Hebrews 10:32-39
Do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. —Hebrews 10:35
There is an old adage that says, “Don’t bite off more than you can chew.” It’s wise not to take on more responsibilities than we can handle. At some time, however, we will likely feel overwhelmed by the size and difficulty of a task we have agreed to do.
This can happen even in our walk of faith in Christ when our commitment to God seems too much to bear. But the Lord has an encouraging word for us when our confidence wavers.
The writer of Hebrews urged his readers to recall the courage they demonstrated during the early days of their faith (10:32-33). Despite public insults and persecution, they aided believers in prison, and they joyfully accepted the confiscation of their own property (vv.33-34). With that in mind, he says, “Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise” (vv.35-36).
Our confidence is not in ourselves but in Jesus and His promise to return at just the right time (v.37).
It is God’s power that enables us to continue in our journey of faith. Recalling the Lord’s faithfulness in days past stirs our confidence in Him today. —David McCasland
When life becomes a heavy load,
An upward climb, a winding road,
In daily tasks, Lord, let me see
That with me You will always be. —D. DeHaan
Trusting God’s faithfulness stirs up our confidence.
Bible in a year: Psalms 107-109; 1 Corinthians 4
Insight
Severely opposed and persecuted, Jewish Christians were pressured to abandon Christianity and to revert to Judaism. The unnamed writer of Hebrews encouraged them to continue in the faith by affirming the preeminence, superiority, and sufficiency of Christ through His person and position (Heb. 1–4) and His work of propitiation (chs. 5–10). He also warned them against rejecting Christ (2:1-3; 3:7-15; 6:4-6). Here, in his final exhortation, he reminded them of their exemplary faithfulness in enduring the mistreatments thus far (10:32-34) and of the great reward that would be theirs if they persevered (vv.35-36). He was confident that they would succeed (v.39).
Tag Archives: hebrews
John MacArthur – Walking by Faith
“By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God” (Heb 11:5)
Our second hero of faith is Enoch. Genesis 5:21-24 records that “Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”
What a wonderful epitaph: “Enoch walked with God.” His life exemplifies the walk of faith. Adam and Eve had walked with God in the Garden of Eden, but their sin separated them from such intimacy. Enoch experienced the fellowship with God they had forfeited.
Enoch’s faithful walk pleased God greatly. And after more than three hundred years on earth, Enoch was translated to heaven without ever experiencing death. It’s as if God simply said, “Enoch, I enjoy your company so much, I want you to join me up here right now.”
Like Enoch, there is coming a generation of Christians who will never see death. Someday–perhaps soon–Jesus will return for His church, “then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up . . . in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17). Enoch is a beautiful picture of that great future event, which we call the rapture of the church.
As you walk with God, He delights in you. You’re His child and your praises and fellowship bring Him joy. Psalm 116:15 says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones.” Even death itself simply ushers you into His presence for all eternity.
Let the joy of intimacy with God, and the anticipation of seeing Christ face to face–either by rapture or by death– motivate you to please Him more and more each day of your life.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Thank God for the promise of Christ’s return.
For Further Study:
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
What events surround the rapture of the church?
How were the Thessalonians to respond to Paul’s teaching about the rapture?
How should you respond?
