Hebrews 13:19-25

Hebrews 13:19-25 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon. May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Brothers, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written you only a short letter. I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. Greet all your leaders and all God’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings. Grace be with you all.

The writer of Hebrews, a spiritual leader, asked for prayer from those who received his letter. How much more we who are but children in reference to this warrior need the prayers of others. We live in an alien, hostile world where many people view us as THE enemy. Jesus said the world would hate us as it hated him. Even today, people use the lovely name of Jesus more often as a curse than as a word of adoration and recognition: Emanuel, God with us. In Islamic countries, a person who converts to Christianity faces persecution or even death for such an act of betrayal. Over the years, millions of martyrs have died at the hands of those who thought they were doing their gods a favor by eliminating Christ's followers. Christians face troubles, persecutions, and discomfort as they traverse the wilderness of life. This world is not our home.

As we read the final admonitions from this "short letter" to the Hebrews, I wonder how many of us have a clear conscience in everything and have chosen to live honorably in every way. I wonder how many believers have boldly cut themselves off from other Christians who would hold them up in prayer. Brothers and sisters, are we going our own way, failing to realize how much we need the words and prayers of others to strengthen us? The church is the body of Christ where each part supplies something needed for the effective functioning of the whole. We need to function well in that body; therefore, we have no viable alternative to letting the Spirit use us to encourage and to help others. If we foolishly cut ourselves off from fellowship with other Christians, thinking we do not need others and they do not need us, we are destined for problems. The body of Christ helps sustain our Christian walk by giving comfort to those who suffer and guidance to those who stray from the truth. God does not send us out alone in an alien world. As with the author of Hebrews, we have fellowship with other believers and ask for their prayers in our behalf.

In his later years, my own dad cut himself off from regular church attendance. Although he read the Bible daily and sought the Lord in prayer, he missed out on the fellowship of the saints. After I began teaching in Auburn, Washington, for several years I went back home for post-graduate work, and my family and I lived with my folks for the summer. During those weeks, we would talk a lot about the Lord, the scriptures, and the goodness of God. We experienced powerful times of prayer together. Every year I noticed Dad's spirit would start out rather negative, but the fountain within him turned into sweet water by the end of the summer. He started speaking with more tenderness, compassion, and hope in Christ. His actions seemed more loving and caring, less troubled. Daily positive interactions with other members of the body of Christ changed his demeanor and his behavior. Christians need the love and fellowship of the brethren. The spirit of the world corrupts those who go off alone; the wolf snares the sheep that leaves the flock. When the devil finds us alone in a remote pasture, he pounces on us and leads us to captivity.

Over the last several years, I have expounded on every book in the New Testament other than Revelations, a book I choose not teach. In my breakfasts, I have not skipped any verses, and I have tried to give you the whole counsel of the scriptures. In fulfilling such a task, I suspect I have written enough material to fill several books. Some of my past breakfasts are on my blog, but most are not. Right now I am going to take a respite to seek God and to consider whether I should start over, explicating the scriptures the best I can. My hope and prayer is that these breakfasts have nourished you. I realize some of you read them daily while others read sporadically or occasionally, but I love you all, my breakfast companions. Now I leave you with the doxology of the Hebrew writer: May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Hebrews 13:17

Hebrews 13:17 Obey your spiritual leaders and submit to them [continually recognizing their authority over you], for they are constantly keeping watch over your souls and guarding your spiritual welfare, as men who will have to render an account [of their trust]. [Do your part to] let them do this with gladness and not with sighing and groaning, for that would not be profitable to you [either]. Keep praying for us, for we are convinced that we have a good (clear) conscience, that we want to walk uprightly and live a noble life, acting honorably and in complete honesty in all things. And I beg of you [to pray for us] the more earnestly, in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. (AMP)

A leader should walk uprightly and live a noble life, acting honorably and in complete honesty in all things. If a leader lives a righteous life, a life of light, he is worthy to be followed. But if a leader lives a duplicitous life or a self-oriented life of materialism, he should not be followed, for he is like a blind man leading the blind. They both will fall in the ditch. Many people have followed false leaders who lead people into great error. Such leaders are like wolves who come in to scatter the sheep and to lead them into great confusion. We often see a lot of this on television. We have a generation of Christians living primarily for themselves, looking for constant wealth and miracles, the next spiritual "fix" to make life better. People will sing and shout if they can see a payoff here on Earth, but they become disconsolate and discouraged when facing struggles or heartaches. Paul said he was being led by the Spirit of God to Jerusalem where he was captured by the Jewish leaders who pressed for his execution. But Paul knew the Spirit was leading him to Rome and this captivity was only a conduit to fulfill God's plan. He did minister for a while in Rome but eventually was killed by the Romans. Paul's only real assurance was that he would be persecuted and under the constant threat of death. Yet he willingly followed his Master, even to death. Many early Christians were persecuted from city to city, but they kept their testimony of Jesus the Savior alive wherever they went.

