31 Wednesday Oct 2012
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If there is ever any doubt know this; God is 100% faithful to us. Verse 23 says, Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Knowing that He is faithful, we must hold onto the faith and knowledge that He love and cares for us. God wants nothing but what is best for us.
30 Tuesday Oct 2012
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In this chapter, after Paul talks about everything that had to be done for the atonement of sin prior to Christ’s sacrifice, he moves onto verse 14, How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! Christ is the complete answer for the atonement of sin. There is nothing I can do to make it any more perfect or complete. When guilt grips me because of my imperfection, I must remember that Christ is enough. He is able to help me overcome the sin that attempts to control me and I must continuously lean on Him to help me fight for obedience to Him.
29 Monday Oct 2012
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Thank you, Lord for giving us a new way to be redeemed of our sin. God is so merciful through the sacrifice of His son for us. By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear. It is now about accepting His grace and our relationship with Christ alone.
28 Sunday Oct 2012
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Everyday, as sin creeps into my life, I feel beat down by my shortcomings. I have to be reminded that I am incapable of perfection. I needed Christ in my life to forgive my past and present sins and I continue to need Him because He forgave my future sins. Verse 25 says, Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. It is a continual process. While Christ died once, He is continually interceding for us because of our ongoing imperfection. It is comforting to know I am not alone and the expectation is not perfection, but obedience.
27 Saturday Oct 2012
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Understanding and applying the basics of our faith is extremely important. But there comes a time when we need to move beyond the foundations of our faith and begin to build the structure of our intended relationship with God. Verses 1-2 says, Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. All these things are extremely important to our faith, but they are just the beginning. We need to move beyond the basics and into deeper relationship and level of obedience in order to fulfill the perfect plan God has for each of our lives.
26 Friday Oct 2012
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Verse 7 really stood out to me today, During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Even Jesus who was already holy while He was here on earth cried out to God when He was about to be put to death. As humans we would look at the situation God put Jesus in with bitterness. However, while Jesus asked for deliverance from the only One who could save Him, it was enough to know that God heard His cries. I want to be that kind of man; one who is satisfied to know God hears me, but who’s will is ultimately more important than my own.
25 Thursday Oct 2012
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We need to take a more thoughtful approach to how we come before God. Too often I will come to the Father either meekly with my head hung low or flippantly without much thought to my conversation with Him. In verse 16 it says, Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. We need to come to God with reverence because He is our King, but we also need to come to Him with boldness and confidence because He is our friend and counselor. As we’ve discussed several times this year, it all comes down to our relationship with Him. If the only time I talk to God is when I need something, it is difficult to know His reaction to my request. However, once a relationship has been established, it is easier to know how Much He loves me and cares for me and wants what is best for me.
24 Wednesday Oct 2012
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The Jews back in the day had a lot of reverence for Moses. They almost treated him like a deity. But God is the one who made Moses and gave him the ability to be the person that he became. We must be very careful to not do the same thing when it comes to our spiritual leaders. In verse 3 it says, Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. Jesus, being God, should always deserve all the credit. We as humans are simply instruments to be used by Him for the building of His kingdom.
23 Tuesday Oct 2012
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There is a lot in this chapter that we could discuss, but ultimately I think it comes down to verse 18, Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. I don’t know about you, but this is very comforting to me. To know that Jesus, as a human, experienced the same temptations that I experience today helps me to know how much He empathizes with me. The other part that struck me was the last part of verse 9 where it says, …so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. Jesus didn’t have to taste death for us. Up until this point He did not experience pain, suffering, or death, but He chose to do it out of love for us. That cannot go unnoticed.
22 Monday Oct 2012
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Sometimes, I try to imagine what it would have been like to be a Jewish believer during the time the book of Hebrews was written; in 70 AD and as a Jew who believes that Christ is the Messiah. You have non-believing Jews on one side and Romans on the other who are persecuting you from all sides. This Letter is intended as encouragement and to assure believers of who Christ is as the Son of God. Verse 3 further established Christ’s role in God’s kingdom, The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. When it says that Jesus sat down it means His work was complete. Christ’s sacrifice was final and all we need for salvation and relationship with Him.
