Wed, Sep 27th - 1:23PM

STUDIES IN HEBREWS

CHAPTER 11 VS 19

Brothers and sisters, praise and thanks be to God for sending us His Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the New Covenant, which is eternal, inerrant, explicit, exclusive, exhaustive, final, finished, and complete for all time.

It is set permanently by God the Father, dearly beloveds, wherein He commands that it be taught and understood firmly in absolute truth in its entirety, and accepted of all by faith in love- as eternal, unchanging, impossible for it to be abolished, cancelled, nullified, neither in part or whole, nor mixed or adulterated in any manner, fashion, way or shape whatsoever by any person, thing nor, God Himself, in that He has declared Jesus Christ its High Priest forever by His eternal oath: Heb 7:21; Heb 7:28.

God curses anyone who willfully changes, mixes or adulterates it in any manner, and counts all such as His enemies, anti-Christs: Gal 1:8-9; Mar 3:29.

We know that the Bible is not a debate, brothers  and sisters, it is the eternal declaration of God. It is the sole Authority to the church from God not mere men or women. We can rely on the authority of the Bible to share the gospel. No need to argue with anyone just set the truth before them. It is between the hearers and God whether they believe or not, either way the consequences are irreversible.

Faulty understanding or ignorance of the New Covenant leads to faulty conclusions. God wants us all on the same page, which strengthens and builds up the church in love and truth. Ignorance due to faulty understanding or lack of knowing what the Bible is about has led and will lead to terrible consequences for some. Especially about salvation and faith. There are too many stories of those with faulty understanding or ignorant of biblical faith "stepping out in faith" who were instead tempting God trying to do some work,  ministry, or exploit without any preparation or effort to have the things they needed to successfully do it and failed, causing suffering, damage to themselves and/or others. 

Didn't Lord Jesus Christ teach us to COUNT THE COST to see if me you or us could finish what we started? Jesus declared people would mock us when we fail due to lack of seeing to it that we had obtained what was needed beforehand to sustain or finish what we started: Luke 14:28-29. This is why God commands that we should always have compassion, love and care for one another to aid all of us to mature in understanding the whole gospel message.

But God expects and knows His people will be faithful and commands us to warn and share all of this with others to protect the body, teach the ignorant, and correct the unruly and all men.

Peace and much love to you saints (G40 hagios). The Lord God bless you richly from the crowns of your heads to the souls of your feet with every spiritual blessing, given freely by our Great God continually to us in His love and truth.

Before continuing to go forward, let us look back again at Abraham:

Gen 18:19 For I know him…  Abraham was a warrior; he was not a coward or weak. But on his road to faith, he had times in traveling with his good -looking wife, that he feared men more than God, although God had promised to protect him:  Gen 15:1; Psa 91:4.   

Abraham feared losing Sarah, although God had promised to preserve her. Nevertheless, he was afraid that men would kill him to take her from him. So, he lied a couple of times and told them Sarah was his sister to prevent any of this, and we all know how that worked out.

He feared displeasing Sarah his wife more than God and went along with her in making the hand maid a surrogate, and we all know how that worked out.

However, we know that the faith of Abraham would later be perfected in his choosing to love and trust in God above himself and all that he had. He would no longer fear men, but God only. Therefore, he was able to go on by faith to do exploits in defeating kings to rescue his nephew Lot. He was found worthy to receive bread and wine from Melchisedec, and worthy to receive alive Isaac his only son whom God had commanded that he sacrifice, and to receive the token of circumcision.

We see clearly that God tested not only Abraham’s faith, but his love also:

The love of God, brothers and sisters, again, can never co-exist with fear. God forbids us to choose to fear any but Himself in reverential fear of who He is. Choosing to fear men or anything over God is not an option for His people.   

1Jo4:18There is NO fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Gal 5:6For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Physical circumcision was a token of proof of the New Covenant to come in effect where the token would be the spiritual circumcision of the heart of all who believe.

Rom 2:29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Faith can never exist or work without love.

Love

1Co 13:7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Love

 1Co 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

We can know whether we have weak, strong, or no faith at all through searching our hearts in the light of the Word of God to see whether we choose to love God fully heartily above all, for He accepts nothing less. without love there is no faith at all. Love is the driving force and power of our faith that works and pleases God.

