Now, I Will Show You Perfection

"For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near." (Hebrews 10:1)

Up to the time of the appearing of Jesus, all history was in a, "shadow," even the prophets and angels.  "As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquires, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow-- things into which angels long to look." (1 Peter) 

According to our text, the objective, "of the good things to come," is to, "make perfect those who draw near."  You have heard, I'm sure, that the word translated, "perfect," means "complete;" but there is more to it.  It means "to carry through, to accomplish, finish, bring to an end, to add what is yet wanting in order to render a thing full."  This accomplishment, this finished work, this "to-render-a-thing-full-perfection is in, "the good things to come," which is none other than Jesus Christ Himself.  "For the law," as well as the Psalms and the Prophets, "has only a shadow of the good things."  But out of the, "shadow," appeared Jesus, "You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life.  These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me...." 

Jesus Christ, "the good things to come," came to live within you and me, to "carry through, accomplish, finish, bring to an end," viz., to complete the Divine Purpose in man.  Now, as the hymn writer said, all humanity can be "dressed in His Righteousness alone, faultless to stand before His throne."  Maybe today would be a good day for the Church to live in this reality, to really look at each other as, "ma[d]e perfect."

Father, in Jesus' Name, You are really, "the good things," Who came.  Amen.
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* Two New, Very Timely Articles at: www.apf327.blogspot.com
* Baby Hazel has had good reports.  Thanks so much for your praying

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

The Book of Hebrews' Manifesto

"So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come....Once for all time He took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves.  He took His Own Blood, and with it He secured our salvation forever....Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our hearts from deeds that lead to death so that we can worship the Living God....Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins." (From Hebrews 9, NLT)

 

God told Moses, "when I see the blood, I will pass over you," not, "when I see your twenty-hour days," or, "when I see just how big your church has become."  It is forever the reality of the Universe that forgiveness of sin, "peace with God," and with men, entrance into the Kingdom, and names in the, "Book of Life," is through the Blood of Jesus Christ.  The modern church has pretty much replaced this.  The television church, particularly, reveals a new "Christianity."  The Christ-centered message has been replaced by a me-centered one, a better you, a better bank account, a better ministry.   

 

The Book of Hebrews, on the other hand, as all Scripture, is all about Jesus Christ, centers the message, the emphasis, the preeminence in Jesus Christ. Our text says that Jesus, "secured our salvation forever."  In Jesus Christ I am not saved today and lost tomorrow.  When I received Jesus, I received, "secured...salvation"-- Hallelujah.  Hebrews 9 tells us of Jesus, "Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, like the earthy high priest.... He came once for all time, at the end of the age, to remove the power of sin forever by his sacrificial death for us."  What glorious news for you and me today; Jesus Christ, "came...to remove the power of sin----- forever."  Personally, I prefer this Gospel.   

  

Father, in Jesus' Name, I freely confess that I could never, "have been brought near," by anything of me, only You.  Amen.

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WARNING: Do not get too excited about Mubarek's resignation.  The Muslim Brotherhood is standing in the foyer--- www.apf327.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"A New Covenant--Not According to the" Other

"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD." (Hebrews 8:8, 9)

 

The Holy Spirit then goes on to affirm the nature of the New Covenant.

 

This is a difficult passage to exegete.  I have read several commentaries, and all attempts seem to affirm the difficulty.  But it seems as though the Apostle is saying here that the New Covenant has something in it which enables more grace and keeping power of our Lord Jesus Christ to be released.  It was the unfaithfulness of the Hebrews which caused, "and I disregarded them," or, "and I turned away from them...."  Maybe the unfaithfulness of the First Covenant People was so easy because the law, the covenant was not, as he goes on to say, "into their mind, and...in their hearts."

