Gollihue Family Discipleship

James 3:9-12, Blessings, and curses from the same mouth 
 
You ever have a conversation with someone, and you get mixed messages; their mouth says one thing, but their body language and attitude is saying something completely different. You don’t know whether to believe what you were just told or not and the conversation does nothing but leave you confused. Mixed messages are what James speaks of in verses 9-12 when he says that from one mouth blessings and curses should not flow. One shouldn’t praise God in one breath and then curse their neighbor in the next breath, those things don’t align with each other and cause confusion. James has spoken heavily of the how the tongue is a powerful member of the body and here lets us know that the way a believer uses their tongue is very crucial. A spring doesn’t produce both fresh and salt water and a Christians tongue shouldn’t produce both righteous and unrighteous conversations. 
 
Ephesians 4:29 says that we should let no corrupt communication come from our mouths and that our communication should be used to edify and uplift others. Other scriptures in the New Testament says that our speech should always be clean and point others to God. (Matthew 5:11, Colossians 4:6, Ephesians 5:4, etc.) When as believers we allow corrupt communication to come from our mouths all we are doing is sending mixed messages to this world as to who we serve. The words we speak should always point those we are speaking to, towards our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we stated in earlier blogs on this chapter what is in our hearts should be guiding and governing our tongues. Fresh and salt water cannot flow from the same spring.

James 3:9-12, Blessings, and curses from the same mouth

You ever have a conversation with someone, and you get mixed messages; their mouth says one thing, but their body language and attitude is saying something completely different.  You don’t know whether to believe what you were just told or not and the conversation does nothing but leave you confused.  Mixed messages are what James speaks of in verses 9-12 when he says that from one mouth blessings and curses should not flow.  One shouldn’t praise God in one breath and then curse their neighbor in the next breath, those things don’t align with each other and cause confusion.  James has spoken heavily of the how the tongue is a powerful member of the body and here lets us know that the way a believer uses their tongue is very crucial.  A spring doesn’t produce both fresh and salt water and a Christians tongue shouldn’t produce both righteous and unrighteous conversations.

Ephesians 4:29 says that we should let no corrupt communica

James 3:9-12, Blessings, and curses from the same mouth

James 3:3-8, The untamable tongue 
You know I was watching animal planet the other day and there was a show on about a zoo in San Diego. I was amazed to watch the interaction that these individuals had with the animals in which they cared for, but I was also amazed with the respect they had for each animal. No matter how many times they had interacted with an animal they took great caution and care when interacting with these animals because no matter how domesticated they seem these are still wild animals. You never know when one was is going to return to its primal instinct and behave in a way that is natural to it. The human tongue is a lot like one of this zoo animals, we can think we have it tamed but when we least expect it says what it wants to say and we see that we really didn’t have it uncontrol, we had just contained it. In verses 3-8 James lets us know that it doesn’t take a whole lot for the tongue to get out of control and cause problems in our lives. 
James uses analogies to explain how something as small as the tongue can get out of control and wreak havoc in our lives. He said a small bit is placed in a horse’s mouth and with this small bit the horse can easily be turned in any direction as the bit is pulled. The same is true of our tongues if we let it go unchecked, we will end up be being pulled in every direction as it dictates. James continues this same line of thought and compares the tongue to a small rudder on a mighty ship, the small rudder easily steers the vessel any direction it wants it to go. The final analogy he uses to describe the tongue is that of a small spark that seems harmless until it ignites a raging forest fire that devours everything in sight. He closes by saying that wild animals may be able to be tamed by mankind, but the tongue is something that we cannot tame as it is full of deadly poison. We must allow God and the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives and yes this includes the words that we speak and our tongue.

James 3:3-8, The untamable tongue
You know I was watching animal planet the other day and there was a show on about a zoo in San Diego.  I was amazed to watch the interaction that these individuals had with the animals in which they cared for, but I was also amazed with the respect they had for each animal.  No matter how many times they had interacted with an animal they took great caution and care when interacting with these animals because no matter how domesticated they seem these are still wild animals.  You never know when one was is going to return to its primal instinct and behave in a way that is natural to it.  The human tongue is a lot like one of this zoo animals, we can think we have it tamed but when we least expect it says what it wants to say and we see that we really didn’t have it uncontrol, we had just contained it.  In verses 3-8 James lets us know that it doesn’t take a whole lot for the tongue to get out of control and cause problems in our lives.
James uses analo

James 3:3-8, The untamable tongue

Hebrews 9:27-28, It is appointed once for a man to die, then the judgement 
America was founded on the premise that an individual is innocent until proven guilty and that everyone is entitled to a fair trial where they are given the opportunity to defend their innocence. No matter what they have done they are not condemned until they are convicted before a judge and their peers. This can be a terrifying experience to know that their freedom and possibly life rests in the hands of a judge and jury. They can beg, plead, and present the best case possible for their innocence but everything still rests on the judgement rendered. The American judicial system can be intimidating and freighting, but it is nothing compared to standing before the God of the Universe in judgment. Hebrews 9:27 says that it is appointed once for a man to die and then we all must face judgment. This is much more intimidating than standing before a judge in court room because you are now standing in front of God, who discerns our thoughts and intentions of our heart. (Hebrews 4:12) 
There is nothing we can do to escape death and there is nothing we can do to escape the judgement of God. Scripture bears witness that both the righteous and the wicked with be judged after we leave this earth. The wicked will stand before God at the Great White Throne judgment and the righteous will stand before Jesus at the Judgment seat (Bema) of Christ. These are two very different forms of judgment as all those at the Great White Throne judgment are doomed to eternity in Hell and those at the Bema judgment are judged based upon their faithfulness to Christ after accepting Him as their Lord and Savior. The Bema judgment will determine your roll in the kingdom of God and Jesus’ millennial reign here on earth. Jesus died for and will return for those who are awaiting His return to this earth, but it still holds true that we will all face judgment as we enter eternity.

