Tag: Hebrews

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The substance of things hope for.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

”For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice.“ Hebrews‬ ‭9‬:‭24‬-‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The author of Hebrews makes the long and detailed list of how Christ is not just sufficient, but better in all ways. The holy place Hebrews writes about is the temple. The tabernacle (tent) or permanent temple are mere copies of the “true one” in heaven. Wow! God’s dwelling place, in the heaven? I can’t even imagine. The Bible describes the earth as God’s footstool (Isaiah 66:1). Yet, this isn’t about majestic size comparison, it’s about Christ himself, worthy to approach the throne of God with boldness because of his perfect sacrifice. But as we read, Jesus doesn’t need to keep going back to God’s throne to make that sacrifice. No, Hebrews keeps using this phrase, “once for all.” It is truly finished!

Hebrews ends this thought by reminding us as believers, “so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews‬ ‭9‬:‭28‬). What an amazing exclamation; Jesus’ return is not about dealing with our sin, but rather it is the completion of the Kingdom of God arriving by bringing salvation to all who have been waiting for that fulfillment! We deal in the current realities and of what we know now – both the beauty and brokenness of this life. But we also deal with the future hope that ALL will be resolved. Evil will be crushed and we will then be totally free from our sin, shame and sorrows of this life on the dark planet called Earth 🌎. I’m not sure exactly what that means because it feels impossible to even imagine life without such duplicity. Hebrews summarizes history, but it amplifies our future in heaven with Christ. The substance of things hope for is the sacrifice of Jesus’ life for our salvation.

Prayer

​Dad,
I see glimpses of this hope, glances of beautiful moments. The sunrises and sunsets, the mountains majestically covered in snow, the site of a newborn or seeing a toddler’s smile. I see moments of happiness in grinning faces that fly by on our freeways. I feel the deep joy at the sight of reunion hugs with family and friends. These are all moments that are viewed through an obscure mirror, an enigmatic moment, a shadowed reflection. But I know there is a day coming that we will see clearly, face to face, no obstruction, no murkiness. We will behold Your glory and all of creation will be seen in a new heavenly light.

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Cults that diminish Jesus’ divinity.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

”Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.“ Hebrews‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Hebrews, chapter one, is the gold-standard verse against dozens of cults that proclaim that Jesus is just another… and fill in their own blank. A high-ranking angel, or the brother of Satan. Cults that walk our neighborhoods, knock on doors and stand around our city corners spreading lies, made up from Satan himself. Cults will give some pittance of honor to Christ, but ALWAYS diminish his divinity.

It’s one of the oldest heresies known since the first century. The early church was on constant guard and teaching against this warped theology. They will say that Jesus is the elder brother to Satan and “other churches,” have given the devil a bad rap. They will say that Jesus was also a created being, giving a false and damnable hope that humans can obtain a similar standing as a god. Folks, if Jesus was not God himself, as the Bible declares him to be so, then there is no salvation. There is no redemption or restoration back to God.

For only a sinless human can accomplish the payment necessary for our sins. Jesus became human and lived among us as fully God, fully human. Verses following in Hebrews, tell us it impossible for any angel to fulfill that requirement. Subjugating Jesus to be a created being, an angel, is an insult and impossibility for our salvation! Hebrews writes, “For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus: “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.”

It is forbidden to worship angel’s, because they are created servants who are supposed to be serving humans. John fell at an angel’s feet and was told not to worship, saying “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets.” (Rev. 19:10) Worshipping anyone or anything other than God is a direct violation of God’s command to worship him alone (Deut. 5:7). Jesus received worship because He is God! The Magi worshipped Christ at his birth, the disciples worshipped him after the storm, and the women worshipped Christ after his resurrection. Don’t be misled, anyone who denies Christ as God or claims that Jesus is a created being is false and should be called out as a cult.

Prayer

​Dad,
These cults, these lies are not even trying to hide what they believe! Each one will say that we are all “believers,” and a part of Your Church, but it is not true. They have caused so much harm, so much confusion, and I find it difficult that they would be allowed to continue to spread their cheap knock-off beliefs. Help us know you, know the truth, know Jesus! Give us your mercy and grace to believe and share the gospel – the good news of Your salvation! Amen.

