He will do it. This truth should give all of us immense encouragement, assurance, and confidence that we can carry with us each and every day.
God bless you,
JH Trusting and Waiting on GodPosted Oct-30-07 05:48:47 PDT When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by Himself, saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendents." And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
Hebrews 6:13-15
Abraham waited patiently - it was 25 years from the time God had promised him a son until Isaac's birth. Because our trials and temptations are often so intense, they seem to last for an eternity. Both the Bible and the testimony of mature Christians encouraged us to wait for God to act in his timing, even when our needs seem too great to wait any longer. Sometimes, we simply have to pray for patience. Once God makes a promise, we can count on it to come to pass.
God bless you,
JH God's RestPosted Oct-29-07 02:37:27 PDT Therefore, since the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.
Hebrews 4:1-2
Faith is the key. Some of the Jewish Christians who received this letter may have been on the verge of turning back from their promised rest in Christ, just as the people in Moses' day had turned back from the promised land. In both cases, the difficulties of the present moment overshadowed the reality of God's promise, and the people doubted that God would fulfill His promises. Indeed, the mystery of the future was too fearful in comparison to the past, even though the past was beset with difficulties. When we trust our own efforts instead of Christ's power, we too are in danger of turning back. Why do people so often turn back? Because it is familiar; it is what they know, and perhaps, because it is familiar, it is considered somehow safer. But we must remember that our own efforts and our own reasoning are never adequate; only Christ can see us through. God's plan is the only plan that works.
God Bless you,
JH God KnowsPosted Oct-25-07 05:51:34 PDT 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.
Hebrews 4:13
Nothing can be hidden from God. He knows about everyone everywhere, and everything about us is wide open to His all-seeing eyes. God sees all we do and knows all we think. Even when we are unaware of His presence, he is there. When we try to hide from Him, He sees us. We can have no secrets from God. So it is comforting to realize that although God knows is intimately, He still loves us.
God Bless you,
JH The Word of GodPosted Oct-24-07 05:52:09 PDT For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
The Word of God is not simply a collection of words from God, or a vehicle for communicating grand ideas; it is living, life-changing, and dynamic as it works in us. With the incisiveness of a surgeon's knife, God's Word reveals who we are and what we are not. It penetrates to the core of our moral and spiritual lives. It discerns what is within us, both good and evil. The demands of God's Word require decisions to be made. We must not only listen to the Word; we must also let it shape our lives.
God Bless you,
JH The Fear of DeathPosted Oct-23-07 05:50:47 PDT Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Hebrews 2:14-15
For all of us, the fear of death is a very real and natural thing. The thought that we will never see those closest to us ever again is more than we can bear. Death is something so big that many of us have a difficult time wrapping our minds around it. With that said, Jesus became human ("flesh and blood") so that He could, in fact, die and rise again, but for a specific purpose. Christ died in order to destroy the devil's power over death. Only then could Christ deliver everyone who lives in constant fear of death, and free them to live for Him. When we belong to God, we need not fear death any longer, because we now know that death is only the doorway into eternal life. Christ's death and resurrection have set us free from the fear of death, because death has been utterly defeated. We know that every person must die a physical death, but we also know that death is not the end; instead, it is the doorway to a new life. All who dread death should have the opportunity to know the hope that Christ's victory brings. Christ gives hope to the hopeless. Christ gives hope to us all. How can you share this truth with those close to you today?
God Bless you,
JH The Tough RoadPosted Oct-22-07 05:53:18 PDT In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
Hebrews 2:10
How was Jesus made perfect through suffering? Jesus suffering made him the perfect leader of our salvation. Jesus did not need to suffer for his own salvation, because he was already God in human form. His perfect obedience to the will of the Father (which led him down the road of suffering in the first place) demonstrates that he was a complete and final sacrifice for all mankind. Through suffering, Jesus completed the work necessary for our own salvation. Because Jesus was fully God and yet fully man, he is able to identify with our weaknesses and our frailties. In the same way, our suffering can make us more sensitive servants of God. People who have known great pain are able to reach out with compassion to others who are hurting. If you have suffered in some way, ask God how your experience can be used to help others. God has prepared you to be a blessing to others. You have lived through what they are currently going through. You can lead the way through the darkness and the confusion. You have already been down the road they're traveling. Never doubt the wisdom that you have gained through those tough experiences.
God bless you,
JH The MessagePosted Oct-19-07 05:58:26 PDT We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its the just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.
