Hebrews 4:14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. source
Monthly Archives: January 2018
Mandate
Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutes.
I Corinthians 10: 28 But if anyone says to you, “This is from an idol sacrifice,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— source
If you are seated for a meal and the host tells you the food before you was sacrificed to an idol, don’t eat it. Simple enough. If you are living in First Century New Testament times.
Scholars have written that at the time of this verse, it was common practice, this serving of meat sacrificed to an idol – cheap meat at the market. Greco-Roman society was saturated with idol worship, and it was common for meat sold in the marketplace to have been consecrated as a sacrifice to false gods prior to its sale. The Jews would have nothing to do with such meat, wary of “unclean” food-handling practices and believing that to partake of consecrated meat was to give tacit approval of idol worship—kind of a “second-hand” idolatry.
What does that have to do with 21st Century Gentiles like you and me? Dietary-ly, probably nil. So is there a parallel lesson we might glean from this passage for us today? Perhaps.
See the word anyone?
Meaning (to me) the relationship you have with the offer-er is irrelevant as to your decision when confronted with an offer to participate in any activity, doctrine, situation, etc. that you already know from The Word of GOD, is not His will.
It was costly to be a follower of JESUS in First Century New Testament. It still is in 21st Century New Testament.
Selah ~ ~ ~
Hearts & Minds
Approximate reading time: 3 minutes
Follow your heart.
It’s often advised, especially in Hallmark movies. Now, don’t get me wrong I have watched and enjoyed more than my share of Hallmark movies. They are relatively clean entertainment, albeit predictable. I digress.
However, reading today I was counseled that following my heart is not the ticket to successful living. No. No. following my heart will devastate not only my life but others.
Jeremiah 17:9 (CSB)9 The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it? source
Now what? If I cannot, and obviously I should not, follow my own heart, what?
How about my intellect? That’s it. I can trust my mind and follow my thinking. Right?
Genesis 6:5 (CSB)5 When the Lord saw that human wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time, source
Well, scratch that idea!
Now what? What hope do I have to live a good life? What hope do you have?
Romans 3:9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. source
That’s us! Hell deserving sinners. Every. One. Of. Us.
Now what?
This is what!
1 John 4:10 (TLV) 10 This is love—not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atonement for our sins. source
Ephesians 2:8 (YLT) 8 for by grace ye are having been saved, through faith, and this not of you — of God the gift, source
1 John 1:9 (TLV) 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. source
And now.
Ezekiel 36:26 (YLT) 26 And I have given to you a new heart, And a new spirit I give in your midst, And I have turned aside the heart of stone out of your flesh, And I have given to you a heart of flesh. source
1 John 5:20 (YLT) 20 and we have known that the Son of God is come, and hath given us a mind, that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ; this one is the true God and the life age-during! source
This heart. This mind. We can. We must learn and follow.
John 10:10(NLT) 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. source