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Eliminate the middleman.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

”But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”‭‭ Hebrews‬ ‭8‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The author of Hebrews does a deep drive into the efficacy (effectiveness) of Jesus as our High Priest. Don’t let that phrase “high priest” freak you out. If you’ve not been raised in Church or in Catholicism, this phrase may sound like a lyric-line out of a heavy metal band. A priest was just a designated male given the responsibility of being a “go between,” a mediator between God and human beings. The High Priest had special and enormous responsibility of being in a very sacred place called the Holy Holies in the tabernacle (God tent), then later the Temple (God’s temporary place to visit). Let’s just say that the priest and High Priest had very specific religious responsibilities that God setup to help Israel keep His laws. And, when those laws were broken, aka, sin – there were specific rules to rectifying those sins.

When Jesus was born, lived and gave his life on the cross, He not only fulfilled the Old Testament rules of rectifying everyone’s sin, Jesus also was the final High Priest, eliminating any need for anyone to fulfill that role ever again. In short, Jesus cut out the middleman between God and humans!

In these amazing couple of verses, Hebrews goes even further, describing the way God would interact with ALL HUMANS. God put His laws, His rules in the minds and hearts of every single human! There will be no need for a “go between,” a negotiator or mediator ever again. Boldly, Hebrews declares, in reality, no one will need to say, “you should know the Lord.” EVERYONE will already know Him. Why? Because God put himself in every human heart, His Spirit whispers to the deep recesses of who we are. Ecclesiastes 3:11 hinted at it thousands of years ago, God “set eternity in the hearts of humans.

These verses do not mean we have no need for people gifted at teaching the Bible, but rather there is no need for ANYONE to play middleman to God. God can and does a fantastic job consistently and constantly pursuing the hearts of our friends, our family members. God is working all the time, wooing the hearts of human beings all over the globe, regardless of their culture, religion, or beliefs. God, being creator of ALL things means it’s His rules, His ways. Does that mean we don’t need to tell others about Jesus, the gospel – God’s rescue plan for us? No, not at all. We absolutely need to live, love and share about the things of God. Followers of Jesus should always be telling of God’s grace and how it works in our own life. We should also be behaving just like Jesus did, in the way He treated others. Hebrews point is that our words and behaviors, even invitations to confess, believe and follow Jesus will be done in such a way as to match the conversations, convictions and circumstances that God has already been doing in their life.

The Holy Spirit has and will do all the work revealing God, our job just becomes a confirmation and connection with other believers. We say it often, but I’m not sure we really believe it, we don’t “save” anyone! Jesus saves, redeems, restores and converts! I am thankful that I am not and you are not anyone’s priest, let alone their High Priest. That’s Jesus job and He’s already done it. When we are kind, loving and helpful – we are reminding folks of their deep connection with God. When we pray with someone it is a huge confirmation that they are not alone and that God sees and knows them. Simple, right?

Prayer

Dad,
What a relief! I could not pull off the responsibility of being a priest, or any semblance of perfection – that’s all on you. I’m just a sinner, a lost and hungry soul pointing to where another might find bread! Thank you for your grace. Thank you for putting eternity in our hearts. Thank you for the whispers and still small voice of love, correction and discipline you bring into my life and every other life who will listen.

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Stellar prayer for you!

Reading Time: 2 minutes

When you are looking for ways to pray for one another, put this one on your list. What a powerful, helpful prayer for friends.

Every year I write hundreds of birthday cards and dozens of anniversary congrats to friends of mine. When I have the chance, I call and leave voicemails on their birthdays as well. And, for the past decade, I have included a scriptural prayer reference of what I prayed over them in those cards. Like in 2023, the verse is Psalm 20:4-5, asking for God’s favor to go before them. If you’re birthday is still ahead, sorry for the spoiler.

I just think that I need, we need every mean’s possible to encourage one another and a hand written card is like a heart IV straight to the soul! These verses give hint to why some scholars believe that Paul wrote Hebrews (I don’t) because of the phrase, “may the God of peace.” After reading Ezekiel’s own version of the “great shepherd” in chapter 34, I love finding another reference here in Hebrews.

Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep (us). But it’s more than a shepherd’s care and blessing, it’s a reminder of purpose. I know, I am drawn in by Jesus’ provision. But it’s the admonishment of equipping to “do his will,” and producing “every good thing” that is “pleasing to him” that inspires me to stay on task. It’s that kind of prayer I pray for you, the reader; to be at peace, be encouraged, but also stay on task – stay focused on what is right, true and lasting! May this eternal contract, cut with Jesus’ blood be enough to not just hold you, but propel you to purpose – finishing well. You can do it! We can do it together. Share this prayer with a friend and let them know you are cheering them on.

