260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 218 - Intro & James 1: Trials, Trust, Temptation, Application

Introduction to James: This is the “How To” book on Christian living! It was written by James, the brother of Jesus, about AD 49. It’s about putting your faith into practice. Nearly every other verse contains a call to action! The big idea seems to be that genuine faith is constantly moving from the heart to the tongue to the feet. James 1: Trials, Trust, Temptation, Application Ok, so I couldn’t come up with a “T” word for putting God’s word into practice, so I flunk as a Baptist today – LOL!~ Regardless, these are the four topics of this chapter: TRIALS: (1-5) – Not sure about you, but I don’t really care for trials. My theory of “no pain, no pain” has always been my preference. But God says a lot of good about them here. First, our attitude is to welcome them with joy. Why? Because “the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” If we never went thru anything tough, we’d crumble at the smallest things. But as we develop perseverance, it helps us become “mature and complete.” And the ultimate prize is found in vs 12: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” TRUST: (6-12) – The whole concept of faith involves trust. Trusting in what you cannot see. We read in Hebrews 11 that faith is “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Doubt kills trust and from the beginning in the garden, Satan’s desire is to get God’s kids to doubt God’s Word! TEMPTATION: (13-18) – Wow does this describe how we get into sin or what?! I DESIRE things I shouldn’t, then I follow that desire and DO things I shouldn’t, and boom – I sin! And if it isn’t addressed, it will kill me! APPLICATION: (19-27) – I’ve always been told God gave me two ears and one mouth because I should listen twice as much as I speak. Good advice, and here very Biblical! Then James hits us with what I call “nike theology” – “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” Just Do It! SO WHAT?! *What are you going through right now that you need to trust God in? How is your attitude? I admit, it’s tough in the midst of things to have joy if we don’t look beyond them. Get with a friend today and pray together about these things. It’s always better to go through things with a friend than alone. And never forget GOD is ALWAYS there! *When and where do your greatest temptations occur? At night? When you’re alone? Away from home? Any combination of these can be detrimental! Share these with someone who will keep you accountable. Marcus Evans is my accountability partner. I used to talk or meet with him regularly (I just moved) and he also gets sent a copy from Covenant Eyes of everywhere I’ve been on my computer. Let me encourage you to do similar things! We NEED brothers & sisters who can truth with us in love! *How’s your “nike theology?” I don’t know about you, but I am far educated beyond my level of obedience. I mostly just need to obey what I already know in the Lord! How about you?

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 217 - Hebrews 13: Random Concluding Exhortations

Wow - that title included progressively a 2, a 3 and a 4 syllable word! Yeah – that’s random too huh?! Anyway, this final chapter in Hebrews is filled with advice on Christian behavior. So here we go: Keep Loving: As we do this we may be showing love to angels! Remember those in Prison: Those who suffer for Jesus name we are to in a sense “suffer with.” Honor Marriage: Imagine what would happen if couples would just keep the promise they made to God & each other!~ Be Content: Don’t love money more than God! Remember & Imitate Your Leaders: Pastors, Sunday school teachers, etc… Thank ‘em and be like ‘em! Oh, and later it says to obey them, so that they will like being your leader! Don’t Be Deceived: The rules & rituals are not what Christianity is all about. It’s the relationship with our Savior! When this one is right, all the other stuff falls in place. Keep Praisin’ God: Tell Him, serve Him and love others! Pray: Never, never, never stop praying about anything and everything! As we read these challenging exhortations from God, let’s be doers and not just hearers! SO WHAT? *When you think of God, do you break out in praise? The better you know Him, the more you will be able to praise Him for! Lord help us to Know you and Make You Known more & more, each day, for the rest of our lives! *What is your view on marriage? Next to a person’s relationship with Jesus, there is no greater decision. Get it down right now – Marriage is a covenant (contract, promise) you make with God & with your soon to be spouse. I promise NO MATTER WHAT to love, honor cherish…. ‘til death do we part. Decide NOW, before you get married, that you will keep your promise! Then pray, pray, pray for the person whom God would have you make that promise to. And be patient. It’s better to be single wishing you were married, than to be married wishing you were single! *Finally, when was the last time you thanked your spiritual leaders? They put together lessons each week , pray for you, meet with you, etc…all to help you to Know Jesus and Make Him Known! When was the last time you thanked them? Yeah, yeah, I know this sounds self-serving (so don’t do it with me then, do it with another spiritual leader), but seriously, take some time this weekend to write them a note, meet with them, get them a gift, etc… but somehow let them know how much you appreciate them and how it has helped you in your faith! GO FOR IT!!!

