Mon, Feb 26th - 12:20AM

STUDIES IN HEBREWS

CHAPTER 12 VS  3

Brothers and sisters, holy family of God, priests under our eternal High Priest Jesus Christ, Saviour, Mediator, Deliverer and great Shepherd of the flock of God- both Jew and gentile made one in Him; let us come bringing to Him our offerings of sweet sacrifices of love, praises, thanks, and blessings, for He is worthy.

Much love, peace and blessings to you holy brothers and sisters, whom God our Father has received as His very own dear children, through faith in God the Son of God Jesus Christ His only begotten Son. 

From the moment we believed in the atonement of Lord Jesus, the Holy Ghost witnessed, (Eph 1:13; 1Jo 5:10), before God the Father that we are His and sealed us unto the day of redemption. Therefore, in the mouths of Lord Jesus, (Mat 10:32), and the Holy Ghost believers are confirmed before God our Father, for in the mouth of two faithful witnesses is a thing proven true before Him.

Knowing who we are in Christ, dearly beloveds, let us speak as the spiritual oracles of God in the world and not as natural men and women any longer:  Jhn 4:24; 1Pe 4:11. We are in the world, but no longer of this temporal world. We belong to the eternal kingdom of God.

Let us get a full reward by sharing the gospel in the world and also within the body of Christ, along with any good works as we have the opportunity. Let’s keep in remembrance that although a multitude of believers know the word through being taught it and living it, there are some new and old believers-even some in the pulpit a long time that do not know it: Rom 10:14-15; Rom 10:17

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Be wary of those who in error utilize the teachings of mere men, or themselves alone to verify, prove, and/or interpret scripture. These are those, without the Spirit, who are intellectually religious and love to debate/dispute with others to show their superior intellectual acumen:

1Co 2:14-16 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1Co 1:18-23.

CHRIST’S SACRIFICE ONCE FOR ALL

THIS IS THE NEW COVENANT OF JESUS CHRIST

Heb 8:10

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and

 their iniquities will I remember no more.

 Never addressing apostates here, holy brethren, but we know that there are spiritual infants and/or the ignorant in Christ amongst us that run to 1 John 1: 9 in error to confess sins each time they sin as those under the Mosaic Law, dismissing entirely the New Covenant, knowing not the power of God, nor understanding eternal PERMANENT forgiveness OF ALL SINS FOREVER gained by Christ’s sacrifice of His sinless body AND BLOOD FOR WHOMSOEVER WILL BELIEVE IN HIM.

JESUS TEACHES US THAT BOTH HIS BODY AND BLOOD WAS NECESSARY TO MAKE AND COMPLETE THE ATONEMENT.

For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. SEE Mat 26:26-28; Act 20:28;

Heb 9:12; Heb 13:12;  Rev 1:5.

The New Covenant is a blood covenant, is finished for all time, Jesus Christ its Word and Absolute Supreme Standard. He is the gospel with all of His doctrines, principals, and boundaries which are rooted, ratified, unchanging, and set for all time, by and in the will of God the Father.

CURSED ARE ALL WHO ADD TO OR TAKE AWAY FROM THIS NEW COVENANT:  Gal 1:8-9.

Now we know, saints (G40 hagios), that there are some who in ignorance “plead the blood”, and/or “confess their sins” after being saved to restore fellowship, or get right with God again, or to get saved again and again each time they sin by their confessions.

We know most certainly this is gross ignorance seeing that our eternal Saviour and High Priest alone can atone for sins. Sins can absolutely only be forgiven by His body and blood offered once by Him, absolutely no one else has any authority from God or power to use His blood or get their sins forgiven by their own righteousness or works.

When Jesus said “IT IS FINISHED” it really means just that for all eternity.

God has given the church all the gifts to put the body on the same page, preaching and teaching the same truth. We need all the gifts and when any of them are left out it hurts the body. Ignorance in the body occurs if there are no teachers or if the teachers are incompetent teachers. Thanks be to God, although all of us are ignorant at some point in our faith, we do not have to stay that way.

The Bible is over abundant in teaching us how God commands us to live after salvation in daily repentance towards God and holiness: see Romans chapter 8; Rom 13:12; Eph 4:22-24; Col 3:10; 1Pe 1:15-16; Heb 12:14.

The New Covenant, dearly beloveds, can be shocking to the long time ignorant who might even be in the pulpit. Some of them might initially be defensive thinking in error that no one can be perfect in the scriptures or in any spiritual matter.  However, the many mature amongst us know absolutely that God perfects us through being taught the gospel and living the Word out of love and trust in Him: 2Ti 3:16-17. Let us be gracious whenever we find any who can benefit from hearing the gospel, just as we ourselves have also received. 

Dearly beloveds, I give our God thanks for you, and for your patience in this study. We know that God forbids the cherry picking of the gospel, we must share the whole gospel just as Jesus did and commands us also. We return to the study confident in Lord Jesus, that the inerrant scriptures interpret scriptures, backs up, validates and proves scripture without error, within the whole context of scripture. All who bring interpretations of scriptures that contradict the inerrant truth of scripture are never, never acceptable to God and His church.

