How to not be irritable?

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel-Janet Paschal

A study in Hebrews week 8 - One Obsolete, One New

Hebrews 8:1-13 – An Overview

For centuries, devout Jews had been operating under the Old, Mosaic Covenant, but now they were being told by Jesus and the apostles that things had changed. They could not claim to have been uninformed that such a dramatic change was coming. The Old Testament writers had prophesied that a New Covenant was coming, one that was vastly superior to the Old. One such prophet was Jeremiah. Jeremiah 31:31-34 is the longest Old Testament citation to be found in the New Testament. The New Covenant is the subject of our text in Hebrews 8 (and beyond). It is yet another reason why the high priestly ministry of our Lord is vastly superior to that of the Aaronic order since the high priest must carry out the terms of the covenant under which he serves.

Jeremiah 31:31 “Indeed, a time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 It will not be like the old covenant that I made with their ancestors when I delivered them from Egypt. For they violated that covenant, even though I was like a faithful husband to them,” says the Lord. 33 “But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land,” says the Lord. “I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. I will be their God and they will be my people. 34 “People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me. For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” says the Lord. “For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.”

This same text is repeated in Hebrews 8:8-12. This alone should be enough to show us the supreme importance of the New Covenant. If more is needed, consider I Corinthians 11:25.

This cup is the New Covenant in my blood; do this whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. Notice it does not say, "This cup is my blood," it says, This cup is the new covenant of my blood" 

Also consider Luke 22:20. ''And in the same way he took the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood'” 

When Christ spilled His blood at Calvary, He was fulfilling the Law and establishing forever this new agreement between God and His creation.

The Mosaic Covenant was a bilateral, conditional, covenant: “And now, if you will diligently listen to me and keep my covenant, then you will be my special possession out of all the nations, for all the earth is mine” (Exodus 19:5). The New Covenant is a series of promises that God made to Israel and Judah, promises which are unchangeable and irreversible, since they are sealed by God’s oath. These promises make the New Covenant vastly superior to the Old Covenant, so much so that the New Covenant replaces the Old, making it obsolete.

The author of Hebrews tells us that the New Covenant is better than the Old (the Mosaic Covenant), among other reasons because it contains better promises.

Hebrews 8:6 But now Jesus has obtained a superior ministry, since the covenant that he mediates is also better and is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, no one would have looked for a second one. 8 But showing its fault, God says to them, . . .” 

In other words, the author (whom I believe to be Paul) says that  the only reason for a “new” covenant is that the “old” covenant is flawed in some way.

How can a covenant be flawed? You can be sure that God did not flaw the covenant.

A covenant is an agreement; usually it is between two parties. There are two types of covenants in the Bible. Some of the covenants were bilateral in that there were obligations and commitments for both sides. The other kind of covenant in the Bible is a unilateral covenant. It is a covenant in which God binds Himself to do certain things, but not conditioned upon the actions of others. This is the type of covenant we find in the New Covenant.

The Old Covenant will not save anybody, no matter how great his or her determination to keep it. It will only condemn them. What, then, was wrong with the Old Covenant? The New Testament tells us. The problem with the Old Testament law is not with the law itself, for it sets forth a standard of righteousness that is holy, righteous, and good:

So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12).

The problem with the Old Covenant was on man’s side, not God’s. Thus, while the Mosaic Covenant would be broken by Israel and could never save anyone, the Israelites’ hope was to be in God, based upon His covenant with Abraham.

When we come to the New Testament, we find that God’s salvation in Jesus is presented as the fulfillment of both the Abrahamic Covenant and the New Covenant, as the result of our Lord’s work at Calvary. Put differently, it is by means of the New Covenant that God’s promises to Abraham were fulfilled when we come to the New Testament, we find that God’s salvation in Jesus is presented as the fulfillment of both the Abrahamic Covenant and the New Covenant, as the result of our Lord’s work at Calvary. Put differently, it is by means of the New Covenant that God’s promises to Abraham were fulfilled:

68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because he has come to help and has redeemed his people. 69 For he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago, 71 that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us. 72 He has done this to show mercy to our ancestors, and to remember his holy covenant – 73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham.

Under the New Covenant, God does all of the “work.”  He has bound Himself to bestow salvation on those who know Him with no work to be done by them. It is a covenant of pure grace. Not just grace in some areas of spiritual life, but grace in every area of spiritual life!

