Hebrews 3:1-6 & 4:14-16
Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Instructions:
Pray for God’s guidance as you read these passages. Please read all of Hebrews chapters 3 & 4. Notice the references to the Exodus Story.
1. How does the writer compare Moses and Jesus?
2. How was Moses faithful? How was Jesus faithful?
3. How does the faithfulness of Jesus lead to his status as a faithful high priest?
4. What is the significance of God’s statement?
5. What can we expect when we approach the "throne of grace"?
Sunday, April 05, 2009
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8 comments:
Here we go again.
This cold weather is hard to accept. I am watching it snow right now. Just doesn't seem right.
I had my last "prep" race for the Indy Mini, which is May 2nd. We had a 15k (9.3 miles) in Bedford on Saturday. The weather was perfect, and I had a pretty good run. I completed it in 1.10.29, which is around a 7.34 per mile pace. I was pleasantly surprised by my time. I ran the same race 2 years ago and took 4 minutes longer to do it.
I am hoping to break 1.40 for the Mini. Everything will have to come together perfectly for me to do that. We'll see.
I've got a lot going on this week. I am trying to figure out how I can manage everything a little better.
I ran 5 miles this afternoon and it snowed on me. Crazy.
Getting ready to watch some basketball. Go Big Ten. Go State.
I felt like I was on holy ground tonight during our men's Bible study. We talked about the pain of rejection. Stories were told; tears were shed. It was powerful.
If we feel so much pain in rejection, then what must God feel when we reject him?
Held Safe in Jesus' Love
As you see more clearly that your vocation is to be a witness to God's love in this world, and as you become more determined to live out that vocation, the attacks of the enemy will increase. You will hear voices saying, "You are worthless, you have nothing to offer, you are unattractive, undesirable, unlovable." The more you sense God's call, the more you will discover in your own soul the cosmic battle between God and Satan. Do not be afraid. Keep deepening your conviction that God's love for you is enough, that you are in safe hands, and that you are being guided every step of the way. Don't be surprised by the demonic attacks. They will increase, but as you face them without fear, you will discover that they are powerless...
The love of Jesus will give you an ever-clearer vision of your call as well as of the many attempts to pull you away from that call. The more you are called to speak for God's love, the more you will need to deepen the knowledge of that love in your own heart. The farther the outward journey takes you, the deeper the inward journey must be. Only when your roots are deep can your fruits be abundant. The enemy is there, waiting to destroy you, but you can face the enemy without fear when you know that you are held safe in the love of Jesus.
Henri Nouwen in The Only Necessary Thing: Living a Prayerful Life
Here is a fairly interesting article about the body and the resurrection.
He talks about burial and cremation.
I still oppose cremation. There's a reason Christians throughout the centuries have committed the bodies of the faithful to the ground, dramatically picturing our trust in the reclamation of these very same bodies when the roll is called up yonder. But I'm careful now to explain that, whatever is the case, cremation isn't forever. Neither is amputation or mastectomies or the horrifying tattoo marks of totalitarian regimes sending prisoners to their executions.
Our God is able to empty urns, to enliven graves, to restore limbs. He is able — and willing — to wipe away tears, and to make all things new. We ought to care for our bodies, and to care about how we honor them before and after death.
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