Charles Spurgeon – Chastisement
“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.” Hebrews 12:5
Suggested Further Reading: Deuteronomy 8:1-6
What son is there whom the Father chasteneth not? You ministers of God who preach the gospel, is there amongst your ranks one son whom his Father chastens not? Unanimously they reply, “We all have been chastened.” You holy prophets who testified God’s word with the Holy Ghost from heaven, is there one amongst your number whom God chastened not? Abraham, Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Malachi, answer; and unanimously cry, “There is not one among us whom the Father chasteneth not.” You kings, you chosen ones, you Davids and you Solomons, is there one in your high and lofty ranks who has escaped chastisement? Answer David! Were you not obliged to cross the brook Kedron in the darkness? Answer Hezekiah! Did you not spread the letter before the Lord? Answer Jehoshaphat! Did you not have the cross when the ships were broken that were sent to Tarshish for gold? Oh starry host above, translated out of the reach of the trials of this world, is there one amongst you whom the Father chastened not? Not one; there is not one in heaven whose back was unscarred by the chastening rod, if he attained to the age when he needed it. The infant alone escapes, flying at once from his mother’s breast to heaven. There is one whom I will ask, the Son of God, the Son par excellence, the chief of all the family. Son of God Incarnate, did you escape the rod? Son without sin, were you a Son without punishment? Were you chastised? Hark! The hosts of earth and heaven reply—the church militant and triumphant answer: “The chastisement of our peace was even upon him; he suffered; he bore the cross; he endured the curse as well as any of us; yea, more, he endured ten thousand-fold more chastisement than any of us can by any possibility endure.”
For meditation: Christians have different gifts and different callings, but this is something shared by all. How do you react when God disciplines you? Does the experience leave you dismissive, discouraged or (as God intends) disciplined?
Sermon no. 48
28 October (1855)
Charles Spurgeon – None but Jesus
“He that believeth on him is not condemned.” John 3:18
Suggested Further Reading: Hebrews 12:5-11
You are never liable as a believer to punishment for your sins. You will be chastised on account of them, as a father chastises his child; that is part of the gospel dispensation; but you will not be smitten for your sins as the lawgiver smites the criminal. Your Father may often punish you as he punished the wicked, but never for the same reason. The ungodly stand on the ground of their own demerits; their sufferings are awarded as their due deserts. But your sorrows do not come to you as a matter of desert; they come to you as a matter of love. God knows that in one sense your sorrows are such a privilege that you may account of them as a boon you do not deserve. I have often thought of that when I have had a sore trouble. I know some people say, “You deserved the trouble.” Yes, my dear brethren, but there is not enough merit in all the Christians put together, to deserve such a good thing as the loving rebuke of our heavenly Father. Perhaps you cannot see that; you cannot think that a trouble can come to you as a real blessing in the covenant. But I know that the rod of the covenant is as much the gift of grace as the blood of the covenant. It is not a matter of merit; it is given to us because we need it. But I question whether we were ever so good as to deserve it. We were never able to get up to so high a standard as to deserve so rich, so gracious a providence as this covenant blessing—the rod of our chastening God.
For meditation: When disciplined by his heavenly Father, the Christian is experiencing a beatitude (Job 5:17; Psalm 94:12)!
Sermon no. 362
27 October (Preached 17 February 1861)
Joyce Meyer – Find Balance
Since all this is true, we ought to pay much closer attention than ever to the truths that we have heard, lest in any way we drift past [them] and slip away.
—Hebrews 2:1
When Satan finds people out of balance, he has an inroad to destroy their lives. There are people who get out of balance in everything: from not sleeping, to sleeping too much; from not cleaning their house, to trying to keep it so clean that nobody can move in it.
Find balance; balance keeps your day going right. Satan doesn’t much care if you don’t do enough of something, or if you do too much of it, as long as you don’t stay balanced. Take time to examine yourself prayerfully, and ask God to show you how to remain balanced.
Presidential Prayer Team; C.H. – World Power
In August 2013, many Egyptians were killed in a clash between the Muslim Brotherhood and security forces of the government. Everyone watched to see what side America would take. Other nations recognize the weight of a world power backing it. But President Obama was firm in saying, “We don’t take sides.”
We can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
Hebrews 13:6
People assume if America is on their side, they can’t lose. While that’s not necessarily true with this nation, it is true with the Lord. He can win any battle. With God, Daniel was saved from the mouth of the lion. With God, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were not singed in the fiery furnace. With God, Moses was able to lead the Israelites away from Pharaoh and through the Red Sea on dry ground. “With God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
Whatever you are facing today, whoever your enemies may be – do not fear. When the Lord is your helper, He will provide you with the strength to do what needs to be done. Ask God to cast away fear and help you stand strong. Then ask Him to reveal Himself to President Obama and his cabinet so they know God is the only true world power.