The dedication and faithfulness of early believers contrasts with the lukewarm and haphazard faith of many modern-day Christians. The early church faced persecution and death; we face over-indulgence and disgruntlement. American Christians spend too much time praying for self, for our personal miracles, our deliverance and not enough time seeking God's will and reaching out to others. Our lives tend to be overly self-absorbed, self-centered. When we think God has failed us, we complain about our prayers not being answered. We ask, "Why isn't He in our lives, doesn't He care?" We have taken on the spirit of a world that says, we are only going around once, so why not grab as much as we can from the journey. However, we who are in Christ are standing on the shoulders of thousands and maybe millions of martyrs. This world was not their home; they looked for a city not made by hands, a heavenly home.

How we have changed! We fill our houses and garages with "stuff," and provide every positive experience that we can for our families. Sadly, in this day and age, many Christians believe we have to experience every "good thing" the world offers to get the most from life. We say, Jesus plus the world will bring the contentment we deserve. Often we are so deceived that we do not even recognize our self-absorption. Why? For one reason, we have abandoned God and his Word by following the wrong leaders and the wrong ideas. We ignore the Holy Spirit and no long emulate the lives of Paul, Peter, James and others who gave their all for Christ. We are following people who preach gain as godliness. We must ask: Is this Christianity? Is this why we go to church and worship God, so He can make our lives carefree? Did Christ give his all to ensure a better earthly life? If so, the apostles surely did not receive that promise. But God did promise us that we would become children of God with a heavenly abode, not made by human hands. This was the land Abraham sought, this was the land of all believers who have gone before. This IS THE LAND that we must seek to find real joy and peace. We should feel discontented with this world, for it is not our final resting place. We look for our heavenly home.

Hebrews 13:15-16

Hebrews 13:15-16 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Luke 6:27-31 “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Our lives as Christians should be sacrifices of praise. We should speak and act for God's glory. The act of love praises God. Loving our enemies is a sacrifice of praise to God. When we do not strike back, when we give away our substance, when we go the extra mile with someone who misuses us, and when everything within us desires to please our Lord, we praise God. God is pleased by a sacrifice of praise. From the beginning God programed us to do good; anything less leads to unhappiness. However, the devil's intervention in the garden brought evil into God's peaceful creation. The awareness of evil resulted in the fleshly will: the desire to do our will and not God's, to trust ourselves and not him. Since then, mankind has struggled with destiny and the ability to survive. Death came into his existence, and survival required hard labor. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return. (Genesis 3:19) Without turning to him and accepting HIS WILL and HIS LIFE, we are but dust.

When our hearts long to follow our own will and we seek worldly recognition and things that are not eternal, we follow the dictates and the nature of the deceiver, the devil who wants to destroy us. However, when we desire to please God by loving others, we are gentle, kind, and long-suffering, revealing God's nature. As we sacrifice for others, even our enemies, the love of God shows through our lives. God sent the bright and morning star, Christ Jesus, to die for us when we were yet his enemies. He loved us so much that He forgives us seventy times seventy or indefinitely, so we can love others as He loves us. According to his perfect will, God gave us his perfect only begotten Son. In him we are perfect, for He completely pleased the Father and obeyed him in all things. Now, because of this perfection, we continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise. We give him glory in and through our lives by walking in love and obedience to him.

