Read Hebrews 4:1-16

“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)

Thoughts… 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 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, 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 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, 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 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 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 show a little moxy, why don’t ya!!!

Prayer… Father, I stand before you in the righteousness of Jesus Christ to boldly 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 this day.

One More Thing… “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

Read Hebrews 3:1-19

“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)

Thoughts… Herein lies the subtle danger of sin. Not that sin can’t be forgiven—it can. God “forgives all of ours sins,” Psalm 103:3 declares. Not that sin isn’t repugnant to a holy God—it is. Isaiah wrote, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2) Not that sin doesn’t have consequences—it does. The prophet declared, “Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure? Because of your great guilt and many sins I have done these things to you. (Jeremiah 30:15) Not that sin won’t send a soul to hell—it will. Ezekiel 18:20 clearly states, “The soul who sins is the one who will die.”

All that is true, which makes sin so dangerous. But the subtle power of sin is its deceitfulness. It lulls us into a hardness of heart where, at some point, we no longer care to ask forgiveness for it, where we no longer worry that it is offensive to God, where we no longer are restrained by its consequences, where the reality of hell becomes just a fading thought in our conscience.

The ugly danger of sin is that it causes the hardening of our spiritual arteries. Every time we sin, the danger is that our arteries clog just a little more and our heart is no longer able to receive the life-giving word of the Holy Spirit, calling us to repent and turn to God.

I have known many people who suddenly experience shortness of breath and tightness in their chest—their arteries have become clogged. Suddenly, they need angioplasty…or heart bypass surgery.

But in reality, was it all that sudden? No! Slowly, imperceptibly, day-by-day, harmful forces were at work in their bodies until the day came when one little sticky piece of plaque was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and they were now facing the reality of the serious trouble that had been brewing for some time.

That’s why sin is so powerfully destructive. Little by little it does its damage, until one day we no longer care about what God cares about. Sin has deceived us into a spiritual lassitude from which we may not recover.

What is the answer? Change your habits. Get your spiritual exercise—daily Bible reading, devotions, prayer, tithing, church attendance, personal ministry. Watch what you eat—stay away from junk that fills your flesh but rots your spirit—severely restrict your media intake would be my advice. Nurture spiritual relationships—accountability, support, and Christian fellowship have always been the key to healthy spirituality. Dramatically alter your entire life—live every moment like it could be the last one before you stand in the presence of a loving but holy God.

Whatever you do, do not let the deceitfulness of sin harden your spiritual arteries.

Prayer… Dear God, I repudiate all the sin in my life. Forgive me for each one that I have committed. Cleanse me from all of them. Keep me from evil, and from the evil one today. May I live pure and blameless in your sight today…and each and every day until you take me home to be with you.

One More Thing… “One great power of sin is that it blinds men so that they do not recognize its true character.” — Andrew Murray

Read Hebrews 2:1-18

“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what
we have heard, so that we do not drift away.”
(Hebrews 2:1)

Thoughts… I am writing this devotional blog today from an airplane, somewhere over the beautiful state of Oregon at about 35,000 feet. Our takeoff was uneventful—thank the Lord. In fact, I would have to say the takeoff was quite boring, which is the way sane people like it. I’m sure you would agree, nobody wants an eventful takeoff! I’m trusting that the landing will be equally uneventful about an hour from now!!!

I noticed that during preparation for going into orbit, the flight attendant was dutifully calling us to pay attention to the safety instructions for enjoying a safe and pleasurable trip. She gave some warnings of what might happen if we neglected her directions and what we could do to survive if, perish the thought, disaster should strike. She didn’t actually use the word “disaster”, but I knew what she meant. “In case of a water landing” sounds so much more comforting than “in case we crash and burn!”

Any guesses on how many people were listening to her little speech? Zero, to be exact, except for me. I was taking copious notes of everything she said—not! Truth is, she might as well have been invisible as far as the passengers were concerned.

With such vital life-saving information being disseminated, why wouldn’t everybody be listening as if their very existence hung in the balance? Over-exposure to the message, I think, is the culprit here. Airline apathy has set in, and people just don’t pay attention anymore to these basic instruction before leaving earth for the friendly skies.