 Mat 10:37-38.

Love and truth forever, serola

Fri, Sep 22nd - 3:02PM

STUDIES IN HEBREWS

CHAPTER 11 VS 17-19

Brothers and sisters, let us bless the Lord Jesus Christ God the Son of God, our Indestructible, Invincible, unconquerable, Unbeatable, Almighty Saviour/High Priest/Mediator, who is our sole Life-Giver, (Rom 6:23),    and source of eternal salvation by the will of God the Father, whom the Father has set before us as the supreme example to us forever of perfect humility, faith; love; patience, and obedience to God the Father in all things: Phl 2:8-9; Jas 5:7-8; Mat 20:26-28.

Jesus teaches us that God the Father commands humility as necessary before honor, that we should serve, minister and wash the feet of one another and in so doing receive promotion of the Lord: Phl 2:8; Mat 20:26-28; Mark 10:45.

 Mat 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

JESUS CHRIST WORE A CROWN OF THORNS, BEFORE GOD GAVE HIM EVERY CROWN OF GOLD, SHOWING US THAT PROMOTION IS OF THE LORD.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, God warns me, you, us, against pride. Pride is very dangerous and forbidden by God. Pride is of the devil, for by it he fell from his exalted place in heaven: Isaiah 14:12-16. See 1Co 8:1

Pride: empty, braggart talk; an insolent and empty assurance, which trusts in its own power and resources and shamefully despises and violates divine laws and human rights; an impious and empty presumption which trusts in the stability of earthly things.

We know, dearly beloveds, that humility is not valued in this present evil world, where men and women take pride in themselves and the works of their own hands: 1Jo 2:15-16. 1Jo 2:17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

WE KNOW THAT ONLY WHAT WE DO FOR GOD OUT OF LOVE AND TRUST IN HIM WILL LAST FOR ALL ETERNITY. Nothing here, brethren, is preaching asceticism- harsh treatment of the body, or that one should not enjoy things or have no pleasures in life, for we can have rightful pleasures without abusing them to excess.

God warns us to remember the big picture- that we all have only a limited time on earth and commands that we learn, live, and share the word to save all who will believe, that they with us shall also ESCAPE THE WRATH OF GOD TO COME ON THE WICKED, WHO REJECT JESUS CHRIST.

We don’t know, holy people, when this world will end, only God knows that. However, Lord Jesus has clearly declared to us in many places in scriptures the signs that would be manifested signifying that the end was near: Mat 24:3-51.

1Jo 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

Therefore, God has given us His Word, that each and every one of us should be fully and perfectly prepared and able to do good works, not be deceived, but protected, and well able to learn, defend, share, and live the word of God both in public and in private. There is no excuse for any of us to have never shared the gospel message with others, as it was shared with us.

 There are some who only like to teach scripture in narrow bits and pieces or a topical manner, and this has a place, but not the only place or method of teaching scripture. Those who only receive this kind of teaching often do not come to understand the New Covenant as a whole, or even know what it is, and its purposes in serving God.

We find throughout scripture and in the book of Hebrews Paul teaching topically and also in a comprehensive way the whole gospel. Showing us that both methods of teaching can be done at the same time. Again, brothers and sisters, this kind of combined teaching is prevalent throughout scripture, without question it is most effective.

Saints (G40 hagios), let us go on into the study to feast deliciously, and fully on the Word of God Jesus Christ who is our spiritual food that God has given to us that we will be completely satisfied in Him.

Let us keep our minds and hearts trained on where Paul the apostle is taking these Hebrew believers and us too in fully grasping the eternal truth that all the knowledge, he has taught them is meaningless, and has no value to God if we do not believe in God without doubting or wavering. No one can please God without faith in Him.

If one looked at Abraham with natural eyes, they might not be much impressed. They might think God should have chosen someone better, more faithful, because didn’t he lie, didn’t he laugh too when God told him of the promises, didn’t he obey his wife to use a surrogate to have a child rather than wait on God, didn’t God have to intervene to prevent the death of Hagar the surrogate with her son that time that Abraham sent them away into the desert with insufficient water? Didn’t the poor child Ishmael not suffer the pain of rejection by his father?

