"About That!" - Too

 "And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:" (Hebrews 7:23 KJV)

  ""Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, 'Father, save me from this hour'? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name." Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, "I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again." When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him. Then Jesus told them, "The voice was for your benefit, not mine. The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." He said this to indicate how he was going to die." (John 12:27-33 NLT)

 Keeping this in context to the reason, it is death that has the grip on those who do not have life! Whether you believe or don't believe is what separates life or death; regardless of your sins, once you have been saved, you have eternal life! That eternal life you have been given, really doesn't start when you die, it is amazingly right now, because you technically were crucified with Christ, the moment you first believed!  

 I really hope we understand that, because the Scripture that says, "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55 NLT), makes this quite real and present. Oh, this shell will surely pass, but we will live on with a soul that does not ever die; however, that might be, it will be a glorious time, (no pun intended). 

 When Jesus died on that cross, His death changed everything for all eternity. Even in His death, there was life; for He was ministering to the saints in Paradise, the moment He breathed His final death. And guess what: The thief on the cross went with Him, just as He promised, saying, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43 NLT)

 Marvel in this, because it is certain! I had breakfast yesterday next to a Pastor friend of mine who was showing off his new tattoo; and he looked down at mine and said I should change it, because it says, "Death Is Certain." While I was beginning to say something about that, we were distracted by another brother that had to say hello, so I never got a chance to say it...

"Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves of sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:1-11 NLT)  

"About That!"

 "And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:" (Hebrews 7:23 KJV) 

  "As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, "The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will soon give glory to the Son. Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can't come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."" (John 13:31-35 NLT)

 Most of us that believe in Christ, have come to understand why He needed to come and suffer such an agonizing death on the cross; we know this because our sins show us the many things we are capable of doing; and how easy it is to hurt one another. If only we could take back some of those things, which is something that cannot be done, at least not here on this earth! 

 They say that those scars which Jesus' bore are still there. Do you know why? Is it a reminder to us, or is it a reminder to Him? What if it is a reminder to the Father? We all should know what Jesus meant when He told His disciples that His time had come to enter into His glory, because He was speaking about the punishment, He would suffer for us! 

 How is that glory? Oh, my; How is it not...

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of this earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory." (Colossians 3:1-4 NLT) 

"The Greatest Guarantee!"

  "There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefor he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.

 "He is the kind of High Priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people's sins. The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever." (Hebrews 7:23-28 NLT)

  "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full." (1 John 1:1-4 KJV)

 Maybe you have had some doubts over your years of walking with the Lord, as I know from experience that there are times when we think about, 'What if?', wondering if it is all true and a real guarantee. Not that I have ever really battled with the issue, as if it wasn't true; but whenever I get the notion in my mind, I reinforce my belief with Scriptures! God's Word is real!!! 

"Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: and they shall scourge him, and put him to death; and on the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken." (Luke 18:31-34 KJV)   

"Full Assurance"

 "By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament." (Hebrews 7:22 KJV)

  "Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many were made righteous." (Romans 5:18-19 NLT)

 Looking back into the things that people did, like sacrifices and trying to obey God's law, it is pretty obvious to us now that none of those things really did work for removing sin or gaining righteousness. Sacrifices were only a covering for sins, and the law only showed people how sinful they really were; but what Jesus did for us on the cross changed everything!

 Trying to explain that to someone takes more than just an explanation; there needs to be some help in the process, like the Holy Spirit, to soften their hearts, in order to see the work of God to make them right. To be more direct, without the prompting of the Holy Spirit, there really won't be any interest in what is being said; let alone any understanding. 

 That morning, I was saved, I truly believe that it was God that saved me, I didn't do it on my own. There was nothing really special in my morning, except for the voice I heard over the loudspeaker, calling me to go. There must have been something that changed my heart, because I wouldn't have listed or paid any attention otherwise. 

 It's not like I never had any chances before, because I had many; several times I was invited to go to church or sit in on a Bible study, but I declined every time. So I know that it was God's doing that made me go down to that cafeteria; and it was God's Spirit that softened my heart, in order to understand the massage that was being preached. 

 What does that mean, and why is it important? As I said earlier, as far as my life had gone, I had pretty much refused to take part in any religion. After all the things I saw growing up, I decided that there was nothing I wanted or needed from any organized religion. I especially didn't want to be preached to; as it was, I had previously settled in my heart that I was going to hell, so why bother. 

