Hebrews 5:5-11 His peace He gives us!!!

 The Jewish people heard a message from God. If they kept His covenant with Him He promised to bless and protect them, and they would become powerful leaders in the world.

Zacharias, filled with the Holy Spirit, foretold that the Lord God of Israel would rescue His people, fulfilling the promise made to the ancestors since the start of time. He promised to deliver them from their enemies. 

Isaiah 11:1-2 

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,

And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,

The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

The Spirit of counsel and might,

The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

Out of the stem of Jesse, King David, would come the Savior, the King of the Jews. The indwelling of the  Holy Spirit gives us His wisdom, His understanding, His counsel, His power, His knowledge, and instills in us the reverence due to Jesus the Christ.

The Lord is coming back unexpectedly. Without Christ, there’s no way we can find true peace in this world. The anti-Christ will pretend to bring peace, but in reality, he will just desire to destroy us. As we wait eagerly for Christ’s return, let’s try to live in love and peace, and keep our faith in Jesus strong. Remember, Jesus has already conquered the world, and we can trust that. Take care, Carla

Hebrews 5:5-11

5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” 6 As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek”; 7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” 11 of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. The New King James Version

The ultimate expression of God’s mercy is His voluntary offering of His only Son for our sins, even when we were still His enemies. Since Jesus, our Intercessor at the right hand of God has experienced every kind of temptation we endure we can approach Him with boldness, knowing that we will find sympathy and mercy. We who have experienced God’s mercy and forgiveness should, in turn, show mercy to others.

Melchizedek In the old testament, Melchizedek is described as the king of Salem and a priest (Genesis 14:18). In Psalm 110:4, Melchizedek is evoked as an ideal priest-king; the psalm suggests that another Melchizedek will come from David’s lineage. As a place, Salem is often identified with Jerusalem because of the similarity of names and because the meeting between Abraham and Melchizedek occurred within the King’s Valley, which is associated with Jerusalem (Genesis 14:17). The Jewish extrabiblical book of Second Enoch depicts God as instructing the angel Michael to save Melchizedek from the flood. The Melchizedek Scroll, a text from the Dead Sea Scrolls, depicts Melchizedek as a heavenly figure who is more exalted than the angels. Other Dead Sea Scrolls texts, along with the ancient writers Josephus and Philo mention Melchizedek with little or no elaboration.

Like priests in the line of Aaron, Christ did not appoint Himself—Christ was crowned with glory (doxa) on account of His death. This quotation from Psalm 2:7 emphasizes that God—who called Jesus His “Son”—appointed Christ as high priest. The same verse is quoted in Hebrews 1:5. 5:6 

This citation from Psalm 110:4 is cited to demonstrate that God appointed Jesus as an eternal priest. God designated Christ as high priest.  Faithlife Study Bible

Christ did not call Himself to the office of High Priest; the Father called Him to the honor. Both Psalm 2:7 and 110:4 are cited to prove this fact. Psalm 2:7 is also quoted in 1:5 to prove Christ’s superiority to the angels, and now the writer uses the quote to prove Jesus’ special relationship with God the Father. 

The quote from Psalm 110:4 highlights the eternal nature of Jesus’ priesthood. He will be Mediator between God and us forever. 

Jesus experienced all of what a person goes through on this earth. He knows how difficult it is to obey God completely, just as He understands the attractions of temptation. Yet He persisted in obedience, leading a sinless life. Having been perfected does not suggest that Jesus had not been perfect before. It means that He successfully carried out God’s plan for Him. He endured suffering and temptation so that He could truly function as our High Priest, understanding our weaknesses and interceding before God for us. 

Jesus’ obedience to the Father led to Calvary, His own death on the Cross. The sacrifice of this sinless One in our place makes Him the source of our salvation.

Called here means “designated” and introduces Christ’s formal title, High Priest. Though the author of Hebrews has much more to say about Jesus’ priesthood, it will be hard to explain to the readers of this letter because they are dull of hearing. Dull means “sluggish.” When these people heard the word of God they were not quick to accept it. They had grown even more lazy in the faith, so explaining the truth to them would be difficult. The NKJV Study Bible

Mark 14:32–42 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed…

Psalm 110:4 

The LORD has sworn

And will not relent,“You are a priest forever

According to the order of Melchizedek.”

