Hebrews 6:9-12
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
The preacher here in Hebrews is trying to encourage the people, all the while urging them forward, to stay faithful, to not let the allures of comfort and ease draw them away from the difficult road of discipleship.
It's challenging to stay faithful, to keep your vision focused on Christ. One day runs into another, and the awe of Easter fades as other demands press in, all the while our attention is drawn to easier ways. These alternatives may not offer the same ultimate reward, but it's easy to forget long-term goals when you long for short-term fulfillment. Our willpower is rarely strong!
So let us stay faithful, because God remembers the good we have done, and because we are following the example of those who have come before us, those who stayed faithful and true.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Hebrews 6:4-8
Hebrews 6:4-8
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
It's an ongoing question for all of us -- what about those who don't believe? The Bible seems to address this in many places, including here, where the preacher in Hebrews tells us that those who have believed and then turned back are doomed. If someone has come to know the love of God and believe in all that God offers, to turn back on that is to insult God, as though the providence of God is not enough.
I don't have the answers for big questions. I've certainly wrestled with them a lot, and at the end of the day I trust that the God who comes as Judge will be the same God who comes as Savior, and that Savior was merciful and gracious, and I expect him to continue to exhibit mercy and love. God rules from on high in love and seeks peace, and so I trust that what God does will be right, and that some day I might glimpse an understanding of how God rules, including how God deals with those who know the fullness of his love and reject it still.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
It's an ongoing question for all of us -- what about those who don't believe? The Bible seems to address this in many places, including here, where the preacher in Hebrews tells us that those who have believed and then turned back are doomed. If someone has come to know the love of God and believe in all that God offers, to turn back on that is to insult God, as though the providence of God is not enough.
I don't have the answers for big questions. I've certainly wrestled with them a lot, and at the end of the day I trust that the God who comes as Judge will be the same God who comes as Savior, and that Savior was merciful and gracious, and I expect him to continue to exhibit mercy and love. God rules from on high in love and seeks peace, and so I trust that what God does will be right, and that some day I might glimpse an understanding of how God rules, including how God deals with those who know the fullness of his love and reject it still.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Hebrews 6:1-3
Hebrews 6:1-3
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
What's your next step?
Have you given thought to how you want to grow in faith? We are encouraged to never stop growing, but we often tend to take growth for granted, assuming that it will just happen along the way. How much wiser would it be for us to spend time thinking about how we want to grow so that we will act with intention, learning or developing along a certain path. We don't have to be legalistic about it, but pursue growth with a path in mind, to ensure that we aren't just cruising, but actively moving down the road that Christ has called us to walk.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
What's your next step?
Have you given thought to how you want to grow in faith? We are encouraged to never stop growing, but we often tend to take growth for granted, assuming that it will just happen along the way. How much wiser would it be for us to spend time thinking about how we want to grow so that we will act with intention, learning or developing along a certain path. We don't have to be legalistic about it, but pursue growth with a path in mind, to ensure that we aren't just cruising, but actively moving down the road that Christ has called us to walk.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Hebrews 5:11-14
Hebrews 5:11-14
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
As we grow, we change.
Our kids don't eat baby food forever -- as they mature, they're ready to be challenged by new foods, to try new things and see how they are developing.
As Christians, we grow as well. We don't receive messages meant for children forever. As we grow, we are challenged by Scripture and forced to concentrate on what God is saying to us, because as the undercurrent of his love never changes, the delivery does. As we grow there will be tough challenges that make us reconsider what we know about how our life relates to God. Children might not be able to handle a tough message, but we should be able to. Our faith should strengthen and grow, and so we move beyond the simple into the complex, all the while remembering the foundation that is built in the early days of our faith.
How do you let yourself be challenged?
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
As we grow, we change.
Our kids don't eat baby food forever -- as they mature, they're ready to be challenged by new foods, to try new things and see how they are developing.
As Christians, we grow as well. We don't receive messages meant for children forever. As we grow, we are challenged by Scripture and forced to concentrate on what God is saying to us, because as the undercurrent of his love never changes, the delivery does. As we grow there will be tough challenges that make us reconsider what we know about how our life relates to God. Children might not be able to handle a tough message, but we should be able to. Our faith should strengthen and grow, and so we move beyond the simple into the complex, all the while remembering the foundation that is built in the early days of our faith.
How do you let yourself be challenged?
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