 But it was God who snatched me up from the flames of hell! Just like that, He called me, changed me, and saved me from the fire! So, I am fully assured in my heart, that He will finish what He started...    

"God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5:20-21 NLT) 

"Unstoppable Direction"

"(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek:)" (Hebrews 7:21 KJV)

  "When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." (Romans 5:6-11 NLT)

 Much like this oath that God has sworn about His Son, we too are given the same kind of certainty that He will keep us safely in His grip, even though we sometimes wonder, complain, or sometimes fall away! If it really means, "certainly," then we can truly believe that He will certainly keep us in the family of God; after all, He has already established us to be His adopted children, so, just that alone gives us a special reason that He will not discard us, even if we fail or drift away. 

 Whether or not you we believe that is true, He will still show compassion and give us multiple chances to discover His unfailing love is real. This is proven in so many lives throughout the Bible; even for those who have done very wicked and terrible things! He knows everything about us, our good things and our bad things; He is never stunned or surprised by anything; He never says, "Opps, I shouldn't have chosen that one!" 

 There are a few places in the Bible where it might look like He has changed His mind, but everything He does to show that, is to get us to change our hearts...

"God's way is perfect. All the LORD'S promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection." (PSALM 18:30 NLT) 

"Wherewithsoever!" -To

 "And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:" (Hebrews 7:20 KJV)

  "When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" "Take him yourselves and crucify him," Pilate said, "I find him not guilty." The Jewish leaders replied, "By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God." When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. He took Jesus back into his headquarters again and asked him, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave no answer. "Why don't you talk to me?" Pilate demanded. "Don't you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?" Then Jesus said, "You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin." Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, "If you release this man, you are no friend of Caeser. Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caeser."" (John 19:6-12 NLT)

 Whatever it is that you don't quite understand about the why this or that might happen, there is nothing that goes on in this world that God doesn't know about; nor, is there anything happening that He doesn't have an answer for and the reason for it to happen. As with this section of the trial Jesus was going through, Pilate was determined to release Jesus, but it wasn't going to happen; it was God's will! 

 Some people that do not know, would try to think it was wrong for it to happen, as if Jesus was killed without a reason. But we that know the truth, know full well that Jesus came for this very reason! It was what He came to earth to do; it is what was planned out, from even before creation; Jesus was already on the path to the cross! 

 Surprisingly, many who are believers and study God's word, still don't understand the why's when things in their lives get turned upside down. Asking God, "Why are you allowing this to happen?" When in the life of someone that is trusting God, the real question should be, "What are you doing Lord? And what should I do?" Praying surely doesn't hurt; but expecting God is on the move, gives us hope! 

 Besides all of that, we must understand that this world is really not our home! Being here is now just about making Christ known to those around us, and doing our best to keep the faith, no matter what! There is really nothing we can do to change what is meant to happen; but we can make the difference for someone to be changed and know the truth...

"As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died. It doesn't matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God's peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God." (Galatians 6:14-16 NLT)   

"Wherewithsoever!"

 "And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:" (Hebrews 7:20 KJV)

  "Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife, and one from his freeborn wife. The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God's own fulfillment of his promise." (Galatians 4:21-23 NLT)

 Now, about that faith being secure: as it was with Abraham, he had faith in God, but sometimes he did waiver in leaving everything in God's hand, trying to take care of things on his own. Each and every time he tried to find a way on his own, he ended up with a problem. 

 We should be able to understand what that looks like, as I am sure that we all have done that, at least a few times in our walk with the Lord. These are certain things that are brought on by not trusting God will take care of whatever you are dealing with, expecting that He might want you to do it on your own. 

 As it is, the other day I heard a massage about "the big rock," where God tells a man to push on a rock that he could not budge. He tried and he tried, but couldn't get the rock to move, not even an inch. Discouraged and overwhelmed, he cried out to the Lord, saying, "Why did you ask me to do something I could not do?" And the Lord answered, "You did what I said, and you pushed on that rock. I never asked you to move it!" 

 However, you interpret that, it basically means to trust in the Lord, no matter what! Maybe God just wants us to be strengthened by the trial he gives us, as we are taken wherever and however, sometimes not knowing what to do. Much like Abraham and his many mistakes along the way, God had his back, but Abraham sometimes thought he needed to help God get things done. 

