Hebrews – Page 20 – I'm Following Jesus

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Saturday, December 23, 2017
Chapters: Hebrews 11-13
Message: Through The Eyes Of Faith

Hello My Friend,

Faith; Belief; the act of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another. You do not have to read the Bible to know what faith is, you do not even have to believe in God because it takes just as much faith not to believe as it does to believe, if not more. Think about it, one has to have faith to believe that people have evolved, in their minds they believe it to be true. The same thing goes for those who believe in God, we have to believe that what is said about Him in the Bible is true. The difference between those who believe in God and those who believe in evolution, the Bible is the living Word of God, which means it is true. Our form of faith in goes beyond what the Bible says, it is the firm belief of God’s testimony, and of the truth of the gospel, which leads to an entire reliance on Jesus Christ for our salvation. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” – Hebrews 11:3,6.

By faith, we who know Jesus Christ as our Saviour do so having not seen Him in person, but in believing that everything said about Him is true. Think about it, Jesus was here on earth, you do not need the Bible to tell you that everything said about Him, at least from the physical stance is true. You need faith to see beyond that, which is why God does not reveal more than what He has. Hebrews 12 goes through a series of testimonies of believers from the Old Testament proving that a Bible was not necessary to believe, they just believed by faith.

“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” – Hebrews 11:8,11,23-28,39-40.

“lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.” Many people reject God because, quite frankly, He is a just God, meaning He will bring judgment upon all. I had someone tell me that he rejected God because He had a man put to death because he picked up some sticks on the Sabbath. You cannot read the Bible in bits and pieces and expect to understand what is going on, God actually blinds those whom question His authority from seeing the truth. I will be the first to admit that I do not understand why God does some of the things He does, but I do understand that His way is the only way, and sometimes He will use judgment to show that He does not mess around with those who try to test Him by rebelling against Him. Paul reminds us that we are in a race.

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” – Hebrews 12:1-6.

“and the sin which doth so easily beset us,” There is a fine line between what we consider sin and what God does. While He leaves the choice up to us, we are going to be chastened if we do something that He does not want us to do, even if we believe that He allowed us to do it. Think about this, what does your conscience say about what you are doing? Is there any doubt that it is wrong? Do you know in your heart, God does not want you to handle things the way you are? We are pretty good at talking ourselves into believing something untrue is true when we let our own understanding make our decisions for us, but it takes great faith to go against the world and follow God. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” – Proverbs 3:5-8.

If you are being chastened by God, do not run from Him, embrace Him, He loves us and knows the suffering we would go through if He did not put a stop to things now. Every parent gives a punishment to their child if they do something wrong, they set the rules, and if they are broken there is a price to pay. Ever see a child that is not disciplined? They are unruly and have no respect for their parents, or anyone. God is the same way with us, if He did not discipline us, we would be unruly and have no respect for Him.

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:” – Hebrews 12:14-18,22-25.

“though he sought it carefully with tears.” So many people believe in God, but fail to acknowledge Christ as the only one to Him. So many believe in God, but fail to acknowledge that the Bible is infallible, and written by God. So many people believe in the Gospel, but fail to believe every word of God. All of these things hinder our relationship with God, and in fact, will be the death of us, and not just the physical death of the body, but the death of the soul as well. “But ye are come unto mount Sion,” Sion or Zion; the heavenly city of the only living God. By faith, we who also believe in Christ, also believe that we will be in heaven, and much more than that, spend eternity with Him. God is not so angry that He strikes down anyone who looks at Him the wrong way, He is a just God, but He is also a loving, forgiving, faithful God, who accepts all who come to Him through His Son. We are saved by grace though our faith, God will never change, but we can through our faith.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” – Hebrews 13:8-12,20-21.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:2.

Today’s Prayer: God, I live by faith in my salvation, having never seen Your Son, but fully trusting in what He did for me on the cross. I want my life here on earth to also be by faith, and living in obedience to Your Word. Lord, as I look to Your Son, teach me His ways, lead me and guide me on the straight path, and let me live a life that is most pleasing to You. Let me not be entangled by those who rebel against everything You stand for, but let me also have compassion and boldness to speak Your truths to reach a lost and dying world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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