Pause for thought

Everyone of these Heroes share one thing in common they looked away from their own failings and believed God 11:32.

While some of faith’s heroes had amazing victories others were mistreated tortured and killed. Being a person of faith doesn’t guarantee a carefree life. But we can be sure God always keeps His promises to us. Faith rests on God’s faithfulness and is never deterred by present trials or events 11:38

We are all one in Christ Jesus there is no distinction between Old Testament saints and New Testament saints. Together we are The Body of Christ, The Bride, and we are the One New Man in Christ, When Jesus died and rose again he did this once for all Hebrews 9:28. Jesus has torn down the wall of separation between Jew and Gentile Ephesians 2:14-18.Together with them we are waiting for the trumpet sound when the graves are opened and wether dead or living we all get new bodies and we will all meet Jesus in the air when He returns with great glory 11:40, 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

A verse to remember

For God had far better things in mind for us that would benefit them, for they can’t receive the prize at the end of the race until we finish the race. Hebrews 11:40 N.L.T.

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No one is ever born with Gods kind of faith although everyone has to exercise what I would call natural faith simply just to live. Gods kind of faith is a “gift” that enabled the Patriarchs to receive and believe the call of God on their lives and have that certainty that God would keep His promises. We also received that same faith so we could receive forgiveness for all our sins through our faith in Jesus Christ and respond to God’s call upon our lives Ephesians 2:8,9,10.

Abrahams faith was tested when God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, this story is a type of God the Father sacrificing His only Son, and shows Jesus willingness to be the sacrificial Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world John 1:29. However Hebrews reminds us that Abrahams test was to “prove” that He believed that God would keep His promise no matter what! even if Isaac was to die 11:1.

Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph were each commended for their faith. For when each of them was about to die they were still holding tightly to Gods yet uncompleted promises as they blessed their descendants concerning what was to come 11:20-22.

The Patriarchs were very colourful characters and were all members of a dysfunctional family. The writer of Hebrews makes no mention of their sins, only their faith in the person, promises, and grace of God 8:12.

The story of Moses faith begins before He was born, with the faith of his parents and his little sister 11:23-26. Not every Christian has had praying parents, its quite unlikely that Abram did yet its very clear that God chose Abram to become “the father of faith” Abram showed his faith in God when God called him “out” of Ur to bring him ”in” to the promises of God Genesis 12, Ephesians 1:4.

Faith’s object is not faith in of itself or simply in the promises of God, but faiths object must always be in God of the promises.

Memory verse

For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 N.K.J.

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Pause for thought

The beginning point of faith is believing in God’s character. “Great is thy faithfulness o God my Father there is no shadow of turning with thee” 1 God is Omniscient meaning He knows all things including all about you and me. 2 God is Omnipotent meaning all powerful. 3 God is Omnipresent meaning ever present, He is always in reach. 4 God is Immutable meaning He cannot change. God will always do what He has promised. God always speaks the truth, It is impossible for God to do anything or promise us anything that is inconsistent with His nature 11:1-2, 2 Timothy 2:13.

The heroes of faith are to be remembered not only for their exploits but more importantly because of their faith in the person and promises of God 11:2.

Gods promises are timeless. 11:10, 13

Gods promises extend to unbelievers as well as to believers. Hear these words of Jesus from the gospel of John 3:18 There is no judgment awaiting those who trust Him. But those who do not trust Him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God. John 3:36 and Revelation 20:12-15.

A Verse to remember

What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen.It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. Hebrews 11:1 N.L.T.

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Pause for thought

When we confess a sin to Jesus, we can be sure that not only has He forgiven us, the sin no longer exists. The opposite was true for those who gathered on the day of atonement, they were reminded of the sins they had committed year after year. When Jesus came He dealt with sin once and for all forgiving for ever all who put their faith in Him 10:1.

The people who gathered each year on the day of atonement became more and more sin conscious. The opposite is true for christians the blood of Christ has purified us and removed forever our guilt 10:2.

