SYNOPSIS: What a difference in life it makes just knowing you have someone in high authority who has your back! You live more confidently, act more courageously, risk faith more often, let go of your failures more easily, seek forgiveness more readily, sleep more peacefully, worry a whole lot less and wake up ready to face the day with more energy than you’ve ever known before. That’s the privilege Christ-followers enjoy—or should—and that includes you!

Project 52 – Weekly Scripture Memory // Hebrews 10:15-16

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

What a difference it makes just knowing you have someone in high authority who has your back! You live more confidently, act more courageously, risk faith more often, let go of your failures more easily, seek forgiveness more readily, sleep more peacefully, worry a whole lot less and wake up ready to face the day with more energy than you’ve ever known before.

That’s the privilege Christ-followers enjoy—or should—and that includes you! After paying the price for your sins by dying on the cross, Jesus entered eternity to begin his heavenly ministry as your very own personal high priest. Now, he stands before the Father night and day to represent you. He intercedes on your behalf. He is praying for you. He is rooting you on. He is ready to help!

He understands your fears—he faced some pretty overwhelming stuff when he was here. He understands your temptations—all of them. He faced them, too. He knows your weaknesses—he had to overcome them one by one. He knows what it is like to be rejected, disappointed, persecuted, to go without, to have no place to call home and to be misunderstood. He even knows the heaviest weight a human being carries—the reality of one’s own death. Jesus has been there, done that.

But he did all that for you! That’s why he is a faithful, empathetic high priest. And that is why you can come into the very throne room of Father God with complete confidence, walk right up to that throne and ask him for what you need: Help, provision, healing, forgiveness—whatever.

You can do that because of what Jesus has already done—he paid the price for you to do that. That is now your right, your privilege, and your responsibility. You can also do that because of what Jesus is doing right now—he is standing alongside you with his arm around your shoulder before the Father bringing your case before the only One who has the power and authority to do anything about it.

With Jesus standing by your side, you will be glad to know that help wanted means help received. Now that ought to make a difference in how you approach life today.

If you took the love of all the best mothers and fathers who ever lived—all the goodness, kindness, patience, fidelity, wisdom, tenderness, strength and love—and united all those virtues in one person, that person would only be a faint shadow of the love and mercy in the heart of God for you and me. ~Brennan Manning

Reflect & Apply: Try offering this prayer: “Father, I stand before you in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and ask you to meet all of my needs today.  I pray that you would keep me pure, give me power, ensure my success, and make me useful to your kingdom. Work in me and through me today, and when I lay my head down on the pillow tonight, may I know the joy of having been totally pleasing to you.”

The chief reason we stumble into sin, surrender to fear, slip into emotional depletion, sink into spiritual hardness and shrink back from reaching our faith-potential is from discouragement—or more precisely, the lack of encouragement. You and I not only have the spiritual responsibility, we have the awesome potential for making a huge impact in another’s life by simply living out the Biblical injunction to “encourage one another daily.” Someone needs you to encourage them today. Go make it happen!

Enduring Truth // Focus: Hebrews 10:24-25

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching

There is nothing quite so powerful as an encouraging person! I love to be around them, and I’ll bet you do, too. They even find ways to have difficult conversations that leave you feeling valued and hopeful. They are life-giving. They are a gift. May their tribe increase.

On the other hand, we all know people who seem to find fault in just about anything. They look on the dark side of everything and infect anyone who is near them with their negativity. And if we’re not careful, we can get pulled into their black hole of negativity, fault-finding and discouragement.

That’s why the writer of Hebrews gave us these two powerful admonitions:

We should keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things. Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer. (Hebrews 10:24-25, CEV)

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13)

One of the chief reasons we stumble into sin, surrender to a spirit of fear, slip into emotional depletion, become spiritually hardened and shrink back from reaching our faith-potential is from discouragement—or perhaps more accurately, the lack of encouragement. As believers, we not only have the spiritual responsibility, we have the awesome potential for making a huge impact in the lives of others by simply living out the Biblical injunction to encourage one another daily.

