We Are His House

 We Are His House

Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses — as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. (Hebrews 3:3–6) 

The people who boast and hope in Jesus Christ are the house of God. Which means that Jesus this very day — not just back in Moses’s day or in his own days on earth — but this very day is our Maker, our Owner, our Ruler, and our Provider. 

Jesus is called the “builder” of this house. Moses was not the builder. He was part of the house. So it says, “Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses — as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.” So Moses, as great as he was in leading the house, and giving God’s word to the house, was still just a part of the house. But Jesus built the house. 

So if we boast in Jesus and hope in Jesus, we are the house, and Jesus is our Builder, and Owner and Ruler and Provider. He does not let his house be destroyed or fall into ruin.

Then the writer changes the imagery — from builder and house, to son and servant. “Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant . . . but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son.” So Christ did become part of the house — part of the household — he built. But even so, his honor is far above Moses. Moses was a servant. Christ is the Son. The heir. 

And we are part of this household. Hebrews 3:6: “And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.” By all means, let us respect and give Moses his due. But the point of the whole book of Hebrews is: Christ is greater. Greater in every way. He is the builder of the house of God’s people. And he is the Son in the house of God’s people. Let us respect Moses. But let us worship Jesus — our Maker, our brother.

SCRIPTURAL VIEW OF MONEY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY NOVEMBER 11, 2024.

SUBJECT: SCRIPTURAL VIEW OF MONEY!

Memory verse: "For the love of money is the root of all kind of evil: for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (First Timothy 6 vs 10.)

READ: Matthew 6 vs 19 - 24:

6:19: Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust do corrupt, and where thieves break in and steal:

6:20: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal:

6:21: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

6:22: The light of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.

6:23: But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you  is darkness, how great is that darkness!

6:24: No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will loyal to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

INTIMATION:

I know that money is a sore subject that a lot of people want to avoid, but in my considered opinion, learning how the Scriptural view of money is basic Christianity. The importance of this subject is reflected in how much the Bible teaches about it. The Bible has more to say about money than most Bible doctrines like heaven and hell or faith and prayer. The influence of money in our lives is very real, so it isn't surprising that Jesus taught more on the subject of money than any other single topic like prayer or faith. 

In the passage we read today. Jesus used money and people's attitude towards money to reveal their hearts. Our integrity often meets its match in money matters. We are to make wise use of the money we have to realize our eternal inheritance in Christ. If we use our money to help those in need or to help others find Christ, our earthly investment will bring eternal benefit. Heaven's riches are far more valuable than earthly wealth. When we obey God’s Will, the unselfish use of possessions will follow.

It's a common scenario in our present time to see those who love money take exception to the Lord's teaching on money. We are in an age that measures people's worth by how much money they make. God doesn't operate by this world's value system, and it's more important for us to understand how God's value system works. 

Jesus says that we can have only one master. We live in a materialistic society where many people serve money. They spend all their lives collecting and storing it, only to die and leave it behind, and would not know what happens to all that wealth thereafter.  For many, their desire for money and what it can buy far outweighs their commitment to God and spiritual matters. 

Whatever you store up, you will spend much of your time and energy thinking about. If you store up your treasures in heaven, definitely your thoughts will be heavenly bound. Don’t fall into the materialistic trap of busy pursuing after money to acquire wealth because “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” Many who chase after money, to be riche at all cost, fall into temptations, traps, and many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition; piercing themselves through with many sorrows. 

Scripture recognizes that money is necessary for survival, but it warns against the love of money. Money is not evil. What is evil is the materialistic heart that is obsessed with obtaining it. In some people’s desire to satisfy their thirst for wealth, they had marginalized their relationships with friends, family and others. The sorrows that they produced through their striving to be rich manifested the error of the greedy motives of their hearts. If one sacrifices his or her good works in relationships because he or she has no time for others as a result of running after riches, then his or her spiritual life is void of the very foundation of the community of God. 

Money is a hard master, a deceptive and dangerous one. It is dangerous because it deceives us into thinking that wealth is the easiest way to get everything we want. It is so deceptive that it can take God's place in your life. Most people will trust in money rather than God to solve their problems. This is sinful, and those who pursue its empty promises will one day discover that they have nothing because they are spiritually bankrupt. Wealth promises power and control, but often it cannot deliver. Great fortunes can be made and lost overnight. And no amount of money can provide health, happiness, or eternal life.