Recommended Reading: Joshua 23:1-10
Charles Spurgeon – The High Priest standing between the dead and the living
“And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.” Numbers 16:47, 48
Suggested Further Reading: Hebrews 4:14-5: 10
Jesus, the propitiator, is to be looked upon as the ordained one—called of God as was Aaron. Settled in eternity as being the predestined propitiation for sin, he came into the world as an ordained priest of God; receiving his ordination not from man, neither by man; but like Melchisedec, the priest of the most high God, without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, he is a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Stand back, sons of Korah, all of you who call yourselves priests. I can scarce imagine that any man in this world who takes to himself the title of a priest, unless he takes it in the sense in which all God’s people are priests,—I cannot imagine that a priest can enter heaven. I would not say a thing too stern or too severe; but I do most thoroughly believe that an assumption of the office of priest is so base an assumption of the priestly office of Christ, that I could as well conceive of a man being saved who called himself God, as conceive of a man being saved who called himself a priest; if he really means what he says, he has so trampled upon the priestly prerogative of Christ, that it seems to me he has touched the very crown jewels, and is guilty of a blasphemy, which, unless it be repented of, shall surely bring damnation on his head. Shake your garments, you ministers of Christ, from all priestly assumption; come out from among them; touch not the unclean thing. There are no priests now specially to minister among men. Jesus Christ and he only is the priest of his Church. He has made all of us priests and kings unto our God.
For meditation: Because the Christian has a Father in heaven, he is not to call any man his spiritual father on earth (Matthew 23:9); because the Christian has a great High Priest in heaven (1 Timothy 2:5), he is not to regard any man as his priest on earth. We are no longer living in Old Testament times!
Sermon no. 341
22 October (Preached 21 October 1860)
Joyce Meyer – Simple, Believing Prayer
And when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking…. For your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.—Matthew 6:7–8
We must develop confidence in simple, believing prayer. We need the confidence that even if we simply say, “God, help me,” He hears and will answer. We can depend on God to be faithful to do what we have asked Him to do, as long as our request is in accordance with His will. We should know that He wants to help us because He is our Helper (Hebrews 13:6).
Too often we get caught up in our own works concerning prayer. Sometimes we try to pray so long, loud, and fancy that we lose sight of the fact that prayer is our conversation with God. The length or loudness or eloquence of our prayer is not the issue; it is the sincerity of our heart and the confidence we have that God hears and will answer us that is important.
Sometimes we try to sound so devout and elegant that we get lost. We don’t even know what we are trying to pray about. If we could ever get delivered from trying to impress God, we would be a lot better off.
Lord, free me from the belief that my prayers must be eloquent and just right. Keep reminding me that what You really want from me is a heartfelt conversation. Amen.
Greg Laurie – Why Going to Church Is Important, Part 3
As I mentioned last week, the church exists for three main reasons: to exalt God (upward); to edify the saints (inward); and to evangelize the world (outward). Let’s look at the second function—the edification of other believers.
The apostle Paul said that his goal was to both warn believers and teach them “with all the wisdom God has given us, for we want to present them to God, mature in their relationship to Christ” (Colossians 1:28 NLT). This is why we give such a prominent place to biblical teaching at Harvest.
As a pastor and teacher, I do not want to waste your time. My opinion is not any more valuable than any other persons’. I am not here to be a cheerleader, life coach, or a motivational speaker. I am not here to be your psychologist or your political pundit. I am here for one reason: to teach you the Word of God. All that matters is what the Bible says. “For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are” (Hebrews 4:12 NLT). Martin Luther said, “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.”
