Hebrews 2:5-9

Hebrews 2:5-9
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  I love this section of Scripture.  The preacher in Hebrews is admitting that we don't see everything clearly, that we don't have all the answers, but what we do have is a firm and certain knowledge that Jesus Christ, God's own Son, died for everyone.  The same Lord who died for all is now crowned with glory and honor, and his desire is to invite others into that glory, to share his love and mercy with all who come to know him as Lord and Savior.
  We don't have all the knowledge in the world, but we know enough -- we are infinitely loved and served by the Creator God of the universe.  Rejoice!

Hebrews 2:1-4

Hebrews 2:1-4
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  2 We must give our full attention to what we were told, so that we won’t drift away. 2 The message spoken by angels proved to be true, and all who disobeyed or rejected it were punished as they deserved. 3 So if we refuse this great way of being saved, how can we hope to escape? The Lord himself was the first to tell about it, and people who heard the message proved to us that it was true. 4 God himself showed that his message was true by working all kinds of powerful miracles and wonders. He also gave his Holy Spirit to anyone he chose to.

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  Think of your peripheral vision.  When you're moving forward, these are the things that appear to the side, often as distractions.  When you think of your primary goals in life, most other things get pushed to the periphery, for good or bad.  Some people are so driven by career goals that they push family and friends to the side.  Others are so focused on serving others they forget to care for themselves.  We all have things we're moving towards, by design or not, designated by how we spend our time and energy.
  The danger is that our spiritual life becomes something that gets pushed toward the periphery, often because we're just preoccupied with other things in life.  Our focus on God drifts towards something else, and pretty soon our relationship with Christ is one thing among many, dancing towards the side of our field of vision.
  So may we wisely choose, each morning, how best to focus ourselves, making it a priority to give full attention to God, so that our peripheral vision is filled with things that matter less, while the big things in life are kept before us.

Hebrews 1:5-14

Hebrews 1:5-14
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  Hebrews is more of a sermon than a letter, and the point of the this section is to paint a difference between Jesus Christ and the angels.  Perhaps the argument was going around that Jesus was just another angel, no different than the rest, but the preacher here is emphasizing that Jesus is different.  Jesus is the Son of God, and he will rule forever.  The angels were created, but Jesus will sit on a throne eternally.
  Think about that for a second -- picture the majesty of Christ, sitting at the right hand of God, in the throne room adorned with the power and majesty that rightly belongs to God the Father.  This is the true identity of Jesus.
  And Christ sets all of that down, comes to earth and ascends the cross, dying like a common criminal because he loves you and wants to remove your punishment from sin, so that you may have life, and have it eternally and abundantly, worshiping God forever. That's how much Christ loves you.

Hebrews 1:1-4

Hebrews 1:1-4
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 

 How's that for a brief history lesson?
  1)  God had people speaking the Gospel message for years.
  2)  When they didn't listen, God sent his own Son, the heir of the universe, to share the Gospel message.
  3)  God holds the entire universe together.
  4)  God's own Son washed away your sins just before sitting down at the right hand of God.

  This is who died for you -- God's own Son.  Let us worship him with thanks and praise!!!