However, dearly beloveds, we are commanded to look from God’s perspective first of all we understand that God loves and tells the truth about every thing and everyone-the good, the bad, and the ugly, sometimes of the same person. While its true that God did not stop Abraham from doing his own will, it is also true that the consequences of their disobedience from God was to delay them having a child for many years until they were impotent. There are lessons here for us as well.

It is true that Abraham in obeying his wife to use the handmaid as a surrogate to bear a child did not please God. Firstly, it showed clearly that Abraham loved Sarah his wife AND HIMSELF TOO more than God: Mat 10:37. Secondly God absolutely commands first place in all things. He is absolutely not ever going to take second place to anyone or anything.

The only one Abraham loved more than Sarah and himself is the child Isaac God granted them in their old age. We find, brethren, that God does not throw Abraham under the bus so to speak, instead God gives Abraham another chance in a final test- the command to sacrifice his biological son that he yearned for such a long time and greatly loved.

Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,  

Heb 11:18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:  

Heb 11:19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

Gal 3:16-18; 1Pe 1:7; 1Pe 4:12-13 .

Abraham passed his final test. First in trusting God’s love, faithfulness, and power to raise his son back to life even if Abraham slew him. Secondly, Abraham put God first above himself and all he loved and held dear. Finally, Abraham gave himself in complete submission to the will of God, regardless of what it would cost him, for he counted God worthy of everything and everyone he had including himself.

Holy people, God gives us a wonderful look at His eternal faithfulness in which we understand that the faith of God only deals in absolutes. God never deals in uncertainties, speculations, trials and errors, regarding the expected outcome of anything He chooses to do, or those whom He chooses to operate through.

God does not see with the eyes of a mere human being. He is able to know all that is in the heart, and thoughts of men and women too. Absolutely nothing can be hidden from Him. Therefore, He rightly judged Abraham declaring of him: Gen 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. 

What about Ishmael and the children Abraham had with the two wives he married after the death of his first wife Sarah?

We have to look at this, dearly beloveds, with the long view, that is the far view-fore sight of faith, the big picture of what  Abraham accomplished to make sense out of this initial mess.

Praise God all of the children of Ishmael along with the other children who believe, can freely enter into the kingdom to receive all of the blessings, promises equally with the believing progeny of Isaac, along with believers of every nation and tongue. Faith is the end and the total sum of this matter for all the believers in Abraham and his Seed Jesus Christ.  

Let us, holy people, remember not to provoke our God to jealousy. For our God is a jealous God, He will not give His glory to another nor His praise to graven images. We know idols can be made of things we hold more dear than and above God in the secret chambers of our heart.

Tue, Sep 12th - 11:59AM

STUDIES IN HEBREWS

CHAPTER 11 VS 12-16

Brothers and sisters, let us continually give abundant worship and offerings of love, thanks, praises, blessings, honor, glory, and adoration to our Almighty God and Father, who gives every believer the command, right, authority, and power through the faith of and in Jesus to bless His Holy Name, and to bless His holy people.

Brothers and sisters, holy family, and priests of the Most High, love and peace to you in the wonderful name of our Lord and Saviour God the Son of God Jesus Christ, Messiah, High Priest/Mediator, Deliverer, Redeemer.

The Lord bless each and every one of you, brethren, from the crown of your heads to the soles of your feet with confidence in the power of God Almighty our Father, resting in His eternal love, truth, and Joy always.

Mankind is obsessed with finding the cure for aging and death itself. The global anti-aging market was valued at around 62 billion U.S. dollars in 2021 and is expected to increase to some 93 billion by 2027. Countless millions are also spent on cosmetic surgeries to hide or diminish the signs of aging.

Sadly, the tabloids exploit aging actors by posting before, and after pictures of them as though these poor folks had made themselves age badly. One billionaire has spent over two million dollars trying to turn back the clock and even used stem cells from his teenaged child.