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 216 - Hebrews 12: Run for Your Life!

The first 10 chapters of Hebrews are about Jesus being “The Bomb” – superior to everything and everyone! Chapter 11 describes how faith alone in Jesus alone was demonstrated by faithful greats. “Therefore…” = Chapters 12-13 is the “so what” of this letter, the application. The “great cloud of witnesses” are those faithful peeps from chapter 11. It’s as if the writer is saying, “Look around you at all the examples of faith! If they can live by faith, so can you!” It’s as if you & I are on the track of life ready to run and they’re in the stands cheering us on! What a great motivation!!! So how do we do this? He mentions five things: • Throwing Off Everything that Hinders: one of the greatest problems runners face is weight. Pounds, clothes, etc… have to be taken off. You never see a runner run the race in their warm ups! Why? You can’t win carrying excess weight. The problem here is not what the weight IS but what the weight DOES – it slows us down. • Throwing Off Sin that Entangles: The problem here IS with sin issues, the things we KNOW are wrong but we do them anyway. They can cause us to stumble and fall. I don’t know of any runners who have fallen in a track race, got up and won. • Running with Perseverance: Determination to not give up is key to an athletes success and it’s the same with our faith in Jesus! Patience would be another good word here. The Christian life of faith is a marathon, not a sprint and God is calling us on to go the distance! There WILL be obstacles, we WILL get tired, but we MUST NOT give up! • The Race Marked Out for Us: This is a race of faith. There are many differing races and different ones who run those races. We must be sure to run OUR race, not someone else’s! Some are harder, some are easier, some are shorter, some are longer. • Fix Our Eyes On Jesus: Two thoughts here. First, Jesus is THE greatest example of One who ran the race God marked out for Him! Second, many things distract us in life, even good things at times. The runner who looks into the crowd to see who is cheering for them may lose the race in doing so. We must set godly priorities and stick to them! In doing so we “will not grow weary and lose heart.” The rest of the chapter gives more applications on how to live a faithful life in Jesus: Do not lose heart, endure hardship, know that discipline produces a harvest of righteousness and peace, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees, make level your paths, live in peace with all men and be holy, worship with reverence & awe and BE THANKFUL! SO WHAT?! *So how is your race of faith going? Are you running? Jogging? Walking? Sitting on the track tripping people? Watching from the stands? There is nothing more encouraging than the successful example of one who has done it before! JESUS ran for two things (1) joy set before him and (2) sitting down at right hand. Only what was at the end of the race could have motivated Jesus to leave what He did and endure what He did. Do these things motivate you? *What “excess weight” do you need to throw off that may not even be sin but distracts you from running? Obsessions with Video games? Facebook? Clothes (don’t throw these off in public)? Stuff? Maybe ask a friend if they notice anything that keeps you from being sold out to God. Scary, but it may be the best thing for us! *Who in your life has been an example of faithfulness? Why not take some time today and tell them thanks!? Email, facebook, tweet or snail mail a note to them while they are on your mind. It may be just what THEY need to make it through another day!

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 214 - Hebrews 10: Christ the Perfect Sacrifice – Let us Draw Near