Hebrews 2:1-3
The author called his readers to pay attention to the Truth they had heard so that they would not drift away into false teachings. It is easy to get caught up in our daily routines and begin to lose focus of what is truly important. We find ourselves becoming stressed out about things we know are just not that important. Paying careful attention is hard work. It involves focusing our minds, bodies, and senses. Listening to Christ means not merely hearing, but also doing. We must listen carefully and be ready to carry out his instructions.
"The message spoken by Angels" refers to the teaching that angels, as messengers for God, had brought the law to Moses. A central theme of Hebrews is that Christ is the one true way to heaven. Salvation comes through Christ, and Christ alone. The author was saying that the faith of his Jewish readers was good, but faith must point to Christ. Just as Christ is greater than the angels, so Christ's message is more important than theirs. If we truly are His followers, everything we do should reflect the Lord's glory. What message are you conveying through your actions today?
God bless you,
JH Running the RacePosted Oct-18-07 06:06:59 PDT Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:1-3
This "great cloud of witnesses" is composed of the people whose stories fill the books of the Old Testament. Their faithfulness is a constant encouragement to us. We do not struggle alone, and we are not the first to struggle with the problems that we face. Others have run the race and won, and there witness stirs us to run and win also. The Christian life involves a good deal of hard work. It requires us to give up whatever endangers our relationship with God, to run patiently in the struggle against sin with the power of the Holy Spirit. To live effectively, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. We will stumble if we look away from Him to stare at ourselves or at the circumstances surrounding us. We should be running for Christ, not ourselves, and we must always keep Him in sight.
God bless you,
JH What Are You Waiting For?Posted Oct-17-07 05:42:52 PDT By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
Hebrews 11:17-19
Abraham was willing to give up his son when God commanded him to do so. God did not let Abraham take Isaac's life, because God had given the command in order to test Abraham's faith. Instead of taking Abraham's son, God gave Abraham a whole nation of descendents through Isaac. If you are afraid to trust God with your most prized possession, dream, or person, pay attention to Abraham's example. Because Abraham was willing to give up everything for God, he received back more than he could possibly have imagined. What we receive, however, is not always immediate, or in the form of what we hoped for. Material things should be among the least satisfying of rewards. Our best and greatest rewards await us in eternity. What are you waiting for?
God Bless you,
JH Vision and PromisePosted Oct-16-07 06:00:03 PDT 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. And they admitted that they were aliens 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 11:13-16
These people of faith died without receiving all that God had promised, but they never lost their vision of heaven. Many Christians become frustrated and defeated because their needs, wants, expectations, and even their demands are not immediately met when they believe in Christ. They become impatient and decide to quit rather than continue on their journey. Are you discouraged that the achievement of your goal seems yet far away? Perhaps you can take courage from these heroes of faith who lived and died without seeing the fruit of their faith on earth, and yet continued to believe. You must keep your "eyes on the prize" and remember your true purpose. We are called to share the Truth, regardless of how it may benefit us. If we do what we do for personal gain or personal satisfaction, suffice it to say, are priorities are messed up and our motivation is self-serving. We must do what we do simply because we do not deserve the great gift that has been given us. We do what we do out of overwhelming gratitude for being saved from a life of destruction. We have been given a second chance. The question now is: what are you going to do about it?
God bless you,
JH The Promise of FaithPosted Oct-15-07 05:54:22 PDT By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith, he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Hebrews 11:8-10
Abraham's life was filled with faith. At God's command, he left home and went to another land - obeying without question. He believed the covenant that God made with him. In obedience to God, Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac. Do not be surprised if God asks you to give up secure familiar surroundings, in order to carry out His will. What faith are you demonstrating today? When people meet you today, will they walk away from your meeting with the knowledge that you walk side-by-side with God? Abraham, like the rest of us, had his moments of doubt and failing, but he is remembered as a man of supreme faith in God by what he did, and not just by what he believed. Remember that faith without action is dead. What is God calling you to do? When you decide to actually do it, it will not only demonstrate your faith, it will renew it.
God Bless you,
JH To Build an ArkPosted Oct-12-07 05:52:57 PDT By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
Hebrews 11:7
Noah experienced rejection because he was different from his neighbors. God commanded him to build a huge boat in the middle of dry land, and although God's command seemed foolish, Noah obeyed. Noah's obedience made him appear strange to his neighbors, just as the new beliefs of Jewish Christians undoubtedly made them stand out. As you continue to obey God, do not be surprised if others regard you as "different," sometimes frighteningly so. Your obedience makes their disobedience stand out. Remember, if God asks you to do something, He will give you the necessary strength to carry out that task. He will be with you throughout the entire journey. He will not leave you, nor forsake you. That is His eternal promise.