Hebrews 9:27-28, It is appointed once for a man to die, then the judgement
America was founded on the premise that an individual is innocent until proven guilty and that everyone is entitled to a fair trial where they are given the opportunity to defend their innocence.  No matter what they have done they are not condemned until they are convicted before a judge and their peers.  This can be a terrifying experience to know that their freedom and possibly life rests in the hands of a judge and jury.  They can beg, plead, and present the best case possible for their innocence but everything still rests on the judgement rendered.  The American judicial system can be intimidating and freighting, but it is nothing compared to standing before the God of the Universe in judgment. Hebrews 9:27 says that it is appointed once for a man to die and then we all must face judgment.  This is much more intimidating than standing before a judge in court room because you are now standing in front of God

Hebrews 9:27-28, It is appointed once for a man to die, then the judgement

Hebrews 9:23-26, Heavenly things don’t need cleansed 
 
A while back Shawnna and I was on our way to minister at a local church and we were taking a mirror to use as an illustration during the sermon. She took the large mirror off her vanity in our bathroom, wiped it clean and the set in the living room next to the front door so we wouldn’t forget it. The funny thing is that Jeremiah and Judah thought it was an opportunity for the to play with the mirror and every time Shawnna came through house she would have to wipe tiny hand and fingerprints off the mirror. I bet she did these 3 or 4 times before we left the house. The thing about earthly things is that they are going to continually need cleansed. Wash your car today and in a week or so it is going to need it again, spray your house down this summer it will need it again in the fall, wash your favorite jeans and after a few times out they going to need washed again, and so on and so on. This is true of earthly creations but not true of heavenly things, the scripture says the old covenant temple was only a copy of what existed in the heavenly, so they needed constantly purifying and cleansing. (Hebrews 9:23-24) The heavenly temple that Jesus entered to place His blood on the mercy always has been and always will remain clean and pure. 
 
The author wants to let the readers know that the heavenly sacrifice of Jesus Christ cleanses completely and eternally. There is no need for constant repetition or cleansing because what Jesus did takes care of it once and for all. Jesus doesn’t need to continually do over and over (v.26) like animals had to continually be sacrificed in the Old Testament. His heavenly work was complete and final, it reaches into the infinite future as the only beacon of hope that mankind has. The old law required that everything be cleansed with the shedding of blood and this is exactly what Jesus fulfilled on the cross over 2000 years ago. He made an end to the ritualistic slaying of animals to cover the sins of humans by making Himself the sacrifice to end all sacrifices. Jesus’s blood is superior to the blood of animals as it doesn’t need repetitively shed to be effective in cleansing us.

Hebrews 9:23-26, Heavenly things don’t need cleansed

A while back Shawnna and I was on our way to minister at a local church and we were taking a mirror to use as an illustration during the sermon.  She took the large mirror off her vanity in our bathroom, wiped it clean and the set in the living room next to the front door so we wouldn’t forget it.  The funny thing is that Jeremiah and Judah thought it was an opportunity for the to play with the mirror and every time Shawnna came through house she would have to wipe tiny hand and fingerprints off the mirror.  I bet she did these 3 or 4 times before we left the house.  The thing about earthly things is that they are going to continually need cleansed.  Wash your car today and in a week or so it is going to need it again, spray your house down this summer it will need it again in the fall, wash your favorite jeans and after a few times out they going to need washed again, and so on and so on.  This is true of earthly creations but not 

Hebrews 9:23-26, Heavenly things don’t need cleansed #Jesusisbetter #Hebrews

Hebrews 9:16-22, You must have a death certificate 
Sadly, we as a family have had to go through this on several occasions but before the beneficiary can receive the benefit left to them by someone who is deceased there must be proof, they are gone. You must wait until you have a certified death certificate signed off on by a licensed physician with cause of death and time of departure. The author of Hebrews used this as an analogy in verses 16-22 to explain the way the old covenant and the new covenant works. Blood had to be shed (death had to come) before the law could be fulfilled and sins where forgiven. Death has always been the wages of sin (Romans 3:23) and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). The blood of animals being shed under the old covenant was only to point them to the sacrifice that would come and take away the sins of the world. It all pointed to a savior; Jesus Christ was the lamb of God who takes away our sin (John 1:29). 
Since blood (death) was required before the beneficiary can receive their inheritance, Jesus laid down His life on our behalf. This wasn’t the blood of a bull or lamb, this was the blood of God, Himself, poured out on behalf of His creation (Matthew 26:28). This sacrifice didn’t stay in the ground as on the third day the Holy Spirit lifted Him from the grave and the same power that raised Him from the grave now dwells within His followers (Romans 8:11). By the death of One, many now have victory over death, hell, and the grave. Because of His blood being shed they’re no longer a need for the old covenant, in fact it was superseded by the grace and mercy of God. The author wants us all to realize that Jesus is better in every way to the old covenant as they have already proved Jesus superior to the angels, prophets, and old testament priests.

Hebrews 9:16-22, You must have a death certificate
Sadly, we as a family have had to go through this on several occasions but before the beneficiary can receive the benefit left to them by someone who is deceased there must be proof, they are gone.  You must wait until you have a certified death certificate signed off on by a licensed physician with cause of death and time of departure.  The author of Hebrews used this as an analogy in verses 16-22 to explain the way the old covenant and the new covenant works.  Blood had to be shed (death had to come) before the law could be fulfilled and sins where forgiven.  Death has always been the wages of sin (Romans 3:23) and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22).  The blood of animals being shed under the old covenant was only to point them to the sacrifice that would come and take away the sins of the world.  It all pointed to a savior; Jesus Christ was the lamb of God who takes away our sin (John 1:29).