Hebrews Chapter 08

Chapter 7:25 begins the high water mark of Hebrews He died down here to save us; He lives up there to keep us saved. He is able to keep on saving us. “To the uttermost” is all the way through; completely; perfectly. “Intercession” is intervention. “We shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10).

The Verses

Verses 1-5 – “The true tabernacle.” He is the real/general tabernacle. A priest must offer gifts and sacrifices. Christ offers gifts and sacrifices. Christ did not offer gifts and sacrifices on earth. On earth HE was the sacrificial Lamb of God.

The earthly priesthood was a shadow (a picture) of the tabernacle of Heaven. Christ serves in the real tabernacle (Hebrew: משכן‎, mishkan, "residence" or "dwelling place").

Here we have a better sacrifice, a better priest, and a better tabernacle. He died down here to save us; He lives above to keep us saved.

Verses 6-13 – There are two covenants. Christ is the Mediator of the better covenant…the NEW COVENANT.

The first covenant was not adequate. It sought a righteousness grounded in the Law.

In Romans we learned that if we depend on the Law of the Old Testament we are doomed. Romans 3:21-23 – “But now a righteousness from God, apart from the Law has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteous from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”

There is nothing wrong with the Old Covenant, but it could only save perfect people. Romas 3: 20 – “Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the Law; rather, through the Law we become conscious of sin.”

The New Covenant causes people to be seen as perfect by God through Christ’s eyes when we place our faith in Him, His death, burial and resurrection.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 told us that the New Covenant was coming. 31 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. 33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

The church (a group of people redeemed from sin by Christ’s sacrificial death) is the beneficiary of the New Covenant. The Greek word "ecclesia," is correctly understood as: "The called-out (ones), "

Verse 13 is important: By calling this covenant ‘new,’ He has made the first one obsolete, and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.

We are bound by the New Covenant, not the Old Covenant…and that should be shouting ground!

Pastors, equip your saints to do it right. That's your job!

Pastors have a great many responsibilities. Some of those are self-imposed. Some are imposed on him by his congregation. But there are some Scriptural responsibilities for pastors.

The literal meaning of the Greek word translated "pastor" (poimen) is shepherd. A shepherd is someone who herds, shears and cares for sheep. Congregations are people referred to by the Bible as sheep, in need of herding, shearing and caring. Those three words can practically be understood to mean, leading, correcting and loving.

Another, no less important job of the pastor is to equip members of the congregation for works of service.

The New Testament is clear that all of the members of the congregation are to be in service to their Lord. Every Christian is a minister. Their job is to carry out the ministries to which they are assigned or for which they volunteer.

Note that Christ did not call apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers to do the ministry of the church. He gave them those gifts "...to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up." (Ephesians 4:12-12).

Whatever is done in the church should be for the purpose of building up the body of Christ,,,the church. Everything the church does should be done in an organized, excellent manner. There is no excuse for sloppiness in the church.

Church leaders should be trained to do their jobs. They should NOT be left to "make-it-up as they go along." They should be carefully taught to do their jobs in such a way that the church is built up. They should be taught in such a way that they do not bring dishonor to the church or to the Lord.

Take public prayer, for example. How to pray must be taught. The disciples, who walked with Jesus every day, had to be taught to pray. It did not come naturally to them and Jesus did not instruct them to just pray whatever they thought of or whatever was "on their hearts."

Public prayer is not a time to preach to people. It is not a time to philosophize. It is not a time to tell God what He already knows. Jesus taught that prayer should start with exalting God, move to submission to Him, proceed to petition, acknowledge His forgiveness of sin, and conclude with adoration and praise. Far too many people called on to pray don't do ANY of that. They just randomly ramble.

Bible study teachers should be taught to teach. They must be taught to look out for bad doctrine. They should be taught how to understand and teach the Bible in the context of the word used, the verse it's in, the chapter it's part of, the book it's in, which covenant it relates to and the Bible as a whole. They must be taught the difference between an opinion session and understanding what the Bible is really conveying.

All of that and much, much more is the responsibility of the pastor-shepherd. It is not that he must do it himself, it is that he must oversee its implementation.

Pastors; do your jobs! Teach your people how to do what needs to be done to build up (edify) your congregation as they exalt Christ.

Sunday Sounds of Praise (just for fun)-Puttin' On the Dog-Aaron Wilburn

A Study in Hebrews Week 6 (Chapters 6 & 7)

(Get your Bible out and read the verses as we study.)

Hebrews Chapter 06

Many Hebrew Christians wanted to go back to Judaism, with its rules and regulations. 

