October 21, 2012 Your High Value

Your High Value Heb 9:14 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! THE HEBREWS writer is focused on connecting the Old Testament, the Old Promise, with the New Testament, the New Promise that Jesus gives us. This is a vital demonstration here of God’s sacrificial requirements. With the Old he required the blood from animals. With the new, he required the blood from his very own son. Pause on that a minute or two minutes… Welcome back. What do you think? Is there any sense of awe in your heart as you consider the Creator Father God killing his Son for you? Yes. That’s what he did. We don’t say it like that. We use “sacrifice”, “death” and “blood”, but who caused it? God the Father caused it, didn’t’ he? Why? He loves you that much, good friend. He loves you beyond your understanding. He was willing, he was planning to take his own Son—the Messiah, Redeemer, Son of Man, Glory, and King, to the altar and kill him for you. That’s what he did. Jesus died on a cross. The Living Water bled to death on a cross for you. Yes, he did. What will you do for him? It’s True! You are worth so very, very much to God—even his own Son’s life.

Octobe4r 20, 2012 Jesus the Priest

Forever Priest Hebrews 7:23-27 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 26 Such a high priest meets our need — one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. WHEN you speak of Jesus, you hopefully speak of him as Savior, friend, Lord and King to name a few. But do you ever call him, “My Priest.” Hebrews discusses an order of priesthood through the Old Testament that points to Jesus. The purpose of the priestly office was to serve as a mediator between the holy God’s and sinful mankind. After he repented of his own sin, the priest would oversee the sacrifices people offered to repent of their sins. These human priests pointed to the eternal priest, Jesus Christ. Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice to God for your sin. Free of sin, Jesus did not have offer sacrifices for himself. Instead, he atoned for the sin of all mankind as he died on the cross. Jesus, your priest now mediates your sin before the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit. When you repent of your sins before him and confess him as your Lord, he is your priest whose sacrifice opens your life to Heaven. It’s True! You have access to the throne of grace through Jesus, the Priest.

October 19, 2012 GPS

Two-Edged Truth Hebrews 4:12-14 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 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. 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. THE GPS, global positioning system, has become a must device in our vehicles to help get where we’re going. This scripture today proclaims the Bible as your eternal GPS, God’s Positioning Scripture to point you to God’s eternal Heaven. Put these verses on your heart to be a constant reminder of how the Bible directs your step each day on your road to eternity. Too often, though, you might not like God’s positioning for your life. You might reject loving your neighbor or turn away from taking a Sabbath’s rest. You might put the brakes on your journey with God and turn to your own route preferring your own route. But before you go your way remember this. “Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” God’s Word is abundantly clear that he holds you accountable for your life’s steps. I pray that gives you cause to carefully consider your steps. Do you need to get back into God’s positioning for your life? Thankfully, you have Jesus, your great high priest. Submit your will under God’s will and he will position your life in step with eternal life – every step, every day. It’s True! God positions you to enter into eternal life. Are you on track?

October 18, 2012 Your Life's Work

Your Life’s Work Heb 3:12-14 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. “LIFE is a challenge. Be careful and be alert. Help each other stay true to God.” That in essence is what the writer of Hebrews is saying. These are words that we in the 21st century church must heed. The assaults on your walk with God are huge today. It’s as if you’re walking on a pathway with Jesus, and every person you meet is a threat to shove you off the trail. Sometimes the threats are from within you—your pride, lack of discipline to pray, unresolved anger, or unforgiveness. Sometimes the attacks come from the culture’s disregard for God. “The church is irrelevant. The church is old-fashioned. The church is too boring.” Sometimes the attacks come from within the church. “I don’t like the music. The sermons are too long. Too much change. Not enough change. There’s too much liturgy. There’s not enough liturgy.” So what do you do to stay on the path of your walk with Jesus? You focus on him. It’s about him, not about you. Find a faithful friend you can trust to help your walk. Be honest with your struggles, doubts and fears. Walk with others to help each other stay alongside your Savior Jesus. Yes, “hold firmly till the end the confidence” you had when you first said, “I believe.” And your faith walk will be a joyous walk with your Lord. It’s True! Your faith walk is your life’s work.

