Tag: drift away
Jesus: Made like His brothers!
Scripture reading for October 15th: Hebrews 2
“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 just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:1-3) Because Jesus is far superior to the angels and His message is final, we must pay closer attention to it. Drift is never towards God or Christ! Ignorance will not be an excuse for those who have heard the Word of Christ Jesus. God confirmed this Word with signs, wonders, and gifts of the Holy Spirit. We must hold fast to Christ, not allow anything to distract us along the way!
Jesus is now exalted to God’s right hand and crowned with honor and glory because of His willing suffering of death for the sins of men. He willingly tasted death in order to bring many other sons to glory. “Since 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. For surely it is not angels He helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:14-17)
Jesus shared our humanity in order to identify with our plight and and come to our aid when we are tempted. He is now the faithful High Priest who covered our sins and comes to our aid when we are tempted. We must listen to Him!
The glory of the latter house!
Scripture reading for September 26th: Haggai 1-2
Have you ever struggled with priorities? Mary and I had just about gotten our children through college and the last one was ready to get married. We were enjoying our first senior pastorate in Washington State and an empty nest. We loved to go out on my day off and go antiquing and sight-seeing in that beautiful state. Then God spoke to us through a missionary and our friends about enlarging our family by adoption. To be honest, that choice did not initially look like something we wanted to do. We wrestled with it for some time, before becoming settled on the Lord’s will and priority for our lives.
Haggai was speaking to people who had chosen to come back from Babylon and rebuild the Temple and Jerusalem. Initially, these people had the right priority but began to focus on themselves, their own houses, and family needs. They neglected the house of the Lord! (Haggai 1:2-4)
“Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains, and bring down timber and build a house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord.” (Haggai 1:5-8)
They had gotten their focus onto themselves and their houses and neglected God’s house! God was gently reminding them of their priorities. If we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, everything we need will be added to us. If we try to grab what we need, even what we have will be lost! (Matthew 6:33)
A great shaking is coming! (Haggai 2:6) God is going to shake the earth, sea, and all the nations of the earth. The ‘desired of the nations’ (Jesus Christ) is coming and will fill this later house with glory! “”The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,” says the Lord Almighty. “And in this place I will grant peace,” declares the Lord Almighty.” (Haggai 2:9) Take time to reorder your priorities today, putting God’s house in first place!
The lost connection!
Scripture Reading for March 10th: Judges 1-5
When I was younger, we heated our home on the farm with wood. When it was extremely cold, we had a small bin of coal to help with the heat through the long winter nights in Iowa. One of the jobs right before bed was to go down and stoke the fire. More wood would be added and ashes removed so a good flow of air would cause the fire to heat up and blaze. A scoop of coal would be tossed in too. A short time later the damper was shut so all the coals and logs would glow with heat all night. If no one stoked the fire, it would go out and the house would quickly cool down.
Godly leaders stoke spiritual fire with the wood of prayer and pour on coals of God’s Word to keep zeal burning. But when the godly leader is gone the house cools down. After Joshua passed, some elders stoked the fire for a time. They passed without stoking the fire for the next generation!
After the death of Joshua and the elders, Israel drifted into sin and idolatry. God got angry and sold them into slavery to an oppressing nation. The people cried out to the Lord and He raised up another leader who would deliver them. Then there was a time of peace during the life of that leader (Judge). After the leader’s death, the cycle would begin again. (Judges 2:10-19) This was repeated seven times in the Book of Judges!
There is a great need for godly leaders in the church who will stoke the fire again and connect the next generation to God! A godly leader teaches and lives out God’s Word and sparks revival in a home or church. That leader can be a father or mother, pastor or Sunday School teacher, or a janitor who is passionate for the Lord. Will you stoke the fires of the Spirit today by praying and reading God’s Holy Word? May God anoint you afresh with the Holy Spirit and fire from on high and bring new connections for the next generation! (Matthew 3:11)
Our faithful High Priest!
Scripture reading for October 31st: Hebrews 2:1-18
“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” (Hebrews 2:1) The writer of Hebrews is addressing those Jews who have suffered great persecution and are being tempted to return to their old ways of Judaism. God spoke in the past to the nation of Israel through the prophets, but now He is speaking to this generation and during these last days to us all through His Son. If we don’t listen carefully and hear the truth of what He is saying, we will surely drift away into darkness!
“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. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.” (Hebrews 2:3-4) We can learn about this salvation by listening to the Lord and those who actually heard Him in person. God is also speaking now confirming their word with signs, miracles and spiritual gifts. God will hold us accountable for what we have heard and seen.
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9) Jesus created the world and all that the universe contained. God sent Him to become a man and share in man’s suffering and death. Because of Jesus’ perfect obedience, He tasted death for all men and was raised in glory. He delivered us from our fear of death by taking our punishment for sin. He is our brother and calls us who trust in Him ‘brothers’.
“For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:17) Jesus’ death destroyed the devil’s power to hold men in fear! Now Jesus has offered His blood as our faithful High Priest to atone for our sins. He is a man who has suffered and can intercede for us. We must not drift away from these truths!