Verses 1-3: Let’s grow up! Grow up from the works of the Law. Israel was in a pattern of keep-break-keep-break…baby stuff.

The laying on of hands is a reference to the ceremonial washings of the Old Testament. Christians of Jewish heritage wanted to go back and do those things (Galatians). The “laying on of hands” sprung from ceremonial washings in OT.

Verses 4-9: Is this about whether it is possible for a saved person ever to be lost?

Many theologians have shied away from this passage.  Some hold the position that it is possible to lose your salvation.

Some contend that the “if” is hypothetical. Others say this is talking about those who “profess” but have not really accepted Christ.

Some hold that it is impossible for those who have turned away from Christ to be brought “back” to Him because they never were with Him to begin with.

Still others teach that we have a sure salvation (Romans 8:1 & 33-37; “My sheep hear my voice…eternal life…they shall never perish…”). It is about His ability to hold on to you. “…it is impossible for those who have tasted (not eaten)…” the gospel and who do not embrace it to come back to it.

Some say this is not about salvation at all. They say this is about believers and their rewards. This is for the repentance of believers. It is about the fruit, not the root, of salvation. Paul is talking about the things that accompany salvation. They are in danger of losing their reward.

(Verse 6) “Fall away” is the Greed word, “parapipto,” which is the same phrase used of Christ in the Garden when He “fell” on His face in prayer. It means to fall down, and does not refer to apostasy.

(Verse 8): Works do not save you, but they give evidence of your salvation. Before you are born, heredity determines your life. After you are born, your environment determines your life. Before you are born again, works do not enter into your “goodness.” After you are born again, works are important to witness to your salvation.

Verses 10-20: We are to minister to the saints. We are not to be lazy Christians. We must not say, “OK, I’m saved. Now I’ll sit back and enjoy my salvation.”

(Verse 15): After waiting Abraham received his promise.

(Verse 18): The two unchangeable things are: the death of Christ and the resurrection of Christ. These are the condensation of the four principles in Romans 8.

1) The birth of Jesus is important, but not the point.

2) Christ (the Greek word for the Hebrew Messiah) always has been (John 1:1ff).

3) He came for one reason...to die a sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary for the remission of sins and sealed that deal with His resurrection (Romans 10:9 & 10).

Trusting in the birth of Jesus will gain you nothing. Trusting in, and only in, Christ's finished work at the cross of Calvary and His resurrection will gain you eternal life.

Hebrews Chapter 07

In Hebrews 5:10 and 6:20 we were told that Jesus is “…in the order of Melchizedek” (refer to Genesis 14:17-24).

In Chapter 7, Paul (whom I believe to be the author of Hebrews and uses it as a  Hebrew commentary on his letter to the Romans), expands on the Melchizedek analogy.

The Verses

Verses 1-3 – “Melchizedek” means my king is righteous. He was king of Salem (Jerusalem), which means peace.

He was not a priest by virtue of the Mosaic Law, but of the “most high God.”

We have no record of his parentage, and had no “pedigree.” There is no record of the end of Melchizedek’s priesthood.

Verses 4-12 – Abraham had given Melchizedek a tenth of the spoil (Genesis 14:20).

Melchizedek is greater than the Levitical priesthood. You and I are in Adam (Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:22). You and I are in Christ (Romans 8:1; Ephesians 1:1).

Aaron’s priesthood belonged to the Mosaic Law. Christ has delivered us from the Law.

The purpose of the priesthood is to bring perfection— to restore and continue the relationship to God. The Levitical priesthood was powerless.

Verses 13-19 – This section shows us a contrast between two types of priesthood: Law vs. Power (Law restrains — power enables); Commandment (external) vs. Life (internal); Carnal (flesh) vs. Endless (eternal life); Changing vs. Unchanging; Weakness and un-profitableness vs. Nigh to God; Nothing perfect vs. Better hope.

Verses 20-24 – Here we have a quote from Psalm 110. The “better covenant” in verse 22 is the New Covenant. The Levitical priesthood was interrupted by death. Christ is the perpetual, perfect priest (vs 23-28).

Verse 25 – This is the key verse of this section and the center of the gospel. Christ is not dead, but living. Emphasize the death and resurrection of Christ — but go on from there (see Romans 8:34; Revelation 1:18). He died down here to save us; He lives up there

to keep us saved. He is able to keep on saving us.

“To the uttermost” is all the way through; completely; perfectly. “Intercession” is intervention. “We shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10).

