Mon, Sep 26th - 5:15AM

STUDIES IN HEBREWS

CHAPTER SIX  

Brothers and sisters, I love you and give God thanks for you. Blessing and peace to you dearly beloveds, the body of Christ His forever family worldwide. The secular world wants itself to continue to exist forever, to expand itself and grow for its own glory, some even go into space to expand themselves and hopefully to find aliens who they believe are superior to humankind.

However, we know, holy brethren, that this present evil world will not continue, for it is doomed to be destroyed by God our Father at the appointed time. Let us continually glorify our God in all we say and do, in character, conduct and conversation, in truth, in love of God and one another, which is well pleasing to our God, as we rest in absolute knowledge that every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess in heaven and on earth that Jesus Christ is Lord. To our God eternal, indestructible, unbeatable, unconquerable Potentate be the power, glory, dominion, honor, and praises forever and ever, for the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.

Love offerings and thanks to you Father God, please uphold those who are weary, and tired, and pressed with many needs. Open doors for them and grant them peace and all kinds of help speedily, especially in the areas of safety, and financial pressures at this time. 

Thanks, and praises be to our God and Father, who in His mercy sent God His Son Jesus Christ, the Head of the church, not to save the world, but to freely save all in the world who believe on Him. Continual blessings and praises to our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we are freely made the people of God now and in the future eternal world to come, walking as aliens and strangers in this present evil world.

Saints (G40 hagios), let us give continual worship and Glory to God, our Father, and to our God the Son, Jesus Christ, and to our God the Holy Spirit, One God in Three inseparable Persons, Bound as One in Truth and Love, who indwells us and has established us, and all believers as God’s royal forever family in heaven and on the earth, and in the world to come.  

Dearly beloveds, with open Bibles, as the family of God, let us with humility and anticipation continue to go on into the word of God, to receive of Himself our spiritual food, comfort, instruction, and encouragement for His glory and our good. Let us keep in mind that the word of God is the living word, He will be interacting with us when we open up His Holy book. Jesus will be with our spirits, as the Holy Spirit brings to our attention and understanding God’s instructions to build up every believer.

Heb 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit.

THE DOCTRINE OF THE LAYING ON OF HANDS

LAYING ON OF HANDS TO CONFIRM, ORDAIN OR COMMISSION:

MUST BE USED WISELY WITH BIBLICAL CAUTION AND CARE:

 1Ti 5:22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.

“Hasty”, inappropriate uses of laying on hands would be: Premature ordinations.

1Ti 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

We must never appoint people to church offices without a full trial and examination: test, try and prove them fit. Otherwise, we will be an accessory to and accountable for their misbehaviors in office and guilty by association as a partaker in their sins.

Some examples of laying on of hands for the work of the ministry, commission to office, confirm for office:  Act 6:6; Act 13:3.

The New Covenant, holy people, we know was given by God through God the Son Jesus Christ and came into effect upon His resurrection. The New Covenant is complete there is no need to seek to mix it with the Mosaic Law, which is forbidden by God. Therefore, brethren, we understand the doctrine of Christ is within His New Covenant, including the doctrine of the laying on of hands.

The type of laying on of hands wherein people received the Holy Spirit as done by certain of the apostles, Peter and John, the non-apostle Ananias, and Paul who met all the qualifications of an apostle including the working of miracles were limited by God specific to them and is not a command to be continued by the church general today. In fact, this type of laying on of hands ceased with the end of the apostolic age. Now all who believe receive the Holy Spirit with no need for the laying on of hands.

It is blasphemous to think that the power to bestow the Holy Spirit on people can be bought with money: Act 8:20-24.

No man has any power to control God for He is Sovereign and chooses whom He will as a conduit to work through: Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.  

While men are used, the Holy Spirit and all other powers to the church come from God, never emanating from the power or effort of any human being.    

Our resurrected Lord Jesus commissioned His disciples: Mar 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Mar 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. (See this whole chapter).