In Jesus, we will want to follow God and do good. We will help others, pray for those in need, and give to people who require our help. The Bible says our lives are not our own: we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. This simple concept demands everything, all that we are, all that we have, and all we will ever be. Living for Jesus demands sacrifice and a different way of thinking. As we orient ourselves towards others, our Christ-like attitude and behavior literally turns our world upside down. The carnal person looks at his own situation before considering others. God asks us to look at the circumstances of others over our own best interests. As we yield every aspect of our lives, we become concerned for the homeless and the living conditions of the poor; we want health care of others as much as we want it for ourselves. I sometimes fear for the American church, for we have seemingly forgotten that a sacrifice of praise comes our lips and our deeds. When we sink into ourselves and our own self-centered agendas, repentance is needed, so the living church might shine and share the "good news." If our thoughts and actions become self-oriented, we will not give the sacrifice of praise that God desires from our lives. Turn to God today in total surrender to his will, and He will use you for his glory.

Hebrews 13:11-14

Hebrews 13:11-14 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

John 18:29-31 So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?” “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.” Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

John 1:11-13 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Jewish hierarchy thought of Jesus as an agitator, a troublemaker. They wanted him gone, permanently out of their lives; therefore, they plotted to kill him. To them He represented a visceral threat: just as a robber steals possessions, they feared Jesus would take away their position of authority and status with God and with the people. Consequently, they promoted him as a common criminal and chose Golgotha as the final destination of his life. They crucified Jesus outside of the city, outside of the Jewish culture and law, outside of God's elect. A Gentile people, the Romans, took Jesus and hung him on the cross. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. In Palestine, He was rejected: the people chose to release Barrabas, a common criminal, over releasing Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But outside of the camp on a lonely hill, Jesus became the Savior of all mankind. God allowed his own to reject Jesus, so that He would be the Savior of all. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

We who are IN CHRIST have no enduring home; we are outside of the camp of this world. This Earth is not our final resting place because we have a home that is much more enduring than this temporal existence. Someday we will have a rendezvous with God and live with him forever because Jesus suffered outside the city gate to make the people (us) holy through his own blood. He was rejected by his own so all could find him. If He were still within the city, within the culture and the regulations of the Jewish people, we would have to become Jews to receive salvation. But He was crucified outside the city, depicting that we are not saved through the Jewish culture or by the Law, but by the grace and mercy of God that was shed abroad through Jesus' sacrifice for all who would believe on his name. Through Abraham's SEED all people would be blessed. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-29)

As children who were born outside of the camp because of faith in Jesus' work, we should live upright and holy lives, revealing God's salvation plan and loving kindness to the whole world. In every way we should be his ambassadors to all people, friends and enemies alike. Our affections should be set on things above, on an enduring city not made by the hands of men. We should not emulate the world or anything in it. When and if we stray into loving the world or sink into sin, we are going back inside the camp where we will try to live by laws and not by grace. The Bible says that God takes no pleasure in those who turn back. He does not bless those who turn from him. Continually rejecting God eventually leads to judgment and absence from God's presence because when we reject Christ, we reject the only door to freedom. But we who are reading this are not like those who retreat, who turn back, for we have set our minds on Christ and we will finish the race to the end. For those who do remain outside of the camp rooted and grounded IN CHRIST JESUS, God has laid up a crown of righteousness that does not fade. When we receive those crowns, we will cast them at his feet in praise and adoration, and we will be with him forever.

Hebrews 13:9-10

Hebrews 13:9-10 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.

Christians live at an altar of faith. We serve at this altar in the presence of God through faith in Christ our Lord. Under the old covenant, the altar of God was in the Holy of Holies where God's presence was so magnificent and righteous that the high priests fearfully entered only once a year to offer up sacrifices for the sins of the Israelites who were not worthy to be at this altar of faith. We who are IN CHRIST through the new covenant of faith enter into God's presence with boldness as we partake of Christ himself, his broken body and his shed blood. We can take on the nature of Christ and become more like him because of his finished work on the cross. We are always in relationship with God through the Holy Spirit who is in us and who reveals Christ to us. Through his great mercy, God loves us and makes us shine as the light of world. As the translucent gems that make up the body of Christ, we shine forth his unconditional love and marvelous grace to the world.

The cults: Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, and the like, continue to build their altars in this world. They establish holy places, set up hierarchies, institute exclusive words and regulations, and some even wear holy clothes. These cults go back to the beggarly elements of the world to please God They make divisions between their own people as they deem some more holy than others and excommunicate or shun others who do not fulfill their expectations. For some reason, these false religions with their manmade altars of the flesh attract foolish and stubborn people. Carnally minded people either ignore God or with a "give me the rules and let me do it" attitude, they try to please him through the flesh. Notice the I in that spirit. In ourselves without Christ, we cannot see God.