Verse 26 – Christ “became us,” that is, He is just what we needed. He is “Holy” in relation to God. “Harmless” is free from malice, craftiness, or cleverness. “Undefiled” is free from moral impurity. “Separate from sinners” — He is like us, yet He is unlike us.

Verses 27-28 - This underlines the value of the sacrifice. Christ is the sacrifice that the Aaronic priesthood could not provide.   

Christ is the final word in priesthood.

Which Do You Choose?

You can live under God's new deal or you can live under His old deal, but you cannot live under both.

God's old deal was called the Old Covenant. It was a covenant of law, behaviorism, guilt and condemnation.

God's new deal is called the New Covenant. It is a covenant of grace and mercy. It uses the Old Covenant to show why we need a Messiah. It is the covenant in which God has provided that Messiah.

Under the old deal, you had to know and abide by the Mosaic Law, which included the Ten Commandments and some 600 other rules and regulations. If you did so, so they thought, you would please God and He would accept you. (That was never the way it was intended to work, but that's the way the religious leaders interpreted it to the people...likely to preserve their leadership and power,)

Under the new deal, Jesus fulfilled all of the requirements of the Law, the rules and the regulations. Get it? He fulfilled them. Why? Because we could not.

Also under the new deal, Jesus provided the way of salvation based on the grace of God and His unending mercy. If you have repented of sin and trusted in, and only in, the sufficiency of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection, you will be saved and released from the requirements of the old deal.

Goody! Goody! Now we can do as we please and God will turn a blind eye to our sin!

Sorry. It does not work that way. If you have truly repented and trusted in Christ, and if you understand what you have done in doing so, you are overwhelmed with the mercy He has shown you and can only love Him more each day for what He did for you. You cannot love Christ and want to do what He does not want you to do...and you will KNOW what that is. If you don't love Him more each day, and if you don't KNOW what He wants you to do, you are not saved.

Frankly, since you cannot abide by the terms of the old deal, you would do well to accept the terms of the new deal. It's free, it's eternal and by it you live in and with Christ forever.

Preach the Bible or Preach the Gospel. What does the Bible say about it?

In Mark 16: 15-18 we read:  "He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the Bible to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

That is Mark's rendition of the Great Commission...only it's a misquote. What it actually says is, "He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the good news (the gospel) to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

Every time Jesus quoted the Old Testament, it was to show how it pointed to Him. Every time Paul quoted the Old Testament, it was to point us to Jesus. In fact, every time the New Testament quotes the Old Testament, it is to point us to Jesus.

The Old Testament is not about Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Shadrack, Meshack or Abednego, it is about Jesus.

So, how many people has your church baptized so far this year? Why is that? You preach the Bible as hard as you can, yet nobody comes to Christ. What's wrong?

What's wrong is they're hearing the Bible preached instead of the gospel. Preaching the Bible is not what we've been commissioned to do. We've been commissioned to preach the gospel.

Many preachers "pride" themselves that they "preach the Bible," and they turn its verses into morality lessons, character studies, Christian behaviorism, social commentary and political opinion, never getting to its point, which is the gospel in both the Old Testament and New.

What is this "gospel" thing?

The word "gospel" means good news. The good news is that Christ (Messiah) has come to save people from their sins when they repent, follow Him in baptism and trust in, and only in, His finished work at the cross of Calvary. Virtually every preacher knows that, but somehow it does not compute in their minds that the gospel is the only message they have.

If you preach from the Old Testament, you must not preach it for the purpose of showing how God blesses obedience and curses disobedience. You must preach it for the purpose of pointing people to Christ.

If you preach from the New Testament, you must realize that it is not an extension of the Old Testament, it is the fulfillment of the Old Testament in Christ.

"But just preaching the gospel gets old," you say. Then you're not saved. If the gospel ever gets old, then it was never good news to begin with. The gospel is not just good news, it is the best news that has ever been presented. It trumps ABC, NBC, CNN, MSNBC and FOX news hands down. It is more current than tomorrow's news. It is the reason there are Christians in the world. It is Jesus.

When people come to your church, they should have three things: They should have a time of deep, spiritual worship (not fun and entertainment); They should have a time of exuberant praise of Christ; and they should hear the gospel.

Maybe there's a reason people are not "getting saved." Maybe they have no idea what's going on in your "worship" service. Maybe they're hearing the Bible preached instead of the gospel.

You think?

The Prodigal and the Robe

It’s one of the best known illustrations given by Jesus. It’s the account of the Prodigal Son. It’s found in Luke 15, and is a part of a series of “losts.” There are the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son.

