Month: September 2014

Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death – that is, the Devil – and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 HCSB

There is a cute movie that I have watched several times titled “Not Quite Human”. It weaves the story of a professor who develops a robot that looks and talks like a human. The professor passes him off as being his son who actually attends high school. The plot of the movie involves a company trying to steal the “robot boy” named Chip so it can develop an army of fighting robot soldiers.

It may be hard for our minds to understand, but Jesus was all human and all God. He had to be all human and live a life that included every temptation we face, yet He did not sin. Because He was the spotless, sinless, lamb of God, He became our substitute and died in our place so we might have forgiveness of sin and conquer death. God provided the perfect sacrifice for our sins. It is only through Jesus that anyone can have eternal life.

Challenge: Thank God that He provided the perfect sacrifice for your sins. Praise Him for sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to live as a human on this earth without sin. Through His death, as a believer, you are no longer a slave to sin. There is no reason for you to fear death.

Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death – that is, the Devil – and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 HCSB

We are now into the football season. College football is a big attraction for many people. To some it almost becomes a god. They religiously gather around the television to watch their favorite team, shout at the referees, and cheer when their team makes a touchdown. We all desire a winning team and long for a victory. Victories are won and lost depending upon the skill of the players, the coaching, and even to some degree, luck.

These two verses in Hebrews promise that Jesus has won the victory. Those who believe in Him have also won a victory over death. This victory is not dependent upon us or anything we can do because Jesus has done it all. It is only through Him that we experience victory. There is an old hymn, “Victory in Jesus,” that proclaims this truth. The words to the hymn are: “I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory, how He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me; I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood’s atoning, then I repented of my sins; and won the victory.”

Challenge: If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, you have victory over the Devil and death. Praise God that you have won the victory. Listen to the old hymn, “Victory in Jesus”, on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8ajtJtNXF4

At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to His will. Hebrews 2:4 HCSB

Over the years I have observed people using their spiritual gifts in ways that bring honor and glory to God. Some have been excellent teachers, while others have had the gift of encouragement and have brought encouragement to me when I needed it. My spiritual gifts are teaching and administration. Is it no wonder that I am a Minister of Education and Administration. I am striving to use the gifts the Lord has given me through the Holy Spirit to advance the kingdom of God.

This verse testifies to the fact that God reveals Himself through signs, wonders, miracles, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in addition to His Son, Jesus Christ, the greatest revelation of God. When someone uses his or her spiritual gift, it reveals God and brings honor and glory to Him. All of these avenues verify the truth of the Gospel message.

Challenge: When others observe how God is working through us, it demonstrates God’s presence among us and His power. How are you using the spiritual gifts God has given you? If you do not know what your spiritual gifts are, take a spiritual gift survey at http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/files/lwcF_MYCS_030526_Spiritual_Gifts_Survey.pdf

It was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. Hebrews 2:3b HCSB

One of the television stations where I used to live referred to their newscast as “Eyewitness News”. The implication was that those reporting the news were interviewing people who had actually been witnesses to the events they were reporting . It is always better to have an eyewitness account rather than a report from someone who heard about the event second hand. The eyewitness account should be more accurate than a second hand report.

Those to whom the book of Hebrews was written were second generation believers. The message and teachings of Jesus Christ had been passed down through word of mouth and now it was being passed down through the written words of the letter written to the Hebrews, which is now known as the book of Hebrews. In John 20:29, Jesus encouraged those who believed without seeing.

Challenge: You have not personally seen Jesus and heard Him teach, but you rely on others who have passed the Gospel message down over the years. Do not neglect your responsibility to pass down the Gospel message to your children and grandchildren. Their salvation is dependent upon those in their realm of influence to pass down the Good News of the “Great Salvation” of Jesus Christ.

For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment, how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. Hebrews 2:2-3 HCSB

I can cut my yard in about an hour, but it usually takes two to three hours to do all of the weed eating along the driveway, around the flower beds, and along the fence. Consequently, I tend to let the weed eating go. When I neglect to do the weed eating, the weeds grow up along the fence and the grass grows over the driveway and sidewalk. The longer I wait to do the trimming, the harder the job and the longer it takes to complete. It is amazing how much better the yard looks when I take the time regularly to do the weed eating.

Some people neglect the great salvation that is offered as a free gift from Jesus Christ. They ignore it, reject it, and the “weeds of sin” continue to grow and create an unsightly appearance in their lives. Jesus offers all of us the gift of forgiveness for our sins. We deserve a great and just punishment for our disobedience, but through Christ we receive an undeserved “great salvation”.

Challenge: Have you received the “great salvation” of Jesus? If not, you cannot escape the “great judgment and punishment” of Jesus. Stop neglecting His salvation and accept the free gift of forgiveness. It is as simple as ABC. Admit you are a sinner. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God, died on the cross for your sins, and rose from the dead. Confess Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.