In our fallen state, outside of his mercy and grace, we cannot experience God's presence and enter into his kingdom. Jesus Christ alone pleases God. He is our living sacrifice: by faith we serve at his altar. Jesus is the door, the entrance to God's dwelling place. No matter how beautiful or how humble, no earthly edifice will ever bring God to us or us to him. We can lift up all the "holy men," we desire, but without Christ as their Savior, Lord, and King, their righteousness is filthy rags. The Old Testament Law showed us that we can never please God in the flesh. The mirror of the Law showed mankind as natural law-breakers unable to obey and to serve God regardless of his many blessings. Outside of Christ and complete surrender to him, mere religion does not free us from sin or make us right with God. Only Jesus Christ paid the price to make us joint heirs with him and sons and daughters of our Father God.

Therefore, turn your eyes upon Jesus, worship him, and give him glory. He is your salvation, your life, your everything. Outside of him, you have nothing; in him you have freedom from sin and eternal life. Christ is the altar of grace and mercy. You no longer have to approach God in fear and trembling, for He has given you the right to come boldly into his throne room. He has called you into his presence to present your petitions, knowing you have a High Priest seated at the Father's right hand, making intercession for you. Do not go back to the beggarly elements of this world. Do not run after cultish ideas of establishing your righteousness in the flesh. Do not be double-minded, but live wholeheartedly for Jesus. As you lean heavily on Jesus, He will give you victory over sin and joy in living as He makes you pleasing to God and righteous in his eyes. Now, live a life for him and let your light shine for all to see.

Hebrews 13:7-8

Hebrews 13:7-8 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Every Christian, regardless of his or her position in the body of Christ, should emulate Jesus. He devoted his life to the Father's will. As with Jesus, our present day spiritual leaders should be interested primarily in doing God's will. If they rightly serve God with integrity and love, we should respect them and imitate THEIR FAITH. We surely should consider the outcome of their way of life. Some of my forbearers were pastors and leaders who passionately served God. Looking at their lives, I see they committed everything to God and sacrificed material things to champion his causes. They did not live in fancy houses or even on the "right side of the track." Many times they just traveled from one city to the next, spreading the gospel. They remained faithful to their calling to the end. They stayed married, raised children who loved the Lord, and their grandchildren and great-grandchildren serve God today. As I view the graves of their children who died young and recall their stories of hardships and heartbreaks, I consider how they conducted their lives. In his last days, my own dad could not interact easily with others due to illness; yet, as we sat together, he would raise his hands to God and tearfully say, "The Lord is so good, He is so marvelous to me." This was a man whose tongue was so swollen that he could hardly talk, but he used all his strength and passion to praise the Lord with uplifted hands. Of course, his faith dramatically impacted me and my own children.

As we emulate our leaders who follow Christ passionately, we first and foremost imitate Jesus' life. He was passionate for his mission to reveal the Father and the Father's love to the world. Similarly, we should commit everything to showing our Father God to the world. I do not think we can serve God successfully in any other way. As members of God's family, we should cast off our lukewarm attitudes and behaviors. We should stop being up one day and down the next, choosing whether to follow God or not, whether to serve him or not. Scripture reveals that dedication to God means imitating the faith of our leaders and seeking to reflect Christ to the world. James says, show me your faith by your works, your consistent commitment to God's plan for you. Christian leaders are always on display whether they are on vacation or speaking for God on a public platform. They cannot take a day off and must readily serve God in every situation. We too must be ready and willing to serve God every day. Jesus was not the part-time Messiah. Even on days when He sought a respite from the crowds, He was moved with compassion for their needs and always ready to serve. We are not occasional ambassadors of Christ; we are always on duty and committed to hearing the Holy Spirit and to reaching out to others. This is our daily mission, our constant calling.