This is especially important since the Enemy of our souls works overtime in his attempt to discourage, diminish and destroy us. But good, old fashioned, Christ-hearted encouragement is arguably the most powerful force for good we can unleash on one another. Just consider the power of encouragement in the following verses:

The mouth of the righteous is a tree of life…” (Proverbs 10:11)

The tongue of the wise brings healing…” (Proverbs 12:18)

An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. (Proverbs 12:25)

Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” (Proverbs 18:21)

Wow—that is the amazing, life-changing potential in the words you can choose to deliver today. So why not try it! Let me suggest five different approaches you can take to unleash this power upon another:

1. Through verbal compliments: Try showering someone with praise for something they have done.
2. Through inspiring words: Speak affirming words to someone because of who they are, the beauty and potential of their character.
3. Through acts of kindness: Encourage someone simply by doing something nice for them, when they least expect it, or maybe even don’t deserve it.
4. Through indirect words: Talk about them behind their back—in a good way. For sure, it will get back to them, and it will be even more powerful coming from a third party.
5. Through written words: Send someone a note of appreciation. It will have the added value of being enjoyed over and over again.

Encouragement—it’s the most powerful thing you can add to this world. So let me encourage you to go for it today!

“ Possibly the deepest human need is the need to feel appreciated. —WILLIAM JAMES

We are enamored with celebrity in our culture—even in the Christian world. We elevate TV preachers; we give special attention to pastors of mega-churches; we idolize Christian singers, entertainers and authors of best-selling books. God doesn’t. He is not all that impressed. He isn’t enamored with celebrity, he does not elevate high profile Christians, he is not drawn to talented and successful believers any more than he is to ordinary ones. God sees the little person—the one who faithfully and diligently serves behind the scenes in his kingdom, doing the things no one notices and rarely appreciates. And he will not forget their sacrificial service. Neither should we.

A Simple Prayer To Bless God’s Servants:

William Barclay wrote, “Jesus promised his disciples three things—they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and constantly in trouble.” Even as you read these words, there are untold numbers of Christians around the world who are in trouble—they are being persecuted simply for their belief in Jesus as Savior and Lord. And yet, incredibly, in the face of unspeakable suffering, they fearlessly follow Christ and endure their persecution joyfully. The world is not worthy of them. What say we pray for them today!

A Simple Prayer for the Persecuted Church:

Reflect:
Hebrews 13:6 & 8

“So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? …Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

If you are going to walk faithfully with God over the course of your life, you will have to get good at remembering. In fact, God himself calls you to practice remembering: Remember the trustworthiness of his character, the certainty of his promises and the track record of his faithful activity in your life. Failure to remember God’s unimpeachable ways in the past will lead to fear and faithlessness when you hit rough roads in the journey ahead.

God calls us to remember so that we don’t forget. That is why he has gone on record time and again in his Word that he will indeed keep his commitments—all of them. God wants us to know that it is his nature to be faithful. God keeps every one of his promises! He just can’t help himself. That is why Hebrews 10:23 urges us to,

“Hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful!”

Not only does God want us not to forget him, he wants us to know he will never forget us. God knows who we are, where we are and what we need. He remembers us, he remembers his promises to us and he graciously acts on our behalf at the proper time. And just about the time we think he has forgotten, he invades our dark days and interrupts our desperate realities with the light of his loving plan—because God remembers! Isaiah 49:15-16 beautifully reminds us,

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

Furthermore, God wants us to know that he will never forget our tenacious faithfulness to him. When it looks like God is absent, or that he doesn’t care, and we ruthlessly cling to our trust in the goodness of his character and fidelity of his promise, God’s heart is moved—and he rewards. Isaiah 40:31 says,

“They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

God wants you to practice remembering that he will never fail you, that you will never be alone, that he will always keep his promises and he will always reward your faithfulness! God’s promise to you is that you will never be forgotten, no matter what!

In the 1980’s, Tom Sutherland was taken hostage by radicals in Lebanon and held in captivity for 4 years, mostly in solitary confinement. He existed in deep darkness during that long ordeal. Sometimes he could hear is captor’s radio when they tuned it to the BBC, and Tom would listen intently hoping and praying to hear his name mentioned on a newscast. But he never heard it, so he figured that people at home didn’t even know he was alive, much less imprisoned.