A man had two sons, one of whom wants his inheritance in advance. So, the man divides ALL of his assets and divides them between the two. One son stays home and does what a good son does. The other becomes either rebellious or adventurous and leaves home to “sow his wild oats.” He spent all he had and ended up working for a pig farmer, the last place a Jewish person would have wanted to work, because pigs were considered unclean. He then decides he was better off at home, so he returns to a father who, unexpectedly, treated him like a king, threw a party and caused jealousy in the heart of the “good” son. The father then tells the gospel story (which he had never heard) of how the dead can live.

There are many important points in this parable. There is the greed of the son. There is the rebelliousness of the son. There is the pugnaciousness of the son. There is the extravagance of the son. There is the stupidity of the son. There is the wastefulness of the son. There is the misfortune of the son. There is the uncleanness of the son (he was working in a pig pen, remember?).

Then there is the time the young man came to his senses, recognizing his plight. There is his decision to return home, fully expecting to be rejected and relegated to the lowest position on the farm, a slave.

There is the father’s persistence in watchfulness. There is his reaction to seeing the son approaching home and there is his unexpected welcoming of the dirty, filthy, swine smelling prodigal.

Finally, there is the great celebration over the homecoming of the son. There is the other son’s jealous reaction and the father’s explanation.

Those are all acceptable applications of the account, but they are not the point.

The point of the “story” of the Prodigal Son is salvation.

Sin is ugly. It is uglier than pig slime. It is so ugly that God cannot so much as look upon it. He must turn His back on it (like He did when Jesus was on the cross). Most of us trivialize sin, not realizing how disgustingly vile it is to God. We wallow in it like the son did in the pig pens. We stink of it. We are slimy in God’s eyes because of it. Like the Prodigal Son, we are not worthy of being called sons of God.

There must come a time when we realize the ugliness of our sin and repent of it, as the Prodigal son finally did. Then we must turn to God just as we are, filth and all, asking Him to take us in, undeserving though we are. We must be willing to come to Him as slaves, the lowest of the low. 

When we do, something really wonderful happens.

In the parable, the father runs to his son, embraces him, slime and all, throws his finest robe over him and calls for a feast!

In our sinful state, God the Father sent God the Son to us with His arms open wide on the cross. He threw the robe of the shed blood of Jesus over us, covering all of our nasty, rotten sin…just as we are. And that’s how He accepts us, covered with the robe of the righteousness of Christ.

God has allowed us to become a part of His family. He has prepared a place for us. He has called for a feast at a special wedding: the marriage feast of the Lamb.

It has been rightly said that the Son of God became a Son of Man so that the sons of men might become sons of God!

Like the prodigal son, recognize your sin, repent of it and come to the Father through faith in, and only in, the finished work of the Son at the cross of Calvary.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE - PROCLAIM THE GLORY OF THE LORD-- STEVE GREEN

A Study in Hebrews-Week 5

(Get your Bible out and read the verses as we study.)

Hebrews Chapter 05

The definition of a priest is important, because Paul calls Christ a priest. A priest engages in Sacrifice; Substance; and Prayer. A Priest is one who offers gifts and sacrifices. He must be: 1) Taken from among men…he must be a person; 2) Be acceptable to God…ordained by God and 3)Be ordained for man…Representing man to God

A priest goes from man to God to represent man to God. A prophet comes from God to man with a message from God. A priest does not tell us what God has to say. He represents us before God. The only one who can represent us is the Lord Jesus, Christ. The priesthood is not for lost sinners but for saved sinners.

We tend toward either an emotional or a ritualistic approach to worship. We need to come to Him simply and rid ourselves of the meaningless trappings.

The verses:

Verse 1 - The gift Christ offers to God for the forgiveness of our sins is Himself. No other gift would have been sufficient. He is our advocate (lawyer), and the best advocate there is.

Verse 2 - Jesus was sinless, but can have compassion on those who commit sins of ignorance (Leviticus 4:2.). Christ takes care of those sins. He does not lecture us about how badly we have behaved…he just cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

Verse 3 - The priest had to make sacrifices for himself as well as for others. Christ did not have to make an offering for Himself.

Verse 4 - He is the highest priest because He is acceptable to God

Verse 5 - The beginning of His priesthood has to do with the resurrection.