As emulators of Christ our Lord, we are not covenant breakers: we serve others as we serve God. We willingly give what we have and go the extra mile with the Roman centurion. We offer living water to those who despitefully use us, caring for the needs of our enemies. We respond tenderly and kindly to those who love us. This is our assignment in life. Today, I am concerned that we who follow Christ lack fervor because we so easily succumb to the spirit of the age, living mostly for ourselves, our wants and desires. How many of us have harbored bitterness, anger and hatred in our hearts, even self-loathing? God desires goodness and peace in our lives; He wants us to love and to serve others, to meet their needs ahead of our own. The spirit of this age says: WE ARE ONLY GOING AROUND ONCE, SO WE MUST GET ALL WE CAN FOR OURSELVES. WE MUST LIVE FOR OURSELVES, PROTECT OURSELVES. IF WE DON'T, WHO WILL? This selfish attitude leads to materialism, failed marriages, and broken relationship with friends, neighbors, and family members. A fleshly lifestyle opposes the will of God and his endearing love for all people. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. When we live IN JESUS, we should become more like OUR LEADER. The Bible says we will reap what we sow. Following the dark lifestyle of the devil and his demons produces a harvest of hurt, pain, trouble, and destruction. Following Jesus leads to healing, wholeness, peace, and joy.

Hebrews 13:4-6

Hebrews 13:4-6 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

The juxtaposition of marriage, adultery, and money in the above passage reveals God's priorities for his children. Adultery violates purity in marriage. The love of money affects commitment in a relationship with God. Both actions break a sacred covenant. Both behaviors are separators, leading to destruction. If we seek another partner in bed, we violate the sanctity of the marital covenant with our partner and with God. If we lean on money as our ultimate support through life, we compromise our covenant with God that is based on faith and trust. Either action represents immorality and makes us a covenant breaker. To reject our spouse by choosing another lover than the one to whom we originally entrusted ourselves is to choose a life of infidelity and destruction. God intended for a marriage to last until death. Our fidelity to God should last forever. When we violate either relationship, we succumb to the will of the flesh, to a profane lifestyle. In the Old Testament, Israel was judged harshly for their adulterous infidelity. A duplicitous and immoral life does not please God.

We are in Christ, and God promised that He will never leave us or forsake us. He will never disown his own children. Yet, if we wander to a far land and find ourselves eating with pigs in the depths of filth, our fleshly desires and choices will lead us to death if we do not return to the Father's house like the prodigal son. If we try to live this life on our own, taking our inheritance of eternal life and squandering it, we will end up separated from God forever. Jesus' account of the prodigal tells us we can choose to go off and live our own lives. Notice, the father did not withhold the son's inheritance but readily gave it to him. The son broke off a close, dependent relationship with the father, and once he was on his own, he lived a profligate and sinful life. He chose the world rather than the father's house. We too can leave the Father's house and prostitute ourselves to the world. We can chase after other lovers such as money, position, and wealth, falling victim to the depths of sin. Although God promised never to leave us, we can leave him. Sadly, we can break a covenant. In the world, we can break the covenant of marriage and defile ourselves with another lover. We are not robots, made just to serve God and one another. We have been made in the image of God with the free will to follow and to obey him or to do what pleases our sinful nature.

My breakfast companions, I know you desire to serve God because you are reading this devotion, but you may be facing temptation or straying from your covenant relationships. God is always there for his children. In the prodigal story, the father saw the son when he was far off and ran out to meet him. Rather than making his repentant son go all the way home by himself, he met him with gladness and rejoicing in his heart. I am sure he whispered in his son's ear how much He loved him and offered his shoulder for the son to lean upon. Our Father will never forsake a son or daughter who rejects sin and turns toward home. Regardless of the mistakes or the problems in life, God will be there to strengthen you if you focus on him. You might be weak this morning in body and mind as you read this, but God is near you. Jesus said, the kingdom of God is near you. When we abide in his presence, He surrounds us and is in us through the Holy Spirit. This morning, thank Jesus for your life, thank him for your next breath. As you pick up your feet and walk each step in him, you will find peace and joy as you declare, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.

Hebrews 13:1-3

Hebrews 13:1-3 Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Keep on serving, keep on loving, until the Lord returns. This is God's will for us who are in Christ. We are to love readily and unreservedly. As members of Christ's body, we should embrace our brothers and sisters with an everlasting love. We should always remember our children who are raised up in the name of the Lord are his children. Our friends, our acquaintances IN CHRIST are his also. When we eventually enter into the very throne room of God, the eyes of the believers who have gone before us will be upon us. Our shared DNA will not matter, our earthly relationships will not define us: only the fact that we are ALL GOD'S CHILDREN WILL MATTER. Given this reality, how should we treat God's valuable and beloved family, his heavenly DNA? God asks us to love his own, treating them with reverence and respect. We are to be gentle and kind to each other. If we treat people as we want to be treated, we will meet their needs, visit them in prison, and help them when they are mistreated. God does not tell us to judge our brothers and sisters; He tells us to love them as we love ourselves. The author of Hebrews exhorts us to keep on loving each other as brothers (sisters) for we are all God's precious little ones.