God Bless you and,
JH The RewardPosted Oct-11-07 05:56:19 PDT And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6
Believing that God exists is only the beginning; even the demons believe that much. God will not settle for mere acknowledgment of His existence. He wants a personal, dynamic relationship with you that will transform your life. Those who seek God will find that they are rewarded with His intimate presence. Sometimes we wonder about the fate of those who have not heard of Christ and have not even had a Bible to read. God assures us that all who honestly seek Him - who act in faith on the knowledge of God that they possess - will be rewarded. When you tell others about the Gospel, encourage them to be honest and diligence in their search for the Truth. Those who hear the Gospel are responsible for what they have heard. Have you shared the Truth recently? Do you know someone who needs to hear it? Look around you. God may be waiting for you, expecting you to do His work by carrying on His message. Carry on . . .
God Bless you,
JH On FaithPosted Oct-10-07 05:50:17 PDT Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of 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.
Hebrews 11:1-3
Do you remember how you felt when you were very young and your birthday approached? You were very excited and anxious. You knew you would certainly receive gifts and other special treats. But some things would be a surprise. Birthdays combine assurance as well as anticipation, and so does faith! Faith is the conviction based on past experience that God's new and fresh surprises will surely be ours. Two words describe faith: sure and certain. These two qualities need a secure beginning and ending point. The beginning point of faith is believing in God's character - He is who He says He is. The endpoint is believing in God's promises - He will do what He says He will do. When we believe that God will fulfill his promises even though we don't see those promises materializing just yet, we demonstrate true faith. How are you demonstrating your faith today?
God Bless you,
JH Pure JoyPosted Oct-09-07 05:48:40 PDT I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad that my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure.
Psalm 16:8-9
David's heart was glad - he had found the secret to joy. True joy is far deeper than happiness; we can feel joy in spite of our deepest troubles. Happiness is temporary, because it is based on external circumstances, but joy is lasting because it is based on God's presence within us. As we contemplate His daily presence, we will find contentment. As we understand the future He has for us, we will experience joy. Remember, do not base your life on circumstances, but on God.
God Bless you,
JH PrayPosted Oct-08-07 05:46:25 PDT But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.
Psalm 3:3-4
God's holy hill was Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, the place where David's son Solomon would build the temple. David knew that God could not be confined to any space, but he wrote poetically, expressing confidence that God would hear him when he prayed. And so it is true today. God responds to us when we urgently pray to Him. That is His promise. "The prayers of a righteous man availeth much."
God Bless you,
JH The Lord is HerePosted Oct-06-07 07:27:10 PDT The Lord within her is righteous; He does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses His justice, and every new day He does not fail.
Zephaniah 3:5
Jerusalem's citizens, of all people, had no excuse for their sins. Jerusalem, where the temple was located, was the religious center of the nation. But even though the people didn't follow God, God was "within" the city, present in the midst of corruption, persecution, and unbelief. No matter how spiritually desolate the world seems right now, God is here, and He is always at work. Ask yourself, "What is He doing now, and how can I be a part of His work?" That is the only question that really matters.
God Bless you,
JH Unspeakable JoyPosted Oct-05-07 06:19:39 PDT Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:6-8
Two kinds of joy are contrasted here - inward joy that comes from knowing and trusting God and happiness that comes as a result of pleasant circumstances. Inward joy is steady as long as we trust God; happiness is unpredictable. Inward joy defeats discouragement; happiness covers it up. Inward joy is lasting; happiness is temporary. Which would you rather have? Once you answer that question, it is yours for the asking. Just trust in God. He will not fail you.
God bless you,
JH PerfectPosted Oct-04-07 05:47:33 PDT The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
"The Word became flesh" means becoming human. By doing so, Christ became the perfect teacher - in Jesus' life we see how God thinks and therefore how we should think. Christ became the perfect example - as a model of what we are to become, he shows us how to live and gives us the power to live that way. Christ became the perfect sacrifice - Jesus came as a sacrifice for our sins, and this satisfied God's requirement for the removal of sin. When Christ was born, God became a man. He was not part man, and part God; he was completely human and completely divine. Before Christ came, people could know God partially. After Christ came, people could know God fully because he became visible and tangible in Christ. Christ is the perfect expression of God in human form. The two most common errors people make about Jesus are to minimize his humanity or to minimize his divinity. Continue to get to know Him on a personal level and see how real God really is. That is part of the journey as well. Because God became fully human, He can identify with what you are going through. He can lead you the way you should go. He knows what is best for you. All you have to do is trust Him.
God Bless you,
JH |
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