Hebrews 9:16-22, You must have a death certificate

Hebrews 8:10-11, Written on your heart and in your mind 
Something that science or an atheistic society can’t explain away is the human conscience. Why is it that every human has this little voice inside them that tells them right from wrong? Where does it come from and why is it so consistent in all humans? The reason that can’t explain it away is because they are looking for the answer in the wrong places; they say societal norms sets the human conscience when it is something much higher than that at work. In Hebrews 10 we see that God says that in the new covenant that He would make establish that His law would be written upon the hearts and minds of men. Meaning that the human conscience isn’t a product of societies expectations on your behavior it is placed inside mankind by the Creator of all. 
Whether you have ever read the Bible or been taught what is written on it pages you inherently know God’s law because it is placed within you. No one must tell you it is wrong to steal, kill, lie, or cheat; God’s law within your heart lets you know these things are unacceptable. God communicates directly within our hearts and minds as to good and bad behavior; ignorance is not an excuse. The reading and studying of God’s word only reinforce and strengthens what God has already placed within each one of our hearts. Romans 2:15 says the same thing, the law of God is written on our hearts and that our conscience will bear witness against ourselves on the day of judgment for disobeying it.

Hebrews 8:10-11, Written on your heart and in your mind
Something that science or an atheistic society can’t explain away is the human conscience.  Why is it that every human has this little voice inside them that tells them right from wrong?  Where does it come from and why is it so consistent in all humans?  The reason that can’t explain it away is because they are looking for the answer in the wrong places; they say societal norms sets the human conscience when it is something much higher than that at work.  In Hebrews 10 we see that God says that in the new covenant that He would make establish that His law would be written upon the hearts and minds of men.  Meaning that the human conscience isn’t a product of societies expectations on your behavior it is placed inside mankind by the Creator of all. 
Whether you have ever read the Bible or been taught what is written on it pages you inherently know God’s law because it is placed within you.  No one must tell you it is wrong to stea

Hebrews 8:10-11, Written on your heart and in your mind

Hebrews 8:7-9, The people are the problem 
I used to work for a company that had the moto of “Kill the spider.” Instead of spending time tearing down spider webs made by the spider, if you get rid of the spider then you fix the problem permanently. So instead of spending hours and days fixing problems on the job get rid of what is causing the problems and you have saved everyone a bunch of effort and time. Once you find the source of the problem you can eliminate everything that results from the problem itself. Look around you in this world and you will realize that we spend a lot of time fighting the same problems daily over and over. So, what’s the spider? What is the source of all our problems? If we get rid of it, we can make life a lot simpler for everyone. We are the spider and have always been the spider. In Hebrews 8:7 the authors say that God found fault with the people and said that he would make a new covenant with mankind. Our disobedience and sinful behavior is the source of all the problems that we encounter and instead of killing the spider (us) God decided to make a better way. 
That better way was through Jesus Christ. The Old Testament covenant that God had with His people revealed to us our sins, but the New Testament covenant God made with His people through Jesus Christ removed our sins. Despite being aware of their sins it did not keep the people did not turn from them and instead ignore the commandments of God. Jesus came to make a way for us to be released from the hold that sin had on our lives, He died so that His blood could cover our sins and wash them away. The new covenant doesn’t give us a license to sin, it simply gives us the power to overcome sin in our lives. The sacrifices of the old testament were a temporary solution to a permanent problem, Jesus Christ is a permanent solution that destroys the problem. The hearts of mankind are draw away from God with their evil desires, Jesus came to restore what we destroyed. He made a better covenant; one I am glad to apart of and hopefully you have chosen to be too.

Hebrews 8:7-9, The people are the problem
I used to work for a company that had the moto of “Kill the spider.” Instead of spending time tearing down spider webs made by the spider, if you get rid of the spider then you fix the problem permanently.  So instead of spending hours and days fixing problems on the job get rid of what is causing the problems and you have saved everyone a bunch of effort and time.  Once you find the source of the problem you can eliminate everything that results from the problem itself.  Look around you in this world and you will realize that we spend a lot of time fighting the same problems daily over and over.  So, what’s the spider?  What is the source of all our problems?  If we get rid of it, we can make life a lot simpler for everyone.  We are the spider and have always been the spider.  In Hebrews 8:7 the authors say that God found fault with the people and said that he would make a new covenant with mankind.  Our disobedience and sinful behavior is the

Hebrews 8:7-9, The people are the problem

Hebrews 8:3-6, A priest offers both gifts and sacrifices 
In the Old Testament the office of priest was a sacred office that only a limited number of people could partake in according to their lineage. The tribe of Levi was chosen as the individuals who would be the priests of the covenant between Israel and God. The office meant that they would close the gap between man and God by ministering on behalf of man to God, this meant that they would be the ones who offered sacrifices and gifts on their behalf to God. This was a sacred act and we see in Samuel where the kingdom of Israel was stripped from Saul because he chose to make a sacrifice to God instead of waiting on the prophet Samuel to do so. Hebrews 8:3-6 tells us that the office of high priest was ordained for the purpose of offering gifts and sacrifices to God but now we have one in Jesus Christ who goes well beyond that and acts as our mediator to God in the new covenant. 
No earthly priest can live up to the gift and sacrifice that Jesus offered on our behalf. They offered what was given to them on man’s behalf, but Jesus offered His very own life as a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. He didn’t have to wait for someone to bring Him a sacrifice to be made, He stepped down from His Heavenly throne and placed His life on the altar of sacrifice on our behalf. Yet Jesus didn’t stop there He gave us a better covenant than that which was offered to the children of Israel. The old covenant brought about death while the new covenant allows an escape from death to anyone who chooses to accept it. Jesus made a way to escape the punishment we all justly deserve from our rebellion and in towards God. All we must do is believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, repent of our sins (turn from them) and accept the gift and sacrifice He has made available to us all. No earthly priest could possibly offer what Jesus fulfilled on our behalf, only God could do this.