Act 28:3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 5 And he shook off the beast into the fire and felt no harm.

It is clear that Lord Jesus gave these specific disciples these particular signs to confirm the authenticity of the gospel message they would preach everywhere. By the power of God, they could guarantee healing also confirming the word.

 Mat 10:5-23. The 12 sent first to Israel with signs as a witness from the Lord that they were preaching the word of God, not as stand-alone sign powers to use willy- nilly.

Jesus gave them power to heal specifically to confirm the coming of the kingdom:  Luk 10:9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

Today we have some taking the command that Jesus gave only to these specific disciples/apostles in the furtherance of the gospel and cherry picking what they like, making a doctrine of it-holding religious services handling snakes, and drinking poisons, and suffering injuries, dying. Some in error calling themselves “healing ministries” only wanting to lay hands on people, none of them preaching the gospel at all.

Jesus warns us about sign seekers: Jhn 4:48

Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

Regarding healing to the body general, Paul instructed the church that any sick among them could call for the elders of the church to come pray and anoint them for healing, there is no command to lay hands on them.

God’s people can also be healed without the laying on of hands as they are free to pray for others and also for whatever they need, including healing. However, saints (G40 hagios), whether a person prays for himself or sends for the elders of the church, healing is not automatic or guaranteed: 1Jo 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

God gives other means to the church for healing through the gifts of the Holy Spirit:  1Co 12:28.

Christians are free to use all of God’s resources that He has given to them. Seeing that Luke was a physician there is no need for Christians to shun medical help for healing, nor are they any less faithful in doing so. God created man and gave him knowledge to help the sick, so God still gets the glory.

Christians can feel free to pray for healing, even in the hospital. In fact, I witnessed a healing granted minutes before a Christian was scheduled to have a surgery. The healing was documented by evidence based medical/cat scan examination, which the hospital required before releasing the patient.

To this day the hospital holds prayer services daily for the sick. No, the hospital did not publish it knowing people in ignorance would rush to the hospital thinking that the hospital was some sort of nexus of healing rather than understanding it as an instance of divine healing granted by the power of God. 

I wish you could have been there, brethren. The news of the healing quickly spread like wildfire within the hospital. The doctor and nurses running out of the room shouting we got a healing on floor###! The sounds of the feet of doctors, nurses, and hospital personnel running from every floor sounded like an earthquake, as they rushed to see the recovered patient. Don’t put God in a box, He does whatsoever He wants, anytime He wants to whomsoever He wants or not, it's all about Him or its about nothing at all.

Dearly beloveds God still heals today, however, those who have not been able to attain any healing, one thing is certain, Jesus promises, there will come a day when there will be no more sickness or dying. Those who are not healed in this world are guaranteed eternal life, healing, and health in the world to come.

The scripture addresses the necessity of spiritual healing, no laying on of hands required, to restore any believer from sinful behavior, (not apostasy) by MUTUAL confession of sins; by the disciplinary hand of God, which can be direct or through the loving discipline of the church: Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Heb 12:6: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth…. Heb 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

Every believer, brothers, and sisters are accountable and responsible to God and to one another. No one in the church is above church discipline, to be done lovingly to restore not to punish, although those who reject church discipline can be removed from fellowship temporarily in hopes that they might return repentant, or permanently removed if they remain unrepentant, thereby rejecting church discipline. Feel free to study on your own self-discipline, self-examination, the crucial need to first take the mote out of our own eyes.  

Sat, Sep 17th - 9:49PM

STUDIES IN HEBREWS

CHAPTER SIX

Brothers and sisters, always with grateful hearts, let us rejoice in the blessings, privilege, honor, delight and command to love our God with all that is within us and to continually bless His Holy Name, for He is worthy.

Lord Jesus, as your priests, under your High Priesthood by the will of God the Father, we pour out abundant offerings of our love, praises and worship to you who has purchased us to God by your final, finished and complete atoning work of salvation for all who believe in you. 