Billionaires are rushing to fund projects to extend life or find a cure for death. Some of them have preserved or taken steps to have their bodies preserved after death in hopes of being restored to life and/or cured in the future. The National Institute of health has published on a search for the tree of life focused on a certain type of forest.  Some scientists are studying the mystery of death, greatly desiring to know what lies beyond death and have documented brain activity continuing in persons pronounced dead.

Brothers and sisters, we know an unsaved world has every reason to live in the utmost fear and terror of death. But as for every believer we have heard and believed the testimony and seen the patience of our brother Job: Job 14:14

If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

Job 14:15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.

And we like Job, holy people, are fully convicted, convinced, and persuaded that Jesus has called each of us by name out of death into His eternal salvation and life everlasting:

Let us therefore agree and confess with brother Job:

Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

Brother Hosea left us the testimony of God Himself:

Hos 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

Thanks and praises be continually to God our Father through whom we have received the eternal atonement through faith in and of the faith of Lord Jesus Christ who has declared:  Jhn 10:28

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

 Heb 5:9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

We know, saints (G40 hagios) that eternal salvation and eternal life is our inheritance. Some of us might lose our rewards but never our eternal salvation or eternal life, which is a gift given us through the atoning work of Jesus Christ alone and never by any works of men no matter how pious or religious they may be or appear.

1Co 15:22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1Co 15:55-58.

Dearly beloveds, God our Father declares of God His Son Jesus Christ: Isa 9:6

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

We can easily test our own faith by the word of God. If we have believed what God has eternally written then the answer to both of the following questions have only one absolute answer, and that is absolutely YES, Praise God.

IS ETERNAL SALVATION PERMANENT OR CONDITIONAL? ABSOLUTELY YES ETERNAL SALVATION IS PERMANENT.

IS ETERNAL LIFE PERMANENT OR CONDITIONAL?

ABSOLUTELY YES ETERNAL LIFE IS PERMANENT.

If eternal salvation and eternal life were not permanent, God would have to destroy the Bible, and we would just eat, drink, be merry for as long as we could, then just die like a dog.

However, that will never happen for it is IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE for He has given all believers eternal salvation and eternal life with Him who is eternal forever.

We are all commanded by God to study, learn, live and share the WHOLE gospel message. Among the multitude of mature believers who are rooted in the whole gospel message, Let us remember that there are always some who are ignorant newly come to the gospel, or may have been saved a long time but still ignorant.

Some of our ignorant brethren, have been initially much disturbed, terrified, and perhaps shocked as the gospel message is uncovered. I pray they will be encouraged and come forth to believe God, faithfully trusting in Him without doubt or wavering:  Heb 10:23;

As for the weak in faith brother or sister, due to their ignorance, the Bible instructs us as to how God commands us to patiently nurture them and gently help them to grow in grace, even as we have been helped. I am not a hunter searching for ignorance in any brother or sister. The truth is that its unavoidable, and usually in plain sight, we cannot unsee it when it becomes evident.

There is much good news still to come in this study and some news that will also be shocking to those who are ignorant. Yet our shock as we look into the spiritual world of God is overcome in believing, because we know our God and that we can trust in His eternal sovereign truth, love, power and goodness to His people.

Again, and again, let us remember not to be angry or seek to shame those who are ignorant, seeing all believers are ignorant to some extent when they are first saved, and some even after they are saved a long time. But rather let us freely share the gospel as it was and is shared with us. This is the way that God has ordained that we should all come into the unity of the faith in love and truth of the gospel.  Ignorance is not benign for we act and teach others out of what we know, and if what we know is in ignorance-well you get the picture, brothers and sisters. Thanks be to God none of us have to stay ignorant for God will always help us to grow in grace and in His Word.

Always, brothers and sisters, I thank you for your patience. Let us continually thank and praise our God that He has given us His word in which He is much pleased that we can eat and drink into His Son Lord Jesus Christ freely, in His presence, the Holy Spirit standing by with generous portions of spiritual food to satisfy our souls heartily, and to take plenty home to meditate, reflect on live and share with all that we can that Christ will be glorified. This spiritual feeding is imperative for church leaders and for the whole church as well: Acts 20:28.