I was amazed when I first heard the Bible taught. It made sense; it applied to my life! And it’s not only strong preaching of the Word that counts, but also strong listening. The early church, the church in revival that changed the world, understood this. In Acts 2:42 we read, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (NKJV). To “continue steadfastly” speaks of a real passion. They were living in a first-love relationship with Jesus and had burning hearts for Him. This was not a casual attitude, as one might have when joining a social club. There was a spiritual excitement in what they did. They applied themselves to what was being taught from the Word. I believe there is a need for anointed preaching today, but I also believe there is a need for anointed listening! Having an openness to receive God’s Word. Like newborn babies you should crave and earnestly desire spiritual milk that by it you may grow (see 1 Peter 2:2).
Let me say something that may seem controversial: We should be a part of one church. There is nothing wrong with visiting other churches here and there, or attending a midweek study at another church, especially if your church does not offer one. However, to go to multiple churches and not have one consistent place to fellowship is not good.
We are not all called to go to the same church, but we are all called to be a part of a church. Why? Because you need a consistent theology. Doctrine, or what we believe, affects everything we do. Paul said, in 1 Timothy 4:16, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (NIV). What you believe matters. That is why I have never understood how people will rate facilities, convenience, proximity, etc. as the criteria for choosing where they go to church. The top priority in looking for a church is that Gods’ Word is taught there.
But why should you have a home church? Because you need a place to be accountable. You need a pastor who can help and influence you. If there is something wrong, your pastor can tell you. If you are doing great, your pastor can commend and encourage you. You need a place to give faithfully and consistently of your finances. And you need a place to serve God with the gifts He has given you!
Sometimes people “church hop” because there is sin in their life. They break up with their spouse and initiate an unscriptural divorce, and then go to another church where no one knows them, with their new girlfriend or boyfriend. Trust me, I have seen this and worse.
A lot of people will treat the church like a movie theater—getting there late, leaving while the credits are rolling, checking texts and e-mails during the film, etc. Sometimes we bring that same consumer mentality to church. If we foster consumers instead of communers, we’ll end up with customers instead of disciples. It might fill up an auditorium, but it will never turn the world upside down for Christ.
Greg Laurie – Run for Him
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. —Hebrews 12:1
When I was in high school, I was a fast sprinter. Most people could not beat me in a short sprint, but I was not good at long distance runs. I would have a burst of energy that I could kind tap into and really take off. (Today I am not even a good sprinter. I’m really not good at any kind of running.) One thing I discovered back then as a member of the track and field team was that I always did better in practice when there was an audience. All of a sudden I would feel a little more energetic, especially when there was a pretty girl watching.
As Christians in the race of life, we, too, have an audience: the Lord Jesus. Hebrews 12 reminds us, “Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (verses 1–2).
Let us run with endurance . . . keeping our eyes on Jesus. You see, the Christian life is not a sprint; it is a long distance run. So we have to think of the big picture.
Here is how to run the race well. Here is how to run it according to the rules. Here is how to run it with joy. Run it for Jesus. Don’t run it for people to impress them. Don’t run it out of mere duty. You have an audience of one: Christ Himself is watching you. Run for Him. It will help you do much better.
Ravi Zacharias Ministry – “Maybe”
Recently, I attended the memorial service for a close family member. He was the fourth person to die in this family, and the fourth to die before the age of 70. As the extended family began to gather in the church library prior to the service, the grief was as palpable as if it was a figure in the room. Tears flowed freely, and we embraced one another in an attempt to offer comfort in the midst of the sorrow.
After the service, as we stood in a receiving line and watched people mill about, there were many children and young toddlers in attendance. Unaware of what had brought us all together, they ran around one another playing and screaming with joy and delight. I couldn’t help but wonder at this strange juxtaposition. For in this one space of a funeral where one person had died, new life was playing all around me. How ironic that a place flooded with tears was also a place that held the delightful squeals and joyful play of young children.
Having lunch with a dear friend in the days following, we spoke of her own experience with this ironic juxtaposition of joy and sadness. She had suffered the death of her young husband to cancer. Her eyes filled with tears as she recalled the unfathomable sorrow she felt when he told her how sad he would be to leave her behind, to leave their children, and the life he loved. All of the pain surrounding his death and untimely departure from this earth she carries with her now-even as she enjoys a new relationship with another young widower. They would have never met one another had it not been for death and loss of their beloved spouses; they feel both joy and sorrow as if they are united in their hearts like conjoined twins.