 What that means, is that Abraham never lost faith in God, even though he tried to do things himself. We all tend to do that now and again, thinking that God wants us to move something on our own. But when God makes a promise, we are meant to wait on Him to make the move, and just do what we are told...

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." (Romans 5:3-5 NLT) 

  

"The Connection" - Too

 "For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God." (Hebrews 7:19 KJV)

  "Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do." (PSALM 73:27-28 NLT) 

 With this great hope in mind, faith becomes the SafetyNet, if you will, that keeps us holding on to what we have been given! I can tell you with all my heart, doubt does not do anything but make us more aware of our need to have faith; as I have learned, over and over again, God's Word is more than just truth, it is life everlasting; if that is, we keep holding unto it! 

 If you don't know what I mean, when that Bible says, "whosoever believes," believing is not just saying that you believe, it is you knowing the truth, so much so, that you are certain to overcome any doubt that you might have, because your eternal life depends upon you keeping the faith. This is not a rebuttal to God's grip upon our lives, because I truly believe that His promises are sure; but we must have faith in what we believe, or it isn't really faith, at all.

 Basically, what I am trying to say, is that this great hope is not really hopeful, if you don't have the faith to believe that what you hope for is possible; you are just hoping that something is true, without believing that it is absolutely so. You know the drill: "God said it, I believe it, that settles it!" When you settle that, there is no real doubt...

"Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence." (Ephesians 3:12 NLT)    

"The Connection"

 "For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God." (Hebrews 7:19 KJV)

  "Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ out Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory." (Romans 5:1-2 NLT)

 Here is that simple thing to understand, which is so misunderstood: It was the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross that canceled our debt! Yes, we had a very big debt, that none of us could ever never pay, no matter how many sacrifices we made or how hard we tried to work to keep the law; it was only by the blood of Christ, God's one and only Son, that we could be forgive for all our sins!

 Now I know that there are some who can't comprehend how that works; but the simple truth of how it works, is the fact that the Father made it to work! He is the one who now sees us washed by the blood of His Son, and now we are perfect in His sight; plain and simple! The law was never canceled, and the promises have now been reinforced; all because of what Jesus Christ did on that cross. 

 Hopefully that clears up a few things about where we now stand with God, because we still face some trials over things we have previously done. But that doesn't take away from our relationship with God, or the fact that our sins have been removed. The things we did here on earth will stay here on this earth, but we arrive in God's presence perfectly clean and secure! 

 That is our great hope, which is based upon what God has done for us, not anything we have done for Him. We just need faith...

"Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was recorded 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. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God." (Romans 4:20-25)  

"The Cancellation" - 2

 "For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof." (Hebrews 7:18 KJV)

  "Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed." (Galatians 3:23 NLT)

 As for this title about a cancelation, we should all know by now that God will always keep His law, as it is non-negotiable, as are the promises of God, which are everlasting. So what has been canceled has to do with us, not anything that we can do, but what God does that involves us. This is something that the prophets and early writers of the Holy Scriptures knew, but they also realized that it was for a time in the future, not something that was going to take place in their time. 

 We also should know that the sacrifices that were presented in the Temple did nothing to take away sin, but was more of a covering, as if God winked, so to speak, excusing the sin, because an offering could not take away sin; therefore, allowing Him to give mercy. Again, I will compare this to something we should all be familiar with, that of credit cards and debit cards: as those before Christ came had used the credit card to cover sins; but we who believe in Him after the cross, we are given debit cards, that never run out!  

 Regardless, everyone who believes is given the same grace; those who came before were saved when Jesus entered into their resting place, preaching the Good News to all who died before the cross. And we, who are alive, (so to speak,) have been given the opportunity to receive the same grace, without having to work or give sacrifices, because it is a gift of God...

"Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. And that's the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world. But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father." Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir." (Galatians 4:1-7 NLT) 

"The Cancellation"

"For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof." (Hebrews 7:18 KJV)

  "Dear brothers and sisters, here's an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case. God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn't say "to his children," as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says "to his child" - and that, of course, means Christ. This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God's promise. But God graciously gave to Abraham as a promise." (Galatians 3:15-18 NLT)

 This is where many people, even those who are very religious, tend to mess up. There are sincere people who believe that the law was given to make us obedient, as it was in my life, all my time growing up. I can still remember opening the Family Bible to the two pages that had the "Ten Commandments," on the two pages, in the center of the Bible; and they were shown to be written on stone tablets. 