Heb 12:3For consider him that

endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, 

lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Endured: to remain i.e. abide, not recede or flee; to persevere under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one's faith in Christ; to endure, bear bravely and calmly ill treatments.

Wearied: To tire, to grow weary, be weary.

Faint: to weaken, exhaust; to be enfeebled through exhaustion, to grow weak, grow weary, be tired out; to despond, become faint hearted.

God our Father has given us our Lord Jesus as the supreme example of love, humility, service, trust, and faith under fiery persecutions such as no other human being ever faced. We must meditate, thoroughly deliberate, keep in remembrance that despite the temptation by the adversary, the mockery, threats, blasphemy, stalking, envy of Him for His power, rebellion against Him and numerous plots to kill him by wicked religious leaders, along with other unbelieving Jews and gentiles, betrayal by one of His own, abandoned by His disciples and finally put to death unjustly to bear the sins of His enemies on the cross, Jesus remained faithful and finished His race always looking ahead to see His Father's pleased face at the end.

God required His Son’s humility before exaltation and a crown of thorns before a crown of gold. Lord Jesus knew all of This before the beginning, but still voluntarily chose to come and save us because He loved us even though we were His enemies and not worth the dirt under his sandals. He experienced all the hardships, difficulties and even death that people have to face so that He would know from His own experience how to help all who will believe in Him as only a faithful eternal High Priest can.

Jesus, again, dearly beloveds, was not forced to endure against His will. He did so voluntarily out of love and trust in God and for all men even His enemies. Jesus stayed focused on doing God His Father’s will, knowing God always wins it was just a matter of time, God's timing.

It is important for us all to keep focused that persecution is not punishment from God: Act 14:22; 2Ti 3:12; 1Jo 3:13.

Lord Jesus Instructs us: Luk 6:22; Jhn 16:33;

Jhn 15:18If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

Jhn 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

Jhn 15:20Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

We understand, therefore, the nature of persecution, dearly beloveds, and that God allows us to be tested, tried, and proven and will bring us through it, for Jesus is our victory. God our Father, our God the Son of God Jesus Christ, our God the Holy Ghost is in our spirits, we are not alone. God is always there with each of us every step of the way. Let us run this race seeing our God waiting for us at the end. We, all the people of God have a divine appointment where we will all meet dressed in white with palm branches in our hands beholding and adoring God our Saviour Jesus in the presence of God our Father and God our Holy Ghost, and the angels. 

Jesus preached the whole gospel never a sugar coated, warm and fuzzy, touchy-feely, wishy-washy pack of lies. He trusted in God His Father knowing God always wins. No matter how big and bad the enemy seems, no matter what they do or how many they might be God always wins. No man, devil, nor any creature nor anything can ever beat our Almighty, All Powerful, Invincible, Indestructible God: Rev 20:10.

Tue, Feb 6th - 6:18AM

STUDIES IN HEBREWS

CHAPTER 12 VS 1-2

Brothers and sisters, let us thank and praise our Father God for His everlasting mercy and love, who has given us His Son our Saviour and Lord, so that we can have fellowship with Him and one another as the holy family of priests under our   Saviour and High Priest Jesus Christ Mediator of the New Covenant.

We know absolutely, dearly beloveds, that Lord Jesus finished His work, praise His Name. His atonement is forever done, wherein we are delivered through faith in Him from the power of darkness, and the kingdom of the devil: Col 1:13;  Act 26:18.

We gratefully and rightfully acknowledge that our Saviour paid in full to God His Father for all of our sins, past, present and future. We know that it is gross error to see Christ’s atonement as merely an exchange or substitution for this is found nowhere in the absolute inerrant scriptures.

Those who claim in error that Christ’s atonement is an exchange or substitution do not know the scriptures nor the power of God. This error robs Lord Jesus of the honor, praise, and worship due Him for His mercy/love in voluntarily sacrificing Himself to pay in full to God His Father for ALL of our sins. 

Seeing the atonement of Christ in error as merely an exchange or substitutionary wrongfully exalts sinners who see themselves as so precious and minimizes God as so needy of them that He gave His only biological Son Jesus to save them. While it is true that God so loved the world that He gave His only biological Son, His love never kept Him from seeing the truth that we were sinners, even enemies of God not one of us worthy on our own merits of His mercy and grace; for God needs no one, He is totally sufficient in and of Himself.

Those in error become arrogant, proud wrongfully seeing God as so needy of them He had to save them. True worship of God the creator and Maker of all flesh is lost as such persons elevate themselves instead of the only Saviour worthy of all worship, honor, glory, and praise.

THIS IS THE NEW COVENANT OF JESUS CHRIST

Heb 8:10

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and

 their iniquities will I remember no more.