Jesus made it clear that having the wrong treasures leads to our hearts being in the wrong places. What we treasure the most controls us, whether we admit it or not. If possessions or money become too important to us, we must re-establish control or get rid of unnecessary acquisition of riches. Jesus calls for a decision that allows us to live contentedly with whatever we have because we have chosen eternal values over temporary, earthly treasures. Heaven’s riches are far more valuable than earthly wealth.

Always aspire to a spiritual vision of money, that is, visualizing it from God’s perspective. Spiritual vision is our capacity to see clearly what God wants us to do and to see the world from his point of view. But this spiritual insight can be easily clouded. Self-serving desires, interests, and goals block that vision. Serving God is the best way to restore it. A ‘good’ eye is one that is fixed on God.

Money can become your master. How can you tell if you are a slave to money? A sincere answer to the following questions will indicate if money is your master: (1) Do you think or worry about it frequently? (2) Do you give up doing what you should do or would like to do in order to make more money? (3) Do you spend a great deal of your time caring for your possessions? (4) Is it hard for you to give money away? (5) Are you in debt?

Prayer: Abba Father, You are above all things and by You all things consist. All my aspiration is to love You and adore You above all things, and serve You wholeheartedly. Your creation can never take first place in my life, rather they will serve me as I serve You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Wipe Your Fears Away

 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. (Psalm 56:3)

One possible response to the truth that our anxiety is rooted in unbelief goes like this: “I have to deal with feelings of anxiety almost every day; and so I feel like my faith in God’s grace must be totally inadequate. So I wonder if I can have any assurance of being saved at all.”

My response to this concern is: Suppose you are in a car race and your enemy, who doesn’t want you to finish the race, throws mud on your windshield. The fact that you temporarily lose sight of your goal and start to swerve does not mean that you are going to quit the race.

And it certainly doesn’t mean that you are on the wrong racetrack. Otherwise, your competitor — your adversary — wouldn’t bother you at all. What it means is that you should turn on your windshield wipers.

When anxiety strikes and blurs our vision of God’s glory and the greatness of the future that he plans for us, this does not mean that we are faithless, or that we will not make it to heaven. It means our faith is being attacked.

At first blow, our belief in God’s promises may sputter and swerve. But whether we stay on track and make it to the finish line depends on whether, by grace, we set in motion a process of resistance — whether we fight back against the unbelief of anxiety. Will we turn on the windshield wipers?

Psalm 56:3 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”

Notice: it does not say, “I never struggle with fear.” Fear strikes, and the battle begins. So the Bible does not assume that true believers will have no anxieties. Instead, the Bible tells us how to fight when they strike. It tells us how to turn on the windshield wipers.

LAY UP FOR YOURSELF TREASURES IN HEAVEN!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 10, 2024.

SUBJECT : LAY UP FOR YOURSELF TREASURES IN HEAVEN!

Memory verse: “So When Jesus heard these things, He said to Him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow Me.” (Luke 18 vs 22.)

READ: Matthew 6 vs 19 - 21: 

6:19: Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;

6:20: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

6:21: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

INTIMATION:

A “treasure” is anything considered to be valuable. Such things are, by natural instinct, adequately cared for, and stored in safe places in order not to lose them. What are your treasures? And where are you laying them up for safety? Jesus made it clear that having your treasures wrongly laid up, leads to our hearts being in the wrong place. But when they are properly laid in safety, we are sure of not losing the stored value in them. 

Laying up your treasures on earth and earthly things is considered unsuitable because such earthly treasures are temporal; they can perish, be stolen, become obsolete, and eventually be destroyed when the earth passes away (Mark 13 vs 31; Second Peter 3 vs 10.) 

Heavenly treasures are not in physical or material substances. They are values stored up in good deeds, and are the only thing you take along with you to eternity. God is not interested in your possessions, money, and wealth. He is only interested in what you use them to do while it lasted here on earth. He is interested on how you used your wealth to build up your relationship with Him and your neighbors. 

It is noteworthy that all the “Ten Commandments” of God are relationship based, none is materialistic. Therefore, having riches carries great responsibility. If you have been blessed with wealth, then thank the Lord. Don’t be proud and don’t put your trust on your wealth. Use your wealth to do good. Be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share. Consequently, building for yourself lasting treasures in heaven due to the value God attaches to your good deeds. 