Poet and author Wendell Berry writes of this marriage of joy and sorrow in his poem entitled Sabbaths 2009. He begins with a quote by William Faulkner. “‘Maybe,’ Mr. Ernest said, ‘The best word in our language, the best of all.’” The poem proceeds to describe a bookkeeper tallying all the suffering and pain in one column of his ledger, everything he now knows of grief, pain and loss. He reckons these figures in their great weight, though he has no means of truly weighing them. Then he enters all he knows of the opposite decree—of beauty and love, generosity and grace and laughter. And he weighs these unweighable figures as well, knowing they can never be measured quantities, but simply register on his heart. He closes the book, not able to say which outweighs the other—good or evil, joy or sorrow-though he longs to know. Berry concludes with the bookkeeper’s ponderings:
He only can suppose
the things of goodness, the most
momentary, are in themselves
so whole, so bright, as to redeem
the darkness and trouble of the world
though we set it all afire.
“Maybe,” the bookkeeper says. “Maybe.”(1)
For many, ‘maybe’ honestly reflects the weight of carrying both joy and sorrow in their lives and in this world. And Berry’s poem honestly describes this life that is filled with both joy and sorrow; which outweighs the other we often cannot tell. Eventually, all those we love will die, or we will leave those we love. And yet the joy that comes in loving others overflows this inevitability of death and loss. Around every corner are new lives born or re-born through life transforming events-young and old-that counterbalance the surety of loss and senescence.
While these insights are not novel, it seems we humans prefer to believe we will somehow escape sorrow, pain, and loss. Intellectually, we know that suffering is a very real possibility, but we think it will not touch us. As a result, when life is filled with sorrow or loss we are ill-equipped to cope with it. We see suffering, grief, sorrow or loss as an aberration or a departure from ‘normal’ life, failing to recognize that the journey of earthly life would always include the push and pull between sorrow and joy. For Christians, the focus can easily center on victorious living and resurrection to the exclusion of Jesus’s matter-of-fact instruction to his followers that in this world they “will have trouble, but I have overcome this world.”(2) I had forgotten that many who have gone before me as that ‘great cloud of witnesses’ “did not receive what was promised.”(3) They, too, lived in a land of ‘maybe,’ and in the bittersweet juxtaposition of joy and sorrow.
As I walked out of the church after the funeral, and I felt spent from grieving, I simultaneously felt more alive than I had felt in a long time. Feeling the full range of human emotion and experiencing the tension that exists between joy and sorrow reminds me of what it means to be alive. And while I follow the one who assures me that he “has overcome the world,” his assurance did not come without his own journey to the cross and to the full experience of human sorrow and suffering. The joy set before him accompanied him there in the most beautiful and transformative juxtaposition.
Margaret Manning is a member of the writing and speaking team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Seattle, Washington.
(1) Wendell Berry, Sabbaths 2009, Sewanee Review, Volume 119, Number 2, Spring 2011, pp. 198-205.
(2) John 16:33.
(3) Hebrews 11:29.
John MacArthur – Rallying Around the Word
“Every word of God is tested [pure, flawless]” (Prov. 30:5).
Inerrancy is a term that conveys the belief that the original writings of Scripture are wholly true in everything they teach– whether doctrine, history, science, geography, geology, or any other discipline or knowledge. It also applies to accurate copies of those original writings.
Inerrancy is an unpopular concept with some people because they believe it isn’t really important. But consider the implications. No Christian would deny that our relationship to Jesus Christ is of utmost importance. How can we know Him except as He is presented in the Bible? He is our Lord and we must obey His commandments (Heb. 5:9). How can we know what He commands if we doubt His Word?
Others reject inerrancy because they think it’s divisive. But inerrancy should be a rallying point for evangelicals, not a dividing point. What unifying factor do we have if we can’t agree on the truth of divine revelation?