Psalm 2:7 

“I will declare the decree:

The LORD has said to Me,

‘You are My Son,

Today I have begotten You.

Hebrews 6:20–7:22 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him…

Matthew 26:36–46 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed…

Sin sometimes trips us up even after we have put our faith in Jesus, but as Romans 3:23-24 says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift ..." We all need God's grace to continue to meet us on our journey.

God's grace provides more than just forgiveness of our sins: A heart changed by grace is a new beginning, a chance for God to take what is broken and rebuild it into a life of purpose for His Kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:17) First5

Here’s what I do know: when we are wired to see only the emptiness (the scarcity), to see only what is lacking or missing, we completely miss the gifts. We miss the joy, the wonder, the offerings, the delight. We miss the sufficiency.

Using Lynne Twist’s words, “Sufficiency isn't two steps up from poverty or one step short of abundance. It isn't a measure of barely enough or more than enough. Sufficiency isn't an amount at all. It is an experience, a context we generate, a declaration, a knowing that there is enough, and that we are enough.” 

I loved this reminder from Mj Blossoms, that the gift of sufficiency is found in the little stuff, “Maybe the real happy ending is falling in love with the simplest parts of life. It’s savoring that first sip of coffee in the morning, or losing yourself in the smell of freshly baked bread. It’s driving down familiar roads with the windows down, letting the air mess up your hair while your favorite song fills the car. It’s lingering on a quiet afternoon, reading the pages of a book you’ve put off for too long, letting each word wrap around you like an old friend. These moments — the ones that seem so ordinary — hold a kind of magic that fills the cracks we sometimes forget are there.

And maybe, just maybe, it’s finding a piece of joy in small things we often take for granted. Like the laughter that comes out of nowhere, shared with a stranger in a grocery store aisle. Or the comfort of a cozy night at home, wrapped up in a blanket, watching a show you’ve seen a hundred times but still brings a smile to your face.

It’s these little things that pull us back to life, that remind us of just how blessed we are, not because everything is perfect but because we find beauty in what we already have.” Sabbath Moments 

Romans 7:10-12 Christ within the hope of His glory!

 "Let all that you do be done in love" (1 Corinthians 16:14).

As believers God knows our good works for, our love for and our faith in Jesus. He is a rewarder of those who believe in Him in Christ.  As believers we reject immorality, in the flesh we will battle, but in the Spirit we can overcome the temptations of the world. We will always be convicted by Holy Spirit to return to Him but our free will allows us to choose whom we will serve. Where sin abounds God’s grace abounds more and He wants no one to perish. He wants all of His creation to repent of our unbelief and live in His love that He freely gives to those who accept Jesus the Christ who died for our sins. We are transformed by the power of Holy Spirit not in ourselves. In Christ within we continually are dying to the flesh as we live in His power.

Romans 7:25 So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

All of Scripture, the Old Testament and the New Testament,  is profitable for learning the ways of God.  We need to spend time in reading it! Carla

Romans 7:10 And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. 12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. The New King James Version

Once the law identified sin, the person recognized sin—as well as the guilt and condemnation that it brings. Since the law did not empower obedience, sin operated without opposition. Paul does not blame the law for death; it was intended to bring life by revealing God’s will for humanity. However, sin took advantage of human weakness through the law. Faithlife Study Bible

Since the law points out the path of righteousness, it points to life. But since sin reigns in our natures, the law means judgment and death for us. When we focus on the law we are deceived into sinning, which thus “kills” our spiritual lives. The NKJV Study Bible

law (Gk. nomos) (6:14; 7:21–23, 25; 8:2–4; Gal. 2:16; 5:3; Heb. 8:4) Strong’s #3551: The Greek term for law here means an inward principle of action—either good or evil—operating with the regularity of a law. The term also designates a standard for a person’s life. The apostle Paul described three such laws. The first is called “the law of sin” which was operating through his flesh, causing him to sin. Paul, like all other believers, needed another law to overcome “the law of sin.” This is “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus,” which makes us “free from the law of sin and death” (8:2). By following this law, believers can actually fulfill the righteous requirements of God’s law (8:4)—which is the third law in this section; it is the standard for human action that corresponds to the righteous nature of God.