Finally, Tom was released. He flew back to the US and landed in San Francisco, and he was amazed as he got off the plane to see a huge crowd, people waving signs, cameras, reporters, and TV lights. He turned to his wife and said, “There must have been a famous person on this plane with us. See if you can spot him.” And she said, “Tom, they’re all here for you!” Tom broke down and cried like a baby. And he finally said, “I thought everybody had forgotten me…I felt abandoned…I didn’t think anybody cared. Thank God I was wrong.”

If you’re feeling forgotten at this moment, thank God you’re wrong! God remembers you and will fulfill every single one of his promises at the proper time.

So remember not to forget that!

“I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. My sickness, or perplexity, or sorrow may be necessary causes of some great end, which is quite beyond us. He does nothing in vain.” ~John Henry Newman

Reflect & Apply: Use your Bible concordance to search God’s promises to remember his people. Find seven verses, one for each day this week, and reflect on them. That is what one of the ways you can practice remembering.

Reflect:
Hebrews 4:15-16

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

What a difference it makes just knowing you have someone in high authority who has got your back! When you know that—not just intellectually, but experientially—you will live more confidently, act more courageously, risk faith more often, let go of your failures more easily, seek forgiveness more readily, sleep more peacefully, worry a whole lot less and wake up ready to face the day with more energy than you’ve ever known before.

That’s the privilege Christ-followers enjoy—or should—and that includes you! After paying the price for your sins by dying on the cross, Jesus entered eternity to begin his heavenly ministry as your very own personal high priest. Now, he stands before the Father night and day to represent you. He intercedes on your behalf. He is praying for you. He is rooting you on. He is ready to help!

He understands your fears—he faced some pretty overwhelming stuff when he was here. He understands your temptations—all of them. He faced them, too. He knows your weaknesses—he had to overcome them one by one. He knows what it is like to be rejected, disappointed, persecuted, to go without, to have no place to call home and to be misunderstood. He even knows the heaviest weight a human being carries—the reality of one’s own death. Jesus has been there, done that.

But he did all that for you! That’s why he is a faithful, empathetic high priest. And that is why you can come into the very throne room of Father God with complete confidence, walk right up to that throne and ask him for what you need: Help, provision, healing, forgiveness—whatever.

You can do that because of what Jesus has already done—he paid the price for you to do that. That is now your right, your privilege, and your responsibility. You can also do that because of what Jesus is doing right now—he is standing alongside you with his arm around your shoulder before the Father bringing your case before the only One who has the power and authority to do anything about it.

With Jesus standing by your side, you will be glad to know that help wanted means help received. Now that ought to make a difference in how you approach life today.

“If you took the love of all the best mothers and fathers who ever lived—all the goodness, kindness, patience, fidelity, wisdom, tenderness, strength and love—and united all those virtues in one person, that person would only be a faint shadow of the love and mercy in the heart of God for you and me.” ~Brennan Manning

Reflect & Apply: Try offering this prayer: “Father, I stand before you in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and ask you to meet all of my needs today. I pray that you would keep me pure, give me power, ensure my success, and make me useful to your kingdom. Work in me and through me today, and when I lay my head down on the pillow tonight, may I know the joy of having been totally pleasing to you.”

Reflect:
Hebrews 10:24-25

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

An elderly man lay in a hospital with his wife of fifty-five years sitting at his bedside. “Is that you, Ethel, at my side again?” he whispered.

“Yes, dear,” she answered.

He softly said to her, “Remember years ago when I was in the Veteran’s Hospital? You were with me then. You were with me when we lost everything in a fire. And Ethel, when we were poor—you were with me there, too.”

The man sighed and said, “I tell you, what Ethel… you’re bad luck.”

Some people seem to find fault in just about anything. They look on the dark side of everything and infect anyone who is near them with their negativity. And if we’re not careful, we can fall into that black hole of negativity, fault-finding and discouragement ourselves. That’s why the writer of Hebrews gave us these two powerful admonitions:

“We should keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things. Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer.” (Hebrews 10:24-25, CEV)

“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13)

One of the chief reasons we fall into sin, give in to a spirit of fear, shrink back from reaching our potential, or become spiritually and emotionally hardened, is from discouragement—or perhaps more accurately, the lack of encouragement.