Hebrews 8:3-6, A priest offers both gifts and sacrifices
In the Old Testament the office of priest was a sacred office that only a limited number of people could partake in according to their lineage.  The tribe of Levi was chosen as the individuals who would be the priests of the covenant between Israel and God.  The office meant that they would close the gap between man and God by ministering on behalf of man to God, this meant that they would be the ones who offered sacrifices and gifts on their behalf to God.  This was a sacred act and we see in Samuel where the kingdom of Israel was stripped from Saul because he chose to make a sacrifice to God instead of waiting on the prophet Samuel to do so.  Hebrews 8:3-6 tells us that the office of high priest was ordained for the purpose of offering gifts and sacrifices to God but now we have one in Jesus Christ who goes well beyond that and acts as our mediator to God in the new covenant.
No earthly priest can live up to the gift and sacrif

Hebrews 8:3-6, A priest offers both gifts and sacrifices

Hebrews 7:20-22, An oath of God 
 
Our family has been blessed to be touched by the adoption process firsthand on several different occasions. A child can be born into a family and a child can be loved into a family but when an adoption takes place there is some legal hoops to jump through. A judge must decree what was not born as part of a family to become a forever part of that family. The judge’s statement or ruling doesn’t make you love the child any more it simply makes the process legal and binding. Under the law of Moses priesthood was determined by which family you were born into. If you were born into the tribe of Levi, then you were eligible to service and if you were not then you had no opportunity to serve as a priest. For someone to come from outside this family and be a part of this family an official would have to decree it, and this is exactly what God did with Jesus Christ. God declared Jesus to be the priest who will be in that position forever. 
 
When God made this oath, it did away with the need for us to go to man to connect with God because now we have an intercessor in heaven. We don’t need to a man to make a sacrifice on our behalf because Jesus has already made himself the sacrifice for all sin. God’s proclamation of Jesus’s eternal priesthood ushered in what the author of Hebrews calls a better covenant. No longer a flawed people trying to reconnect with God through each other, now God has given us direct access to Himself through Jesus Christ. The position granted to Jesus doesn’t expire, have term limits, or come with a retirement date; He will hold this position for eternity.

Hebrews 7:20-22, An oath of God

Our family has been blessed to be touched by the adoption process firsthand on several different occasions.  A child can be born into a family and a child can be loved into a family but when an adoption takes place there is some legal hoops to jump through.  A judge must decree what was not born as part of a family to become a forever part of that family.  The judge’s statement or ruling doesn’t make you love the child any more it simply makes the process legal and binding.  Under the law of Moses priesthood was determined by which family you were born into.  If you were born into the tribe of Levi, then you were eligible to service and if you were not then you had no opportunity to serve as a priest.  For someone to come from outside this family and be a part of this family an official would have to decree it, and this is exactly what God did with Jesus Christ.  God declared Jesus to be the priest who will be in that position forever. 

When God made t

Hebrews 7:20-22, An oath of God #Hebrews #Jesusisbetter

Hebrews 7:11-17, There was a need for a better Priest, an eternal one 
Upgrades has become a normal part of our everyday lives in the technology driven society in which we live. Items swiftly become outdated and replaced with new items with better features. Apple comes out with new iPhone yearly as technology changes and grows, when you buy a laptop it is probably out of date before you get it home, and new models of vehicle are constantly rolling off the assembly line that surpasses the last model. The reason there is constant upgrades is because their room for improvement or advancements, perhaps one day someone will create a device that can not be improved upon. This is exactly what happened with the priesthood of mankind, there was need for improvement but when Jesus filled the position there is no way it could ever be improved upon. Verse 16 says that men became priests through ancestry under the Jewish law, but Jesus assumed the role based on indestructible life. 
There have been some great individuals serve in the role of ministers on the earth over history, but they all have one thing in common, they all have flaws. They have all fallen short of the glory of God, they all have sin in their lives. They can’t intercede on your behalf with God unless they first interceded on their own behalf first. Jesus broke the mold; Jesus can intercede on our behalf before God with no shame and no blemish because He is without sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says that He who knew no sin, became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. He isn’t a priest that needs to make a sacrifice for His sins, He is the priest who made Himself a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. There was a need for a better priesthood, but that is no longer the case, Jesus is the priest who walks and dwells in perfection.

Hebrews 7:11-17, There was a need for a better Priest, an eternal one
Upgrades has become a normal part of our everyday lives in the technology driven society in which we live.  Items swiftly become outdated and replaced with new items with better features.  Apple comes out with new iPhone yearly as technology changes and grows, when you buy a laptop it is probably out of date before you get it home, and new models of vehicle are constantly rolling off the assembly line that surpasses the last model.  The reason there is constant upgrades is because their room for improvement or advancements, perhaps one day someone will create a device that can not be improved upon.  This is exactly what happened with the priesthood of mankind, there was need for improvement but when Jesus filled the position there is no way it could ever be improved upon.  Verse 16 says that men became priests through ancestry under the Jewish law, but Jesus assumed the role based on indestructible life.
There have b

Hebrews 7:11-14 There was a need for a better Priest, an eternal one!

Why do you refuse to grow up? 
We have a constant theme in our home, we are constantly having to remind Jeremiah (5) that he has not act like Judah (3) because he is older and more mature. When asking Jeremiah why he did something to his little brother he will inevitably say that “Judah did it to him first and he was just paying him back.” We must remind Jeremiah that he should know better because he is older and more mature and that a three-year-old doesn’t always understand certain things. Jeremiah doesn’t like these talks because deep down inside he wants to act the way he wants to act and not be held more accountable as he gets older and more mature. Do you know that many in the church are just like Jeremiah? They have been in a relationship with Jesus for a while, but they don’t want to mature and grow up, they want to keep acting like they did when they got saved. In our verses today, the author asks the question of the recipients why they are still acting like babies in Christ. The author says by now you should be teaching others about Christ but instead you are having to be continually retaught simple things over and over. 
Why is it that many in the church live their lives as if they are a perpetual five-year-old having to be continually reminded that they need to grow up? Paul compares to the diet of a child and essential says that babies drink milk but as you grew you start to eat solid food. The same is true of our spiritual growth if we never get past the milk of God’s word at start feasting on the meat then we aren’t going to grow. There are only so many times you can hear the story of David and Goliath, Jonah and the whale, and the walls of Jericho falling. The Bible full of meat but we must discipline ourselves to dive in and read it regularly and not just our favorite stories, all of it. There is no growth in the church because the church refuses to grow up and make reading the Word of God a part of their daily routine. They want people to spoon feed them what the Bible says instead of them taking the time to read and study it for themselves. They take their bottle once or twice a week when they go to church and then the rest of the time, they starve their spirits of the bread of life (the word). Don’t fall into the trap of having to constantly being retaught the same things over and over, be mature. Read and study the word of God and begin to teach others what you have learned.