Prayer

Dad,
I read this and so many of my friends, who are struggling, need to hear this. May your peace, that peace that goes beyond, that peace that blows our mind, go before them and surround them. In all the mental messes we find ourselves in, your peace is tangible and sustainable even in the worst milieu of emotions we find ourselves drowning in. My prayer, Oh God, is that you would not only remind me of other’s struggles, but give me the extra push to reach out and let them know they are not alone and to not give up. We need you. We need each other to remind us how much we need you. Be our great shepherd today!

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The priest to represent us all.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs. And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was. That is why Christ did not honor himself by assuming he could become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God, who said to him, “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Hebrews tells us that, although the position of a high priest was honorable, it cannot be obtained on their own. The high priest must be called and appointed to such a place. The writer mentions two high priests; one Aaron, the other Melchizedek. Aaron was well known in Israel’s history and his involvement in their journey out of Egypt to the promised land. Melchizedek is another matter.

Melchizedek’s sudden appearance and disappearance in the book of Genesis is somewhat mysterious. Abraham presented Melchizedek with a tithe (a tenth) of all the items he had gathered. By this act Abraham indicated that he recognized Melchizedek as a priest who ranked higher spiritually than he. Note, this is all pre-law, pre ten commandments and pre official sacrificial system of expunging sin. Some propose that Melchizedek was actually a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. To make things even more interesting, the author of Hebrews writes, “Melchizedek was “without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.” The question is whether the author of Hebrews means this actually or figuratively.” Either way, Hebrews tells us that “God said to him [Jesus], “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬.

What does that have to do with Good Friday, the Easter story, or us for that matter? Well, in a wild, one time event, this is the only time that a high priest (the high priest) gave himself as the atoning sacrifice for sin. Since this high priest was perfect and was God himself, his sacrifice was given once for all time and for every human ever to be created. Jesus did not take his own life, but he did give his own life, allowing men to torture and crucify him on a executioner’s cross.

The story of Easter is really two parts: One, the once and for all sacrifice for our sin and two, the proof that He is God and has power over death itself by coming back to life after three days. His death and resurrection is the critical part of believing, confessing and following Jesus. I believe!

Prayer

Dad,
Not growing up in a religious home and having little experience with church, I only have a book knowledge about priests and their role in the Bible. I am sure that my Catholic friends were given a far greater understanding and appreciation for the priesthood. Even so, I can definitely grasp the concept of someone stepping in and being a substitute for my sin. I do understand Jesus taking my place, my sins, my wrongs and making things right with you, my Holy God. For that and so much more, I am thankful for Jesus’ sacrifice. I now know that the life I lead is because of the work on the cross and the power of resurrection from the dead. I am eternally grateful!

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Suffering is a great teacher, I just don’t like her.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus faced down the same crummy situations that we do. The idea that Jesus had temptations is hard to process. The best glimpse is Satan tempting him in the desert. Jesus was tempted to make his own will happen over God’s will. Test the limits of who he is and what his mission would be. Get and gain everything a human would want by taking shortcuts and believing a con-angel. I forget about the deep pain and suffering that occurred in many of his interactions with religious people as well as those who were suffering physically or broken emotionally – oftentimes both.

Jesus was deemed a fake, a liar, a rebel and a power hungry conspirator from his own religious leaders. He IS God, but the guys who supposedly worked for God couldn’t recognize one characteristic of God in Jesus! It is extremely painful to be misunderstood, or worse, categorized as a contrarian. Then there is the pain of empathizing with those who had been marginalized and beat up by the religious culture of perfection all while they profited and maintained power. The strong got stronger at the expense of the weak getting weaker. This environment decimated faith and distorted people’s view of God – both religious and sinner.

It is painful to watch others suffer and then be told they deserve it. The author of Hebrews delivers the truth in the conversation of Jesus being the final High Priest – it wasn’t an easy calling. Hebrews writes, “Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.” Vs 5‬:‭8‬. My idea of learning obedience was simply doing what God says to do. Haven’t we learned that being obedient, doing what’s right and following God PREVENTS suffering? It’s not just that God disciplines us when we are disobedient, but now there’s the problem of suffering when doing RIGHT.

