STAND AND BELIEVE!

"But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." Hebrews 10:39 

I often tell my children when they go someplace to remember who belong to and who they represent. They are God's and mine. That reminds me to remember who I belong to and who I represent. 

Since we belong to God we don't shrink back from conflicts with the world. We don't necessarily seek conflict out, but, we do realize the world is diametrically opposed to Christianity and therefore us. I don't have to be loud or obnoxious, I just have to be willing to stand my ground and do what is right. Everyone else may go left, but I must go straight. 

If I believe in Christ, I need to act like I do. It's about loving and serving others, not about the things the world does that we may not do. 

So, what will we not shrink back from doing today? 

Father, help us to do what is right and act in love by faith. Praise be to you in us today!

DEFEAT INTO VICTORY!

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." Hebrews 10:35-36

Yesterday morning at a men's study I attend we were discussing how you turn defeat into victory and victory into defeat. What it made me think about was the times that I was impatient and not willing to wait for God. In that I turned victory into defeat. 

I think about Saul and how he got impatient waiting for Samuel  (I Samuel 13) and offered up the offerings himself. If he would of waited his kingdom would of been established for all time, instead, he lost it all. 

Hebrews reminds us to persevere. Don't give up! I may be a long wait and may seem like God isn't going to show up, but, in his time, he will! We turn defeat into victory by persevering. 

God has promised us abundant life. Our perseverance will be rewarded. Keep on trying to do the will of God and he will be faithful to reward you. 

Father, help us to be confident in you. Show us yourself! Help us to persevere and do you will. Praise be to you in us today!

GIVE ME AN ENCOURAGING WORD!

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some men are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25

If you're not dead, God's not done with you. 

Jesus died for you, and he lives for you! He lives to intercede for you! He's on the job right now!

Do you have a word of encouragement to share? Please share!

Father, pour your spirit upon us! Encourage us in Christ today! Praise be to you in us today!

JUST SERVE!

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." Hebrews 10:24

Every now and then one of my children will do something that my wife, their mother, really appreciates and she will say, "My child loves me" (you know, with the head tilted and a thankful dreamy voice, kind of sappy). Then the other one will say, "I love you too!"  An "I love mom more than you battle" may follow. They, in a way, spur each other on toward loving mom. 

I am not saying we should be having some sort of "I love God more than you" type of battles or even discussions, just that when we see someone else serving God we should be moved to serve God ourselves. 

The two sides to this are one, me being willing to jump in with others and do what needs to be done and two, me being in, encouraging others to serve also. The question for me is: How can I do this this week? maybe even today?

Father help us to serve and serve alongside others. Praise be to you in us today!

IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23

The reason we can hold on to Christ is because it is all about his faithfulness, not ours!It's not about you, it's about Christ! In I Timothy 2:13 Paul encourages us by saying, "if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself." 

Hold on to Christ. Do let go. Do give up. He is holding on to you! He is faithful and will complete the work he began in you (Philippians 1:6). It's not about you, it about Christ's faithfulness!

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your faithfulness! Thank you that I can hold on to you! Praise be to you in us today!

COME ON IN

"Let us draw near to to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:22

I think it was Popeye that said, "I yam what I yam and that's all that I yam". The point? To God you are you are and that's all you are. No fooling God. No need to try to be what you are not. That is why Jesus died for our sins. 

Sincerity is truth without pretense. I not sure what is worse, to try to get right before you seek God, or, to think you are right when you are not when you go before God. Probably the later because then you don't think you need his forgiveness. We ALL need his forgiveness because all have sinned and fallen short of his glory. 

The good news is that drawing near him knowing that you need his forgiveness is what you are supposed to do. There are no required words, no set formulas to be draw near to God except to do so sincerely, truthfully. In Christ God says, "Come on in." 

"God, I am what I am and here I am. And I come to receive grace  and mercy." Praise be to you in us today!

DRAW NEAR TO GOD

"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:19-22

Sports teams love to have little catch phrases to keep themselves focused. The school I work at has the motto, "Make it matter!" to encourage everyone to always do their best. I think "let us draw near to God" is a pretty good reminder for Christians. 

Whatever is or has been going on in you life, "Draw near to God". Because of the tremendous sacrifice of Christ on our behalf, "Draw near to God". Because you want to know God more, on a deeper basis, "Draw near to God". Because your wife and kids need you to be their spiritual leader, "Draw near to God". Mostly, because in Christ God is drawing us near to himself, "Draw near to God"! 

Spirit of the Living God, help us to draw near to you. Praise be to you in us today!

GO AHEAD AND ASK

"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus". Hebrews 10:19

When I was around twenty I was blessed to be able to attend Capernwray Bible School in England. The head of the school befriended me and I spent a good amount of time hanging out with him. For a while I was struggling with something and I didn't want to talk to him because I knew he would cut straight to the chase. Finally I went to talk with him about what I was struggling with and when I told him he said, "I knew it, I was just waiting for you to come talk to me." There was no condemnation, just help.  

Sometimes we act like that with God. We try to fix ourselves before we go to God. When we get tired of just messing it up more, we go to him and he simply says, "I know, I've just been waiting for you to come to me." 

Is there something you have been trying to fix or make right before you really seek God? Whatever it is, he knows and he is just waiting for you to call upon him. 

Father, thank you for being so patient and loving. Thank you that you do not condemn us, you sent your One and Only Son to die for us! Praise be to you in us today!

YES YOU ARE

"And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."

Hebrews 10:10, 12-13

Sometimes I don't feel too holy. I don't think I ever feel perfect. But, in God's eyes, seen through the holiness and perfection of Christ, I am being made holy! 

Isn't that the good news, the gospel? We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all! That is good news! Right now, in God's eyes, if you are in Christ, you are holy! 

And we are being made holy. You see, part of salvation is the end of it all. We are saved and we are going to heaven. The other part is in the here and now, the "being made holy" part which is often called sanctification. Salvation is not just from the overall effect of sin which is death, but, salvation is also from the rule of sin in the here and now, in our daily lives. We are being made holy. 

Christ's sacrifice is complete and our salvation is a complete salvation. The trials we go through are vehicles that the Holy Spirit uses to mold us into the image of Jesus Christ. That is the plan. Don't be surprised, God's not. 

Are you holy? Yes, you are. You are holy and you are being made holy.

Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us. Make us, mold us, and use us. Praise be to you in us today!