Wed, Sep 27th - 9:13AM

Ramblings from Hebrews

What I like about the letter to the Hebrews is that it pulls no punches, it leaves you in absolutely no doubt where the writer is coming from.  It served the Jewish Christians in the 1st century & it serves us just as well today. The letter highlights just who the person of Jesus is & what he has done for the believer & non-believer alike.  It lays itself out proving from the OT the various offices which can be laid at the feet of Jesus of Nazereth, who is God's annointed one; The Messiah.  Greek Christos, The Christ.  Setting out from the very beginning to illume what the reader already knows & adding to that knowledge with explanations & quotes from the very opening pages of scriptures.

Jesus is compared with Angels, God's messengers, with Moses, God's chosen leader,  with Melckezadek, the Prince of Salem meaning Peace.  Prophet Priest & King,  Jesus is  shown as being superior to them all. God's Son, the Son of Man.  The saviour of the world. That says the writer is who we follow.

Being encouraged then, just before the great Roman sacking of the temple circa 70 AD the people of God were under persecution from all around. The orthodox Jews were hunting the down because they worshopped God through the works of Jesus on Calvary's cross.  The Romans were persecuting them because they worshipped the only living God.  Not Caeser!  What a turmoil, no wonder some were thinking about giving it all up, no doubt some did.  Here the encouragment was & is based on facts which they could all understand & were already aware of. What a magnificent work wrought by the Holy Spirit through the unknown writer.

Today, how do you think we would react to similar circumstances of persecution?  Believers across the world today are being hounded for their beliefs. A couple in Glasgow Scotland have taken sanctuary in a Cathedral to escape being deported to Pakistan, where as Christians they fear for their lives.  What would we do if we were met with similar fates?

I would hope that I would continue to take refuge in the arms of my Saviour, I can only pray that I would have the strength, both spiritual & physical to withstand that kind of attack.  Till now we have known little in the way of persecution, yes there are those who would decry us, but that is not the same as mental & physical hardship.

Take heart brothers & sisters in Christ, Jesus will save his people the writer of the letter to the Hebrews has left us with a legacy which cannot be beaten, promises of God which cannot be broken, reminding us of works of Christ which cannot be undone. When the time comes, when we are tempted to evil thoughts, which lead to evil actions, remember the words written that we might be reminded of the actions of God to save his people. 

Jesus who literally pitched his tents among us, that we might in our time gain fellowship with God, through Christ, know  our voices as we cry to him in our need.  "Let us keep our eyes upon Jesus author & perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame & sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  Heb.  12:2

Simply Awesome

Love in His Name   Stuart

Tue, Sep 12th - 8:30AM

Final ramblin's from Romans

The final ramble from Romans is from chapter fifteen, with the emphasis from verse five.  Paul writes that: "May the God who gives endurance & encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart & mouth you may glorify the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ"

What a statement, he makes here, not only does he wish for us to be unified, but he asks God to ensure that unity. Why, simply that we may as one voice glorify The Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Did Paul know that the Christians in Rome were not united?  Did Paul know that we would not be praising God with one voice?  I think that he must have understood the people before & after conversion, better than most.  After the fall outs at Corinth, see also 1 & 2 Corinthians. Paul made a judgement call through the Holy spirit to ensure unity down through the ages.  Never has there been a time when the Christian Church has been united, always there has been some breakaway schism in the offing.  Sometimes for the good & sometimes to the detriment of the Church as a whole.

It is our task as believers to stay loyal to the scriptures, that we in our generation might pass on that which we received!  To keep the purity of the 'word'  as well as the purity of our very souls.  Both in our thinking & our speaking.

Not always possible I hear you say!  I agree but as we err which is human, we can be forgiven when we take our mistakes to the source of our divine joy.  Our earnest prayer is for a continuance of Paul's request, that we in our time receive encouragement & endurance, in order that God may be glorified through the Lord Jesus Christ as we worship him.  In unity, with joy, may we all get to know Christ, the object of our faith, thus making our world a better place not only for now but in the years to come.  Till He comes again Hallelujah!

That my friends is awesome

Love in His Name   Stuart