In my thinking, I should NOT suffer when doing right! Making right decisions and following God in obedience should get me a pass on suffering, right? That’s the whole carrot/stick scenario. Do right, get the carrot. Do wrong get the stick. Which is more motivating? Carrot please. Jesus did right and got the stick! He continued to do right and got the cross. Where’s the motivation? Where’s the reward? Hebrews has the audacity to tell us that suffering for righteousness sake yields obedience. Suffering can help us learn to obey God no matter the circumstances. If, for one moment I may think, “well, that’s for Jesus, and I am not him.” We both know that’s dodging the truth.

Obey God. Trust God. Suffer if we must, but do not confuse resistance, grief, mockery, gossip or mistreatment as an indication that we are doing something wrong. If we are being obedient to God, then suffering will come along with it.

Prayer

Dad,
Of course I confuse suffering with doing wrong and sinning! I am full of sin and just figured that suffering is what I deserve. I never thought of suffering for righteousness or suffering as a means to learn obedience. I want to avoid suffering! It is just not a good feeling. Help me to see the lesson, the value of suffering as Your Word shows me to be humble and to learn. I can’t tell you I like it, but I do know how much I love you and want to do what is right. Pour out your mercy and peace so that I can handle suffering appropriately.

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That reminds me.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It is interesting that Hebrews tells us what the old contract, the Law and the new contract, Christ’s own body accomplished – not only what each demanded, but what each fulfilled. Sola Scriptura, scripture interpreting scripture. If we were to listen to the scribes, pharisees and misinformed friends we would believe that parts of the law are still required, never being satisfied or fulfilled. The New Living Translation used the word, cancelled in verse 9. In greek, it says that Jesus’ own body “anaireó,” took up, away, or made an end to the repetitiveness of sacrifices, of guilt, of memories, of our sins.

What about those memories of sin? If I am honest, they are powerfully humiliating, embarrassing and unproductive. Oh, they help to remind me of just how big of a loser I am, but do nothing to keep me free and faithful in the future. Hebrews suggests that we quit rummaging around in the trash of our past, pulling out the old contract along with the many times we broke it and focus on something completely different – Jesus’ words written over every sin and failure, “PAID IN FULL.”

Instead of ruminating in the past and on my sin, I glance at the benefactor who forever banished my debt! I exchange the memories in my head from guilt to grateful. If you’ve ever had a tax lien, an overwhelming hospital or college debt and had someone pay it for you, cancelling the daily or monthly memories of that awful weight, you’d know what this is like. God doesn’t want us waking up every morning feeling like a worthless worm, a daily beggar laden with remorse, but a child of royalty. A child who’s father cleared our bankruptcy and encouraged us to fully live in the freedom of his grace. Be reminded of the Savior not your sin.

Prayer

Dad,
Like every grand story I’ve ever read, you’ve come to rescue me, not constantly remind me of my past faults, failures and sin. It still pangs me to remember or to tell the stories of my past. I try to focus on your promise, and provision of grace. That too takes faith. As much as I want to please you to have faith that moves forward, fulfilling the Kingdom of God, sometimes it takes faith to be reminded of what you’ve already accomplished, even in me! Thank You.

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Sola scriptura – scripture interprets scripture.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth.” Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Bible does a great job revealing mysteries and explaining itself. Hebrews is the classic example of how this works. Hebrews 11 is the hall of faith-fame giving us both context, explanation and shout outs for famous Old Testament people. It’s quite the list!

In this chapter we also discover truth about some tricky passages dating back thousands of years. For instance, Hebrews gives us the reason God rejected Cain’s (the first born son of Adam and Eve) offering. “It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts.” Comments about Moses that clear up our questions about extraordinary risk by Jochebed to protect her baby and why Moses was so angry about his origin story! “It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command. It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.” Even the reason for Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute, would not just be mentioned but also become part of the lineage of Jesus himself. She was not only a Gentile, but her people were enemies of Israel.

All of these people are heralded and celebrated as faith heroes, yet Hebrews calls them foreigners and nomads. It just reminds me that my lineage, as crummy as it was, is very much a part of God’s grand story. When I read the whole Bible and let the entire Word of God speak for itself, I find that folks like me are not just normal but welcomed and expected to be a part of God’s plan.

The warning for all of us, when we take God’s Word out of context and force it to say something that benefits us or allows us to take advantage of others, it is absolutely WRONG!!! God will hold those who do so accountable for misrepresenting Him – leaders, preachers, pastors and self-absorbed speakers beware. God will not be mocked.