Why do you refuse to grow up?
We have a constant theme in our home, we are constantly having to remind Jeremiah (5) that he has not act like Judah (3) because he is older and more mature.  When asking Jeremiah why he did something to his little brother he will inevitably say that “Judah did it to him first and he was just paying him back.”  We must remind Jeremiah that he should know better because he is older and more mature and that a three-year-old doesn’t always understand certain things.  Jeremiah doesn’t like these talks because deep down inside he wants to act the way he wants to act and not be held more accountable as he gets older and more mature.  Do you know that many in the church are just like Jeremiah?  They have been in a relationship with Jesus for a while, but they don’t want to mature and grow up, they want to keep acting like they did when they got saved.  In our verses today, the author asks the question of the recipients why they are still acting like babies in Chr

Desiring to mature in Christ in Hebrews 5:11-14

Hebrews 5:5-6, Jesus was chosen of God to be our High Priest 
 
Throughout my athletic experience I always consider it an honor to be chosen for an all-star team or to receive recognition for my efforts. Although I was a good athlete, I never took for granted that I was going to make all-county, all-state, or even the local buddy league all-star team. There was always something special about being recognized by others for the efforts that I had put forth. I always understood that no matter what I accomplished that there was plenty of people better than me and probably more deserving, I was just honored to even be mentioned. When God was selecting who would be the High Priest of all humanity, He didn’t need to have committees look everyone accomplishments or have scouts go out and look for the best around. There was no comparison, there was no competition, and there was only one perfect choice, Jesus Christ. God chose the Jesus and Jesus humbly accept the commission. 
 
The scripture says, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” To understand this, we must understand that God is a triune being, three separate entities functioning as one cohesive God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all equally God and all function in perfect unity. When it was time for God to send the ultimate and only High Priest we would ever need, at that moment one of the three had to be lowered to an earthly form to act this out. God the Son was then ordained to be our High Priest and to forever fulfill this role on our behalf. His eternal priesthood was established forever, and there was no other choice that could have been better. No man could ever live up to the requirements so God Himself came down from Heaven to fulfilled them on our behalf. He took on the flesh of humanity so he could restore us to a loving God and forever act on our behalf in His presence.

Hebrews 5:5-6, Jesus was chosen of God to be our High Priest

Throughout my athletic experience I always consider it an honor to be chosen for an all-star team or to receive recognition for my efforts.  Although I was a good athlete, I never took for granted that I was going to make all-county, all-state, or even the local buddy league all-star team.  There was always something special about being recognized by others for the efforts that I had put forth.  I always understood that no matter what I accomplished that there was plenty of people better than me and probably more deserving, I was just honored to even be mentioned.  When God was selecting who would be the High Priest of all humanity, He didn’t need to have committees look everyone accomplishments or have scouts go out and look for the best around.  There was no comparison, there was no competition, and there was only one perfect choice, Jesus Christ.  God chose the Jesus and Jesus humbly accept the commission.

The scripture 

Hebrews 5:5-6, Jesus was chosen of God to be our High Priest #hebrews #Jesusisbetter

Hebrews 4:8-11, They had to wait for it 
 
Waiting for something we are looking forward to can be torcher for some. Jeremiah has been talking about going on vacation for a couple months now and at the time of writing this we are still a couple months away from family vacation time. He is excited to stay in a house other than his own and he just wants to go to the beach (which if you know me, you would know this is the last place I would chose to go for vacation). We must keep reminding him that he must be patient and wait for the right time to come when we can go on vacation, of course he doesn’t understand why we just can’t go now. The author of Hebrews reminds us all that we are truly blessed to not have to wait to enter God’s rest, Jesus made it immediately available to us now. The eternal rest that God promises is something to look forward to, but He also promises us rest in this life as well as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit provides peace beyond understanding. (Philippians 4:7) 
 
The Jewish people of the Old Testament was a lot like Jeremiah wanting to go on vacation they were constantly looking forward for the peace and rest that the messiah would bring when he arrived. Those old testament saints lived their lives in expectation and anticipation of what we currently have, a personally relationship with the Son of God. We now live on the other side of the torn veil and we have direct access to the thrown of God through His Son Jesus. We also have the Holy Spirit of God taking up residency in our hearts so we don’t have to look forward to what they longed for, we can live in it now. We simply must choose to enter the rest of God and the author says that we should do so because we don’t want to follow the example of those in the old testament who chose instead to live in disobedience. God’s desire is that we all find His rest (2 Peter 3:9) but also gives us free will to choose whether we will do so or not. We hope you choose Jesus, TODAY.

Hebrews 4:8-11, They had to wait for it

Waiting for something we are looking forward to can be torcher for some.  Jeremiah has been talking about going on vacation for a couple months now and at the time of writing this we are still a couple months away from family vacation time.  He is excited to stay in a house other than his own and he just wants to go to the beach (which if you know me, you would know this is the last place I would chose to go for vacation).  We must keep reminding him that he must be patient and wait for the right time to come when we can go on vacation, of course he doesn’t understand why we just can’t go now.  The author of Hebrews reminds us all that we are truly blessed to not have to wait to enter God’s rest, Jesus made it immediately available to us now.  The eternal rest that God promises is something to look forward to, but He also promises us rest in this life as well as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit provides peace beyond understanding. (Philippians 

Hebrews 4:8-11, They had to wait for it #Hebrews #Jesusisbetter

Hebrews 4:6-7, Today we have rest 
 
Google defines procrastination as the action of delaying or postponing something, but I say we could expand this definition by saying it is the chosen way of handling everything by the current generation. Aaron Burr once said, “Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow.” His viewpoint was that delay would give you more time to analyze the job a clearer insight in how to do it properly but today’s generation just wants to put things off so they don’t have to do them now. It is ok to delay doing things of low importance but there is something in life that demand immediate attention and can not be delayed. The author of Hebrews gives us one such example in verses six and seven when he said that God has set a certain day to enter His rest, that day is “TODAY.” He then quotes David from Psalm 95:7-8 and says “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” 
 
2 Corinthians 6:2 says that today is the day of salvation, also implying that TODAY is the day to turn things over to God and that it is not to be delayed. Why would you delay something so important as eternal salvation? Why would you take a chance on missing out on something that so valuable and highly treasured? So many people want to fight or delay the calling of God the voice of God in their life but as the scripture says, do not harden your hearts and obey God’s voice. When the Holy Spirit deals with the heart of an individual, God is sending a personal invitation for you to enter His rest and into His family. Procrastinating when it comes to the calling of God upon your heart is not wise because none of us know when we will leave this earth, we may not have another hour, day, or year to make things right before we leave this earth. So “Today” is the right time for you to search your heart and see if it truly belongs to God, do not hesitate, delay, or procrastinate.