Verse 6 - Aaron’s order is not adequate…Christ is a Son, Aaron was just a servant. Melchizedek is only mentioned in Genesis 14. He brought forth food and wine for Abraham as the priest of the Most High God. Psalm 110 the prophecy of Christ in the order of Melchizedek.

Verse 7 - Three occasions Jesus wept: At the grave of Lazarus; over Jerusalem; In the Garden of Gethsemane. Some theologians teach that “Let this cup pass” refers to His dying in the garden; that He did not want to die there. Actually, if when He prayed in the garden to “let this cup pass” and that meant He didn't want to die on the cross, His prayer was not heard. In a very real sense, He wanted to go to the cross! He found the cross joyful…He submitted to God. That is unfathomable to us.

Verse 8 - He only offers eternal salvation. If you can lose it tomorrow, it wasn’t eternal, was it? (See John 3:16)

Verse 9 - Why did the Son of God need to learn obedience by suffering? The only answer is that God got something out of  the death of Christ that has made Heaven more wonderful.

Why did the one who was perfect need to be made perfect? These are two significant mysteries. Lots of theologians have given their answers, but none of them can even begin to be satisfactory.

Verse 10 - “Designated” comes from the word for “salute.” Melchizedek was a “type” of the priesthood of the Lord, Jesus, Christ.

Verse 11 - As a group, we are not very good learners. We are “dull of hearing.”

Verse 12 - We think we are teachers, when we, ourselves still need to be taught. What we need to learn is not the depth of the Word. Paul says we need to learn the elementary truths of the Word…milk, not solid food. And we need it again and again. We may move to more solid food, but we will forever need the milk as well, to remind us of what Christ has done for us.

Verse 13 - Turn this around and realize that too many of us teach what we call “righteousness” when it is really nothing more than “behaviorism.” Not the same thing at all. Righteousness is imputed to us by Christ, not something we achieve.

Verse 14 - Ask yourself the question: Am I mature enough to absorb the solid food of the Word?

If we are not growing, we are dying, both personally and corporately as the church. Let us grow as the Body of Christ, into mature, Word-filled people of God.

Curse?

According to Bible interpreter, Roy L. Honeycutt, of the 199 biblical uses of the words for “curse” or “curses,” 180 are in the Old Testament and only 19 in the New Testament.

An early word for “curse” in the Old Testament is arar and is used primarily in poetic and legal sections of the Old Testament. The word appears in the call of Abraham, “and curse him that curseth thee” (Genesis 12:3). An extended curse formula appears in Deuteronomy, where blessing and cursing are contrasted (Deuteronomy 27:15-16 & Deuteronomy 28:16-19). Later the same word refers to cursing the priests: “If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart” (Malachi 2:2).

Another word used for “curse” in the Old Testament (qalal) has less severe implications, although it probably came to be used as a synonym for the harsher term (arar). The basic meaning of the word is light, insignificant, or trifling. It described persons lightly esteemed (2 Samuel 6:22) and also meant “to make contemptible”; hence, to curse persons (Genesis 12:3; Exodus 21:17). The word also means to treat with contempt (2 Samuel 19:44; Isaiah 23:9) or to dishonor (Isaiah 8:21).

Today you have people in the occult that (especially voodoo) that supposedly can send a curse on another person. The curses mentioned in the Bible are not like this. What we need to understand is that a curse or blessing were both kept by God’s power; not mans. Many curses (and blessings) were spoken directly by God or through his servants prophetically. Curses pronounced on individuals (9:25; 49:7; Deuteronomy 27:15; Joshua 6:26) do not always convey revenge, but are predictions. For example Deut.30:6: “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Also the LORD your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.”

If we were to claim that curses pronounced in the Old Testament are still in effect we would also have to implement the punishments such as in Leviticus 20:9. It should be obvious that some were specifically for the nation Israel, for a certain people at a certain time.

The only curse that God imparts is the curse of unbelief. If you do not believe in repentance from sin and Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, you are under the curse of the Law, sin and death. But “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Gal 3:13).

In fact, Paul’s teaching to the Galatians (chapter 3) is that Gentile believers who submit to the Law by influence of certain Jews, (the Judaizers) through circumcision or any other command (“You must be circumcised and keep the law'-- to whom we gave no such commandment” Acts 15:24), were obligated to keep the entire Law (613 commandments).

Here’s the thing: If you live under the Old Covenant, you are subject to God’s curses. If you live under the New Covenant, however, you will never be cursed, regardless of behavior. Are you free to sin more so you can experience more of God’s grace? Paul says, “God forbid…” If you know the Christ of the New Covenant, you will always focus on Him. And you cannot focus on Christ and deliberately sin at the same time. So, if you sin, you are not focused on Christ.