We are thankful that the blind, any disabled, the weak, the strong, the healthy, the rich, the poor, all colors, all who believe in you both Jews and gentiles are your priests in whom you delight to receive.

Thank you, Holy Spirit, who indwells us through faith in Jesus Christ, and the will of God our Father. We pour out the sweet incense of our love to you, thanking you for empowering us to understand and carry out the will of the Father on earth through Faith in Jesus Christ.

Dearly beloved, we know that we need to have regular fellowship with God, as well as other believers. This is the heart of worship, where our spirits are fed and comforted in our Lord and in one another. If we neglect this aspect of fellowship in our lives, we will come up empty and tempted to try to feed ourselves with the things of the world that can never fill us in any way.

Brothers and sisters, let us open our Bibles and go on into the study with our helpers our Father God, God Jesus Christ our Saviour, and God our Holy Spirit.  God focuses our attention on His servant, the apostle Paul our brother. God shows us what love, zeal, patience, humility, right exercise of authority, and what care Paul a servant had regarding the spiritual development of these Hebrew believers and also in other chapters he shows this same care of gentile believers as well.

Paul is not hindered with fear of losing these disciples by pressing full on with them about their faults and needs for correction of the same. He is not calling them apostates, as he actually knows of their good works. He is loving, but forcefully laying out their specific problems to them, while at the same time, carefully laying out the needed solutions and the benefits they will receive from correcting themselves.

This is a dire warning, holy people, that being slothful by leaving out the actual retention and applying the word of God in our lives stunts our spiritual growth, is damaging to the church, and we do not have to let that happen.

We see that Paul relentlessly, rigorously without let up takes the Hebrew Christians back to school, because through sloth and neglect they had lost the knowledge of the basic underpinnings of the faith and therefore, he couldn’t take them on to the more mature comprehensive understanding of the gospel which must absolutely be tethered to these basic beginning principles of the gospel. Many errors occur when any Christian runs ahead having no foundation in these basic tenets of scripture, and/or likely having never read the Bible in its entirety at any time. They are prone to take bits and pieces of the gospel and make a doctrine of it nullifying the word of God.

Paul continues on breaking down the basics of what these Hebrew believers are supposed to know and be rooted in: Heb 6:2

Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment

THE DOCTRINE OF BAPTISMS

Unfortunately, today there are among the multitude of believers who know the truth about the doctrine of baptisms, some who in error still think being dunked in common water saves people.

Here, holy people, it is necessary to understand that the water baptism of John the Baptist, which was before the resurrection of Lord Jesus, did not grant salvation to anyone, and had specific limited purposes for the Jewish nation, and for the baptism of Jesus Christ, who never sinned, but His baptism was needed for God’s specific purposes.

After the resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ, the promised Holy Spirit and the act of baptism in water came into effect. However, the baptism of the Holy Spirit and water baptism are not the same, nor are they interchangeable.

Jesus Christ saves and baptizes all with the indwelling Holy Spirit, the moment they believe in Him. Through faith in Jesus Christ, He baptizes every believer with the Holy Spirit putting all believers into His body.

Water baptism is for believers only. It is an ordinance of the church a beautiful moving ceremony and can never bestow salvation. It is an act that is done publicly by the believers, after salvation to show their identification with Jesus Christ as believers and a follower. The believers’ entrance into the water during baptism identifies them with Christ’s death on the cross, His burial in the tomb. It represents the burial and death of their old sinful nature and old sinful lives.  

The believers’ being raised up out of the water is symbolic of God raising them from the dead, forgiven and with a new spiritual life forever, just as He raised His Son Jesus Christ to life never to die again but to have eternal life.

Many know this, but this will benefit those who might not know it. Below are some scriptures as absolute proof that only ONE baptism based on faith in Lord Jesus Christ saves.

