Category: Christian Blog

One Desperate Man’s Hopeless Cry for Redemption in a Futile Faith

 

19 And so, dear brothers, now we may walk right into the very Holy of Holies, where God is, because of the blood of Jesus. 20 This is the fresh, new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us by tearing the curtain—his human body—to let us into the holy presence of God. 21 And since this great High Priest of ours rules over God’s household, 22 let us go right in to God himself, with true hearts fully trusting him to receive us because we have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean and because our bodies have been washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22 TLB) Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23 NKJV)

In such a world filled with great sorrows as has been so evidenced in Orlando over the past two weeks, where is the hope to which I can hold fast? Where do I find such a firm foundation that I might still hold onto a steadfast Joy that is undaunted by life’s storms? Can such hope be founded in mere “spiritualism” or religion? No, for mere spiritualism or religion do not hold the only hope on which we can stand—Jesus Christ!!

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But this Man (Jesus Christ), after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Hebrews 10:12-14 NKJV

My hope can only be found in Jesus Christ who was the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for my sins. The veil was torn in two as He shed His blood on Calvary’s cross. He was the only perfect sin-bearer. The only High Priest who could rip open the veil and provide a means that I might boldly stand before God’s throne of Grace. Jesus Christ is seated on the right hand of the Father forever making intercession for me.

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Can Anyone Really Escape If They Ignore Jesus?

“For 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 I will write them on their hearts.
And I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.
“And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen,
And everyone his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
For all will know Me,
From the least to the greatest of them. “For I will be merciful to their iniquities,
And I will remember their sins no more.” When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. Hebrews 8:8-13 (NASB)

The writer of Hebrews continues to plead with these early Jewish Believers not to return to the rituals of their old faith. He reminds them of the prophesies of Jeremiah that there would be a new covenant. Jesus Christ had come to be the final sacrifice. When He did, He made the first covenant to be obsolete.

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But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come,[a] with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Hebrews 9:11-14 NKJV

The new covenant has not become fully realized by the Israel nation yet! However, it will be one day when Christ returns. For the moment, the new covenant has been extended to all who accept Christ as their Savior. This means Jew and Gentile alike.

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What If Your Feet Slip On Sifting Sand?

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31

So, wanted to pause and tell you about my vacation.  We have been having a great time in San Diego at Sea World and the Marina.  Yesterday we waited for the low tides and headed to the beach to see the tide pools as we changed hotels.  Since I normally do not swim in the ocean I was wearing my shorts and just walking along the shore.  I am not an accomplished swimmer—actually I am a bad swimmer; so, I did not plan on getting wet.  I went with purse on my shoulder and equipped with my cell phone.

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As it was the tide pools were located around the rocks.  So, being a bit daring, I carefully and cautiously made it over the rocks.  The climb was a bit hard.  After all, since so many abdominal surgeries and the destruction of all my abdominal muscles (some even removed); my balance is not always the best.  After seeing the amazing things of nature I then started to climb my way back.  There appeared to be a shortcut where I could walk across the shore line. The water was below my knees even as the waves moved in—no problem!! So I thought.  As I left the rugged rocks and stepped into the water a wave came in the sands beneath my feet suddenly shifted and I found myself floundering, purse, phone and all in 2 feet of water as the next wave crashed into me.  There I was, purse, wallet and clothes all soaked with the ocean.  Then the phone fell into the water and one shoe floated off to shore.  I would have shown you that picture—it was quite a sight; but, alas it did not seem a Kodak moment for me.

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Why Is the New Covenant Our Only Hope?

 

The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:

“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind:
‘You are a priest forever.’”

Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant. Hebrews 7:18-22 NIV

A new covenant—how precious and wonderful is that!! A covenant not based on my ability to keep the law; rather, a covenant based on the power of God’s oath. For God, swore on His own name to keep this covenant. There was no higher power than He on which He could have sworn.

Of all the people I know; there is no one less worthy and more in need of grace than I. How quickly do I realize that when I see those selfish thoughts that come into play or the moments of quick judgement that come into my heart! My own battle with sin is much like the constant flapping of my wings in the fashion of a hummingbird, rather than that of a soaring eagle. I am forever needing to return to the nectar to satisfy my thirst. I note the inner turmoil when I with all my heart want to display Christ; yet, become irritated by someone at work or annoyed when waiting in line or traffic.  Why do I who has received so much grace, stumble so quickly at giving that same grace?

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Is There Any Hope When Hate and Terror Reigns?

For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God…Wherefore he (Jesus) is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens (Hebrews 7: 19,26-27)

As a Christian writer, I have tried to always present the truth of the gospel to the best that I can and not enter into politics nor have I ever tried to be politically correct when proclaiming the truth of the gospel. The tragedies in Orlando on 6/10/2016 and 6/12/2016 caused me to feel helpless and grieved over where our world and our nation are at this time. So many tragedies from hate and division. We seem to be a nation divided by race, by religion, and by ethnicity with little hope being presented to change this. Have we who are Christians failed to represent Christ as so beautiful that we could draw others to Him? Have I failed to proclaim His Love in a way that others would hear and desire Him? As we have reached Hebrews chapter 7 in our study; let, me point out the superiority of Jesus Christ as our High Priest.

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The writer of Hebrews has pleaded with his readers that they needed to mature in their faith so they could begin to understand the truth. They had returned to the rituals and the Laws; yet, the law never was able to save anyone. There was always the need for an innocent sacrifice to cover the sins of man. Yet, Jesus was the hope all of this pointed toward. The law can only condemn and open our eyes to the truth that evil exists in each of our hearts. We are so prone to selfish desires with little hope of truly showing any love. The law points that out with such clarity; yet, can never be the solution. There could be no priests from the tribe of Levi who were the representation of the law and of whom they themselves are all sinners in need of a sacrifice to save them. Yet, then there came Jesus who is named “Priest forever after the order of Melchisidec” who was considered King of Righteousness and King of Peace.

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