No matter how mush money you have, your life should demonstrate that God controls the wealth that He has placed under your care. When your treasures are heavenly bound, definitely your heart will be heavenly bound also. What we treasure most controls us and our thoughts, whether we admit it or not. 

If possessions or money become too important to us, we must re-establish control or get rid of them. Hence, Jesus calls for a decision that allows us to live contentedly with whatever we have because we have chosen eternal values over temporary, earthly treasures.

In our memory verse, Jesus said to the rich young man; “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” This man’s wealth made his life comfortable and gave him prestige and power. By telling him to sell everything he owned, Jesus was touching the very basis of his security, trust, and identity, which are earthly temporal treasures, instead of trusting in God. The man did not understand that he would be more secure if he followed Jesus than he was with all his wealth. 

When Jesus told this young man that he would “be perfect” if he gave everything he had to the poor, Jesus wasn’t speaking in the temporal, human sense. He was explaining how to be justified and made whole or complete in God’s sight. He was explaining to the young man God’s value system—how you used your possessions to build up your relationship with Him and others which God place great value on. 

Jesus does not ask believers to sell all they have. He did not ask most of His followers to sell everything, but rather use their possessions to serve God and others. Although this may be His Will for some who are controlled by their possessions, He asks us all, however, to get rid of anything that has become more important in life than God. If your possessions take first place in your life, it would be better for you to get rid of them. We must remove all barriers to serving Him fully. 

Don’t spend your time chasing fleeting earthly treasures. Instead store up treasures in heaven, for such treasures will never be lost. The key to using money wisely is to see how much we can use it for God’s kingdom purposes. Does God’s love touch your wallet? Does your money free you to help others? If so, you are storing up lasting treasures in heaven. 

If your financial goals and possessions hinder you from giving generously, loving others, or serving God, sell what you must to bring your life into line with His purposes. Laying up treasures in heaven is accomplished by all acts of obedience and service to God. 

If Jesus would ask, ‘Could you give your house? Your car? Your level of income? Your position in the society? Your position on the ladder of promotion? for His course.’ Definitely your response will show your attitude toward earthly treasures—whether it is your servant or your master, and would reveal who you serve—whether God or mammon. 

Where do you put your time, money, and energy? What do you think about most? How should you change the way you use your resources in order to reflect kingdom values more accurately? The sincere answers to these questions will reveal your real self!

Prayer: Abba Father, all things are Yours. You have only entrusted to our care things that are Yours. Give me the grace to manage all that You have put in my care adequately, as is pleasing to You, that I may lay up lasting treasures for myself in heaven, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Marveling at the End of History

 Marveling at the End of History

[God will] grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed. (2 Thessalonians 1:7–10) 

When Jesus returns to this earth, which he has promised to do, those who have not believed the gospel, Paul says, “will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” This is a terrible prospect that should terrify all unbelievers who hear this truth.

And oh, how it should sober us who do believe and fill us with seriousness about what is at stake in this world. Oh, how it should cause compassion to rise in our hearts for those who do not believe, or do not even know, the gospel.

But to sustain us in all our afflictions here Paul gives us two amazing words of encouragement and hope. “[God will] grant relief to you who are afflicted.” If we experience a terrible intensification of affliction near the end of history, God’s word is: Hold fast: relief is on the way. Your afflictions will not have the last word. And your seemingly powerful adversaries will regret the day they touched the Lord’s people.

But then comes the best word of encouragement and hope. Not only will we get relief when the Lord comes, but we will get the greatest experience that we were created for in the first place: We will see his glory, and marvel at it in such a way that he will be glorified in us for all the world to see. 

Verse 10: “He comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed.” We were made to marvel. Nothing and no one is more marvelous than the crucified, risen, returning King of glory, Jesus Christ. He will attain the destiny of his glory, and we will attain the destiny of our joy as we begin the perfect, sinless, never-ending marveling at the greatest marvel.

ASSOCIATE WITH UNBELIEVERS TO TURN THEM TO CHRIST!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 09, 2024.

SUBJECT: ASSOCIATE WITH UNBELIEVERS TO TURN THEM TO CHRIST!

