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Judgement and Grace

For if we deliberately sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgement and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries. If anyone disregards Moses law, he dies without mercy, based on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think one will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God, regarded as profane the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insulted the Spirit of Grace? For we know te One who has said, 'Vengeance belongs to Me, I will repay,' and again, 'the Lord will judge His people.' It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God! Hebrews 10:26-31 This passage could have been written by James, in fact the whole book sounds very Jamesish. The author then goes on te remind the readers that that had endured persecution for their faith and encourages them with: 'so don't throw away your confidence, ...

Never Give Up

Therefore, brothers, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way He has opened for us through the curtain( that is, His flesh) and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Let us hold to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Hebrews 10:19-25) Holding on to the confession of our hope can be severely challenged at times. I have a sale pending a signature from a client, it is a substantial sale and one that has dragged on for almost 12 months with various developments. Trying to get that one signature has pro...

Prophetic Coming

Therefore, as He was coming into the world, He said: You did not want sacrifice and offering, but You prepared a body for Me. You did not delight in whole burnt offerings and sin offerings. Then I said, "See- it is written about Me in the volumes of the scroll- I have come to do You will, God!" Hebrews 10:5-7 Isn't this interesting phraseology: 'therefore as He was coming into the world, He said.' The scripture referred to comes from Psalm 40:6-8. The seed of the Messiah was in King David who penned the psalm 1003 odd  years before Christ was born.  What are you speaking over your family and the seed therein? What is coming forth? 'See it is written about Me in the volumes of the Scroll,' could well refer to Old Testament scripture. Jesus is the gold thread woven throughout the Old Testament, the tantalising promise of more, much more. I have discovered a dish called Deconstructed Sushi, it is full of flavones that tantalize the taste buds, schallits, lemo...

A New Way

For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second one. But finding fault with His people, He says: look, the days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah- not like the covenant that I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by their hands to lead them out if the land of Egypt. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says The Lord : I will put My laws into their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people. Hebrews 8:7-10 The scripture quoted was from the book of Jeremiah. Imagine Jeremiah digesting these words. He was an abused and unaccepted prophet to Judah around 625 BC. He was umprisoned down a well, starved an constantly ignored. The prophesy he gave about a new thing and a new time when the people would have God's word written on their hearts would have seemed improbably and he would ...

A Perfect Sacrifice

Now the main point if what is being said is this: we have this kind of high priest (a perfect high priest), who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle that was set up by The Lord and not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices, therefore it was necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. Now if He was on earth, He wouldn't be a priest, since there are those offering the gifts prescribed by the law. But Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry, and to that degree He is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been legally enacted on better promises. Hebrews 8:1-4;6 For me, my attention is drawn to the fact that as Jesus is a High Priest, He also needed something to offer. If He did as His earthly counterparts did then He would fail and be no different. What did He offer? Himself. A sinless man gave His life for a sin riddled earth. All that goes on,...

My Redeemer Lives

So Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant. Now many have become Levitical priests, since they are prevented by death from remaining in office. But because He remains forever, He holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore, He is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them. For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefined, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He doesn't need to offer sacrifices everyday, as high priests do- first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all when He offered Himself. Hebrews 7:22-28 I am so grateful that when I confess my sin to God, immediately I am forgiven. No longer do I need to do penance and remember my sin, God forgets it and I am free to as well. I am grateful that Jesus stayed pure and undefined. I see various programms based on a hidden, secret life of Christ in which He had Mary Magdalene as a lover....

A New Priest

If then, perfection came through the Levitical priesthood ( for under it the people received the law), what further need was there for another priest to appear, said to be in the order of Melchizedek and not if the order of Aaron? For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must be a change of law as well. For the One these things are spoken about belonged to a different tribe. No one from it has served at the altar. Now it is evident that our Lord came from Judah, and Moses said nothing about that tribe concerning priests. And this becomes clearer if another priest like Melchizedek appears, who did not become a priest based on a legal command concerning physical descent but based on the power of an indestructible life. For it has been written: You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. (Ps 110:4) Hebrews 7:11-17 If attending church and believing in God were enough Jesus did not need to change things, but they are not enough. They are devoid of life unless a...