Learn to live in the blessings of the Christ of God’s New Covenant.

What is the Lord's Supper About?

Did you have “communion” in worship today? Communion is also known as the Lord’s Supper. Have you heard the event called “celebrating the Lord’s supper?” How accurate is that? Are we really supposed to celebrate the supper?

(For purposes of this post, the term “Lord’s Supper” will be used.)

The Lord’s Supper references the last time the disciples ate with Jesus. It was Passover, but the bread and wine did not represent just another Passover meal in the minds of the disciples (whose heritage was Jewish). There was much more to it than that.

Passover commemorates the time when the blood of a lamb was painted over the door frames to signify the faith of the inhabitants of the house. When the Lord was going to strike dead the first-born of every Egyptian household, He promised to spare the children of faithful Jews. The whole thing was preliminary to Pharaoh’s releasing Israel and the parting of the Red Sea.

At the “Passover Seder,” faithful Jews eat a meal in a particular order. Each course of the meal represents a different part of the Passover story. The meal would include Maror (bitter herbs), Charoses (fruit, nuts, wine and cinnamon), Beitzah (a roasted egg) Karpas (a vegetable) Zeroah (roasted lamb) and Wine. During the meal, they drink four cups of wine, the third of which is the cup of redemption. This is the same place the cup was presented at the Last Supper. The fourth cup is not drunk, but is left for Elijah, the prophet.

The bread of the Passover meal was the “Afikomen.” It was the middle Matza, which is pulled out and broken in two. Half is wrapped in white linen and the other half is eaten at the end of the meal. The bread was unleavened, as leaven represents sin.

Accounts of the last supper are found in Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22 and John 13. John alone records a lengthy discourse Jesus delivers to the disciples on this occasion (and a prayer on behalf of the disciples and all future believers); it continues through chapter 17. Another account occurs in 1 Corinthians 11.

In each instance of the Lord’s Supper recorded in the Bible, the Matza and the third cup of wine is used to illustrate Jesus’ sacrificial death. Instead of bread broken in half, we have Jesus’ body broken for us. Instead of blood on the doorposts, we have blood shed on a cross.

Too often the Bible is read in accordance with what we've been taught or in accordance with what seems to “make sense” to us. The account of the Lord’s Supper is an example. What the elements of the Lord’s Supper represent is not left to conjecture, Jesus is clear. But He is often (or perhaps usually) misquoted or misunderstood.

The part about the broken bread is usually gotten right (if you don’t count the Catholic’s contention that the bread actually becomes a piece of Jesus’ body - Transubstantiation). In each account, Jesus says, “This is my body…” (Except for John, who emphasizes the washing of feet as a symbol of love and service). Matthew and Mark leave it at that. Luke adds the phrase “…given (or broken) for you.” 

In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul says “…which is for you” In each case, it is clear that the bread represents the body of Christ.

The part about the wine is another matter. It is usually read as thought is says, “This wine represents my blood.” It does represent His blood, but not as the complete meaning of the account.

Matthew uses the phrase, “…blood of the covenant.” Mark says, “…of the covenant.” Luke says, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood…” Paul’s account reads, “This cup is the new covenant…”

A pastor once noted that when God says something once it is important. When He says something twice, it is very important. When He says something three times, you’d better listen and if He says it four times or more, you’d be stupid to ignore it.

Four times Jesus refers to the blood of the New Covenant.

What is this New Covenant? It is the complete fulfillment of the Old Covenant in the person of Jesus, Christ. According to Hebrews 8:13, the Old Covenant no longer applies; it is obsolete…done. When Christ was on the cross, He did not cry out, “It is almost done!” He did not cry out, “Just a few more things to do!” Jesus did not cry out, “I've done most of the work, now you do your part!” He cried out “IT…IS…FINISHED!”

With Jesus’ death, the New Covenant was ushered in. Whereas under the Old Covenant there were certain foods that were unclean, under the New Covenant, all foods are allowed (Acts 10:9-16). Under the Old Covenant, obedience was blessed, disobedience was cursed. Under the New Covenant, God will NEVER curse one of His children. Under the Old Covenant, the Law was written in stone and carried around in a box. Under the New Covenant, God’s Law is written in our hearts…no box required.