1 Timothy 1:5 (ESV) "The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

Luke 10:26–28 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”…

The God who spoke creation into existence so loved the world that He gave His only Son for us (John 3:16). In truth, the gospel is not a human idea about how to reach God; it is God's idea to bring humanity back into relationship with Himself. First Timothy 1:9 reminds us that on our own, we are "lawless and disobedient." Our salvation could only come from the Lord. Paul encouraged Timothy to remember that "the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Timothy 1:5, emphasis added). These virtues cannot come solely by our desire for them; they come from the supernatural indwelling of the Spirit of God. Once we place our trust in Jesus, His Spirit comes to dwell within us, and He is the source of love that flows through us (Galatians 5:22-25). The true gospel says it took the crucifixion of His only Son for us to know Him and spend eternity with Him. Salvation was His idea, not ours.

God not only knows us, but He desires to fill us with His Spirit and to give us abundant life, both on this earth and in eternity, through Christ (John 10:10). That is His story, "the gospel of the glory of the blessed God" (1 Timothy 1:11).

Yes, our God is glorious and blessed … First5

Where there is no love, put love and you will find love. St. John of the Cross 

Ephesians 4:30-32 Be Kind!

2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV) "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."

So many people in todays culture consider kindness and self restraint as weaknesses.

It is not so. It is only possible when we allow Holy Spirit to temper our thoughts with His. It is in unity that we thrive not in chaos. God’s empathy for fallen mankind was evidenced in HIs willingness to be born of man. He laid aside His deity to show us that even as mere humans we could live in the grace and mercy shown to us and share that with others. How quickly we forget how much we have been forgiven.

Ephesians 4:30-32

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. The New King James Version

Paul seems to be indicating that poor treatment of others can constrain the work of the Spirit—essentially denying or resisting God’s indwelling presence.The day of redemption refers to the Day of the Lord, when Christ will return. The Greek word used here for forgiving one another, charizomai, implies not only forgiving, but doing so with a gracious attitude. Paul uses this same word elsewhere to describe God’s forgiveness. Faithlife Study Bible

The Holy Spirit of God should never be pushed away, ignored, or rejected. If we would remember that the One who lives in us is God’s own Spirit, we would be much more selective about what we think, read, watch, say, and do. Note that Paul acknowledges that evil thoughts and actions are temptations even for those who are sealed by the Holy Spirit. The NKJV Study Bible

Be ye kind one to another. This sets forth the principle of love in the heart, and the outward expression of it, in a humble, courteous behaviour. Mark how God’s forgiveness causes us to forgive. God forgives us, though we had no cause to sin against him. We must forgive, as he has forgiven us. All lying, and corrupt communications, that stir up evil desires and lusts, grieve the Spirit of God. Corrupt passions of bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, evil-speaking, and malice, grieve the Holy Spirit. Provoke not the holy, blessed Spirit of God to withdraw his presence and his gracious influences. The body will be redeemed from the power of the grave at the resurrection day. Wherever that blessed Spirit dwells as a Sanctifier, he is the earnest of all the joys and glories of that redemption day; and we should be undone, should God take away his Holy Spirit from us. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Colossians 3:1–13 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth…

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;

Matthew 6:14–15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit.

We have the privilege of making a place on this earth for others to be their very best. To allow another person to shine.

Yes... to let us all be reminded; “You are here to be light. Bringing out the God colours of the world.” (The Gospel of Matthew, Eugene H. Peterson)

This matters because we know that this world can be a crazy place. It can chew you up. And more than ever we need sanctuaries, sacred places where we can feel safe. Places of sanctuary that are safe for one another… for friends and family. 

Archbishop Desmond Tutu offers this blessing, reminding us of the joy of abiding in God’s love:

“Dear Child of God, you are loved with a love that nothing can shake, a love that loved you long before you were created, a love that will be there long after everything has disappeared. You are precious, with a preciousness that is totally quite immeasurable. And God wants you to be like God. Filled with life and goodness and laughter—and joy.