Prayer

Dad,
For sure, I am so happy that “my kind,” the illegitimate, broken, outliers of faith are included and highlighted in this grand story of faith and redemption of humankind. However, those who have misinterpreted your Word to favor themselves and mistreat others is such a grievous behavior. Forgive them. Forgive us for being so cavalier with the Word. Forgive us for wrongfully mishandling the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the Logos, the living Word. For all who teach will be held accountable.

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Hebrews hall of famers!

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection.”Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭32‬-‭35‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Chapter 11 is filled with the famous faithful, and here the author just summarizes the more known stories that we still tell today. All of this was because of faith, their faith. Faith is extraordinarily critical in the life of Christ followers. It was then, before details of the plan was revealed, and it is now. Notice how small this list is when compared to the thousands of years it represents – it is just a few.

When Hebrews mentions “and all the prophets,” he was writing about the many unnamed major and minor prophets, spokespersons for God. And, because most of those prophets were warning Israel, begging them to turn from sin, as God was already setting the stage for their discipline, those folks were the ones mentioned towards the end. These were tortured, not just for their faith, but their words delivered to the leaders, and the people of God. No one wanted to listen to those words, so they killed them. Hebrews goes on to mention a few of those we know about. “Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated.” Isaiah was the one stuffed in a hollowed log and cut in half!

Faith, as glorious as it may seem in the results and endings of these stories, was very costly and frightening to trust and obey God. Faith always includes huge risks. There is just no other way to do it. All of it, for the folks who believed long before the plans of God became reality in the son of man, son of God, was “credited to them as righteousness.” The phrase, shows up often in the Bible; in Genesis 15:36, Psalms 106:31 and Romans 4:22-23. Faith is still required and still effective to “credit” any of us with righteousness. It wasn’t just for them “pre-messiah,” the Apostle Paul says, “for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” The new spin on this faith is revealed as not just credit towards our salvation but also the best way to please God – 11:6. Our names may not go down in history, but in and with faith they will be recorded in God’s book of life!

Prayer

Dad,
This faith that pleases you has always seemed to come with great risk. Oddly enough, it always looked so glamorous when reading and reflecting on the stories of old. Yet, in the moments when I face faith and the decisions to trust and obey you – well it has never felt all that appealing. It felt like hard work, like swimming in mud, like groping forward in the dark. Faith does not come natural to me at all. When faith is talked about it always sounds so fun and exciting. But in reality it’s pushing against all the senses telling me not to do it. It’s odd that it’s so hard to believe. Maybe that’s just me?

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Seeing what cannot be seen.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.” Hebrews‬ ‭11:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

​This crazy little thing called FAITH.

Seeing what cannot be seen.

Sure, that sounds ridiculous to the unbeliever of God and overly simple for followers of Jesus. It is neither ridiculous nor simple.

The author makes the case that dozens of men led a nation out of a “knowing” and a trust that God is real and knows what He’s doing. This theme of faith started with Abram on a substantial promise God made to him and all of his progeny. What is interesting is that this decision to believe was strong enough to be threaded throughout all the generational obstacles that would come.

God found an individual and that one person received the baton and kept running in spite of circumstances and zero prospect of hope. What if faith is just stubborn belief? “All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own.”

In the beginning they all talked big of a “land of their own.” Hebrews admits this looks a lot like “toxic positivity.” When you’re a “wanderer,” of course you’ll speak of such crazy things as a land of your own. They even died still believing!

I like this note about Joseph, “It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.” All of these patriarchs had this phrase attached to their legacy, “it was by faith.”

What am I seeing that can’t be seen? I am seeing a massive amount of people turning to God when all the crummy cultural promises of identity, love and happiness have failed. I see a future where this generation realizes they’ve been fed huge lies and have been used in these horrible social experiments that spread faster than a virus ever could. There is coming a wave of people coming to Christ, returning to God. Will we be ready? Will the Church be ready to receive them? Our buildings will not be able to hold them all. The body of Christ MUST be bigger than our buildings. We need to be like the father that walks out to the edge of his property everyday to look for his returning son. And when he sees him in the distance, runs to him, embraced him and kissed him, welcomed him home.

What are you seeing that can’t be seen?

Prayer

Dad,
Wow, that list of men and women who saw what could not be seen is impressive. The thing I love the most is that their faith was accounted to them as righteousness! I can’t even wrap my brain around that. Their faith in your ultimate plans for all humans was somehow seen, believed and credited to them long before Jesus paid for their sins. I want to live a life faith that sees above and beyond the circumstances and struggles that surround me. And if I don’t see it in my lifetime, I want to die still believing!