Sun, Feb 19th - 12:31PM
STUDIES IN HEBREWS
CHAPTER 8: VS 3
Brothers and sisters, Lord Jesus bless you richly. I have had
many hindrances in doing this particuar study, unexplained damage to equipment,
hacked internet service, harrassment, stalking, threats that I should cease.
However, I count it all joy, for our Lord is worthy. Many brothers and sisters share
in the same persecution in this world. I pray we will understand that while in America
we still have, for now, the freedom to worship as we like, there is a
tremendous hostility to the gospel message, even as it has always been from the
beginning and in this present world.
We know, dearly beloveds we have to be very careful never to preach a soft
perverted gospel of the Christian living a fantasy life free of difficulties
for Lord Jesus taught us: Jhn 15:18
If the world hate you, ye
know that it hated me before it hated you.
None of us should be tempted to pervert the gospel to please
the world: Jas
4:4
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know
ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with
God? whosoever therefore will
be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Instead, brethren, let us boldly, confidently rest in the
strength of the Lord.
Jhn 16:33 These
things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the
world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world.
GOOD CHEER: Be of good courage, calm assurance, good cheer.
Act 14:22 Confirming the
souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to
continue in the
faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the
kingdom of God.
Rom 5:3 And not only so,
but we
glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
PATIENCE: steadfastness, constancy, endurance; in the NT the
characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his
loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings; patiently,
and steadfastly; a patient, steadfast waiting for; a patient enduring,
sustaining, perseverance
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him that
loved us.
2Co 1:3 Blessed be God, even the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may
be able to comfort them which are
in any trouble, by the
comfort wherewith we ourselves are
comforted of God.
Brothers and sisters, I am humbly thankful for the gospel
message of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and the many faithful elders,
pastors, and brothers and sisters who love me, helped me understand the scriptures
and went even further in being a living example of them to me.
Let us continue on with this study, dearly beloveds, and
thank you for your patience. Let us dine richly on the word of God for our
spiritual nourishment which He gives us abundantly.
Paul’s intent is to catapult these Hebrew Christians forward
to maturity through reteaching them the foundational doctrines of Jesus Christ.
Thankfully, we see that they fully embraced His teachings.
Some might ask when or how will a Christian know when they
have reached maturation in their faith? Most of us know that we mature as Christians
when we believe and accept fully in our hearts and minds all the infallible
truths that the Bible declares of Lord Jesus Christ and the word of God without
doubting or wavering as we are taught over time, therefore we are rooted and
stabilized/established in our faith, with the evidence of living it out daily
in our public and private lives. There is no question, holy brethren, that there are some who despite knowing the truth reject it. However, this does not change nor cancel the infallible eternal truth of God. God's word remains unchanged and in full effect to reward the believer with His good and to reward the evil with His eternal punishment. I take no joy in the fact that the wicked shall be turned into hell, moreover, our God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they should repent and come believing. God gives all mankind a choice. God even gives the angels a choice or free will, with the knowledge that our choices have eternal consequences that are irreversible- for the good eternal peace in the presence of God, for the evil eternal separation and damnation in eternal punishment and torment ultimately in the lake of fire.
The mature Christian understands that those who have been
carefully taught the faith and choose to unrepentantly reject it whether in
part or as a whole are still dead in their sins, whose end is perdition.
We know, holy brethren, that the gospel message is never to
be confined exclusively within the four walled church but each of us are
commanded to take it out to the world. Praise God for the multitudes of
brothers and sisters sharing the good news of the gospel everywhere that they
can. A shout out to the many churches boldly, hard driving in teaching the
whole church the scriptures ongoing knowing it is the only way in which God commands
the church to be fully equipped/unified as one in Him:
I entreat you brothers and sisters, as priests of God: Rom 12:1
I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God, which is your reasonable service.
REASONABLE: agreeable to reason, following reason,
reasonable, logical.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
1Jo 5:3 For this is the
love of God, that we
keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
Heb 8:3For every high
priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it
is of necessity that
this man have somewhat also to offer. Notice that gifts and sacrifices are plural, hence a plurality of gifts to the church through the Holy Ghost released through the sacrifices of Christ in the sinless life He lived, in the sacrifice of both His body and blood, the fulfilment of the Law and all the prophets had foretold of Him, the release of the holy spirit which seals every believer the moment they believe, along with the indwelling of God the Father with the Lord Himself.
ORDAINED: to set one over a thing (in charge of it); to
appoint one to administer an office; to place down (permanently).
NECESSITY: what one
cannot do without, indispensable.
The above scripture, short, but so spiritually nutrient rich.
God the Father sets the standard. None that He did not call can ever be
ordained. None can officiate empty handed. Herein the Holy Spirit shouts of the
full atoning works of Christ as His matchless sacrifices offered to God in our
behalf. The Holy Spirit is driving relentlessly, meticulously, clearly and
absolutely, in doing His appointed work ordained by God in showing us the glory
and splendor of God the Son of God Jesus Christ. In later chapters He will continue
to reveal the Christ fully loaded with all power, authority, endless life, set
in place permanently as the sole High Priest over the house of God, by the will
of God the Father and witnessed by the Holy Spirit. In some ways, dearly beloveds, it can seem like some chapters, also found throughout scripture say the same things. Yes, indeed, many of the chapters seem highly meticulous/repetitious to the nth degree. This repetitiousness signifies the great importance of these things, that we must never neglect. As mentioned earlier, there are some who are clueless about the importance of the sinless blood of Jesus, although they rightly accept His death on the cross and resurrection. I am not addressing apostates here at all. Raise your hand if you understand sheep are clueless and must be carefully taught. I raised both of mine, brethren, and might be among those in first place. I continually thank my God for the many relentless God- fearing teachers who loved me and opened up the scriptures until faith was birthed in me and I believed and received the New Covenant of Jesus Christ declared by Lord Jesus in the bread representing His body, and in the wine representing His sinless blood: Mat 26:28 For this is
my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of
sins.
REMISSION: forgiveness or pardon, of sins (letting them go as if they
had never been committed), remission of the penalty.
We are the holy family of God, a family of priests under our
High Priest and Saviour Jesus Christ. We gain the understanding that the the
local church is designed by God to be a fully functioning priesthood, not a
passive spectatorship; but one in which the gifts of each member would contribute to the whole,
and corporate teaching developed to mature all members to go forward to
maturity to be able to teach others. Although the church is orgainized it is
not an organization, but a fellowship of equal believers, although some will
have greater responsibility.
Love and truth, serola
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Name: Dolores serola Rutherford
