Never Forget

It had been forty years since Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. During their years of wandering in the desert, God demonstrated His faithfulness as well as His holiness. Now, as the people were finally ready to cross the Jordan river into the promised land of Canaan, Moses gave one last encouragement.
Deuteronomy 6:10-12
“When the Lord your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers – a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant – then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”
We have all lived in the land of slavery – a land where we were controlled by sin. We were born as slaves, but Jesus came to set us free: “Though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free” (Romans 6:17-18).
While we were still lost in our sinful condition, Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice (payment) for our sin; but He also broke the chains which kept us slaves to sin. Though we still struggle, we need not be mastered if we have placed our faith in Jesus and daily submit to the leading of His Spirit. His sacrifice provides a way to be “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). This IS the victorious life!
Yes we have been set free! But we did nothing to earn this freedom. We did not dig a well of righteousness or plant a field of forgiveness. Our “promised land” of freedom is a gift, given by a loving Father to those who believe.
As we continue on our Christian walk, with its many peaks and valleys, twists and turns, we often forget. We become discouraged over trivial matters which are quickly fading away and forget the gift of eternal life we have been given. We wander in the dry desert of ungrateful hearts and ask, “Where is God?” We forget the joy we once had of abiding in His presence and forget His promise to always be near; “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
Through God’s precious gift, we have an eternity to worship our Heavenly Father. This alone should give us reason to praise His Name with every breath and live a life holy and pleasing to Him. Whether we are currently in a time of crushing trials or unparalleled peace, we must continually remember from where we were rescued. His gift is a blessing we can hardly comprehend! And as we draw near and give Him all of our heart, His grace continues to bless us even more. Let’s worship with a thankful heart, glorify His Name in ALL we do, and be careful to never forget.

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Some Roles of Christ

~ Jesus Christ as Seen Throughout Hebrews ~

 

 

The Sin Cleanser  ~  “Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3).  

The Son of Man  ~  “‘What is man that You are mindful of Him, or the Son of Man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set Him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.’ For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under Him. But now we do not yet see all things put under Him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:6b-9).

The Victor / Deliverer  ~   “That through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14b-15).

The Apostle  ~   “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house” (Hebrews 3:1-2).

Our High Priest  ~  “Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man” (Hebrews 8:1-2). 

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 6:19-20). 

Our Guarantee  ~  “‘The Lord has sworn and will not relent, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek,”’ by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant” (Hebrews 7:21b-22). 

Our Great High Priest  ~  “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16). 

Our Way Into The Holiest  ~  “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:19-22).

The Coming One  ~  “After you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: ‘For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry” (Hebrews 10:36-37).

The Author and Completer of Our Faith  ~  “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2). 

Our Mediator  ~  “Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant” (Hebrews 12:24a).   

Our Sanctifier  ~  “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood” (Hebrews 13:12a).   


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Intended For Good

Joseph’s life was filled with one difficult situation after another. By the time he was a teenager, his brothers had developed an intense hatred toward him which led to an attempt to take his life. But rather than kill him, they sold young Joseph into slavery (Genesis 37). And then, as a slave, Joseph was falsely accused of rape and thrown into jail (Genesis 39).
It’s never really explained how Joseph learned to trust God – but he did! He could have become very discouraged when he became a slave, but somehow Joseph adjusted to his circumstances and thrived; “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered” (Genesis 39:2). When tempted with sexual sin by Potiphar’s wife, he kept himself pure because he did not want to “sin against God” (Genesis 39:9). But false accusations still sent him into prison.
Even after spending several years in jail, Joseph continued to place his complete trust in God. When asked to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, Joseph risked his freedom and rightly gave all the glory and praise to God rather than take credit for himself; “I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires” (Genesis 41:16).
Joseph was rewarded with much more than his freedom; he was placed in charge of the entire land of Egypt during a great famine. He was also reunited with his family and able to keep them from certain starvation. Several years later, after their father died, Joseph’s brothers came and fearfully asked for his forgiveness. Joseph could have taken great revenge, but he continued to demonstrate his understanding of how God cares for His children.

Genesis 50:19-20
“Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.’”
When Joseph was sold into slavery, he had no idea of God’s awesome plan. All he could do was continue to trust and draw nearer to God. Joseph would spend many years in jail before receiving even a hint of God’s purpose. But God is ALWAYS at work in the lives of those who love Him. Joseph’s life must encourage us to draw ever closer to God during times of hardship – to continue trusting and honoring Him in all we do…no matter what our circumstances!
We all go through “dungeon” seasons when life seems to take unplanned and seemingly “unfair” turns. We all, at times, feel abandoned and alone: “Has God forgotten me? Does He no longer care?” We may not understand why things happen the way they do; but if we will continue to love Him with all our heart and consistently trust Him in and through all our trials, we can be certain (and one day we will truly see) that God is in control and every situation is truly intended for good.