Sometimes christians can become sin conscious and this can be dealt with according to 1John 1:9 . however there are two errors we need to avoid 1 by resisting the conviction of the Holy Spirit by saying we have no sin 1John 1:8 2 resting on feelings of guilt rather than believing the Word of God 10:21 1 John 3:20-21

Can you think of ways to encourage other Christians? 10:24. Your attendance is requested at church there is something only you can do! 10:25.

An apostate is someone who after knowing Jesus as the only way of salvation then deliberately turns away and pursues a different road. One of the most dangerous of these in our day is new age teaching. Not every backslider is an apostate but every apostate is a backslider 10:26-29

We must persevere in our Christian faith I love verse 35 of chapter 10 we must not throw away our confidence in Jesus no matter what. for a great reward awaits us!

Verse to remember

But we are not like those who turn their backs on God and seal their fate. We have faith that assures our salvation. Hebrews 10:39 N.L.T.

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The Levitical system of worship was symbolic of the reality to come, The Priest entered the Holy of Holies with the blood of animals. Jesus Christ our Great High Priest entered the Heavenly reality with His own blood 9:12. See John 20:17 was this when Jesus entered His Fathers presence with His own blood?

The first covenant could not free anyone from sin. Jesus died for the sins of those who were no longer alive but who had died in faith, we will read more of this in chapter eleven. Jesus saving death and glorious resurrection was once and for all 9:15

Jesus is the Way into the holy presence of God, when Jesus died on the cross the curtain that separated the Holy place from the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom. This curtain represented Christs flesh Hebrews 10:20, the veil that separated God and man is no more. Jesus has entered Heaven itself to be our advocate 9:24. Jesus Blood 1 Cleanses our conscience 1John 20:19-21. 2 Purifies our hearts from deeds that lead to death. 3 Frees us from sins power 9: 12-14. Jesus Blood is the evidence of His death, confirming the new covenant is now in effect 9:16, 9:12. Jesus died once to take our sins and is coming again to bring salvation to those who are eagerly waiting for Him 9:28

Verse to remember

For Christ has entered into Heaven itself to appear now before God as our Advocate. Hebrews 9:24 (A) N.L.T.

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The perfect sacrifice of Jesus ended forever all need for the Levitical priests and animal sacrifices.8:6

Moses had to follow the exact pattern laid down by God when the tabernacle was being built because it was to express the spiritual reality of Jesus sacrifice and what was to come. Judaism was a shadow of what was to come. while all who put their faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their personal sins have the reality.

The old covenant failed because it was based on keeping laws without giving people any power to keep them. The New covenant is a covenant of God’s grace empowered by the Holy Spirit 8:9-11, “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” John1:17.

Never allow yourself to be drawn back from the grace of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit will help you to maintain your stand.

A verse to remember

When God speaks of a new covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and ready to be put aside. Hebrews 8:13 N.L.T.

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Melchizedek ( you read about him in Genesis 14:18-20) was a type of Christ and possibly the pre-incarnate Christ himself, blessed Abraham and received tithes from Abraham.This happened around six hundred years before the Law of Moses and the start of the Levitical priesthood 7:1-3

Unlike the Levitical Priests who had to offer sacrifices for sins again and again. Jesus sacrificed Himself for our sins once and for all 7:27 Ask yourself are there any past, present, or future sins He has not forgiven? This is a mystery but this does not mean that we have liberty to continue to sin deliberately. Romans 6:1-2, 1 John 1:8-9, 5:18. All our sins were in the future when Jesus died for our sins! Jesus also died not only for those who were alive at that time but also for those of faith who had already died. This is why Jesus our Great High Priest unlike the Levitical priests who were all subject to death, is a priest forever because of the power of an endless Life 7:16

Verse to remember

Because of God’s oath, it is Jesus who guarantees the effectiveness of this better covenant. Hebrews 7:22 N.L.T.