The next time you celebrate communion or the Lord’s supper, remember the emphasis that Jesus put on His blood being the blood of the New Covenant. Without the Christ of the New Covenant, you are lost.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Amazing Grace- Il Divo

A Study in Hebrews Week 4

Hebrews Chapter 04

Hebrews was not written to Gentiles, it was written to Jews.

 1 .     All of Hebrews is about Jesus. None of it is really about us.

     a.      It makes reference to Christians only on its way to referencing Jesus.

     b.     The book is explaining to Jews (Christian and non-Christian) how Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant by becoming the person of the New Covenant.

2.     Jews would have quickly recognized the language and illustrations of Hebrews.

a.      "Paying attention to what we have heard" references the stories and prophecies of the Old Testament.

b.     Those stories and prophecies point to one greater who is to come: Messiah.                                

3.     Jews would have understood the references to the Old Covenant.

4.     We, as Gentiles, must learn the references and terminology to understand what Paul is writing about.

5.     The very idea that Jesus was greater than Moses would have enraged unsaved Jews. It would have challenged Jewish Christians.

6.     That He was greater than Melchizedek (chapter 7) would have been intolerable to unsaved Jews. Saved Jews would have been amazed at its teaching and implications.

7.     Chapter 1 begins the teaching of Jesus’ superiority.

8.     Chapter 2 begins, “…therefore.” That means from the ideas in chapter 1, the teachings of chapter 2 follow logically. It is about what they had heard from their forefathers through the prophets (chapter 1).

9.     Chapter 3 begins, “Therefore…” indicating that it is the logical conclusion to draw from chapters 1 and 2, that is: They told of the coming one who would be greater than Moses.

10.  Chapter four begins the same way, reasoning its truths from the first 3 chapters.

a.      Jews would have understood the “Sabbath rest” as a picture salvation by means of Messiah.

b.     They would know exactly what “…enter my rest” meant: salvation.

11.  In the middle of chapter 4 there is another conclusion to be drawn from the first 3 chapters and the first part of chapter 4.

Their new High Priest would be one who understands their problems, but the idea that through Him they could approach the throne of grace would have been unthinkable to them! They had been taught that one could not do that. Now they’re being taught that if they have received Christ they can go to God through Him.

Let's look, now, at chapter 4

Hebrews Chapter 04

Verse 1: “Let Us” be careful (KJ: fear)-that we are really saved. Several kinds of “rest.”

Verses 2-3: (Vs 2): We have heard the gospel. We will never be able to stand before God and say that we have not heard the good news. This has to do with putting your absolute trust in Christ.

Verses 4-8: This references Sabbath rest. The Sabbath is not a day you keep. The real Sabbath is knowing what it is to trust Christ and find eternal rest in Him. It is a day of grace for every day. (God rested, not because he was tired, but because he had completed the work of salvation.

Verse 7: “Today” is emphasized because TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION.

Verse 8: “Joshua” means “Jesus” or “Savior.” But Joshua was not able to secure salvation. Jesus is.

Verse 9: People of God will find a heavenly rest…deep joy.

Verse 10: Once you enter into the rest of salvation, you realize that your own works are virtually worthless. This is the rest of completeness. The only work God is involved in now, is the work of a “new creation.” Romans reminds us: “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation…”

Verse 11: This is not a suggestion that one can work for salvation. It is a recognition that one cannot rest from rest, one can only rest from work.

The “disobedience” referenced here is the unpardonable sin: the sin of unbelief. It is the Greek word, apeitheia, which means “unbelief.” In fact, the King James has this properly translated as “unbelief.”

Verse 12: “For” is the cement that holds Paul’s argument together. It is the conclusion from what came before. We serve a living (quick) Savior, and He is active in the lives of His children. God knows your heart…He really knows it. You cannot hide anything from God: no thought; no deed; no attitude…nothing.

Verse 13: When the Bible says something once it is important. When it says it twice, you better listen up! The idea here of being laid bare is that God can “see right through you.” Don’t you think you can compartmentalize you life and keep some of it from God.

Verse 14: Jesus is our Great High Priest. He is superior to the Levitical priesthood. Paul’s conclusion is that because of all he has written in verses 1-13, we must hold fast; trust in; live by our faith…not our faith in our faith (such as is the case with the heretics of the Word of Faith movement), but our faith in Him.

Verse 15: Jesus knows every struggle we go through. He was tempted in every way in the wilderness, but He did not succumb to the temptation.

Verse 16: We do not serve an unapproachable God. He is the One we can come to with confidence and assurance that He will receive us. He understands us. He gives us mercy and grace in our times of need.