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Serve With Humility

 John the Baptist was born with a single purpose; “to make ready a people prepared to receive the Lord” (Luke 1:17). He was chosen for service before he was conceived and was “filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth” (Luke 1:15). John was so obedient to his calling that Jesus said, “Among those born of women, there is no one greater than John” (Luke 7:28). But John also knew his position within God’s Kingdom…he had come to serve.
John 1:26-27
“‘I baptize with water,’ John replied, ‘but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’”
John had been given his assignment and was empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish his tasks. He was a servant preparing the way for the King. John was the greatest man ever born; and yet, in his humility, he felt unworthy to even untie the sandals of Christ. But he continued to serve.

True humility is not simply defined by a low self-image. It is the natural condition of our spirit when we begin to understand who we really are…and Who God really is! John felt unworthy because he had been given a glimpse of the unfathomable greatness and holiness of his Lord. As he stood in the presence of Perfection, there was only one response; “He must become greater, I must become less” (John 3:30). When we know that Jesus is on the throne, “at God’s right hand” (1 Peter 3:22), and that He will reign for all eternity, we begin to see our life in the proper perspective. He is infinitely perfect and worthy of infinite love, worship, and service. We live and breathe purely by His grace; we are but “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).
And though we are compared to a mist, we are a mist with a purpose. We have been empowered by the Holy Spirit with the necessary tools to victoriously serve. Though our offering will always be imperfect, and far less than He deserves, it will be pleasing and acceptable if we give Him our ALL, give Him our best, and give from the innermost part of our heart.

Our God is truly above ALL, and He loves us so much that He gave His one and only Son so we could be with Him for all eternity. He calls us to believe in His gift and then serve Him for all the rest of our days. Let’s continue to love Him with all our heart, give Him our absolute very best, and daily walk down the path He lays before us. Let’s serve obediently, boldly, and victoriously…but let’s also lift the Name of Jesus higher and higher and serve with humility.

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Put It Into Practice

Paul’s letter to the Philippians is one hundred and four verses filled with encouragement and joy. Paul didn’t write this letter to explain deep theology or to deal with any particular sin. Rather, his purpose was to express love for his friends and to encourage them (and us) to live a joy-filled Christian life. In chapter one, Paul encourages us that God’s work in us WILL continue; “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (1:6). In chapter two, we are encouraged to “do everything without complaining or arguing” (2:14).
In chapter three, Paul inspires us to be forward-looking in our walk with Christ; “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal” (3:13-14). Finally, in chapter four, Paul writes some of my personal favorites; “Rejoice in the Lord always!” (4:4); “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (4:12); and, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (4:13).
But buried within these wonderful words of encouragement is probably the most valuable and applicable message for our daily journey with Christ.
Philippians 4:9
“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Paul had the gospel message living in him and shining through him every moment of every day. But he never would have learned “the secret” of rejoicing and being content in all situations if he had just learned “about” the gospel. Although it’s wise, and very useful, to study and even memorize God’s Word, His peace and contentment – His joy – will never be real until we actually apply His Word to our life on a daily basis: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22).
We must NEVER be just hearers of the Word who become puffed up with Bible knowledge. We must never preach Biblical truths yet fail to apply these truths in our own life and draw ever closer to our Heavenly Father. Jesus accused many Jews of making this same mistake: “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life” (John 5:39-40).
Let’s never stop with just loving His Word or His “activities.” Let’s love HIM with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And let’s express our love by obediently following the leading of His Spirit out into the world, as we take what we daily receive and put it into practice.

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7 Things Paul Knew

~ The Apostle Paul Knew The Critical Essentials! ~

 

His Nature  ~  “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells” (Romans 7:18a).  Notice that Paul had gained spiritual vision.

His Savior  ~  “For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Timothy 1:12). Paul understood and was confident of his future.

His Knowledge  ~  “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). He also knew that one day he would have all the answers.

His Character  ~  “For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:4). Paul knew who his ultimate Judge was and he had confidence in His justice. 

His Ultimate End  ~  “For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death” (Philippians 1:19-20). He was keenly aware that his future was in the hands of God—and he was confident and happy that God would do best. 

His Plans  ~  “And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again” (Philippians 1:25-26). Paul lived a purpose-driven life. He knew what his calling was. 

His Place  ~  “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need” (Philippians 4:12). Paul had learned to be content in whatever circumstances he might find himself in—he had complete trust in his Lord and Savior and viewed himself rightly as a tool in God’s hand. It is the Master Craftsman who chooses which tool for which job and how to use that particular tool.  

 

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