Now here’s the deal: What we might get away with on an airplane, we must not be guilty of on the most important trip of our lives—our journey from here to eternity. That’s why writer of Hebrews is pleading with us to pay attention! He is saying, “don’t you dare neglect so great a salvation!”

Are you paying close attention in your spiritual journey to the clear instructions and warnings that God has graciously provided for you in his Word, the Bible (Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth)? Maybe you have heard those instructions so often that they no longer cause you to sit up and take notice. If you were honest, perhaps you would have to admit that apathy has set in, dulling your spiritual acuity and taking the sharp edge off your discernment toward the temptations and trials that can derail you on along the way.

If that is you, our verse today is calling you to not only pay attention, and not just to pay careful attention, but to “pay more careful attention.” Have you ever said to your child, or perhaps your parent said to you, “Now listen up…look at me when I’m saying this…repeat back what I’ve just told you…are we clear on this?” That’s what we’re being told here: “Let me have your attention please…there will be a test…your spiritual life depends on this!”

Take a moment to go through your “takeoff instructions” today, being careful to pay very close attention. Check to see if there are any sins that need to be confessed, any promises that need to be claimed, any commands that need to be obeyed, any ministry assignment that needs attention, any person who needs your witness, or any relationship that needs to be healed.

Our plane is taking off soon, bound for heaven, so pay attention. Read and know your Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth-especially as it relates to your salvation. And make sure your seat belt is buckled, your tray table is in the upright and locked position, your seat back is forward…

And enjoy your flight!

Prayer… Lord, show me every area that needs attention for the flight home. On that day when we take off and reach our destination, I don’t want be unprepared in one single aspect of my life. Make me ready for the trip Lord, ‘cause one of these days soon, I’m coming home.

One More Thing… “If you continue to love Jesus, nothing much can go wrong with you, and I hope you may always do so.” — C.S. Lewis (One month before his death)

Read Hebrews 1:1-14

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets
at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he
has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all
things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son
is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation
of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down
at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.  So he
became as much superior to the angels as the name
he has inherited issuperior to theirs.”
(Hebrews 1:1-4)

Thoughts… In the Old Testament era, God primarily used the prophets, the law of Moses, and angelic beings to deliver his word to people. But they weren’t the A-team, and their work was only the pre-game warm-up, so to speak. God never intended what he commissioned them to deliver to be the be-all-to-end-all. God had a plan.

God was bringing humanity along with the idea that at the proper time (Paul calls it “the fullness of time” in Galatians), he would send his Son, Jesus Christ, to be the ultimate and final revelation of Father God to the peoples of earth. When Jesus was born, the law, the prophets and the angels would step aside—they’re assignment was over. The Revelation was here. When he finished the work of redemption on the cross, the Son sat down at the Father’s right hand—the work was truly done.

So when Jesus came along, his revealed who the Father was, what the Father was like, how the Father had worked his plans in eternity past, was working in time present and would work in eternity future, and who could become a joint-heir with the Son of the Father’s inheritance.

In other words, Jesus “the Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. (Verse 3) When you know the Son, you know the Father. When you’ve received Jesus, you’ve received God. Jesus is it—he is all—he is the very best and there is no other!

So here’s the deal: Why would you want to go back into Old Testament law and live by it to gain right standing with God? It was only holding things together until the real deal arrived in Jesus Christ? Why base your faith on Old Testament prophetic utterances? They’re only pointing to a New Testament reality that was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. And for heaven’s sake, why would you need angelic visitations to tell you what to do or to make you feel somehow spiritually superior? They are inferior to what God has already given in Jesus Christ.

When you’ve got Jesus, you’ve simply got the best. That’s the message of Hebrews—that Jesus is superior, all sufficient for your life and for your eternity!

So why settle for second best?

Prayer… Jesus, you are my all in all. Apart from you I have nothing, but in Jesus, I have everything I need. I fall at your feet and worship—you are everything to me!

One More Thing… “Jesus was God and man in one person, that God and man might be happy together again.” —George Whitefield