Still others withhold judgment on the issue, thinking it’s a technical matter that is best decided by biblical scholars. On the contrary, it is the most basic of all matters. It’s nothing less than asking, “Is there a sure Word from God?”
Inerrancy isn’t simply a matter of theological debate. It’s a matter of God’s character. God cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18); therefore His Word is true. Jeremiah 10:10 says that the Lord is the true God or the God of truth. The apostle John said, “God is true” (John 3:33). And Jesus defined eternal life as knowing the only true God (John 17:3). Christ came so we might “know him that is true . . . the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20).
Don’t be shaken by those who attack the integrity of Scripture. As you have opportunity, study any problem passages so you’ll know first-hand what the issues and proposed solutions are. And remember, Scripture was given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13). He cannot err.
Suggestions for Prayer:
If Psalm 119:12-16 reflects the intent of your heart, read it to the Lord as a prayer of praise and commitment.
For Further Study:
According to Matthew 22:29 and John 17:17, what was Jesus’ view of Scripture?
Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Times Table
Do you remember the first time you saw the multiplication table? You flipped a page in the math book and there it was – an intimidating grid of scary numbers. At first glance, committing that table to memory seemed like an impossible task. But with a closer look and some explanation, your perception changed. You also discovered that, in contrast to simple addition, multiplication of two numbers tremendously magnifies the result. The table was not really a frightening beast, but actually a powerful tool.
Walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
Acts 9:31
The Bible promises multiplied peace and joy for those that fear God. Fearing God in this context does not mean hiding under the bed afraid. It means being filled with respect, awe, wonder and reverence for His holiness. When you approach God from this perspective, His presence and power are magnified in your life.
Before you pray for America, your neighborhood or your family today, stop and confess your fear of God. Acknowledge His attributes of loving kindness, generosity and peace. As you walk in this kind of fear, even the most menacing monster will be met with multiplied assurance.
Recommended Reading: Hebrews 6:10-14
John MacArthur – God’s Self-Disclosure
“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son” (Heb. 1:1-2).
For decades liberal theologians have misrepresented the Bible as merely a collection of man’s religious thoughts and aspirations. But Scripture is much more than that. It is in fact divine revelation–God’s self disclosure through His Spirit to the human authors. Man could never know God’s identity, attributes, perspectives, or commands if God hadn’t revealed them to him. Nor could man know his own origin, purpose, or destiny.
Paul said, “‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.’ For to us God revealed them through the Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:9-10). In 2 Timothy 3:16 he adds, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” God inspired every word of Scripture and speaks on every page.
Hebrews 1 speaks of two general means by which God revealed Himself: Old Testament revelation (“long ago,” v. 1) and New Testament revelation (“in His Son,” v. 2). First He spoke to the Jewish fathers through the Old Testament prophets “in many portions.” That refers to all the books of the Old Testament. “In many ways” speaks of the specific means by which He communicated: visions, prophecies, parables, types, symbols, ceremonies, theophanies, and audible voice.
From the close of the Old Testament to the arrival of John the Baptist, there were approximately 400 years during which God was silent. But that silence was shattered when John announced the coming of Christ. From that time on, God spoke through His Son. The gospels record His life and teachings, the book of Acts shows the propagation of His teachings through the apostles and early church, the epistles apply His teachings to everyday life, and Revelation tells of His triumphant return and the consummation of divine revelation.
Isn’t it wonderful to know God’s perspective on life and history?
Suggestions for Prayer:
Thank God that His Word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path (Ps. 119:105).
For Further Study:
According to Deuteronomy 29:29, what is the purpose of divine revelation?
Greg Laurie – So Great a Salvation
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.” —Matthew 7:13
People believe in hell for other people, for those who do awful things. Maybe someone has gotten away with a horrible crime and hasn’t been caught. So we say, “Well, they will get theirs.” What we are really saying is there is a final judgment.