Let us continually keep focused on Paul’s train of thought in teaching these Hebrew believers, (and us too), that all of our knowledge and works are absolutely worthless in the sight of God and we can NEVER please Him without absolute unwavering steadfast faith in His New Covenant as set within the whole boundary of the Standard of Jesus Christ God the Son of God and His eternal work of atonement as final, finished, complete, inerrant, exhaustive, explicit, and exclusive forever. God is well able to take us to the place of faith in Him.

We know that God has placed His curse of eternal punishment upon anyone who willfully adds to or takes away from His everlasting gospel.

Our Faith must bear the fruit of patience, which is evidence that we steadfastly believe and understand the absolute faithfulness of God who will most certainly manifest Himself and His kingdom at the appointed time.

Heb 11:12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

Innumerable: Cannot be numbered. A sum so vast that it is impossible for any man to number. This rendering, dearly beloveds, is confirmed thoroughly in scriptures:

 Gen 41:49And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.

Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

At the end, the righteous will be in such vast numbers that it will be impossible for any man to number them:

Rev 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

However, at the end All the wicked can be numbered: Rev 20:7And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Our understanding of the faith of Abraham is greatly enriched by the preceding verses of the scriptures.

One might ask why do some preach that few will be saved based on: Mat 7:14; 1Pe 4:18. I believe that sincere, but ignorant believers preach this because they fail to read and/or understand the Bible from beginning to end. In the first case Lord Jesus was speaking to those under the Law, and in the second case after His resurrection the Bible gives many scriptures on the sufferings and difficulties of Christians: Rom 8:35, but never in the sense that God will abandon them, nor that the Christian is left on their own to stand or fall:  Phl 2:13.

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Abraham and his sons as the godly believers before him had the vision, they could see the unseen glory of God afar off, which is why they whole heartedly confessed that this fleeting temporal life which is but for a moment cannot compare to the eternal kingdom to come. Even at death they absolutely refused to identify themselves as native of or residents of any land on this temporal earth, although God promised them certain lands on earth.

Heb 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

They boldly declared before God and men that the only kingdom they were looking for was God’s kingdom. Abraham and his sons were wealthy, they had power, they had control over many servants to do their bidding and could enjoy a life of ease and comfort freely on this present earth. Even so they kept their eyes fixed on God their greatest and only treasure and on His world to come.

Heb 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

Abraham and his sons had plenty of time to return to their homeland if they had been homesick. However, they cared nothing for it neither did it enter into their minds. 

Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

We don’t like to think that God can be ashamed of us. We should not be surprised that God has feelings, He gave us feelings, but His is always just and in control:  Luk 9:26; 2Ti 2:15.

In the case of Abraham and his sons God made it clear that He was not ashamed to be called their God. We can rest assured that God will say the same of every believer who rests patiently in faith towards Him.

Love and truth, serola

Fri, Sep 1st - 1:33PM

STUDIES IN HEBREWS

CHAPTER 11 VS 11

Brothers and sisters, let us from our hearts bring abundant love, thanks, blessings and praise offerings to our Triune God continually who has made us one in Him, eternally inseparable from Him: Jhn 10:28-29; Jhn 17:23-26; Rom 8:35-39; Heb 7:26; Jde 1:24.

We know that our God greatly desires for us to know Him, and over time, through consistently, consciously, willingly, correctly, learning, understanding, retaining, obeying, and living His word daily in public and in private out of love and trust in Him our spiritual growth towards maturity in Him is both guaranteed and derived therein.

Some believers say in ignorance that no one can know the will of God. However, the Bible clearly teaches us:  

Eph 1:8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

Gal 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.

We, brethren, never have to fear not being able to know and do the will of God on earth for God assures all believers: Phl 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

We are commanded by God our Father to feed ourselves and one another on the spiritual food of God’s word.  We are spiritual people; Jesus Christ God the Son of God is our only source of spiritual food:  

Jhn 6:57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

Everything God commands us to know of all that He is, He has made clearly available in His word, freely given and open to His people to learn/study, benefit from and share in the world, that all who believe will be saved. The church of God grows individually and as a whole towards maturity through being spiritually nurtured and fed continually by the Living Word of God.