Memory verse: "But go and learn what it means: ‘I desire mercy not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Matthew 9 vs 13.)

READ: Mark 2 vs 15 - 17: 

2:15: Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.

2:16: And when the scribes and the Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”

2:17: When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

INTIMATION:

Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and no sinner is beyond His saving power. During His earth walk, He gladly associated Himself with sinners because He loved them, and because He knew that they needed to hear what He had to say. He spent time with all manner of people—poor, rich, bad, good, etc. Therefore, as ambassadors of Christ, our ideal witnessing for Him is reaching out to those who have need for His saving grace, no matter their kind. We too, must befriend those who need Christ, even if they do not seem to be ideal companions. Are there people you have been neglecting because of their reputation? They may be the ones who mostly need to see, and hear the message of Christ’s love in, and from you.

However, this fact of associating with unbelievers to turn them to Christ has inadvertently been contrasted by many with the apostle Paul’s sayings in Second Corinthians 6 vs 14 - 16: “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols....” The apostle Paul advises that believers and unbelievers cannot be joined together effectively for a common purpose, such as; business partnership, marriage, etc, because of the difference in their beliefs. 

“Unequally yoked” means to refrain from aligning oneself with another wherein Christian principles and values are subjugated to the moral behavior of unbelievers. It would be a mismatch, and such can weaken the believer’s commitment, integrity or standards, especially for new converts, and those not yet deeply rooted in Christ. In a broader sense, the Christian should certainly not bind himself or herself to any non-Christian who would lead him into compromising his or her principles.

The apostle Paul had earlier explained that this does not mean isolating oneself from unbelievers which is against Christ’s leading: “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you need to go out of the world.” (Fist Corinthians 5 vs 9 - 10.) Apostle Paul even urges believers to stay with their unbelieving spouses: “But to the rest, I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him” (First Corinthians 7 vs 12 - 13). 

The apostle Paul made it clear that we should not disassociate ourselves from unbelievers—otherwise we could not carry our Christ’s command to tell them about salvation (Matthew 28 vs 18 - 20). Rather, we are to distance ourselves from the person who claims to be a believer, yet indulges in sins explicitly forbidden in Scripture by rationalizing his or her actions. By rationalizing sin, a person harms others for whom Christ died and dims the image of God in himself or herself.

He wanted believers to be active in their witness for Christ to unbelievers, but they should not lock themselves into personal or business relationships that could cause them to compromise their faith. Believers should do everything in their power to avoid situations that could force them to divide their loyalties.

Also, the apostle Paul did not want single believers to enter into marriage with unbelievers. Such marriages cannot have unity in the most important issue in life—commitment and obedience to God. Because marriage involves two people becoming one, faith may become an issue, and one spouse may have to compromise beliefs for the sake of unity. Many people discount this problem only to regret it later. Don’t allow emotion or passion to blind you with someone who will not be your spiritual partner. 

Prayer: Abba Father, my utmost heart desire is to be a visible expression of Christlike character to the people around me. Endue me with the humble spirit to witness effectively for You in my day to day activities, even in my association with unbelievers, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

We Honor What We Enjoy

 We Honor What We Enjoy

“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth.” (Isaiah 58:13–14)

It is possible to pursue God without glorifying God. If we want our quest to honor God, we must pursue him for the joy of fellowship with him.

Consider the Sabbath as an illustration of this. The Lord rebukes his people for seeking their own pleasure on his holy day. “Turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day.” But what does he mean? Does he mean that we should not seek our joy on the Lord’s Day? No, because the next thing he says is, “Call the Sabbath a delight.” And in verse 14, “You shall take delight in the Lord.” So what he is criticizing is that they are delighting in their own business on the Sabbath rather than delighting in the beauty of their God and the rest and holiness that this day stands for. 

He’s not rebuking their hedonism. He’s rebuking the weakness of it. As C. S. Lewis said, “We are far too easily pleased.” They have settled for secular interests and thus honor them above the Lord.

Notice that calling the Sabbath “a delight” is parallel to calling the holy day of the Lord “honorable.” “If you . . . call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable . . .” This simply means you honor what you delight in. Or you glorify what you enjoy. 

The enjoyment of God and the glorification of God are one. His eternal purpose and our eternal pleasure unite in one experience of worship. This is what the Lord’s Day is for. Indeed, this is what all of life is for.