Some of us have decided Christ plus the things of the world equals happiness. But the biblical formula is Christ plus serving others equals happiness. James tells us to show our faith by our works because faith without works is dead. Faith in Christ without the concomitant works of righteousness has no life because it does not produce fruit or positive results. The Bible says, even the devil believes, but he does not perform holy deeds. Satan does not serve, he controls. He does not do good, he does evil. Jesus said the world would know we are his followers by our love. Therefore, as members of the body of Christ, our interactions should reveal God's nature, not anger, bitterness, and resentment. If we have anything against someone in the church, we should go to that person and make it right before we partake of the sacraments. We are one IN CHRIST, one in the Spirit; our actions should support the body. Christians must also recognize that God knows our thoughts and our attitudes. He knows our innermost being and does not tolerate aberrant thinking or negative behavior towards his creation. God loves everyone, including children, and demands we treat them well and cause them no harm. Jesus said, if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. (Mark 9:42)

In your lifetime, you may never entertain angels unaware, but for sure you will entertain strangers and the children of God, people who need his touch through you. Responsibility to hear and to obey God is a part of our calling as believers. In our homes, our workplaces, and our daily lives, we should seek ways to bless people and to show them God's love and his salvation plan. We should always be ready to show God's kindness, generosity, and patience. As God reaps a harvest of the Spirit in our lives, we display him to a hurt and dying world. If we fail to reflect the attributes of the Spirit, we will display our flesh to the world. God's Spirit produces a harvest of righteousness; the flesh produces destruction and suffering. Therefore, let us walk in faith, abandoning whatever hinders us from running a holy race to the finish line. Let us not make excuses for our bad moods or our unkind acts but throw off fleshly desires, materialism, and worldly ties that bind us to carnal thinking and actions. If we willingly and wholeheartedly love and serve God, we will walk in joy and peace, and others will want what we have.

Hebrews 12:25-29

Hebrews 12:25-29 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken — that is, created things — so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

God shook Mount Sinai to reveal his greatness to a specific ethnic group, the Jews, his chosen people. Even today through Jesus Christ, we serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus, Abraham's SEED, revealed God's merciful and loving nature towards mankind by dying on the cross for our sins. By sending his son as the perfect sin offering, God made the whole world accountable for what they do with Jesus. Those who trust in Jesus Christ by faith will be saved; those who reject Christ's sacrifice will come under the judgment of sin, which is death. This is Christianity: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18) God made a way for sinful men to enter into his presence. For many such a plan seems too arbitrary and abstract to understand, but the Bible clearly states that Jesus is the only way to eternal life; no one can enter God's presence or spend eternity with him without going through the door, Christ our Lord.

The above verses warn mankind to accept God's plan of salvation, for someday He will shake all that can be shaken. Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens. Eventually, this world and the heavens will be judged. Peter talks about a new heaven and earth. John wrote in Revelation, I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. If God shakes the Earth off its axis, turning it to dust, we must have an eternal resting place, a place to abide with God. If heaven and earth pass away, and all that we know and experience ceases to exist, those who trust in him will still have a resting place with God. God is a spirit, we worship him in spirit and in truth, and in our spirits we will be with him eternally, forever safe and secure with God. This is our hope IN CHRIST. This world is not our home: our home, our inheritance, is IN CHRIST with God. As the body of Christ, the church of the living God, we are found in the kingdom that cannot be shaken. The Earth and its contents will be shaken, but the kingdom of God will stand firm forever. Praise the Lord.

Therefore, we do not live in dread or fear of what is coming on the Earth. We do not run here or there to find rest because our souls rest in the assurance that God loves us and Jesus Christ is our Lord. Presently, Christians remain in transition, always on the move. Our homes are but tents, not our final destination. We do not seek mammon as our inheritance. We do not serve the things of the world; neither do we let the cares of life hold us down. We serve God with reverence and awe, knowing He has a plan for our present lives and a blissful future in store for us with him. Yes, in the former years, He shook a mountain, but in the future, He will shake all of creation. But regardless of the shaking, we who are in Christ have a permanent home in his presence, eternally safe with our lovely Lord, for we who have placed our trust in him are at home IN HIM FOREVER.