October 17, 2012 "My Lord!"

“My Lord” John 20:28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” WHAT does it take to confess, “My Lord and my God?” Thomas touched Jesus’ wounds. He knew without a doubt. All of his senses—feel, touch, hear, see and smell were able to gather in the fact that the risen Christ was next to him! As Mary Magdalene exclaimed, “Rabboni!” Thomas exclaimed his belief in the risen Jesus. From that point on, nothing stopped Thomas. He went to the far ends of the earth to proclaim the gospel. Of the millions of Christians in India today, it is thought Thomas planted the first seeds in his role of the Great Commission. Before he died a martyr’s death, nothing stopped him from proclaiming his risen Lord. What about you? Are you ready to proclaim the risen Christ? Are you ready to say to him, “My Lord and My God?” Be of faith. Because when you are, you will be making a commitment to follow him to places you don’t know. He will lead you. You will follow. Go ahead. Do it. Your life will be different than it is today. That’s living in faith every day. It’s True: Jesus wants you to go to new places with him.

Ocober 16, 2012 Jesus Already Did

Jesus Already Did John 19:17 He went out, carrying his cross IS IT not enough that his back is a mass of blood and broken skin, blood dripping off his forehead from a painful crown of thorns, that his wrists and arms are numb from the ropes that tied him to the pole as the soldiers lashed him? Is he not broken and weakened enough? Now he has to carry his own cross? Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Messiah, bears his cross to the place where he will be crucified. He bears his cross to demonstrate the truth of his own words, Mark 8:34 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Yes, these words are figurative, symbolic of perseverance through trial and difficulties that come against us from the world as we follow Christ. But our Lord sets for us a real example. He shows us in the reality of his walk to the cross, that bearing a cross is a burden at best, and it is impossible without help. Simon of Cyrene is forced to help Jesus when he can bear the wooden beam no longer. In a like manner, you must face your cross and bear it forward. And as you do, your Lord will step in to say, “Here, I know this is too heavy for you alone. Let me help you.” When you face a difficulty in your lives, a cross to bear, you know you can trust your resurrected Lord for his help. He has bore his cross for you and for me. He knows how hard it is to bear it alone. Living a life trusting Jesus is turning to Jesus and calling to him for help. He will come alongside you to strengthen you. And when your journey is complete, Jesus will lift that cross from you forever. You don’t have to go to Golgotha. Jesus already did. It’s True: Jesus’ great love for you.

October 15, 2012 Jesus' Cup For You

Jesus’ Cup for You John 18:11 Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back in its place! Do you think that I will not drink the cup of suffering which my Father has given me?” OH, I don’t like this lesson. Jesus’ words tell me that my sin put the cup of death on him. My sin is responsible for the Son of God to suffer and die. Ugh. Yes, that is a hard thing to understand. When I sin, it affects my Creator—even to the point he would die for me. When we live in the light of Jesus’ resurrection, we become aware of how precious we are to our heavenly Father. Understanding the Father had to deal with our sin by killing his Son should cause us to mourn and weep. Each sin must be covered by Jesus’ blood! Can we truly comprehend such sacrifice and offering? When we do come to some level of understanding Jesus’ sacrifice, we should also feel a great gratitude, a grand gladness as we take to heart our Lord’s life-giving sacrifice. For you see, our sin actually makes us enemies to God. But he has loved his enemies. He has loved you and me so much that he died for us. He has loved us so much he canceled our sin, and he set us free. Jesus, in the midst of his sorrow, welcomed the cross because of his great love for you. Truly trusting the Father’s great love, you come to understand that you are precious in his sight. You are here because of him. You are given salvation because of his love. Jesus took the cup and changed you from an enemy of God to the children of God forevermore. It’s True! The cup of sin has become the cup of joy in Jesus.