Initially, many Christians don’t know that God expects and commands them to be taught the scriptures, as well as to study/read it for themselves from beginning to end.

Not addressing any apostates who are willingly ignorant (see 2 Pe), all believers come to Christ with some degree of ignorance, most of us just knowing we are saved. Let us not be angry, or impatient with new believers that need our help. Let us not assume that all Christians have heard of or know what the New Covenant is. To some, the Bible is just a collection of books, or just a book to keep in the house or coffee table, or to show up with at church.

Some believers are not able to articulate how they know that they are Christians and might not be able to know what the gospel or New Covenant is.

Let us not be surprised that among the multitude of mature pastors/elders, and body general, there might even be some who’ve been saved a long time, even in the pulpit who are still spiritual toddlers when it comes to handling and understanding the word of God.

Some might say that it’s understandable that a new believer might not know much, but how is that possible for any long-time believer, or some in the pulpit?

Throughout the New Testament we find the apostles working to alleviate problems in the church due to biblical ignorance of the elders and/or within the body general. We know, holy people, that it still happens today, and we urgently need to help those who are ignorant, out of love, without shaming them. Jesus Christ gave commandment for the sheep to be fed for a reason.

When we look at these Hebrew believers Paul shows us plainly that they were ignorant of the need for every believer to retain what they know of scripture to be able to continually nurture themselves spiritually and live out their faith daily through it. They were not able to share with others what they did not know because they simply failed to retain the word, again it was out of ignorance, not willfully.

Brothers and sisters, we see that Paul is so patient with them. We never find him saying how stupid they were for not knowing it is necessary and commanded by God that all should retain and live out their faith by the truth of scripture. Instead, he set about to remedy their ignorance by reteaching them the scriptures, which they gladly received. They did not get mad at him or tell him to mind his own business, or that this was their thing and had nothing to do with him.. The word of God is all of our business to obey, defend, and share it with all that we can. We know when anyone rejects the correction of scriptures, they are not rejecting us but God.

Holy people, as we go on into the study, I thank you for your patience. Let us retain Paul’s train of thought focused like a laser beam, that after these Hebrew believers had faithfully endured sufferings/persecutions for the Name of Christ, they did not bear the fruit of patience to continue to wait on God faithfully expecting to receive their rewards according to His timing not theirs. Instead, they had grown frustrated, tired of waiting and wanted their reward from God then and there.

Paul reminds them and us too, dearly beloveds, that all of our knowledge about God is of NO value to God without faith. We can never please God without faith. Note the whole Bible never teaches that any can please God through various denominations, organizations, institutions, philosophy, doctrines of men.

Make no mistake, all of these entities teach salvation through themselves, although they might attach the name of Jesus to it, it still remains a lie, false doctrine, nullifying the word of God:  Jesus Christ God the Son of God declares!

Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Recall Paul had warned and gave many examples of those Hebrews in the past who having seen and witnessed the power and actions of God in their behalf still failed to enter the kingdom due to unbelief, whom God destroyed in the wilderness, and also some under the Law: Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. ("evil" AND "heart"
occurs 76 times in 33 verses in the KJV, including 6 exact phrases).

Evil heart of unbelief, one who fully understands the gospel,  but in unbelief, rejects it and without repentance hardens his or her own heart by willfully, deliberately, choosing to do their own will rather than the will of God, thereby trampling under foot Jesus Christ God the Son of God, and calling his sinless blood unholy and calling the Holy Ghost a liar.

We note that Paul taught the Hebrew believers these things not expecting or believing that they would choose to disobey God to do their own thing, but rather that they would clearly know and fully understand that God remains the same God who will never bow down, nor compromise His word with men, and will not fail to destroy the wicked who reject His Son.

With this knowledge of biblical boundaries well established and absolute, that God has a line that none may cross with impunity, these Hebrew believers, (and us too), would permanently close the book for all time on thinking even remotely, that we could escape the wrath of God and eternal punishment if we too turned away from Him, and did not prevail in faith unto the end.

Suffering/persecutions/ temptation has a purpose in the lives of Christians, not to destroy us but to strengthen us. The faith of All is tested, tried, and proven by God, even as our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ's was- no mere human being ever suffered or been tempted like Him. Yet He remained faithful even unto death.