One of the chief reasons we stumble into sin, surrender to a spirit of fear, slip into emotional depletion, become spiritually hardened and shrink back from reaching our faith-potential is from discouragement—or perhaps more accurately, the lack of encouragement. As believers, we not only have the spiritual responsibility, we have the awesome potential for making a huge impact in the lives of others by simply living out the Biblical injunction to encourage one another daily.

As believers, we have the awesome potential for making a huge impact in the lives of people by living out the Biblical injunction to encourage one another daily. This is especially important since the Enemy of our souls works overtime in his attempt to discourage, diminish and destroy us. But good, old fashioned, Christ-hearted encouragement is arguably the most powerful force we can unleash on one another. Just consider the power of encouragement in the following verses:

“The mouth of the righteous is a tree of life…” (Proverbs 10:11)

“The tongue of the wise brings healing…” (Proverbs 12:18)

“An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” (Proverbs 12:25)

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” (Proverbs 18:21)

Wow—that is the amazing, life-changing potential in the words you can choose to deliver today. So why not try it! Let me suggest five different approaches you can take to unleash this power upon another:

One, through verbal compliments: Try showering someone with praise for something they have done.

Two, through inspiring words: Speak affirming words to someone because of who they are, the beauty and potential of their character.

Three, through acts of kindness: Encourage someone simply by doing something nice for them, when they least expect it, or maybe even don’t deserve it.

Four, through indirect words: Talk about them behind their back—in a good way. For sure, it will get back to them, and it will be even more powerful coming from a third party.

Five, through written words: Send someone a note of appreciation. It will have the added value of being enjoyed over and over again.

Encouragement—it’s the most powerful thing you can do. So go for it!

“Possibly the deepest human need is the need to feel appreciated.” ~William James

Reflect & Apply: This week, write a word of encouragement and send it to someone whom God prompts you to bless. Or, before the week is out, use an indirect word of encouragement by telling a third party how much you love, appreciate a mutual acquaintance.

Today’s Reflection:

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)

What a difference it makes just knowing you have someone in high authority who’s got your back! You live more confidently, act more courageously, risk faith more often, let go of your failures more easily, seek forgiveness more readily, sleep more peacefully, worry a whole lot less, and wake up ready to face the day with more energy that you’ve ever known before.

That’s the privilege a Christ-follower enjoys—or should—and that includes you! After paying the price for your sins by dying on the cross, Jesus entered eternity to begin his heavenly ministry as your very own personal high priest. Now, at this very moment, he stands before the Father night and day to represent you. He intercedes on your behalf. He is praying for you. He is rooting for you. He is cheering you on.

He understands your fears—he faced some pretty overwhelming stuff when he was here. He understands your temptations—all of them. He faced them, too. He knows your weaknesses—he had to overcome them one by one. He knows what it is like to be rejected, disappointed, persecuted, betrayed, to go without, to have no place to call home, to be misunderstood. He even knows the heaviest weight a human being carries—the impending reality of one’s own death. Jesus has been there, done that.

But he did all that for you! That’s why he is a faithful, empathetic high priest. And that is why you can come into the very throne room of Father God with complete confidence, walk right up to the throne and ask him for what you need: Help, provision, healing, forgiveness—whatever.

You can do that because of what Jesus has already done—he paid the price for you to do that. That is now your right, your privilege, and your responsibility. You can also do that because of what Jesus is doing right now—he is standing alongside you with his arm around your shoulder before the Father bringing your case before the only One who has the power and authority to do anything about it.

You’ve got a friend in high places—the highest place. That ought to make a difference in how you live today. So why don’t ya show a little moxy and act like ya know Somebody!