Mat 3:11

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (The preceding verse, and the one below this verse confirms that only the baptism of the Holy Spirit upon faith in Lord Jesus Christ saves, never emersion in common water).

Act 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 

Act 10:47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 

Heb 1:3 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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 

 1Co 2:13

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Rom 8:9

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Brothers and sisters, if there are any amongst us who in error claim that they are saved by being dunked in common water by the hands of mere men, I pray they will repent and come believing in Jesus Christ and be saved and they will receive of Him the gift of the Holy Ghost. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL TOMMOROW, TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION!!!

Love and truth, serola

Wed, Sep 14th - 4:32PM

STUDIES IN HEBREWS

CHAPTER SIX

Brothers and sisters, let us continually give thanks for the abundant love and truth of God our Father, and for Jesus Christ our Faithful Shepherd and Saviour, and for the Holy Spirit our zealous Teacher who reveals to us all truths of the word of God in Christ Jesus.

Dearly beloveds, welcome again, to the Lord’s table where we open our Bibles, and meet again to study His word. When Lord Jesus asks us what we want let us boldly tell Him that we want all of Him all the time and then we want some more of the same, He will not disappoint us, and the Holy Spirit is ready to fill up our plates in the presence of God our Father.

Brothers and sisters, the apostles could have set themselves up as religious tycoons, moguls, gurus, pundits, scholars for profit/self -exaltation. They could have separated themselves from one another setting up their own individual churches, making all their disciples adhere only to their specific apostle.

They could have set themselves up as the experts who alone were qualified to know and teach scripture, keeping men dependent, weak, vulnerable and deceived in thinking that so called “ordinary” Christians could never be taught to come to know the full gospel of Jesus Christ for themselves.

Thanks be to God, dearly beloveds, they did none of those things, instead they preached Lord Jesus Christ, not themselves: 2Co 4:5.  They were not trying to make perpetual dependent good students but to mature them and make them good teachers in the sight of God and for the good of the people.

They all faithfully taught out of love for God and His people. They helped them to grow and to minister to one another. Those disciples that matured in grace were ordained and sent out to establish churches in other places and make disciples to build up the church of God for His kingdom. Some disciples remained and were given offices or ministries within the body of believers to help support one another and to help the incoming new believers in their faith and maintain outreach with churches in other places and cities fellow shipping and giving reciprocity for needs.

We notice, holy brethren, the wisdom and faithfulness of the apostles, in cooperating with one another and counting themselves as servants and at all times as one body no matter how widespread they became, checking on the dispersed from time to time for any corrections or needs they might have, one example is like Paul here with the Hebrew believers.

The gentile believers were vast in numbers in comparison to the smaller numbers of Jewish believers. These gentile believers were largely ignorant of the full gospel message. All the apostles were to minister to the gentiles, as well as to the Jews, but God also assigned the apostles Peter and Paul to ensure that the gentile believers would be cared for and not be overlooked.

The fact that Paul among others was also teaching Jewish believers makes it absolutely clear that he did not bypass the Jews only to teach the gentiles. 

God is the God who offers second, third, and many more chances for people to be saved.  The goodness and patience of God is well demonstrated in that He gave Israel its first chance in the Law, and in the desert, which they failed, second chance when God asked them to choose between Himself or a King to rule over them, nope they choose a human king over God, next Pontius Pilate who wasn’t even a good guy knew Jesus was, and offered Him to them  as their King to save Him from death, nope they weren’t having it, they saved a known murderer instead.

Some Jews believed in Jesus, unfortunately the Bible records that He was rejected by the religious leaders of the day.

However, praise our God for His faithful Jewish apostles and prophets through whom believing Jews and gentiles have been blessed with the salvation and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Blessed be Jesus Christ who ministers before God in the tabernacle in heaven, before the throne of God.

We know, brethren, that the material house of God that the son of David, king Solomon built was destroyed, and although later rebuilt, it had none of its former glory. Nobody even knows where it is now and nothing of it remains today. 