 What those stone tablets meant to be, was that they couldn't be broken, as if this was God's word which had been written in stone. Much like my mom would sometimes say, "My words are written in stone, so you better not forget it." As it was, I ended up being quite a rebel; basically, because I knew that I simply could not stop from breaking God's commands, which were much harder than that of my mother's. 

 By the time I was eleven I had my first arrest, which was really not my fault. But my second arrest, a few months later, was absolutely my fault, and I ended up in the slammer. From that time on, until I turned eight-teen and was planning to go into the Navy, I was on probation, which ended up with me going in and out of several different facilities.   

 When I was in the eighth grade, at the age of 13, I was excluded from the San Bernardino School District. That is a little worse that being expelled, because it meant we had to more to a different county. So we ended up moving to L.A. and I was told to try and be better. Well, that didn't work out so well, because I ended up being worse. 

 As far as I was concerned, I was most likely an enemy of God, so what the point of trying to be good! If I couldn't keep God's law and requirements, then why bother! I just did whatever I wanted and just didn't care where I might have ended up. Actually, the slammer sometimes felt more like home, than my home felt; my mother was always drinking and was seldom home.

 Anywho, this is something that is really important, and we must make very certain that it is clearly understood: We cannot keep God's law! No matter how hard we might try, it is totally impossible for us to keep those Ten Commandments! 

 The promise God made to Abraham was not canceled when God gave to law to Moses, 450 years after He had given the promise: He gave the law to show us that we were broken and needed to be saved...

"Why then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave the law through Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is the one, did not use a mediator when he gave the promise to Abraham. Is there a conflict, then, between God's law and God's promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God's promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ." (Galatians 3:19-22 NLT)  

"Bearing Record!" - Too

"For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek." (Hebrews 7:17 KJV)

  "When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me completely." (1 Corinthians 13:11-12 NLT)

 When we look into some of the Scriptures that point to Jesus, even those that seem hard to express to those that really don't want to except it, or don't want to see the connection, we must realize that there really isn't a connection, because they don't have God's Spirit within them. There is something very important about how that actually works, even if they might seemingly receive what is said, they will walk away and forget what they heard, making their heart harder in the process. 

 If you don't understand what I mean, then you should look at the Pharisees and Jewish leaders that heard what Jesus said; even though it was true and documented in the Scriptures they studied, they still did not get the connection, because they hated Him. Crazy as that might seem, look at the situation we have here in the United States, as we have a President that wants to make peace and correct all the wrongs in this Country; most of which are the things that are harmful to children and families, especially Christian families! Yet, they have nothing but hate for him, associating him to Hitler and saying that he just wants to rule everyone. 

 Enough of that! Because, in this world, no matter what might get corrected and made right, we all know that there will come a very challenging time ahead, especially for anyone that claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ! Understanding the times we are living in is something that is both mysterious and also easy to understand. We understand that the end is coming, but we don't know when it will happen!

 When this testimony below of Jesus was given, David had no real knowledge about when this would be fulfilled or exactly who it would be that he was writing about; but he did know enough to understand that it would be a Savior. Some of the Psalms which David wrote made very accurate prophesies about Jesus; and in this one, he is illustrating His crucifixion and agony on the cross; almost as if he was there and watching it all happen...

"My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead. My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing." (PSALM 22:14-18 NLT)     

"Bearing Record!"

 "For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek." (Hebrews 7:17 KJV)

  "Clearly, God's promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on this obedience to God's law, but on a right relationship with God that comes from faith. If God's promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations." This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing." (Romans 4:13-17 NLT)

 Something good to think about, no matter what condition you might currently be dealing with: God is able to do abundantly more than you can imagine! That is what faith is all about, letting God be GOD, and not trying to control your own life. Something we tend to constantly keep forgetting! 

 Maybe it's just me, but there is always something I don't fully give to God, as if it is mine. And even then, if I do give it to God, like gravity, I end up taking it back and thinking that I can handle it on my own. It is kind of like telling God, "I got this now, thanks for your help!" 

 I must confess, a little bit of a right or left angle, and before you know it, you're headed in the wrong direction, seemingly upside down. But you want to know something that is amazing about all of that: No matter how far you might be off track, God is always willing and able to get you back and on the right path...