Something To Consider:
“Our peace and confidence are to be found not in our empirical holiness, not in our progress toward perfection, but in the alien righteousness of Jesus Christ that covers our sinfulness and alone makes us acceptable before a holy God.” ~Donald Bloesch

“For this world is not our permanent home; we are
looking forward to a home yet to come.”
(Hebrews 13:14)

Thoughts… After serving as a missionary for forty years in Africa, Henry C. Morrison became sick and had to return to America. As the great ocean liner docked in New York Harbor, there was a great crowd gathered to welcome home another passenger on that boat. Morrison watched as President Teddy Roosevelt received a grand welcome home party after his African Safari.

Resentment seized Morrison and he turned to God in anger, “I have come back home after all this time and service to the church and there is no one, not even one person here to welcome me home.”

Then a still small voice came to Morrison and said, “You’re not home yet.”

And neither are you!

As we used to sing in the little country church I grew up in, “This world is not my home, I’m just passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.”

And that is the truth, my friend. Heaven is not just some pie-in-the-sky theology the preacher spouts to make you feel better. It is the promise of our Lord himself and the clear teaching of Scripture. In fact, nothing else the Bible says, promises, or calls you to do makes sense without the assurance of eternal life, the reality of life after death and the imminence of heaven. Without heaven, the birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus was wasted. Without heaven, the church, our worship, world evangelization and the sum of the Christian life are all irrelevant. But thanks be to God, the promise of heaven is our blessed hope, and as Paul says in Romans 5:5, this hope will not disappoint!

So as you go about your day, don’t let yourself feel too at home in this world—there is a better one coming sooner than you think.

Prayer… Lord, don’t let me get too earth bound. Keep reminding me that heaven is my real home, and help me to live every day on earth with that in mind.

One More Thing… “God destines us for an end beyond the grasp of reason.” —Thomas Aquinas

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud
of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and
the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with
perseverance the race marked out for us.”
(Hebrews 12:1-2)

Thoughts… Hebrews was written to 1st century believers of Jewish background. They got off to a great start in their Christian faith, but because of unexpected suffering, they were thinking about walking away and returning to their Jewish roots. That’s why the writer pleads with them to run their faith-race with endurance. And he gives them—and us—some great advice on how to run strong and finish well.

One of the most overlooked principles on effectively running the faith-race is simply this: You will need to find strength from those who’ve gone before. That what he is referring to when he says in verse one, “Therefore since we are surrounded by this huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith…”

The Bible isn’t just a history book; it not just about people who lived and died a long time ago. Hebrews 4:12 says that scripture is “living and active.” It’s an operator’s manual of living faith to help you today. Romans 15:4 says, “Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us.”

And in a very real sense, anyone who has run a victorious race of faith—from the ancient past right up to the present moment—is on the sidelines cheering you on. Hebrews 11 contains a long list of both familiar and not-so-familiar people who, themselves, faced a tough race. They were ridiculed, mistreated. Some left their families and homes to serve God. Some paid the ultimate price of hardship and sacrifice, even giving their lives to follow God. But no matter what, they endured; all them were still running their faith-race when they died. And God thought so highly of them that he declared in 11:38, “The world was not worthy of them.”

When you’re tempted to slow down, when you’ve lost sight of the finish line, when you’re weary and feel like giving up, your personal cheering section of witnesses is literally in the great grandstand of that unseen dimension shouting,

“Don’t give up. We endured; we paid a heavy price, too. But it was worth it.”

There’s Abraham and Moses, David and Jonathon. There are New Testament martyrs like Stephen and John the Baptist and James. There’s Peter and Paul and John the beloved. There are even loved ones of yours who have gone on before you—and they’re at the finish line shouting, “Keep going, you’re almost there, it’ll be worth it!” And best of all, there is Jesus.

To sustain your spiritual passion for an entire lifetime, you’ve got to open your eyes to that unseen dimension and listen to those who’ve run the race before you, and above all, fix your eyes on Jesus,

“He both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!” (Hebrews 12;2-3, The Message)

You are in the race of your life. You’ve entered the bell lap and the end is in sight. So run strong and finish well!

Prayer… Today Lord Jesus, I am fixing my eyes on you. I will eliminate all of those obstacles that would distract me from my race. And with your help, I will run strong clear to the end of the race, and I will finish well.

One More Thing… “Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted in spite of your changing moods.”—C.S. Lewis