God, who is forever pouring out God’s whole being from all eternity, wants you to flourish. God wants you to be filled with joy and excitement and ever longing to be able to find what is so beautiful in God’s creation: the compassion of so many, the caring, the sharing. And God says, Please, my child, help me. Help me to spread love and laughter and joy and compassion. And you know what, my child? As you do this—hey, presto—you discover joy. Joy, which you had not sought, comes as the gift, as almost the reward for this non-self-regarding caring for others.”

(From The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World with the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu) Sabbath Moments 

What's Fueling Fundamentalism?

Hebrews 3:16–19 Jesus came in the flesh to die for the sins of the world

The only way to stop the work of salvation is to reject Jesus who came in the flesh. We must know that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. The Godhead allowed the suffering of Jesus for the sake of humanity. We will never fully understand the pain that was endured for our sakes. Jesus is the only way to God any other path ends in destruction.  John 3:16-18

Hebrews 3:16–19

16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. The New King James Version

1 John 4:1-3 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

We are to test the spirits! those that confess that Jesus came to the world in the flesh are teaching the truth. Jesus, the anointed of God, was born of the virgin Mary, He suffered under Pontious Pilate, He died and was buried. He rose again by the power of Holy Spirit. He will come again in fulfillment of the Scriptures. Those who profess this  are the true followers of Jesus the Christ. If they do not, they are not of God, those teachings are those of the anti-christ.

2 Timothy 1:13-17 

although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

Hold fast to the teachings of the Gospel of Grace. Jesus came to save sinners and we are all sinners in need of a Savior. There is no one righteous. No one deserving. No one that merits the salvation that God offers to those who believe in Jesus. Carla

In Psalm 95, the disobedience refers primarily to the rebellion at Kadesh, but the usage here could pertain to the defiance of all Israel. The Israelites complained that they rather would have died in Egypt or the wilderness than be killed fighting for the promised land. God vowed that the unfaithful generation would die in the wilderness. The Israelites disobeyed Yahweh by turning away from Him. Faithlife Study Bible

The author of Hebrews speaks of the Israelites’ unbelief as sin and disobedience. The Israelites did not enter God’s rest, the Promised Land, because they did not believe in God’s promises to them. They failed to possess their inheritance because they did not trust in God. The Jewish Christians to whom this letter was addressed were in danger of following in their ancestors’ footsteps. They were tempted to doubt the words of Jesus. With the rhetorical questions in these verses, the author of Hebrews was encouraging them to place their faith firmly in Christ. The NKJV Study Bible

Numbers 14:1–39 So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness…

Deuteronomy 1:34–38 “And the LORD heard the sound of your words, and was angry, and took an oath, saying, ‘Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers…

Hebrews 4:6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience,

John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

On the road to Damascus, Jesus appeared in a bright light from heaven and asked, "'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? ' And [Saul] said, 'Who are you, Lord? ' And he said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting'" (Acts 9:4-5). Later, scales fell from Paul's eyes as he saw the truth about Jesus. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and baptized (Acts 9:17-18).

Jesus' grace and mercy transformed the worst of sinners into a mighty warrior of the faith - and Jesus is still transforming hearts today. First 5

This week, we are learning to practice Rabbi Eizik’s wisdom, that “the place where this treasure can be found is the place on which one stands. (Martin Buber)”

We may love this, but there is no simple list here.

Again, from Martin Buber, “Where is the dwelling of God?” This was the question with which the Rabbi of Kotzk surprised a number of learned men who happened to be visiting him.  They laughed at him: “What a thing to ask! Is not the whole world full of His glory?”

Then he answered his own question: “God dwells wherever man lets Him in.”

"This is the ultimate purpose: to let God in. But we can let God in only where we really stand, where we live, where we live a true life. If we maintain holy intercourse with the little world entrusted to us, if we help the holy spiritual substance to accomplish itself in that section of Creation in which we are living, then we are establishing, in this our place, a dwelling for the Divine Presence." Sabbath Moments 

We forget how significant one touch can be. We fear saying the wrong thing, or using the wrong tone, or acting the wrong way. So rather than do it incorrectly, we do nothing at all. Aren’t we glad Jesus didn’t make the same mistake? Jesus touched the untouchables of the world. Will you do the same? Max Lucado