"All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all." (Isaiah 53:6 NLT) 

"Indissoluble"

 "Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life." (Hebrews 7:16 KJV)

 "You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross." (Colossians 2:13-15 NLT)

 Looking at this word, "indissoluble," it basically means, "unable to be destroyed." Without question, this is exactly the reason that God allowed His one and only Son to be nailed to that cross; because He knew, without a doubt, that the cross could not destroy Him; but that the never-ending power of God, of whom Jesus was, could not be destroyed, ever! 

 Something that so many people don't quite understand, and even if they tried to comprehend it, without being given God's Spirit and having new life in Him, they are most likely not going to believe it; at least not enough to have the faith enough to apply it to themselves! If you don't know what that means, it is the result of our New Life in Christ: We are also, unable to be destroyed! 

 Oh, this body can be destroyed, and it most surely will be, even if we are raptured up into Heaven; but we are given an everlasting body that will never die, ever! This is why we believe the Bible is real, because there is nothing that can change our eternal existence with the Lord...

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT)  

"Intensive"

 "And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchizedek there ariseth another priest," (Hebrews 7:15 KJV) 

  "Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?" (Isaiah 53:1 NLT)

 Again, I will say that we are certain the Bible is true and accurate, all that truly believe it is God's word! Not only do we have to believe it, but we are called to proclaim it, which I feel is something we need to practice more often. When there is an opportunity to share what we know, it is responsibility to do so, as it is something that we must not hide or keep to ourselves! 

 I can't help but think of that short movie, called, "The Music Box." It was put out in the 80's I believe, and it was something we would play on New Years night, whenever we were having a New Years gathering. The story is set upon the life of a man who has a very boring life; yet, on his way home one day, he finds a music box on the street. He opens it, and it begins to play music, and then angels show up and start singing and dancing, which causes him to start dancing also.

 When he gets home, he goes into the bathroom to listen to the box again; but as soon he opens the box, it is so loud that he closes it right away. From then on, he just kept it to himself and kept it secret. Then one night, the angels showed up in his room, waking him up, and telling him, "You have to share it; you must not keep it to yourself." 

 He answers them, quietly trying to not wake his wife, "But she wouldn't understand." So, the angels began to start singing and dancing around the room. His wife woke, as well as his son; and they all danced and sang together. 

 The point is much like the parable of the Talents...

 ""Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and untrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last - dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. 

 "The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master's money."" (Matthew 25:14-18 NLT) 

"Jesus Is Like Melchizedek"

  "This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, "You are a priest in the order of Melchizedek,"

 "Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

 "This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron's descendants became priests without such an oath, but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him, "The LORD has taken an oath and will not break his vow: 'You are a priest forever.'" Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God." (Hebrews 7:15-22 NLT)

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day." (Genesis 1:1-5 KJV)

 Without a doubt, this beginning of the Bible receives many different points of view. Some say this is something that required thousands, maybe millions of years, for God to have created the heaven and earth, as if to say that it couldn't be done in a day. Others, that really don't believe it is true, apply this to be some sort of metaphor, as if convey everything in a completely different light. 

 This is where we make our first test of faith in God's Holy Scriptures, as we draw the line as to if or if not, the Bible is actually the true and infallible Word of God! Basically, it all comes down to faith, not a blind faith, which just goes aimlessly in all sorts of direction, because God has already established the truth; it has been proven time and time again, to be 100% true; so, there is really no doubt, if that is, you are willing to accept it! 

 Once we can get past the doubt, believing that the Bible is historically true, we can actually understand and believe most everything else that we read. The things we don't understand, and there are many, we simply believe it to be so, and trust in God's word, even though can't see how He does things. This is His masterpiece that He has created; we are just a dot on the canvas, and what we can see is limited; at least for now! 

 Yesterday I heard a message that shared about Charles Templeton, who was an Evangelist around the same time that Billy Graham was getting started. Charles was the one people thought was the more powerful speaker, that he could really make an impact upon people's lives: especially in the youths. 

 Long story short, Charles began to start listening and believing in the theory of evolution, and be started doubting the Bible, especially the beginning of Genesis. Once he started to doubt, he started to believe more on the lie and less of the truth. Before he died, he his last book was entitled, "Farwell to God".

 'We must believe in order to understand; we have faith and seek understanding!' With that, I will continue on with what came after John 2:25...

 "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:1-3 KJV) 

 

"Plain and Simple" - To

 "For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood." (Hebrews 7:14 KJV)

  "Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn't trust them, because he knew human nature. No one needed to tell him what mankind is really like." (John 2:23-25 NLT)

 Obviously, there is much more to this, most of which is just about the human heart, which by the way, Jesus had one; yet He was able to manage it well, making an example to all what love is all about! Even in the portion of Scripture that came just before these verses in John, that are shown above; because those are showing the time when Jesus clears out the Temple. 