Thanks, and glory to God that Lord Jesus Christ who lives forever, the Seed of Abraham, Son of David, Son of God, King of kings, and Lord of lords, Invincible, Unbeatable, Unconquerable, has built God's eternal living spiritual house on earth made with lively stones, the people of God, in whom He dwells. The House that the Jesus Christ built will last forever, and the very gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Jesus Christ is the veil of the true eternal tabernacle in heaven not built by hands, but by God Himself:  Heb 10:20.

This is why you, me, us, all believers should never be discouraged from praying, making petitions, and supplications to Jesus Christ who is the veil through whom we have perpetual access to Him, God, and the Holy Spirit. God will always hear us, let us trust Him for deciding what He will grant, delay or not grant to us, for He knows what is better for us than we know for ourselves.

Brothers and sisters, I solemnly state to you, A Rabbi in a certain city passed out Bibles to all of its members. After they read it, he asked them if they believed that the Jesus Christ in the Bible was the same Messiah promised to them, and if they did, would they accept Him. They all believed and accepted that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah and changed to a Messianic Jewish church.

Dearly beloveds, those of us who have the pleasure to worship with our Jewish brothers and sisters, know the joy we see in them coming to their own Jesus, the Jewish Messiah for all nations. Praise God for putting both Jew and gentile as equals in His body in His grace, bound together in eternal love for God and one another.  So, God has not cast off His people and at the appointed time will save all Jews who believe in Christ.

Heb 6:1 - Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

Brothers and sisters, we know that repentance from dead works, is evidenced in a faithful steadfast turning away from living, thinking and acting out of our old destructive sinful degenerate nature as we did before we were saved and made new creatures in Jesus Christ.

Our willing repentance gives absolute proof that through Jesus Christ we have been delivered from our old sin nature and regenerated as a new creation with a new nature wholly in agreement with God that all sin is wrong.  As forgiven holy people we have stopped making excuses for our sins and short comings through repenting, turning from them and doing God’s will rather than choosing to rebel by doing our own. The truth is that Christians do not have to choose to practice any sin: 1Jo 5:18.

When we find we are doing wrong, or God, and/or our brothers and sisters lovingly admonish us, instead of getting offended, or deceiving ourselves that we are hapless victims of our own flesh, we make haste to turn away from loving any sin more than God, all the while heeding His word: Rom 8:13

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Holy people, let us forget trying to reason with our fleshly sins, our old nature or our old man. We are not to harm ourselves physically in any way, but these fleshly lusts arising out of our old nature or old man must be killed, that is stone cold ruthlessly put to death in practice, heart and mind, out of love for God and His body. This process is not pleasant nor comfortable, but when we obey God in doing His will our hearts rejoice in righteousness in accomplishing the victory and the mastery over our own flesh, by the spirit.

Certain kinds of sins, saints (G40 hagios), we have to overcome by avoiding, fleeing from them, do not think about them, stay away from any area of temptation, do not allow any part of our physical bodies to participate or engage in it in any way:  2Ti 2:22.

Further proof of our faith in God is clearly evidenced in that we believe, love and trust God by our consistent obedience, and steadfast agreement with the Bible and all that it has absolutely declared about God because God is absolute truth, and it is impossible for him to lie.

God is not sitting around doubting Himself, in fact it is impossible for God to doubt Himself, His will, and His work. He expects the same of His people. Jesus Christ is not sitting around doubting Himself, as it is impossible. He is perpetually steadfast in belief, knowing and doing the work and will of the Father, and we are commanded to do the same.

Neither is the Holy Spirit sitting around doubting Himself, but continually working on behalf of God’s people. We should be doing the same. These Three are in complete agreement together and so should we be with them in all their commands and teachings without doubt or wavering. This is how we know that we are growing and grounded in these basic principles of the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

We have natural bodies, which we should not neglect. However, dearly beloveds, we are not to neglect our spiritual bodies which have eternal spiritual life. We are to make the word of God our own incrementally over time, by patiently rigorously, steadfastly putting what we have learned habitually, meticulously into practice in every part of our lives so that we can live life in the Spirit in this present evil world and in the world to come where no evil shall ever enter.