 

This is absolutely central to the New Covenant in Jesus Christ.  When we receive Jesus Christ as King, Savior, and Master, we receive the great engrafting of the very, "God-Breathed," words of God.  One of the ways in which you and I can be sure of our salvation is the smitten conscience when we walk contrary to the purposes of Jesus Christ as revealed in the "God-Breathed" Word.  Sinning, aka, disobedience becomes more and more difficult to the degree His Words are, "into their mind, and...in their hearts."  This is a Word which is difficult to escape.  If a person can sin without any conviction, one could well doubt not only the presence of the engrafted Word, but of the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

 

I am not asserting that in the New Covenant there is never a disregarding or turning away on the Lord's part.  But I do say, perhaps untheologically correct, the chances of that happening are far less in the New Covenant.  It is not, I can do all things through me.  It is, "I can do all things in Christ Who strengthens me."  The New Covenant is an, "in Christ," Covenant, "I in you," and, "you...in Me."  Stay "there," and we stay.

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for the, "New," and, "better."  Amen.

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News, Commentary at: www.apf327.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Life's "Main Point"

Now this is the main point of the things we are saying:  We have such a High Priest...."  (Hebrews 8:1a)

 

The phrase, "this is," is not in Greek manuscripts.  It is just, "Now the main point...."  All Scripture, yea, life itself will daily bring us back to, "Now the main point....-------------------- We have such a High Priest." 

 

The word which is translated here, "main point," is from a root word which means "head."  Vine says that it is used in the verb form in Ephesians 1:10, "[He planned] for the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth" (Amplified).  Jesus Christ is, "the main point," the summing up of not only the message of Hebrews, but the totality of the Bible, of the universe.  The only recorded words of Father which we have in the New Covenant Writings affirm the Man and the Name.  Why?  All which is Father and the Holy Spirit is in Jesus Christ, as the Scripture says, "bodily."  No one has ever seen Our Father and the Holy Spirit.  This is why God gave us Himself in Jesus Christ, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father."  The hymn says, "God in Three Persons, Blessed Trinity," not three gods, not three personalities, but Three Persons.  No, I don't fully grasp it either.  John Wesley once said, "Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man, and then I will show you a man who can comprehend the Trinity." 

 

But for now, it should suffice to know that, "we have such a High Priest," the One described in a previous portion of the Epistle as, "a Great High Priest."  And indeed He Is.  And so I encourage you today, my friend, with the words of Hebrews 7:25, "Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them"-- our, "Great High Priest," at work for us.

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I cannot thank You enough for such a Great High Priest."  Amen.

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Keeping up may be difficult, but we need to stay informed.  The King is, "at the door"-   www.apf327.blogspot.com

 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Devotional and Prayer Request

The Faces of Hate

 

"For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all, by the translation of his name, 'king of righteousness,' and then also king of Salem, which is 'king of peace....For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens." (Heb. 7:5 & 26, NASB) 

 

Regardless of the cursed press, politicians who just want to get reelected, and the spiritually drugged populace, Islam is a religion of hate.  The faces above reveal this.  This is not about Mubarak, or so-called "palestinians," or "freedom," or, or, or.  This is about who rules the world, which includes your world and my world.  The faces in the photo above are expressions which all of us have seen over the last 30+ years.  They are the faces of a growing hatred of Jews, Christians, the West, and all who do not embrace their moon god, Allah, a hatred which will lead to nothing but Armageddon.  

 

"Into" a world full of hatred, unrighteousness, and war, came Jesus Christ, "King of Righteousness, and...King of Peace."  That is Who Jesus Is.  Whether you or I or Muslims or Hindus or Buddhists or New Agers or humanist in general wish to receive Him into our lives as The, "King of righteousness," He Is, as The, "King of peace," He Is, as The Savior He Is, and as The Immanuel, "God with us," He Is----- is all up to us (sorry extreme Calvinists).  This is the scariest part of life.  We can go to Heaven or Hell, we can live in this life with The, "King of Righteousness," The, "King of Peace," dwelling in us, ruling in us, being our Everything, more accurately, our Everyone, frighteningly, it is all up to our obedience.  The command to the world is the same as that to the Jews over three millennia ago, "Choose you this day."

 

I would highly recommend that if you want your country to come out of what is surely coming on all the earth in the best possibly scenario, vote for people who realize the truth of all this.  Planet Earth as we have known it does not have long, but in Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest------ you do!

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You that You are my righteousness, you are my peace.  Amen.

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Please continue to pray for our granddaughter, Hazel.  Her bilirubin count is elevated.  Thanks so much

 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2