 Mat 26:28

For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

God through Paul has spelled out to all believers for all time the absolute and only kind of faith that can please God in blunt explicit, exhaustive, exclusive and absolute eternal terms. Furthermore, those of faith must also trust that God will never do them harm, but good, always resting confidently in the truth of His love, mercy, kindness and goodness, knowing that He is a rewarder of all who come to him. NO ONE CAN PLEASE GOD WITHOUT THIS KIND OF FAITH.

Without faith in God all of our knowledge of Him is worthless and we have no valid claim of belonging to Him.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Dearly beloveds let us go into the study again to eat and drink into Christ our Lord who will always feed us well and cause us to be strengthened/comforted in His word. We confidently look to inerrant scripture within the context of scripture to validate and give us the correct interpretation of scripture. the Bible ensures us that the very Christ who redeemed us has given us the ability to comprehend and have full and complete knowledge and faith in Him

End notes on Heb. Chapter 11: Paul, dearly beloveds, could have simply told these Hebrew believers that we all have trials, so none of them should be surprised and quoted a few verses of scriptures and left it at that. However, he does not.

They had gone through great trials, but still loved one another and had lovingly, gladly, shared what they had with Paul when he was in need in bonds. Paul thoroughly takes them through time to expound meticulously on the many trials that God’s people have faced. He wanted to connect them to understand- to see themselves as a part of the continuum of that long line of suffering faithful and to understand/grasp/ to see that they were not alone in their sufferings, and neither are we.

He does not paint a fairy tale life for those who choose to believe in Jesus and live holy lives under the New Covenant in this present evil world.

We leave Heb. Chapter 11 with the understanding that our trials are not punishment from God for sins, but due to being righteous in an evil world that hates God and His people. Our suffering has a purpose, is part of God’s plan, allowed by Him, is not in vain for Jesus is in us through it all with God our Father and God the Holy Spirit who will cause us to prevail and have victory in it out of love, faith, and trust in Him.

1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

I.Fiery trial: a burning

A. the burning by which metals are roasted and reduced.

B. by a figure drawn from a refiners fire.

i.calamities or trials that test the character.

 Strange:  unusual; to surprise, shock or astonish by the strangeness and novelty of a thing. 

Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Leaving chapter 11 of Hebrews we cannot fail to understand the only kind of faith that pleases God.

Heb 12:1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Patience: steadfastness, constancy, endurance; in the NT the characteristic of a man, or woman who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and devoutness by even the greatest trials and sufferings; patiently, and steadfastly; a patient, steadfast waiting for; a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance, derived from facing trials resting in trusting a faithful God  Luk 8:15;  Luk 21:19: Rom 5:3

Ro 5: 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation 

worketh patience; 4And patience, experience; and experience, hope

Glory: joy, rejoice in an absolute sense without any form of shame. Rom 5:5

Paul had been given the full gospel completely by revelation personally received from Lord Jesus Christ:  Eph 3:3;  Gal 1:12. Although Paul had the full power and authority of an apostle, he never failed to present himself as a brother, and servant leader to the church. He does not come to them as a scholar wanting perpetual students to honor and glorify himself, but as a loving teacher who wants his students to grow up to maturity and go forward to glorify God by living godly lives privately, publicly, while sharing the message in the world.

We note that Paul includes himself along with everyone of us in declaring that the race we are running, holy brethren, is set by God for us. It is not impossible to run this race because we see clearly from God’s record that we have an overwhelming number of witnesses that have done so out of faith in God to please Him, and so can we.

Therefore, none of us have any excuse. God empowers and commands us to lay aside, put off every distraction, every type of sin that easily causes us to lose sight of God’s eternal perspective, if we allow it to do so. Call to remembrance, holy people, this world is only temporary, will never be permanent. During the course of our allotted time only what we do for Christ will last for all eternity.

Carrying out God’s will does not mean living like an ascetic, neglecting our earthly duties to our families and not caring about our fellow men in the world, not enjoying any earthly pleasures. However, it does mean not allowing besetting sins or the pressures of life to deter us from following after our faithful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Despite all of these things we never put God on the back burner, but keep Him as the Head and First in all matters, while living godly lives in this present evil world:

Heb12:2 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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

It is Lord Jesus the Faithful and True One, Son of God who in order to bring salvation to the lost and dying world ran His race set by God, keeping His eyes on His Father. He ran it with joy knowing He would bring many sons and daughters to glory. The wicked tried to shame Him, He wouldn’t stop running, the devil tried to trip Him up by tempting Him, Jesus wouldn’t stop running, the nation sent Him to death Jesus kept on running, death tried to hold Him in its grip, but early one Sunday morning Jesus rose to life again from the grave, forever having finished His race, having abolished death and holding the keys of hell and death with all power and authority and having brought forth His Eternal New Covenant.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, I am fully persuaded, convicted and convinced that all the people of God through the power of our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ know: Rom 8:37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Phl 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

 Phl4:13I can do all things through Christ 

which strengtheneth me.