We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. Hebrews 2:1 HCSB

When I worked for the Missouri Baptist Convention, my family and I lived on a small lake. We had a flat bottom fishing boat that we would take out on the lake to do some fishing. At times we would throw the anchor overboard to keep us anchored in one spot. Without the anchor, we would drift aimlessly away with the wind and current.

As believers we need to be careful to listen and do what Jesus taught. Satan is alive and works hard to create distractions to keep believers from doing what is right. If we as believers are are not anchored in Jesus Christ and His teachings, it is easy to drift away and end up in a place we never intended.

Challenge: Are you anchored in Jesus Christ and His teachings? Satan works to gradually pull you away from Jesus. Be careful to spend time in God’s Word and in prayer each day so you can stay anchored in Jesus Christ. If you pay close attention and follow His teachings, you can be assured you will not drift away.

We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. Hebrews 2:1 HCSB

There were times in school when a teacher instructed our class to “pay attention”. If we were to learn, we needed to focus and keep our attention on what was being said. Some adults have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, (ADHD). They have problems staying focused and often jump from doing one task to another. Health.com provides some practical tips for doing a better job of paying attention: write it down, create the right environment, prioritize your tasks, take a quick break, set a timer, learn to delegate, and record it.

The writer of Hebrews encouraged his readers to pay attention to what they had heard and been taught. There were many false teachers in that day and one needed to be careful to stay focused on what Jesus had taught. Paying attention involves the mind, body, and soul. A believer must focus on paying close attention and obeying what Jesus taught.

Challenge: On what are you focused? Paying attention is hard work. Listen closely to what Jesus is saying in His Word and be careful to do what He has instructed.

So He became higher in rank than the angels, just as the name He inherited is superior to theirs. HCSB

Some people are fascinated with angels and even collect angel figurines to use as home décor. We have ben given Willow Tree angel figurines for our home. Each angel has a name, a different pose, and some even hold items in their hands. The one that sits on our mantle is the “Thank You” angel and is posed with her hands behind her back holding flowers. The implication is that she is getting ready to give the flowers to someone as as way to say “Thank You”.

There were some false teachers in the early church that taught that God could be approached only through angels instead of directly. Some people worshiped angels but the Bible is clear that we are not to worship angels (see Colossians 2:18 and Revelations 19:1-10). Jesus is above all (including angels). He alone deserves our praise and worship. We can go directly to Him through prayer.

Challenge: Thank God for His angels that serve Him and are sometimes used by God to influence our decisions or protect us. Thank God for Jesus who is above the angels and is the one interceding for us before God, the Father.

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hebrews 1:3 HCSB

I just recently replaced the water filter in our refrigerator. It cleans and purifies the water before making ice and for the drinking water that is dispensed in the door. We also have a water purifier on our sink faucet. Additionally, there is a water pitcher in the refrigerator that has a filter that purifies the water. The sale of bottled water that is purified has multiplied in recent years. Globally, sales have reached $60 billion and in the United States, over 30 billion bottles of water are sold annually. Thirty or forty years ago no one would have even thought of selling bottled water. Now there are towns that are banning the sale of bottled water because of the environmental impact from the plastic bottles. We all want to drink clean purified water and do not want any contaminants in our water.

If only we were as concerned about keeping sin out of our lives. Sin is just like a contaminant in water. Sin makes us “dirty” before God. Our lives need to be purified of our many sins, but we do not have any way to filter our sins. It is only through the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross at Calvary that our sins can be filtered and washed as white as snow. Jesus is the only way our lives can be purified.

Challenge: Place your trust in Jesus to filter and purify the sins from your life. If you have trusted in Him as your Lord and Savior, you can be assured your sins are cast as far as the east is from the west and they are remembered against you no more (Psalm 103:12).

In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son. God has appointed Him heir of all things and made the universe through Him. Hebrews 1:2 HCSB

In history, there are many records of the son of the king becoming the heir of the throne and the kingdom. Even today there is an heir to the throne in England. The chosen person is heir to the throne and becomes the king or queen when his or her parent dies.

God, the Father, has appointed Jesus, the Son, as the heir of all things. He is the ruler of the universe and has all power. It is hard for us to understand with our human minds how God can be three in one. He is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This Scripture even says that Jesus was present at the creation of the universe.

Challenge: Jesus Christ is the ruler of all things. Some day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. It is important to make that confession now and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. He came and died for your sins so you could have forgiveness of your sins and have eternal life in heaven when you die. You will either confess Him as Lord now or someday you will confess Him as Lord when you stand before His judgment. If you do not make Him Lord while living here on earth, you will face condemnation and eternal punishment. Don’t wait, tomorrow may be too late.