Month: August 2019

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 (Hebrews 6-10)

These chapters focus on the priesthood of Jesus Christ.  A priest is the mediator between man and God. Jesus is referred to as the High Priest and likened to Melchizedek, who predated the Levitical priesthood and who Abraham gave a tenth of his bounty after defeating four kings to rescue his nephew Lot. Like Melchizedek, Jesus was not Levitical.

The writer of Hebrews logically and systematically shows Jesus as the complete and final priest.  With His death and resurrection, there is full access to God’s mercy and grace. The Levites were temporary, Christ is eternal. The ancient Law is written on stone, Christ’s Law is engraved on the hearts of those whose belief becomes faith. Animal sacrifice only reminded the people they were sinners (10:3&4), while the blood of Jesus has the power to save us from our carnal crisis.

A ‘testament’ or covenant is a will, a bequeathment, to heirs, effective after the death of their maker.  This is where we get the terms, New Testament and Old Testament. There is no further need for animal sacrifice (Old Testament) in an earthly Temple that lay in crumbles. Christ’s blood (New Testament) is sufficient and God is faithful to forgive those who place the trust in this Salvation.

Love,

Gretchen

In the shadow of Saturday’s violence and many recent tragic events, my heart isn’t light. I know in the days to come we will look for reasons and places to assign responsibility for what happened and the direction we should take in the future. It eases our conscience and assures us we are not at fault or at least, less to blame than another and ends with the conclusion, “SOMEBODY NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING!”
We do not have a broken home, adultery, homosexual, educational system, pornography, substance abuse, failing churches, youth in crisis, abortion, media, gun control, political ideology problem. We have a sin problem, a sanctity of life beyond ourself problem. The only thing anyone can do is look at the face in the mirror and say, “Here I am Lord, send me.” Isaiah 6:8b

As for me: I going to make Satan sorry I got out of bed this morning.

Love you all!

Gretchen

Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death-that is the devil. Hebrews 2:14 (Hebrews 1-5) 

The author and audience are not declared in the opening statements of this letter, but it was written to Christians who had an educated knowledge of all things Jewish. Hebrews is a magnificent defense of the Christian faith. The writer logically and systematically argues Christ’s superiority over all the Jews hold dear, the prophets, angels, Moses, Joshua, Levitical priesthood, covenants and sacrifices.

Jewish converts believed the resurrection of Christ would assure Jerusalem a place as capital of the world. Instead, it would soon be a pile of rubble at the hands of Roman persecutors, and with the destruction of The Temple, all that was left of their heritage and traditions would soon be gone. These believers needed to know the covenant with Abraham, from one nation will come the blessing for all nations, has been fulfilled. In addition, they must understand what Christianity really is and what pleases God. They habitually look to spiritual leadership as an administrative role but now their eternal lives depend on the hope of things unseen.

Jesus became the least of all things to cure the sin problem we have. As The Sacrifice, no others are needed. The Temple can lay in a heap without consequence to man’s soul, because the Holy Spirit has built His dwelling in the hearts of the faithful and true. Suffering is a time for maturity and confidence in what you have seen and know. The faithful Father of Jewish history is the same God who will see each of us to a Sabbath’s rest, in this life and beyond.

Happy Weekend,

Gretchen

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us. I Peter 2:11-2 (I and II Peter)

These two letters are the only reference to Peter’s later life and were written not long before his death during Nero’s terror. He writes to the dispersed Jews of Asia Minor. It was a time of great hostility toward Christians everywhere. As Nero poured tar on believers and lit them on fire to light his evening portico, it did seem and sound as though Satan was roaring like a lion who would completely devour The Church.

This Rock, whom Jesus would build His church upon, instructed perseverance by arming oneself for suffering. Many fell away during this time and there were those who exploited and mocked Jesus’ works and prophecies and turned them into a license for perversion and lasciviousness. (At the same time Jude addressed these very issues.) He addressed the question of God’s actions toward those who reject His ordinances. The God that cast rebellious angels from His presence, saved only Noah and his family while all other men perished in the flood and later, rid the earth of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their residents, for their perverse behavior, will NOT excuse sin!

Peter urges his readers to live as though this world was not their home, for their hope was in Heaven where Christ is the center of all that is Holy. Peter’s favorite adjective was precious, precious blood, precious faith and precious promises, with Christian Love as the supreme virtue. To know God is to share His nature. As the Redeemed, we have the responsibility to Glorify God. For those that seek to find you guilty sin, leave them no evidence to convict you.

Happy Friday,

Gretchen

Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered His people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. Jude 5 (Jude)

This very short letter was written by Jesus and James’ younger brother Jude, also known as Judas. He was preparing correspondence regarding Salvation when word came to him of wicked men who had infiltrated church leadership and turned God’s Grace into a license for lasciviousness. These false prophets denied Christ while exalting Christian freedom. In this address to a Jewish audience, Jude uses Old Testament references and known Jewish historical facts to give evidence of God’s intolerance to sinful behavior.

The history of the church has often suffered from men such as these. We must resist those who seek to exploit Christianity and Christians. Jude’s doxology reminds us we are not defenseless, but it is imperative we use the Truth, Power and Light of the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us.

Love,

Gretchen