I don’t know about you, but I need hope. Not only do I need hope, but I need it every day! In Corinth, Paul was determined to know nothing except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. This is the only hope we have and is the theme of this chapter. In His death, Jesus was and is THE perfect sacrifice! The old sacrificial system could not bring access to God, it could not remove sin, was totally external and ultimately unpleasing to God. They were however, “…an annual reminder of sins…” (1-6). The New Sacrifice (Jesus) reflects God’s will (5-7), replaces the old system (8-9), makes us holy (10), removes sin (11-12), conquers (13), perfects believers (14) and fulfills the promise God made (15-18). Verse 19, “Therefore…” = How then are we to live? Three things are mentioned: Draw Near in Faith: (19-22) – When it comes to God, it’s always been about relationship. Can you believe He desires to have us near Him?!~! And He provides the way for that to occur when we humbly realize our sinful, helpless condition and trust in what Jesus did for us that we could not! What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! Hold Unswervingly to Hope: (23) – Perseverance is the key to victory. In Revelation 2-3 the promises in each church are given “To him who overcomes.” We are to be overcomers and that means sticking it out through the good and the not so good. Encourage One Another in Love: (24-25) – It is amazing how big an impact just a small compliment or a word aptly spoken can have! And the best words are God’s Words when shared together. But some will reject this truth of Christ (26-31) and will receive judgment for doing so. Because of this, the writer ends with a final appeal to not reject Christ (towards unbelievers) and to persevere (believe & be saved). SO WHAT?! *In what ways are we working at drawing near to God? Do we regularly spend time in the Bible? In prayer? Confessing sin? With God’s people? Serving the Lord? All of these will help you & I draw near to our Savior who desires to be near to us! *How are you & I persevering? I’ve run a lot of races in my life. I’ve never won any of them but I HAVE finished them all! So here’s the deal: EVERYONE who finishes the Christian life WINS! I know at times this life can dish out a lot of crap. But let’s ask God to give us spiritual pitchforks so we can toss the manure of this life aside and run with perseverance the race marked out for us! *Encouragement – we love to receive it, but often feel too busy to give it. I challenge each of y’all reading this TODAY to send a note, a text, an email, etc… of encouragement to someone who you think needs a “word aptly spoken.” Go ahead, I Double-Dog Dare Ya’!

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 213 - Hebrews 9: Old Covenant vs. New Covenant

Trying new things does not always come easy for most. People tend to like routine. This will never fly in student ministry and we have to realize it doesn’t fly in regards to our relationship with God either. The old way of doing things - external regulations that only covered sin for a time - has been replaced by a new way – internal relationship with God based on the blood of Jesus which removes sin! 1-5: The old sanctuary was a picture of what was to come but was earthly, temporary and never provided true access to God. There was only ONE entrance, symbolizing only ONE way = Jesus! God made it that way! Jesus now lights our path, feeds us and intercedes for us. 6-7: Priests would daily “carry on their ministry” of representing the people, Now Jesus continually intercedes for us! 8-10: Worship has changed too! In the old way, only the high priest could get close to God, and that only once a year. But “They are only…………external regulations applying until the time of the new order.” Now we can all have a relationship with God through Jesus! 11-14: The old covenant was designed by God, but made by man. The new is designed by God, made by God and Christ is THE sacrifice, ONCE for ALL! It’s permanent & eternal. The old sacrifices symbolized external cleansing of sin, the new cleanses internally (where sin really exists). KEY VERSE: “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.” The writer now gives 3 reasons it was necessary for Jesus to die: 15-17 - A Will Demands Death: Ok, no brainer. 18-22 – Forgiveness Demands Blood: Blood is the symbol of death and the payment for sin (22). Since the penalty for sin is death, nothing but death could pay for sin. We cannot enter into God’s presence by trying to live good, do good, etc. 23-28 – Judgment Demands a Substitute: All of us must die, our death is by divine appointment, and after death comes judgment (vs. 27). So this leaves us two Choices: Either (1) we pay for our sins by our own death and sentence to hell or (2) we have a substitute who pays. Ummmmm…I choose #2! (2 Cor. 5:21!) SO WHAT?! *What must a person do to inherit eternal life? NOTHING! It’s already been done and all we need do is trust in Him who did it for us! Have you? Jesus truly is INDESCRIBABLE! *When was the last time we truly thought about the devastation that our sins bring us? I wonder if not seeing sin the way God does causes us to take it lightly at times? Lord, help me to see my sin the way you see it and to have Your strength to turn from it!

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 211 - Hebrews 7: Melchizedek & Jesus