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If we are to mature as christians we need to move on from (but not away from) the basics of our faith. Baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal Judgements. Mature christians should be teaching these basics to New christians, and by being good examples putting what they have learnt into action. So that both young and older christians make real growth just as the Lord intends. Introductory courses to christianity are great and they are very good evangelistic tools. However unfortunately some folk never seem to move on they prefer the milk and are happier to go on the next beginners course rather than join a local church. I think its quite clear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us all “stop going over the basics of your faith again and again!” 6:1-3

In the first century, Jewish Christians who turned away from Jesus Christ and returned to Judaism deliberately cut themselves off from God’s forgiveness they became apostate. A deliberate abandonment of Christian faith is not backsliding these verses are not about falling into sin but about denouncing Jesus Christ as Lord and saviour. 6:6-8

We christians can have such assurance of salvation because not only do we have God’s own promise we also have God’s own oath. Remember! God is unable to lie, that is why the confident assurance of our personal salvation in Jesus Christ can never be shaken.

A verse to remember

This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain of heaven into God’s inner sanctuary. Hebrews 6:19 N.L.T.

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Jesus is our perfect High Priest because 1 He was appointed by God. 2 He experienced what it was to be fully human 3 He had no need to make any sacrifices for His own sins for He is sinless. 4 He made sacrifice for sin when He offered Himself for the sins of the people. 5 He understands and has sympathy for each of us. 5:4-9

Jesus was never disobedient we know this because as the spotless lamb of God Jesus never sinned. It means that Jesus learnt what it meant to be obedient and actively sought obedience even though He knew it would lead Him to suffer the most terrible of all deaths. Jesus was always morally perfect His obedience demonstrates to us that when we face the most trying of circumstances, He is able to help us to obey 5:8

There is a time to drink milk (pre-digested solid food) referring to one who has just been saved, and a time to eat solid food. A new born baby needs milk at first, but needs to progress to solid food to grow strong 5:13 Its similar for us if we don’t desire to make progress we are in danger of stagnating and becoming deaf to the voice of God. 5:14 is a promise for the mature, those who have put what they have learned into practice. They will be able to discern what is true and what is false. How very important this promise from the Lord for the days in we live.

A verse to remember

So even though Jesus was God’s Son, He learned obedience from the things He suffered. Hebrews 5:8 N.L.T.

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Time is precious but please listen to the audio as well as reading the notes

Israel failed to enter God’s promised rest when they refused to believe the good report brought by Joshua and Caleb to enter the land of Canna. Instead they chose to accept the negative report the ten spies brought. However God gave their children another chance forty years later under the leadership of Joshua, but again they failed to fully press in and posses all the promised land. Their unbelief led to disobedience and a forfeiture of God’s promised rest. The writer of Hebrews understood that for some of the Jewish readers of Hebrews their faith was being put to the test. Should they continue to believe in Jesus entering into His rest, or return to Judaism and their old ways of trying to get right with God? 4:1

God rested from his labor after the six days of creation not because He was tired but because He was satisfied with His creation and saw everything He had made was good. Our ultimate rest will be in God’s new creation at the end of this present age. But we don’t need to wait until then. Our sabbath rest began when we first trusted in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation. From first till last God’s promised rest is ours, God’s Rest is His personal gift to each one. The indwelling Holy Spirit is given to take the strain ( comfort, guide, and help us) so that what God calls us to do is done with God’s own strength 4:11

Question! how much of what we christians do, is the will of God and done in the strength of the Holy Spirit?

Hebrews chapter four shows us two wonderful ways God has chosen to encourage our faith 1 through His Word and by it He tests our motives. am I living in the soulish realm or the spiritual? 2 We can also Tcome to Jesus who is our great high priest He is merciful and dispenses grace just when we need it 4:14-16

Christ’s throne of grace is a place of rest for the weary traveller!

A verse to remember

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it. Hebrews 4:16 N.L.T.

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Time is precious! but please listen to the audio as well as reading my musings!