However, we don’t like the prospect of facing judgment ourselves. Yet if a person ends up in hell, that is his or her own choice. This is not what God wants. Hell is a prison in which the doors are locked from the inside.
Heaven is not the default destination of every person. Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13–14).
We go to heaven because we make a choice to do so by putting our faith in Christ—and Christ alone. There is no other way to get to heaven. No one was uniquely qualified to meet God’s righteous demands apart from Christ. No prophet, no guru, no religious system is going to do it. Jesus was fully God, and He was fully man. Thus He, and He alone, was able to stand in the gap for us and pay the price for our sins.
That is why the Bible asks, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him . . . ?” (Hebrews 2:3–4). If you blow off God’s offer, that is your choice. But you are going to face the consequences.
Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Trusting Is God’s Gift
“Because of His kindness you have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it.” (Ephesians 2:8,9).
Joe had asked Jesus to come into his life many times but was never sure of his salvation. “How can I be sure I’m a Christian and will go to heaven when I die?” he asked.
I explained that it was not enough to ask Jesus to come to live within us and forgive our sins. We must believe that He will do exactly what He promised to do. By faith, we must be able to say, “I know that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for my sins, that He was raised from the dead and that He will come into my life and change me if I ask Him to. I know that He will make me His child and never leave me because all of these are promises from God’s holy, inspired Word. Therefore, I believe the promise of Ephesians 2:8,9 – that I attain salvation through trust in Christ.”
Through the years I have seen thousands of individuals profess faith in Christ after hearing or reading John 1:12, (KJV) “But as many received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God,” and Revelation 3:20, where Jesus promised, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him” (NAS). But not everyone with whom I have prayed has received the assurance of salvation. The reason? It is not enough to ask Christ into our lives; we must believe His promise, “For by grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8, NAS).
Bible Reading: I Peter 1:3-9
TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Have I been asking Jesus Christ into my life frequently through the years, but am not sure He is there, not sure of eternal life, or that I would go to heaven if I died today? If so, I will pray, “Right now, Lord Jesus, whatever may have taken place in my life prior to this moment, I want to declare that I believe in You as my Savior and wish to follow You as my Lord. So, for the last time, I invite You to come into my life. Forgive my sins; cleanse me; make me the kind of person You want me to be. By faith in You and in the authority of Your inspired Word, I now acknowledge that You live within me, and I believe Your promise, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.’* Therefore, I will never insult You by asking You to into my life again, but will hereafter thank You daily that You indwell me, that I have eternal life and that through the enabling of Your power I can live a supernatural life. *Hebrews 13:5, NAS.
Greg Laurie – Why Going to Church Is Important, Part 1
Some people claim to be Christians but don’t attend church. They say, “Well, I haven’t found a church I like yet, and I work and Sunday is my only day off!” But if you really love God, you will love His people and long to be with them.
The Bible indeed commands us to go to church, and—even more—to be a functioning part of it. Hebrews 10:24–25 says, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (NKJV).
I like the way the New Living Translation puts it: “Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.” The Bible does not say: Don’t forsake the assembling of yourselves together unless Sunday is your only day off, or unless you want to run in a triathlon, or unless it’s a great beach day, in which case you are excused, because you just don’t need fellowship as much as other Christians do.
Yes, if you love God, you will love His people and long to be with them. If you don’t really love God, you won’t love His people. Some will say “I’m so over the church; people are critical and judgmental. It’s so full of hypocrites!” My response to that is: There is always room for one more! Understand, I am not justifying hypocrisy of any kind, but honestly, we have all been hypocritical at times. But that is not a reason to not attend church. The church has its flaws because people are in it. However, Jesus both started and loves the church. He died for it.
Being in fellowship is a proof that you are indeed a child of God. It says in 1 John 3:14, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death” (NIV). Psalm 133:1 says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (NKJV). Not going to church is a proof that something is wrong with you spiritually. We read in 1 John 2:19, “These people left our churches because they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left us, it proved that they do not belong with us” (NLT).