Hebrews 4:6-7, Today we have rest

Google defines procrastination as the action of delaying or postponing something, but I say we could expand this definition by saying it is the chosen way of handling everything by the current generation.  Aaron Burr once said, “Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow.”  His viewpoint was that delay would give you more time to analyze the job a clearer insight in how to do it properly but today’s generation just wants to put things off so they don’t have to do them now.  It is ok to delay doing things of low importance but there is something in life that demand immediate attention and can not be delayed.  The author of Hebrews gives us one such example in verses six and seven when he said that God has set a certain day to enter His rest, that day is “TODAY.”  He then quotes David from Psalm 95:7-8 and says “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

2 Corinthians 6:2 says that today is the day of salvation, also implying that

Hebrews 4:6-7, Today we have rest #Hebrews #jesusisbetter

Hebrews 3:16-19 (1), Those who rebelled 
 
We have seen a dramatic swing in our society over the past decade or so and suddenly it okay and acceptable to rebel and disrespect authority. When I was a child 1980’s / 1990’s you better not talk back to someone in authority or the wrath of your parents would fall upon you. Today you see that police offices stand and watch as rioters and rebels destroy entire city blocks and they simply just allow them to act out their rebellion. An authority that willingly allows itself to be undermined is not much of an authority at all. In our verses today the author lets us know that it may be okay to rebel against your local authorities in modern times, but it is never okay to rebel against the heavenly authority, God. They say that those who heard the Word of God in Moses’s time and rebelled found themselves in a place of no rest and their bodies perished in the wilderness. 
 
Our world views lack of action on behalf of the authority as a victory for their cause but lack of action from heaven when we rebel is simply an act of mercy. Judgement for our rebellion will come but in God’s mercy He allows us opportunity to correct our course and obey His authority. Those who stay in rebellion will never find rest in this life and sadly not in the eternal life to come either. Those who rebelled in the days of Moses refused to listen to the word of God and instead chose to believe the lies of this world so much so that when God told them to enter in to their reward they said they would rather go back to bondage than trust in the Lord to simply do what He said He would do. The disobedient and rebellious heart will never find rest and the goal of us all should be to rest eternally in the arms of our loving Savior Jesus Christ but to do this we have to hear and obey His word.

Hebrews 3:16-19 (1), Those who rebelled

We have seen a dramatic swing in our society over the past decade or so and suddenly it okay and acceptable to rebel and disrespect authority.  When I was a child 1980’s / 1990’s you better not talk back to someone in authority or the wrath of your parents would fall upon you.  Today you see that police offices stand and watch as rioters and rebels destroy entire city blocks and they simply just allow them to act out their rebellion. An authority that willingly allows itself to be undermined is not much of an authority at all.  In our verses today the author lets us know that it may be okay to rebel against your local authorities in modern times, but it is never okay to rebel against the heavenly authority, God.  They say that those who heard the Word of God in Moses’s time and rebelled found themselves in a place of no rest and their bodies perished in the wilderness. 

Our world views lack of action on behalf of the authority as a victory for 

Hebrews 3:16-19, Those who rebelled #Jesusisbetter #Hebrews

Hebrews 3:1-3, Fix your thoughts on Jesus 
Jeremiah has ventured into the world of T-ball and it has been difficult to say the least to keep him focused on the game and practice. His little mind wanders and you will see him leave his position to chase some birds in the outfield or a team mate will hit the ball and Jeremiah doesn’t run because he is playing in the dirt on second base instead of paying attention. We try to explain to him that the key to baseball (T-ball) is to always focus your attention on the ball. If you are batting keep your eye on the ball, if you are running the bases keep your eye on the ball, if you are playing defense keep your eye on the ball. If you focus your attention on the ball, then you will never be lost or at a loss for what to do. The author of Hebrews tells us that living Christian life is a lot like baseball if we keep our focus on the right thing then we will have no problem in the game of life but if we don’t it is easy to get loss and loose track of what is going on around us. Instead of focusing upon the ball the scripture says that we should fix our thoughts upon Jesus who is our apostle and high priest. 
The Greek word used here is “katanoestate” and it means that we should carefully consider, set our focus upon, or fully observe. It is almost like we should spend our lives examining Jesus Christ as if he is under a microscope. We are trying to find out every little detail that we can about Him, and we continue to hunger and thirst to know more, we are never satisfied. Our focus and attention are on Jesus and Jesus alone. When we stray from this then this is when we get off track and start chasing birds in the outfield. The world is full of distractions that are designed to take your eyes off the important things and Jesus Christ. We must discipline ourselves that no matter how bad we want to run off and chase them that we are going to keep our eyes on the ball (Jesus Christ). When we are sick, we focus on Jesus, when we are well, we focus on Jesus, when the chips are down, we focus on Jesus, and when our blessings are overflowing, we focus on Jesus. We fix our thoughts on the things above and refuse to be distracted by this world.

Hebrews 3:1-3, Fix your thoughts on Jesus
Jeremiah has ventured into the world of T-ball and it has been difficult to say the least to keep him focused on the game and practice.  His little mind wanders and you will see him leave his position to chase some birds in the outfield or a team mate will hit the ball and Jeremiah doesn’t run because he is playing in the dirt on second base instead of paying attention.  We try to explain to him that the key to baseball (T-ball) is to always focus your attention on the ball.  If you are batting keep your eye on the ball, if you are running the bases keep your eye on the ball, if you are playing defense keep your eye on the ball.  If you focus your attention on the ball, then you will never be lost or at a loss for what to do.  The author of Hebrews tells us that living  Christian life is a lot like baseball if we keep our focus on the right thing then we will have no problem in the game of life but if we don’t it is easy to get loss and loose t

Hebrews 3:1-3, Fix your thoughts on Jesus

2 Timothy 3:10-11, God has never let me down 
 
As we have studied the writings of the Apostle Paul for almost two years now it is amazing the things that he had to endure for the sake of his relationship with Jesus. Shipwrecked, beaten, stoned, bitten by poisonous snakes, homeless, hungry, hated and reviled by his own people just to name a few things. All these things are horrible in themselves but all of them happening to the same guy is what we could call a rough life. Through all of this it is amazing that he never once felt let down or abandoned by God. 2 Timothy is the last letter that Paul would write and here in chapter three he says these things happening wasn’t God letting him down, instead it was God rescuing him. Verse 11 says that through all the persecutions and sufferings, God always rescued him. He was never forsaken or alone, simply trusting in God to come through in time, on time, every time. 
 
If we could all only get a hold of the kind of faith that Paul had, he never let his circumstances sway his faith in God. Many times, we question where God is when bad things happen in our lives and why God would abandon us in those moments or remove His hedge of protection. I am reminded of the famous artwork “Footprints in the sand.” It is an instance of an individual speaking with God and look back on their life experiences? As they looked back, they noticed that during the tough times in their life there was only one set of footprints in the sand, so they asked God, “why did you leave me then?” God simply looked at them and said I didn’t leave you during those times, those are the times I was carrying you. A beautiful illustration of how God rescues us from our turmoil; something that Paul knew and understood and something we should as well.

2 Timothy 3:10-11, God has never let me down

As we have studied the writings of the Apostle Paul for almost two years now it is amazing the things that he had to endure for the sake of his relationship with Jesus.  Shipwrecked, beaten, stoned, bitten by poisonous snakes, homeless, hungry, hated and reviled by his own people just to name a few things.  All these things are horrible in themselves but all of them happening to the same guy is what we could call a rough life.  Through all of this it is amazing that he never once felt let down or abandoned by God.  2 Timothy is the last letter that Paul would write and here in chapter three he says these things happening wasn’t God letting him down, instead it was God rescuing him.  Verse 11 says that through all the persecutions and sufferings, God always rescued him.  He was never forsaken or alone, simply trusting in God to come through in time, on time, every time.

If we could all only get a hold of the kind of faith that Paul had, he 

2 Timothy 3:10-11

1 Timothy 6:14-16, The Glorious appearing 
 
I can remember 20 years ago standing at an altar waiting for something to appear. It was our wedding day and as I stood at the front of the church nervously waiting to get the wedding over with and begin our new adventure, I couldn’t help but to keep staring to the rear of the church. My attention was to this location because I knew that this is where the bride would soon appear. She would make her entrance from the rear of the church and be escorted to the altar where we would unite for eternity. I didn’t know exactly when she would appear, but I remember thinking that it couldn’t have soon enough as the day I had dreamed for was here. Paul tells up Timothy in verse 14-16 that he must hold the course and stay in line spiritually until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. As Christians we must be steadfast and persevere until our Lord and Savior returns. 
 
Paul make clear that Jesus is the only Ruler, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who is alone immortal. Jesus lives in unapproachable light and deserves all honor and glory. Now that is an appearance to get excited about. In Matthew 25 Jesus tells the parable of the ten virgins. In this parable there are five wise virgins prepared and awaiting the appearing of the bride groom and five foolish virgins who are unprepared and not ready for the appearing. The five wise virgins are welcomed into the marriage ceremony while the 5 foolish where locked out of it. The moral of the story is that you must be prepared whenever the groom appears for His bride and this is what Paul was telling Timothy. When Christ appears, you want to be found walking in line with His will for your life. You don’t want to be numbered among the foolish who miss out on His eternal kingdom because you were unprepared. 
 
1 Timothy 6:17-19, Lay up your treasures in heaven 
 
Have you ever made and investment in something, but you must wait to enjoy it? Take retirement for instance most people spend their entire lives investing in their retirement so that when it comes that they be able to enjoy their golden years in peace. Perhaps you invest in your vacation every year, you put back money so that when the time hits you can just relax and enjoy a week away from the norm. As humans we tend to invest in things that are important to us, in verse 17-19 Paul tells Timothy that we should first and foremost be investing in our eternal destination. He tells him to instruct individual to not invest in their personal possession and finances but instead to invest in the coming age, eternity. 
 
In Luke chapter 12 Jesus tells the parable of a rich man who had decided he was going to spend all his time accumulating wealth so they could retire and enjoy it. He built big barns worked hard for a while and filled them with a huge amount of grain, so much that he would never have to work gain. The very day that he had deemed he had enough life threw a wrench in his plans. He died that night and didn’t get to enjoy anything that he labored so hard for and to make it worse now he had to stand before God and answer for his life. It is good to take stewardship over your finances and future, but we as believe must remember that our reward is not in this life. If God blesses us with much, then we should use it to bless others and expand His Kingdom. We must make sure that we are building for eternity and not some temporary satisfaction that may never come.

1 Timothy 6:14-16, The Glorious appearing

I can remember 20 years ago standing at an altar waiting for something to appear.  It was our wedding day and as I stood at the front of the church nervously waiting to get the wedding over with and begin our new adventure, I couldn’t help but to keep staring to the rear of the church.  My attention was to this location because I knew that this is where the bride would soon appear.  She would make her entrance from the rear of the church and be escorted to the altar where we would unite for eternity.  I didn’t know exactly when she would appear, but I remember thinking that it couldn’t have soon enough as the day I had dreamed for was here.  Paul tells up Timothy in verse 14-16 that he must hold the course and stay in line spiritually until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.  As Christians we must be steadfast and persevere until our Lord and Savior returns.

Paul make clear that Jesus is the only Ruler, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, w

1 Timothy 6:14-19

1 Timothy 6:2-5, There is no room for compromise when it comes to the gospel 
 
Having grown up loving sports of all form and fashion, I have picked up on a few things over the years about rules and etiquette. In each sport there are certain things that are not necessarily against the rules, but players know that they are off limits. They are called, “unwritten rules.” Players use common courtesy towards in each other and never compromise these “unwritten rules” to gain an unfair advantage over their competitors. The only things governing these “unwritten rules” is the moral compass of everyone on the field and their unwillingness to compromise on the standards. In verses 2-5 Paul tells Timothy that there is an “unwritten” rule to ministry, never compromise on the gospel message. Insist that the truth is taught and stay away from unhealthy quarrels and controversies that steam from ignorance of the truth. 
 
We live in America where free speech a part of the rights given to every citizen, meaning you can say what you want to say. Free speech has its place in our society, but it doesn’t have its place in the body of Christ. We can only preach and teach the truth that has been revealed to us by God’s Holy Word the Bible. We can’t add to or take away from the truth that God has given us. When I say we can’t, what I really mean is we shouldn’t. Sadly, the church in America has swayed from Biblical truths to manmade doctrines that express and coincide with a modern society. Ministers are more concerned with keeping congregants happy than they are on insisting that the truth is taught at all cost. Even if it hurts some feelings and steps on some toes. The beautiful thing about the true Gospel is that it is intended to offend us all, its purpose is to show us that we are all failures in need of a Savior. We can’t do it on our own and our only hope is Jesus Christ. We need to take the advice of Paul to Timothy and insist that only the true Gospel of Jesus Christ is taught from the pulpits across this nation.

1 Timothy 6:2-5, There is no room for compromise when it comes to the gospel

Having grown up loving sports of all form and fashion, I have picked up on a few things over the years about rules and etiquette.   In each sport there are certain things that are not necessarily against the rules, but players know that they are off limits.  They are called, “unwritten rules.”  Players use common courtesy towards in each other and never compromise these “unwritten rules” to gain an unfair advantage over their competitors.  The only things governing these “unwritten rules” is the moral compass of everyone on the field and their unwillingness to compromise on the standards.  In verses 2-5 Paul tells Timothy that there is an “unwritten” rule to ministry, never compromise on the gospel message.  Insist that the truth is taught and stay away from unhealthy quarrels and controversies that steam from ignorance of the truth.

We live in America where free speech a part of the rights given to every ci

1 Timothy 6:2-5

1 Timothy 5:23, A little wine for the stomach’s sake 
 
An age-old debate in the body of Christ, should Christians consume alcohol. Paul tells Timothy in verse 23 that he should use some wine for medicinal purposes to deal with frequent stomach issues that he struggles with. We must make clear, as Paul did in his other letters, that consuming alcohol is not necessarily the problem consuming alcohol until one is drunk is the issue. In Ephesians 5:18 Paul commands the church of Ephesus to not be drunk with wine because it leads to debauchery, and instead they should be filled with the spirit of God. Intoxication is something that should be avoided at all cost for believers because you surrender control over to the flesh and eliminate God’s control over your life. 
 
 Personally, our family believes it is best for all believers to abstain from alcohol consumption because everyone’s tolerance level is different. The only way to know when your personal limit of crossing over from sober to intoxicated is to cross the line because no two people have the same threshold. We believe risk is not worth the reward/value that is obtained from partaking in it but also realize that scripture doesn’t exclude consumption of alcohol from the life of a believer it only excludes being intoxicated. (expect in instances where certain officials in the church are commanded to abstain completely from strong drink, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, he is tells Timothy here in chapter 5 it is ok for him since he has stomach issues, 
Titus 1:5-9) 
 
1 Timothy 5:23-25, In the open and in hidden corners 
 
Have you ever tried to hide something, and it just seems impossible to hide? Jeremiah and Judah seem to always be able to stumble upon stuff that we have hidden for them (Christmas/B-day gifts). They are 3 and 5-year-olds that are experts in finding things that they are aren’t really looking for, they just stumble across them and say, “Mommy who is this for.” Somethings just can’t be hidden. Paul tells Timothy in verse 24 and 25 of chapter 5 that our sins and good deeds are this way. Some people’s sins are out in the open for the world to see while other sins are seemingly hidden from other’s eyes. The same is true of good deeds, some receive great accolades for the charitable works, donations, and public service while some do just as much, but it goes totally unrecognized. Paul said that the things that seem to be done in obscurity can not be hidden forever and will eventually be revealed. 
 
We must realize that the scripture says in Galatians 6:7, we will a reap exactly what we have sown in this earth. The individual that leaves openly in their sins will reap the same reward of the individual who is good at hiding their sinful behavior. There are no secrets from the Creator, God is all-knowing, and nothing can be hiding from Him. We can fool those around us 100% of the time but God sees more than just our actions, He sees the motive of our heart. He knows if we are acting in rebellion, pride, selfishness, or out of greed. He doesn’t just hear the eloquent words that come from our lips justifying our actions, He hears the cry of our conscience saying, “I told them not to do it.” Privacy is an illusion used by Satan to convince you that no one really knows what is going on, you have everyone fooled. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows (Galatians 6:7)

1 Timothy 5:23, A little wine for the stomach’s sake

An age-old debate in the body of Christ, should Christians consume alcohol.  Paul tells Timothy in verse 23 that he should use some wine for medicinal purposes to deal with frequent stomach issues that he struggles with.  We must make clear, as Paul did in his other letters, that consuming alcohol is not necessarily the problem consuming alcohol until one is drunk is the issue.  In Ephesians 5:18 Paul commands the church of Ephesus to not be drunk with wine because it leads to debauchery, and instead they should be filled with the spirit of God.  Intoxication is something that should be avoided at all cost for believers because you surrender control over to the flesh and eliminate God’s control over your life.

  Personally, our family believes it is best for all believers to abstain from alcohol consumption because everyone’s tolerance level is different.  The only way to know when your personal limit of crossing over from sober to

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