The focus of Hebrews is the Priesthood, and chapter 7 is all about it! Melchizedek is a “Type” – A “type” which is something in the Old Testament which has a counterpart in the New Testament. For example: the “serpent on the stick” in Exodus represents the sacrificial lamb Jesus. And the NT one is always better, permanent & perfect. Does this make sense? Anyway, there are lots of “guesses” as to who Melchizedek was, none of which are certain. What we do know for certain is that he was a historical man whose priestly ministry typifies Christ! In the Levitical priesthood, all priests were Levites but not all Levites were priests. It was strictly national and strictly Jewish. Levites were set aside as first fruits to God and priestly sacrifices were not permanent but had to be repeated. You had to be born into family to be a priest and it was a temporary position (age 25-50 – Num. 8:24, 25). And you could not be king. Well, Melchizedek’s priesthood was superior to the Levitical priesthood in every way! It was for everyone (1), you could be a king (1-2), it was truly righteous & peaceful (2), it was personal, not hereditary (3), and it was eternal, not temporary since no priest could serve more than 25yrs (4-7). PS – There is no mention of Melchizedek’s death or end of his priesthood. Verses 11-28 then explain to us how Jesus is THE Superior Priest for us! The writer is again encouraging wavering Jews to break the old system and come to Christ. It was hard for a Jew to believe the system Moses gave them was temporary, inadequate and defective (7:18, 9:8-10, 10:1-4). God never in tended for the Levitical priesthood to last forever. “Perfection” in Hebrews speaks of access to God. If the Levitical priesthood could have brought “perfection”, then why would God have provided Jesus as Priest? There was a “change” of priesthood! This new priesthood provides perfection. It’s different & eternal. The “former regulation” = the old way of sacrifice after sacrifice after sacrifice, could reveal sin, cover sin, but not REMOVE sin! New priesthood (Jesus) can! “Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.” Because He is eternal, holy & sinless! And whereas the old was based on rules & regulations, the new one is based on relationship, the essence of Christianity, by which we “draw near to God.” SO WHAT?! *Through Jesus, believer have direct access to God Himself, because of Christ’s blood! We no longer have to kill an animal every time we sin to cover things for a time. Jesus REMOVED our sin once and for all! Let’s thank Him for this today! *How “near” are you to God today? Friendship? Acquaintance? Deep & Intimate? Couldn’t pick Him out of a line up? The rest of our lives we get the privilege of drawing nearer to God. Let’s take advantage of that privilege!

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 210 - Hebrews 6: Growth, Tasting & Trusting

Spiritually, the people whom the writer is addressing were growing dull, hard and stupid. So the writer offers a solution: “…leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity…” When the only answer we can give to spiritual questions are Jesus, God & the Bible, we’re not growing spiritually. Repentance, faith, baptism, laying hold of Jesus’ teachings, the resurrection and judgment are all things we should know what the Bible says about. Verses 4-6 are some of the most controversial verses in the Bible. Many see this as a passage that teaches you can lose your salvation. Yet, there is no reference to salvation. Nor is there any mention of sanctification, justification, new birth or regeneration (sorry to toss out a bunch of churchy words). I believe this passage was written to Jews who had not fully surrendered (only tasted) to Christ but were holding on to Judaism. “Enlightened” = to be mentally aware, doesn’t require a response. “Tasted” = sampled, not feasted; not accepted. “Shared in the Holy Spirit” = to associate with, not possess. These were “make-believers” who had not truly trusted in Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins! If you believe, from this passage, that salvation can be lost, then you have to believe it can’t be regained either – something these proponents aren’t willing to accept. I do believe that the “opportunity” to receive salvation can be lost, but not salvation itself. Once you become a child of God, you never cease to be His child! Then 9-12 just gives a list of things that accompany salvation. The final section, 13-20, has to do with trusting God. God invented truth, cannot lie and keeps His Word! God can be trusted because of WHO He is, because of His Pledge and because of Christ, His and our High Priest! SO WHAT?! *How long have you been a Christian? 1 Year? 3 Years? 5 Years? 20 years? The disciples had only been believers for 3 years max and Jesus expected a lot out of them! If we were still feeding our teens with a baby spoon and wiping their butts, people would be aghast! But how often does God feel that way about us spiritually? Pledge today to make regular Bible reading, prayer, fellowship and witnessing a part of your weekly schedule! 2 Timothy 2:15 *True believers can’t lose their salvation (John 10:27-29), Romans 8:35, 38-39, Philippians 1:6). Make-believers & unbelievers don’t have salvation to lose. So, which camp do you fall into? I pray that you truly believe. By the way, this challenge is not to get anyone to doubt their salvation, but rather to affirm it! *Finally, do you & I truly believe God is trustworthy? In tough times we tend to think “What are you doing God?!” I know I’ve done this! But inside I KNOW God is to wise to ever make a mistake, and to loving to ever be unkind, and I can trust Him. Lord help my unbelief!