Studies show that if you don’t go to church for a month, the odds are almost 2 to 1 that you won’t go for more than a year. Being a vital and active part of the church is something we pass on to our kids. A study once disclosed that: If both Mom and Dad attend church regularly, 72% of their children remain faithful in attendance; if only Dad attends regularly, 55% remain faithful; if only Mom attends regularly, 15% remain faithful; and if neither attend regularly, only 6% remain faithful.
What legacy will you leave your kids? Are you committed to demonstrating to them that going to church is important?
Alistair Begg – Angels – The Unseen Attendants
Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
Hebrews 1:14
Angels are the unseen attendants of the children of God; they carry us in their hands and keep us from calamity. Loyalty to their Lord leads them to take a deep interest in the children of His love; they rejoice over the return of the prodigal to his father’s house below, and they welcome the arrival of the believer to the King’s palace above.
In ancient times the children of God were able to actually see the angels. Today, although we do not see them, heaven is still open, and the angels of God ascend and descend upon the Son of man, so that they may visit the heirs of salvation. Seraphim still fly with live coals from the altar to touch the lips of men greatly loved.
If our eyes could be opened, we would see horses and chariots of fire surrounding the servants of the Lord; for we have come to an innumerable company of angels, who are all watchers and protectors of the King’s family. Spenser’s line is not poetic fiction, where he sings–
How oft do they with golden pinions cleave
The flitting skies, like flying pursuivant
Against foul fiends to aid us militant!
To what dignity are the chosen elevated when the brilliant courtiers of heaven become their willing servants! Into what communion are we raised since we have communion with spotless celestials! How well are we defended since all the twenty thousand chariots of God are armed for our deliverance!
To whom do we owe all this? The Lord Jesus Christ who must be forever dear to us, for through Him we are made to sit in heavenly places far above principalities and powers. It is He whose camp is around those that fear Him; He is the true Michael whose foot is upon the dragon. All hail, Jesus! Angel of Jehovah’s presence, to You this family offers its morning vows.
Joyce Meyer – Restoration Is a Process
For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning. —Hebrews 4:15
Jesus understands us when nobody else does. He even understands us when we don’t understand ourselves. He knows “the why behind the what.”
People only see what we do, and they want to know why we are not doing it better or more. Jesus knows why we behave the way we do. He sees and remembers all the emotional wounds and bruises in our past. He knows what we were created for. He knows the temperament that was given to us in our mother’s womb. He understands our weaknesses—every fear, every insecurity, every doubt, all our wrong thinking.
Once we put our faith in Jesus, He begins a process of restoration in our lives that will not be entirely finished until we leave the earth. One by one He restores to us everything Satan has stolen from us. We must aggressively resist the legalistic attitudes that condemn us for not doing enough. Jesus understands us, He loves us unconditionally, and He is committed to working with us through the Holy Spirit—and He does not condemn us while He is at it.
Lord, who You are making me into is so much more important than the doing that others expect from me. Help me to trust Your hand and the shaping You are doing in my life. Amen.
Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Your Upkeeper
Renters and owners treat homes differently. Renters have little concern for home maintenance except for getting that deposit back at the end of their rental period. Home owners soon find that they have plenty of responsibility and work to maintain their homes. That’s why many home maintenance companies’ businesses are booming.
Faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. Hebrews 3:2
Today’s scripture points out that Moses was faithful in maintaining God’s house…in this case, he was maintaining the Israelites as they were led out of Egypt to the Promised Land. And Jesus is “counted worthy of more glory” because He not only takes care of the house (His people), He is the builder of the house (Hebrews 3:3). So the good news for those who believe in Him is that He’s responsible for their upkeep.
There is a condition, though, and it’s to “hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.” (Hebrews 3:6) Set your heart and mind to trust God to be attentively and intimately concerned in His care for you. Stand firm in your obedience to Him, no matter how difficult your circumstances. Then pray for America’s leaders who are entrusted with the nation’s upkeep. Pray they will be wise and diligent in their offices.
Recommended Reading: I Peter 5:6-11
DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION 