If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to your.-Jesus, to the Apostles

So often we ask, if God wants me to be happy why does he allow suffering.   Or how could he allow such tragic events to happen.  I think this is a hugh stumbling block for those who do not know Jesus and spend time in His word understanding Him.  We can be happy in turmoil.  We are not happy through circumstances and things. 

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DXwu272eeyOY&h=4cbbb

We have weekly bible messages and different series at our church on Sunday nights.  I love things that are practical and that I can apply to my daily walk with the Lord.  I really enjoyed this last one.  How do you know what your doing, thinking, saying and planning something that the Lord would approve of.  Also, what if someone says that the Lord told me to tell you this, or I had a dream and this was the message, what if someone tells you they can speak in tongues or can do faith healing.  Things can be very confusing and in the end times there will be many, many false prophets.  What do we do.  Just thinking about it makes my head spin.  So, our pastor gave us five questions to ask as we run it through the scriptures.  There are many other verses as you go through the bible that also apply besides the one listed here.  Enjoy the journey. 

1.  DOES THE EXPERIENCE LIFT UP CHRIST ALONE AS THE WAY OF SALVATION ? 

John 14:6  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  (There are lots of false doctrine out there and lots of people who would like you to believe that there are lots of ways to get to heaven)

Galatians 1:6-8  I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel–not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.  But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed!

I John 4:1-3 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world.  By this you know the Spirit of God:  every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.

2.  DOES THE EXPERIENCE LIFT UP SCRIPTURE AS THE TRUE WAY TO LEARN ABOUT THE SAVIOR ?

Hebrews 1:1-2  Long ago (Old Testament) God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days (New Testament) he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds.

2 Timothy 3:13-16  But wicked people and imposters will go from bad to worse, decieving others and being decieved.  But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, now from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, …

3.  DOES THE RECIPIENT CLAIM AUTHORITY BASED ON THEIR SUPERNATURAL EXPERIENCE ?  In other words, are they promoting Christ or self.

Colossians 2:18-19  Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.  Footnote:  The false teachers were proud of their humility!  This false humility brought attention and praise to themselves rather than to God.  True humility means seeing ourselves as we really are from God’s perspective, and acting accordingly.  People today practice false humility when they talk themselves down so that others will they they are spiritual.  False humility is self-centered; true humility is God-centered.  As you grow in your Christian faith, let God’s Word be your guide, not the opinions of other people.  (life application bible-NRSV)

Jude 8-18  (I will let you read that one as it is quite long. It is the book right before Revelation.)

4.  DOES THE EXPERIENCE CALL PEOPLE TO A FAITH THAT IS CONSISTANT WITH HISTORICAL BIBLICAL FAITH?

Deuteronomy 13:1-5  If prophets or those who divine by dreams appear among you and promise you omens or portents, and the omens or the protents declared by them take place, and they say, “Let us follow other gods” (whom you have not known) “and let us serve them, ” you must not heed the words of those prophets or those who divine dy dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you indeed love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.  The Lord your God you shall follow, him alone you shall fear, his commandments you shall keep, his voice you shall obey, him you shall serve, and to him you shall hold fast.  But those prophets or those who divine by dreams shall be put to death for having spoken treason against the Lord your God– who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery –to turn you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk.  So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

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I am the salt of the earth (Matt.5:13)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

I am the light of the world  (Matt 5:14)

I am a child of God  (John 1:12)

I am part of the vine.  A channel of Christ’s life  (John 15:16)

I am Christ’s friend  (John 15:15)

I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit  (John 15:16)

I am a slave of righteousness  (Romans 6:18)

I am enslaved to God  (Romans 6:22)

I am a son of God: God is spiritually my father  (Romans 8:14, 15 ;  Galatians 3:26; 4:6)

I am a joint heir with Christ.  Sharing His inheritance with Him  (Romans 8:17)

I am a temple-a dwelling place of God.  His spirit and His life dwells in me  (I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19)

I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him  (I Corinthians 6:17)

I am a member of Christ’s body  (I Corinthians 12:27; Eph 5:30)

I am a new creation  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation  (2 Corinthians 5:18,19)

I am a son of God and one in Christ (Galatians 3:26,28)

I am an Heir of God since I am a son of God  (Galatians 4:6,7)

I am a saint (Eph 1:1; I Cor 1:2; Phil 1:1; Col1:2)

I am God’s workmanship-His handiwork-born anew in Christ to do His work  (Eph 2:10)

I am a fellow citizen with the rest of God’s family (Eph 2:19)

I am a prisoner of Christ (Eph 3:1; 4:1)

I am righteous and holy (Eph 4:24)

I am a citizen of Heaven  (Phil 3:20; Eph 2:6)

I am hidden with Christ in God  (Col 3:3)

I am an expression of the Life of Christ because He is my life (Col 3:4)

I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved  (Col 3:12; I Thess 1:4)

I am a son of light and not of darkness  (I Thess 5:5)

I am a holy partaker of a heavenly calling  (Heb 3:1)

I am a partaker of Christ:  I share in His life  (Heb 3:14)

I am one of God’s living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house  (I Pet 2:5)

I am a member of a chosen race. A royal priesthood.  A holy nation. A people for God’s own possession  (I Pet 2:9.10)

I am an alien and stranger to this world in which I temporarily life  (I Pet 2:11)

I am an enemy of the devil  (I Peter 5:8)

I am a child of God, and I will resemble Christ when He returns (I John 3:1.2)

I am born of God, and the Evil one–The Devil– cannot touch me  (I John 5:18)

I am not the Great “I Am”:  (Exod 3:14; John 8:24,28,58)     BUT–BY THE GRACE OF GOD, I AM WHAT I AM !!!  ( I Cor 15:10)

Well, this will wrap up chapter one of this book.  Some of you have probably read these suggestions in other books, I know I have, but sometimes it is nice to get a reminder.  Some people word things differently and a lightbulb just goes off for us.  So, here we go.   Here are the three practical steps for thirsting.

1.  Meditate on Scripture:  Now I have heard this many times.  “Note that we are to ‘meditate,’ not merely read.  Without the addition of meditation, warned the great man of prayer and faith George Muller, ‘the simple reading of the Word of God’ can become information that ‘only passes through our minds, just as water passes through a pipe.”  I needed this reminder as I would read the bible but then sometimes I would have to or choose to jump right into my day.  And also as I get older I need to meditate longer in order to remember things  LOL.  I like this next sentence.  ” if we don’t absorb some of it we will be affected by none of it.  And surely, if we should absorb anything that courses through our thinking, it should be inspired words from Heaven.  Without absorption of the water of God’s Word, there’s no quenching our spiritual thirst.  Meditation is the means of absorption.  Here comes some good practical and even fun, creative ways to absorb.  “Spend 25-50 persent of your Bible intake time meditation on some verse, phrase, or word from our reading.  ask questions of it.  Pray about it. Take your pen and scribble and doodle on a pad about it.  Look for at least one way you could apply it or live it.  Linger over  it.  Soak your sould slowly in the water of the Word, and you’ll find it not only refreshes you, but prompts a satisfying thirst for more.”

2.  Pray through Scripture:  “After you read through a section of Scripture, pray through part of that same passage. …”  It goes on to say that after your reading to go on to the book of Psalms.  This book was the God-inspried hymnbook of Isreal.  In the New Testament it is written twice (Eph 5:19 and Col 3:16) that we should sing psalms.

3.  Read thirst-making writers:  “After the God-breathed words ofthe Bible, read the time-tested works of those Christian writers who wrote with the thirst-making pen.”  Some listed here are: The Valley of Vision, Pilgrim’s Progress, books by John Owen, Richard Sibbes, Thomas Brooks, John Flavel, A.W. Tozer, John Piper’s Charles Spurgeon and there are so many others.

I really enjoyed the first chapter of this book and will be working on doing better with my devotions.  I hope this helped or even reinspired you or maybe it spoke to you in just the right way.  Whatever it is, spending time with God should be most important and hopefully not rushed as we journey along in this hectic world.  And trust me, I am right in there with you in the worldly battles of time, schedules, others interuptions and on and on.  But we must keep perservering.  Have a Great day in the Lord.

Tidbits from “Show Me The Way”  (readings for each day of Lent)  By Henri J.M. Nouwen

The tradition I handed on to you in the first place, a tradition which I had myself received, was that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried; and that on the third day, He was raised to life, in accordance with the scriptures; and that He appeared to Cephas; and later to the Twelve; and next He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time…This is what we preach and what you believed.  1 Cor 15:3-6, 11

“What a faith! What a hope! What a love!  The body is not a prison to escape from but a temple in which God already dwells, and in which God’s glory will be fully manifested on the day of the resurrection.”

“Easter season is a time of hope. …We can be joyful or sad, optimistic or pessimistic, tranquil or angry, but the solid stream of God’s presence moves deeper than the small waves of our minds and hearts.  Easter brings the awareness that God is present even when his presence is not directly noticed.  Easter brings the good news that, although things seem to get worse in the world, the Evil One has already been over come.  Easter allows us to affirm that although God seems very distant and although we remain preoccupied with many little things, our Lord walks with us on the road and keeps explaining the Scriptures to us.  Thus there are many rays of hope casting their light on our way through life.”  Thought:  I read this over and over. I recieved such comfort from this.  I hope it was encouraging to you too.

Prayer:

Almighty, everlasting God, on this day you conquered death through your son and opened for us the path to eternal life.  And so we celebrate in joy and feast of his resurrection.  Make us new through your Spirit, so that we too may rise and walk in the light of life.  We ask this through Jesus Christ.

Flesh give birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit.  John 3:6  NIV

Continue to work out…your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling…for it is God who is all the while at work in you–energizing and creating in you the power and desire–both to will and to work for his good pleasure…  Phillippians 2:12-13

Be careful that you do not adopt the world’s manner when it comes to being “wise.”  The world tells us we must be careful to see to our own interests first, to plan all that we say and do cautiously, so that in loving and giving to others we do not give up anything that is “rightfully” ours.  May God forbid that we call this “wise,” when it is nothing buy worldly and selfish calculation!

As God’s sons and daughter, we should be without the kind of guile that gives to others only when it will mean a good return in some way for us.  We should seek, before God, to be his humble servants, pure in our heart’s desire to give and do, just as He directs us…

God’s Spirit will come to rest upon you, and upon anyone who will live this way, enduring to the last the constant temptation to live for yourself alone (Isaiah 11:2)  The Father has promised that if we obey His command to love others, He and His Son, our Lord Jesus, will come and make their home with us and dwell with us forever (John 14:21-23).  Moreover, we will be seen and known as children of the heavenly Father because it will be obvious to all that we are busily, faithfully doing His work and not seeking our own ends (Matthew 5:34).

When we live this way, it may be said that we are truly wedded to Him–in spirit, we become the brothers, the sisters, and the mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 12:48-50).

A man or woman begins to live in the Spirit by determining to become “the bride” of our Lord.  In faith, we wed our souls to the Spirit of Christ and begin to enjoy doing His will.  We become His “brothers and sisters” as we do the will of His Father who is in heaven.  and we are “mothers” to Him when we allow Him to sit enthroned deep within our hearts by loving Him dearly and purely, keeping in good conscience by surrendering to His lordship over all that is our.

As we knit ourselves with Him in this way, joined to Him in our hearts, a new spirit is born in us.  Thus, our spiritual progress is similar to the way life grows within a physical womb.  Eventually, we will no longer be living, like men and women of the world.  Instead, we will be so filled with the Spirit of Christ that we birth Him again into this world by doing the loving acts He himself would do if He were present in the body (John 14:12).

My Father, how can I thank you enough for humbling yourself so greatly, as to live with me?  Today, this is my heart’s desire: that something more of you may be born into this world through me.  Amen

I am going to just give you some tidpits from the book “The Case for Christ.”

The high school youth group did a bible study out of this entire book which was wonderful.  I would recommend that if any of you have questions and have not yet place your faith in Christ to pick up this paperback and look at the very well researched information.  The Author is Lee Strobel.  He is an investigavtive journalist with a legal background.

Lee is interviewing Craig Bloomber, Ph.D for the answers to these questions.  He is considered to be the country’s foremost authority on the biographies of Christ, which are called the gospels.

1. Can we believe that the four gospels were written by the men whose names are attached to them?  Ans:Yes.  “It’s important to acknowledge that strickly speaking, the gospels are anonymous.  But the uniform testimony of the early church was that Matthew, also know as Levi, the tax collector and one of the twelve disciples, was the author of the first gospel in the New Testament; that John Mark, a companion of Peter, was the author of the gospel we call Mark; and that Luke, know as Paul’s ‘beloved physician,’ wrote both the gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.”…”There are no know competitors for these three gosples,”

2. Would anyone have a motivation to lie by claiming these people wrote these gospels, when the didn’t really?  Ans.  “Probably not.  Remember, these were unlikely characters,”  “Mark and Luke weren’t even among the twelve disciples.  Matthew was, but as a former hated tax collector, he would have been the most infamous character next to Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus!”   “Contrast this with what happened when the fanciful apocryphal gospels were written much later.  People chose the names of well-known and exemplary figures to be their fictitious authors–Philip, Peter, Mary, James.  Those names carried a lot more weight than the names of Matthew, Mark, and Luck.  So to answer your question, there would not have been any reason to attribute authorship to these three less respected people if it weren’t true.”

3. What about John?  Ans.  “Yes, he’s the one exception,”  “And interestingly, John is the only gospel about which there is some question about authorship.  The name of the author isn’t in doubt–it’s certainly John.  The question is whether it was John the apostle or a different John.  You see, the testimony of a Christian writer named Papias, dated about A.D. 125, refers to John the apostle and John the elder, and it’s not clear from the context whether he’s talking about one person from two perspectives or two different people.  But granted that exception, the resst of the early testimony is unanimous that is was John the apostle–the son of Zebedee–who wrote the gospel.”  They go on discussing this a bit more and settled on the fact that they were both confident the gosples were written by who they say wrote them.

Lee now has trouble with the literary genre of the gospels.  He goes on to express, “When I go to the bookstore and look in the biography section, I don’t see the same kind of writing that I see in the gospels.  When somebody writes a biography these days, they thoroughly delve into the person’s life.  But look at Mark–he doesn’t talk about the birth of Jesus or really anything through Jesus’ early adult years.  Instead he focuses on the three-year period and spends half his gospel on the events leading up to and culminating in Jesus’ last week.  How do you explain that?”  Ans.  “The literary reason is that basically, this is how people wrote biographies in the ancient world.  They did not have the sense, as we do today, that it was important to give equal proportion to all periods of an individuals’s life or that it was necessary to tell the story in strictly chronological order or even to quote people verbatim, as long as the essence of what they said was preserved.  ancient Greek and Hebrew didn’t even have a symbol for quotation marks.  The only purpose for which they thought history was worth recording was because there were some lessons to be learned from the characters described.  Therefore the biographer wanted to dwell at length on those portions of the person’s life that were exemplary, that were illustrative, that could help other people, that give meaning to a period of history.”  Theologically–”Christians believe that as wonderful as Jesus’ life and teachings and miracles were, they were meaningless if it were not historically factual that Christ died and was raised from the dead and that this provided atonement, or forgiveness, of the sins of humanity.  So Mark in particular, as the writer of probably the earliest gospel, devotes roughly half his narrative to the events leading up to and including one week’s period of time and culminating in Christ’s death and resurrection.  Given the significance of the Crucifixion, this makes perfect sense in ancient literature.”

They go on chatting.  Lee was feeling satisfied with Blomberg’s initial answers concerning the first three gospels–called the synoptics, which means “to view at the same time,” because of their similar outline and interrelationship.  Next he turned to the book of John.  He then asked Blomberg to clarify the differences between John and the other three gospels.  Ans.  Blomberg told him that this was a HUGH question and that someday he had hoped to write a book about it.  Then he went on to explain. “Well, it’s true that John is more different than similar to the synoptics.  Only a handful of the major stories that appear in the other three gospels reappear in John, although that changes noticeably when one comes to Jesus’ last week.  From that point forward the parallels are much closer.  There also seems to be a very different linuistic style.  In John,  Jesus uses different terminology–that is, more direct and more blatant clams that Jesus is one with the Father; God himself; the Way, the Truth, and the Life; the Resurrection and the Life.  For many years the assumption was that John knew everything Matthew, Mark, and Luke wrote, and he saw no need to repeat it, so he consciously chose to supplement them.  More recently it has been assumed that John is largely independent of the other three gospels, which could account for not only the different choices of material but also the different perspectives on Jesus.”

As you can see by just this little bit of information, a lot of research is discussed in this book with several experts in the field.  I hope you learned a bit, maybe was intriged to learn some more.  But, what struck me was how much he had to know everything.  He had to have proof of everything.  Through it all, I believe that it is not knowing all the facts and getting all the proof.  It is God opening your eyes to the truth and changing your heart.  I knew very little facts that were written about in this little book but I believe what was written in the bible because God has opened my eyes.  Praise Him for that and for all those He does that to.

Matthew 18: 1-10

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.  And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, desending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.  His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.  For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men.  But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.  Come, see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’  This is my message for you.”  So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.  Suddenly Jesus met them and said,”Greetings!”  And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.  Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee;  there they will see me.”

Mark 16:1-8

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.  And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.  They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb? When they looked up they saw that the stone, which was large, had already been rolled back.  As they entered the tomb, they saw the young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here.  Look, there is the place they laid him.  But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.”  So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Luke 1-12

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body.  While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them.  The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here, but has risen.  remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”  Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest.  Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles.  But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.  But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen clothes by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

John 20:1-16

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.  So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”  Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb.  The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.  He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.  Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb.  He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself.  Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.  then the disciples returned to their homes.  But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb.  As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting  where the body of Jesus had been lying, one on the head and the other at the feet.  They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” she said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”  When she has said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.  Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?  Whom are you looking for?”  Supposing him to be the gardener, he said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”  Jesus said to her, “Mary!”  She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!”  (which means teacher).

DO YOU BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED?  IT DID !!!   

O GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD; HIS STEADFAST LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

Picture a Triangle.  Now divide it in three horizontally.

The base represents–THEOLOGY–This is How we approach life.  This is the foundation of our life.

The middle section represents–PHILOSOPHY–This is our approach to life.  What we think about family, school, friends, …

The top of the triangle represents–APPLICATION–What we choose to do.

What is GRACE–gifts that God gives

What is MERCY–what you really deserve but do not get (punishment for your sins)

With this foundation of information we can now move on to the next section.

We will be looking at verses 1-18–This represents the bottom or base of the triangle.

–Christ’s work on the cross is SUFFICIENT.  No payment is due.  (v 10: 4)  also see Romans 3:21-25  which reads:  But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe, For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith.  He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed:————-comment:  Christ had to come as we could not live up to the Law in the Old Testament.  He came and was the last sacrificial lamb to pay the price once and for all for all of mankinds sins from begining to end.

–Christ’s work on the cross is SUSTAINING–nothing new is needed. (10:10,12,14)  In verse 10:10 it says –And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  verse 12 goes on to say–But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, “he sat down at the right hand of God,”  and in verse 14 it says–For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.————-comment:  Once Christ came and did the Father’s will, died on the cross and said it was finished; it was finished.  There is nothing new or different needed.  We walk and live by faith in Him.

–Christ’s work on the cross is SANCTIFIED–believeing in him sets up apart from the unbeliever–Christ was the PERFECT sacrifice.  In verses 16 the Lord says: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds, he also adds, I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.

As I listened to this message and then sat to write it here, I am awestruck.  I think about the fact that I believe that Christ is God’s only son who came here to save the humanity that He loves and created, and I am humbled.  He has chosen to quicken my heart and many others of you out there so we can spend all of eternity with Him.  Why?  …Why  me?  I know in pondering this that He truely is Sufficient–there is nothing that I can add or do to make it more worthy.  That is is Sustaining–I know that He is the begining and the end.  The creator of all things.  I am His.  Because of this I am set apart.

So, I have to sit and ask myself…Because I believe and now the Holy Spirit dwells in me, does my life reflect my Amazing Lord?  Do I share, encourage and grow in Christ?

This is the middle section of the triangle.  This is how we approace life.  It reflects the decisions we make about what we think about things.  (family, friends, school, action choices…)  This is a reflection of our Foundation.  Which is what we believe about Christ.

So, there are three responses of the Confident believer.

–Upward-Draw near to God. (see Heb 4:16)  Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  (ver 10:19,22) Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, …let us approace with a true heart in full assurance of faith with our heart sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  comment–this is amazing.  now we can go before our Lord with confidence, we can receive grace, help, comfort and much more.  In this world of constant desires that do not satisfy, we can now go and be totally filled up with everything we truely need.  How blessed we are.

–Inward-Hold fast (seize)  the confession.  (ver 10:23)  Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.–comment–This is were we can help each other I think.  Times can be hard, the devil will try with all his might to trip us up.  He will plant doubt, anger, and anything else he can use to get us to turn away.  I feel an urgency to hang on with all my might.  To never let go of that loving life line to the Lord.  What more can be said.  HANG ON WITH ALL THAT IS WITHIN YOU!!

–Outward-Stir one another-I believe that is God’s wish, that we encourage and stimulate each other to stay the course.  We need to help push each other toward the Lord.  (ver 10:24)  And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, ————-

Our walk with the Lord is a daily path of growth.  We need each other.  I am amazed at this chapter of Hebrews.  I hope you will spend time in it reading and seeing all the verses that the Lord shows you that I did not mention here.

Therefore, since we have been made right in God‘s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our lord has done for us.  Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of hightest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us–they help us learn to endure.  And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectations of salvation.  And this expecctation will not disappoint us.  For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

 I have found great comfort and peace in this passage this week.  The world and the turmoil in our own country can weigh me down, but, I know that ultimately God is in control. 

I was thinking about the new year coming and all of a sudden I was reminded of the book of John.  I was inspired to start the new year by reading the first chapter in which he wants us to know that Christ was with God in the beginging, and it was through Him that all things were created and that He was God.  Then out of the goodness of His heart he came to save all of us who were lost so we could spend eternity with Him. . .if we believed.

John 1:1-18  In the beginning was the Word(Jesus), and Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John (the baptist).  The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor the will of man, but of God.

And the Word (Jesus) was made flesh, and dwelt among us. (and we beheld his glory, and the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John bare witness of him, and cried saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.  And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.  No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

As I kept reading the sayings of Jesus, I could go on and on with things that he said.  I would just encouage you to spend some time in the gospels and read the words of Jesus.  For I believe that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  John 1:12

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.  Ephesians 2:8,9

For God sent not his Son into the world to comdemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  John 3:17

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.  John 3:36

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  Revelation 3:20

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.  I John 5:11-13

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.  Matthew 10:32

But what saith it?  The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shat be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  Romans 10:8-10

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:  Romans 5:12

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;  Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Romans 6:23

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8

Moreover, Brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;  By which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures;  I Corinthians 15:1-4