God has made it plain, brethren, and given us knowledge of how to live in Him in the Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ. Let us also, holy brethren heed this also:  Rom 12:1

Some might say this is a lot of stuff to learn. It is, and it is necessary and possible for all believers in Jesus Christ to do so, whom He has filled with the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit no one can understand, be taught, or learn the scriptures no matter how many teachers, degrees, or titles they might have: Rom 8:9.

Thu, Sep 8th - 2:39AM

STUDIES IN HEBREWS

CHAPTER SIX

Brothers and sisters, let us continually praise and thank our God and Father for His wonderful gift to us of His Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus you are amazing, glorious, marvelous, and wonderful. King Solomon, in times past, built your Father a house, but God declared that He does not dwell in temples made with hands, therefore you God the Son in your finished work of atonement and resurrection built Him a temple, one that is made of all believers in you, declaring to all your people: Rom 12:5;1Co 3:16; 1Co 6:19.

In the Old Covenant of the Law, holy people, only the Levitical priests could go to the temple to do service to God, but under the New Covenant of Lord Jesus Christ, the temple is every believer, these are His priests, who in service to the Lord our Saviour and great High Priest go out into the world bringing the message of salvation to the lost, and doing good works towards the brethren and all men, to the glory of God. 

Heb 6:1 - Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit.

Dearly beloveds, the above verses clearly lay out in detail the elementary essential necessary principles of the doctrine of Christ, the beginning instructions and foundational truths of the New Covenant that God helps and expects every believer to learn and retain. 

We leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ not in the sense of learning and forgetting, or being a forgetful hearer, but steadfast holding onto and applying these basic foundational sustaining doctrines of the faith so that they become natural, an integral part of our lives, a way of living publicly and privately, as natural as the life-giving act of breathing oxygen.

This foundation is necessary for believers to advance on to build upon and fully understand and comprehend the more difficult tenets and deeper truths of scripture leading to Christian maturity in the faith.

Sat, Sep 3rd - 6:09PM

STUDIES IN HEBREWS

CHAPTER SIX

Brothers and sisters, let us give thanks and praises to God for His mercy, goodness and love. Thanks be to our Jesus for saving us and leaving us His word so that we can always know how to please Him.

Holy people, if there are any in trouble, sick, or in need our Lord Jesus is with you and will keep you. He will come to strengthen you. Trust Him, go to Him without delay for He is ever waiting for and watching over you, is in you, even your Advocate making intercessions for you before the throne of God our Father.

Sometimes we may be in such a state we don’t even know what we should ask God for, then the Holy Spirit our Comforter steps in and searches our hearts and bring our petitions before the throne of God in our behalf. God never sleeps He is ever watching over His people. He will never let us fall: Jde 1:25.

It can’t be said often enough that ignorance or sloth in studying and living the word is extremely dangerous, and there no need or excuse for this.

A Man suddenly left his job telling his employer he had to leave to go and serve the Lord. He also went home and suddenly told his unemployed wife who was a few months pregnant that he had to leave and go serve the Lord. He quickly packed his bags, put a few bills in her hand and left.

Realizing the rent was due she had to get public assistance to survive. She heard nothing from him until he just as suddenly returned home to his employer and wife. Things resumed as normal at work and at home.

A few months after their baby was born the husband once again suddenly left his job for the same reason as he had done before. Once again, he quickly packed his bags, put a few bucks in the wife’s hand and left her and the baby. He was her sole support and once again she had to go on public assistance.

The husband made no contact with the employer or wife for a very long time, neither of them knew what happened to the man or even if he was still alive.

The wife realized that her husband could not be relied on for support and that she needed a job to support herself and child. She got a job and went to school to obtain training in some field of her choice.