Feel free to study on your own, holy people, Christian persecution, temptation, trials their purposes, and the ability/availability of help in Christ- God the Son, Saviour/Redeemer/High Priest/Advocate/ Deliverer/ and God the Holy Spirit before the throne of God the Father.

As we go on into the study, unlike in the time before the flood we have little record from God of women in much detail, other than Eve, who did not sin as Adam did, she was tricked-deceived by the devil.

While Paul gave a synopsis on the faith of these believers of the past, the Hebrew believers would have had their whole back story to flesh out as it were the full story of these saints, (G40 hagios), of the past. They had been taught the O.T from an early age as commanded by the Law, later on these believers would know the N.T as well.  Now we gentiles have the whole back story too in that the O.T. and the N.T are also made available to us through the Jews, Praise God. Therefore, we too can understand these passages fully within the full context of scripture.

God created woman, and He knows what a woman is and understands a woman’s heart. God gives us much insight into the marital dyad as it relates to the spouses and in relation to Himself. God promised a seed first directly to Abraham after he left the home of his parents, although his wife was barren.

Sarah, God later changed her name from Sarai(princess), to Sarah (mother of multitudes),was eaten up by the fact that she could not give her husband Abraham the one thing that he desperately wanted- a son.

We recall that after ten years having left her homeland with Abraham, Sarah grew impatient and gave up hope that she would ever bear a child as God had shut up her womb, so she decided to help God out.

Nevertheless, God did not accept Sarah’s self -help in giving Abraham a son through a surrogate. We can see the problem with being impatient and not waiting on God’s timing, that it is never a good thing nor pleasing to Him. God’s way is the only right way, and the only right way is God’s way. Sarah failed her first test of faith.

 We all know how her self-help ended and what a mess it made and the pain even emotional trauma it caused to the maid and the child she bore through surrogacy.  The child did not bond with Serah but to his birth mother and Abraham his father. Sarah saw her mistake and compelled Abraham to send them away, which God allowed. Even so, for Abraham's sake for he loved the boy, God had mercy and blessed him greatly and his birth mother too.

Nope, God stuck with His plan, and later God would speak directly to Sarah of the same promises He had made to Abraham. For the second time in human history God speaks directly to a woman, although initially she laughed after God opened up His promises to her, she nevertheless found strength to trust in God in faith. God knows the heart and many years later found faith in her and changed her name too, before she bore a child.

Through like faith all women are the daughters of Sarah, who believe and therefore can share equally with believing men in all the promises of the Covenant of circumcision. In Christ circumcision is spiritual of the heart, not of the flesh.We know this would not be the last time that God will speak directly to a woman.

Heb 11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

The questions that some might ask is why did God shut up Sarah’s womb in the first place? Why did God make them wait until the time they were too well stricken in age for it to be possible for them to ever have a child?

Had they been able to conceive a child in their younger years would they not have been tempted to think that the child was from natural conception, and not a supernatural act of God?  We also see that God uses time as well as situations, circumstances or conditions that arise to test, try, and prove our faith. She failed the first test, but many years later God gave her a second chance and she passed. So, we see the mercy of God and also His patience and compassion for His people.

We recall that initially Sarah had laughed when she heard the promises of God, to which He replied, “Is there anything too hard for God”.

Therefore, God made a way out of no way and performed the impossible by granting a child OF HIS CHOICE to a couple so advanced in age that it would not and could not have ever occurred naturally, rewarding Sarah and filling her with laughter that comes with joy in the power of the awesome and faithful God for whom nothing that He desires to be done shall be impossible to them that believe.

Love and truth, serola

We can easily test our faith by the word of God.

IS ETERNAL SALVATION PERMANENT OR CONDITIONAL?

IS ETERNAL LIFE PERMANENT OR CONDITIONAL?

IS THE SAINT STILL A SINNER IN THE EYES OF GOD AFTER RECEIVING ETERNAL SALVATION?

1 JOHN 110If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

DOES 1 JOHN 1: 10 TEACH THAT WE REMAIN SINNERS IN THE EYES OF GOD EVEN AFTER SALVATION?