 As I have previously said, there is nothing any of us can do to control or persuade someone that is dealing with a heart of stone; even those who are believers and are usually very peaceful, if the right button is pushed, they too can get out of control. I know it, because I have seen it happen. 

 That said, nothing we do cannot be forgiven; everyone has sinned, and none of us have the ability to be perfect! But what took place on that cross changed everything! God provided a way that we could be made perfect, even though we are not, because He sees us perfect in Christ Jesus, His Son! 

 What takes place in this world, however tragic it might be, is not always going to something bad, even though it might appear to be absolutely terrible. Without question, Jesus has shown us this by defeating death, after being severely beaten and then hung on a cross! 

 What more do we need to know? If God can flip that terrible happening, what in this world do we need to be afraid of...

"Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory." (1 Peter 1:21 NLT)    

"Plain and Simple"

 "For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood." (Hebrews 7:14 KJV)

  "God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ - everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and is making everything work out according to his plan." (Ephesians 1:9-11 NLT)

 So, here it is, if it might have been mysterious before, it is obvious now: God is in control, and He is the one that makes the rules! Even though things may not seem to be the way that they should, God's ways are His, even though they might not always make sense. 

 Thinking about all the different ways that the Jewish leaders were given signs of who Jesus was, they still worked hard to turn everything He did into something that was wrong or against what they should have clearly accepted. All the Scriptures they had studied, most of which they might have known by heart, they completely refused to see the connection.

 That is really not something we shouldn't understand, because when we harden our hearts to anyone, even something good they might do, will be considered as something they used to offend us. As it was, even when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, they were totally offended by what was done; so much so, they actually plotted to kill Jesus, and Lazarus too! 

 I have seen this type of anger in many different settings; most of which are caused without evaluating the truth, because the heart is so hard, the truth really doesn't want to be known. We can see it in the Bible, all the way back to Cain and Abel. What did Abel do to offend his brother? Nothing that should have made him mad, except him doing what pleased the LORD! 

 The Scriptures are always right...

""The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?"" (Jeremiah 17:9 NLT) 

"Taking Heed"

 "For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar." (Hebrews 7:13 KJV)

  "Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are." (Romans 3:19-20 NLT)

 Going back to Stephen and those Jewish leaders, if they saw what they saw, you would think they might consider the God's Spirit was manifesting in Stephen, causing him to glow. And if they had any kind of knowledge, which they should have, they might have recalled the fact the Moses glowed when he would come down from the mountain, after spending time with God. 

 We all should know why Moses covered his face, when it glowed, right? I have noticed a special glow in several speakers, as they are presenting the Good News, knowing full well that they are being anointed by God's Spirit, who is speaking through them. And then, when you see them later, they look like a totally different person. 

 The point of this, as well as many other things that people don't quite understand: God's ways are not our ways! We might expect there to be something that might be bad, maybe even catastrophic; but in the way that God works, there is something going on that is totally amazing and gives Him the glory. 

 When we are dealing with something that seems to be terribly bad, we should remember that God's ways are not our ways; He works all things out towards the good, in one way or another...

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory." (Colossians 3:1-4 NLT) 

"Transformation" - 2

 "For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also in the law." (Hebrews 7:12 KJV)

  "Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world's standard, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, "He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness."" (1 Corinthians 3:18-19 NLT)

 Here is the point we must make: Taking a stand for something we believe, we must be willing and ready to defend what we believe, regardless of who or what we are up against! You are most likely not going to be able to convince those who think they are right, but you must be prepared to defend what you believe, as it is your right! And when I say right, I mean that it is the right thing to do, because the way this world is turning, your right to say what you believe can cost you; you will pay a price! 

 As for Stephen and the confrontation he was getting into, even though he spoke about the things that were true and proven in the Scriptures, they offended those who were currently in control. Yes, even though they knew what was being said was true, it was very disturbing to see themselves in that light. The more he spoke, the harder their hearts were getting; they changed into something they could not control...

"The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen's accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand. And he told them, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor a God's right hand!" Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." He fell to his knees, shouting, "Lord, don't charge them with this son!" And with that, he died." (Acts 7:54-60 NLT)