The husband showed up suddenly again as he had the other time at work and was told by his employer that he had been fired and replaced for being too unreliable and detrimental to the business. He returned home to be informed by his wife that they were divorced. The wife moved on, refusing reconciliation to this day.

The man was very upset and offended that the employer and wife did not see that he was justified in “leaving to go and serve the Lord”. This was based on what he had been taught at his local church: Mat 10:37: He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

He had gone to a place where people did not speak English, but he had an interpreter. He never preached the gospel because he had been taught at his church that it was only necessary to give testimony of the various sins Jesus had saved and forgiven him of.

The people that he had gone to “serve” were convinced that they did not need Jesus because nobody there did or even heard of the kind of sins he mentioned. He departed there leaving bibles in English which no one there could read.

He returned to his church which praised him for going to “serve” the Lord.  He had never read the Bible in its entirety and his local church did not see that as necessary. They felt that God would save people by hearing their testimonies of various sins that they had been saved from.

We can see, holy brethren, how destructive and costly biblical ignorance is to many people. The man had never been taught that God considers anyone who refuses to support their families as worse than infidels, and it didn’t help that his church found it unnecessary to teach that the Bible must be read, studied and understood in its entirety not in bits and pieces for fyi only. Neither he nor his church understood that there are absolutely no substitutes for preaching the New Covenant of Jesus Christ for salvation.

There are many other examples, such as in one local church the people prayed to be delivered from the devil for making them, eat, drink, or smoke too much etc.  We know, dearly beloveds, had these people been taught the Bible, they would have learned that the devil cannot force people to sin, and God holds each of us personally responsible and accountable to Him and the body as a whole for our conduct and forbids all of His people to live in sins of excess or in any manner contrary to sound doctrine.

 Our God is the living God, and his word is living too. Just as we need physical food, we need the spiritual food that flows from God to His people from His word, which is necessary for our spiritual lives, better our lives in the Spirit.

Again, and again, holy people, the Bible is clear that there are no man-made qualifications necessary for any believer to read, understand and to be taught the Bible. Even if one cannot read, audible Bibles are widely available.

Religious moguls, pundits, gurus, exalt and present themselves as experts to take advantage of people by keeping them dependent and from knowing the truth that they can be taught and grow to know God for themselves.

Brothers and sisters, we can see from the apostle Paul that He is about, making the mystery of God’s word known, encouraging each believer to come into relationship with God personally as well as the body as a whole.

The apostles and Paul were given the entire scripture by revelation from our Lord and Saviour, which they preached, wrote down and left for the body of Christ. 

God is in control of His word. God has set up the mystery of the gospel in its different parts for all believers to learn part by part incrementally until all the parts are understood as a whole which brings every Christian to maturity in Jesus Christ and the full knowledge of Him in God.

We understand that when God sees that we are stable and learned in one part of our understanding of the mystery of God, retaining what we have learned, He moves us on to the next part and so on until the whole is understood in full.

Everything we learn, we know, must be shared and enjoyed with other brothers and sisters to help them in their growth and/or to confirm and encourage them in what they already know.

Saints (G40 hagios), open your Bibles as we prepare for chapter six of Hebrews, knowing that our God will be right there with us helping us and ministering the word to our hearts and minds.

Let us feast liberally on the spiritual largess that our God and Father always sets before us in His word. Feel free to ask Him for second helpings and even more if you want, for He will serve you, me, us, abundantly with pleasure.

Heb 6:1Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

Heb 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 

Heb 6:3 And this will we do, if God permit.

Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

Heb 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Heb 6:7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:

Heb 6:8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

Heb 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

Heb 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Heb 6:11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

Heb 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Heb 6:13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

Heb 6:14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

Heb 6:15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

Heb 6:16 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.

Heb 6:17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:

Heb 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

Heb 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

Heb 6:20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Love and truth, serola