Posts that reference the book of Hebrews

Intercession: When Trouble Comes

Intercession is going to God on someone’s behalf. It a holy privilege and duty, not to be taken lightly. It is strenuous and it can be messy. But it is one of the greatest ways we can minister and show love to others. We have learned from Nehemiah and his BURDEN for others, and from Daniel and his IDENTIFICATION with those for whom he was interceding. Most recently, we learned from Elijah how to pray for those who are sick. Today we’ll learn from King Hezekiah how to pray for ourselves and others when trouble comes.

Hezekiah was the king of Judah, the southern kingdom. In 701 BC, the mighty Assyrian army surrounded Jerusalem ready to lay siege to the capital city and complete its conquest of the nation. Twenty years earlier, Assyria had destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel so the threat was very real to everyone. Hezekiah had emptied the treasury and stripped the gold from the doors of the Temple to get a tribute of eleven tons of silver and a ton of gold. This did not satisfy the Assyrian king. His general delivered a letter to Hezekiah, threatening him and mocking the God he served.

In 2 Kings 19, Hezekiah took the letter to the Temple and laid to before the Lord and he prayed.

Hezekiah approached God on the basis of His covenant relationship with Israel, and His place above all as creator.

15 Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord: Lord God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you are God — you alone — of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.

How do we approach God? We have a unique position and relationship with Him because of the blood of Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 4:16). But coming boldly is not the same thing as coming with flippancy, demands or a sense of entitlement.

Hezekiah next draws attention to the Assyrians’ sacrilegious mocking of God.

16 Listen closely, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see. Hear the words that Sennacherib has sent to mock the living God.

Notice this. God’s glory and God’s reputation are Hezekiah’s primary concerns. He does not mention the cities that have already been overrun by the Assyrians. He does not mention whether the city of Jerusalem has enough provisions for the coming siege. He does not mention the size of his army versus the size of the Assyrian army. Even when trouble came, Hezekiah understood that when God is revered as God the other things fall into place.

Finally, Hezekiah requests deliverance so that God gets the glory.

19 Now, Lord our God, please save us from his power so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are God — you alone.

Hezekiah could have prayed, Save us so that Your people whom You love don’t suffer. Or perhaps, Save us so the city You have chosen isn’t destroyed. But he didn’t. He prayed for God to be recognized as God alone.

None of this is to say that if you pray using these words, God will automatically answer like it is some incantation. That is NOT how God works. Rather it is an invitation to consider how our hard times can be situations where God gets glory. We, that is I, usually seek the restoration of my own equilibrium, I seek relief from hardship. I complain and launch into how God doesn’t love me because He fell asleep at the wheel and let these terrible things happen. It’s not fair. I have been a faithful servant. And on and on.

What Hezekiah models in his prayer is that we need to take a step back and see a bigger picture. He keeps God’s character and His greater purposes in focus. He knows what the Assyrians are capable of. He is afraid– any sane person would be, but because he knows God’s power and God’s character, when trouble comes Hezekiah prays that this trouble would be an opportunity for God’s glory to be revealed.

That is a prayer of great faith.

Intercession: Identification

By Paula Wiseman

Intercession is intervening. More specifically it is going to God on someone’s behalf. In the Old Testament, the priests did this. As New Testament believers, we are priests (1 Peter 2:9, Rev 5:10). We have access to God through Jesus Christ, but rather than enter the Holy Place in the tabernacle or Temple, we enter God’s presence through prayer. It a holy privilege and duty, not to be taken lightly. But it is no less strenuous and sometimes no less messy. Last week we looked at Nehemiah and his BURDEN for others. This week, let’s learn from Daniel and his IDENTIFICATION with those for whom he was interceding.

We know Daniel was a man of prayer. Habitual, heartfelt, prayer. Several are recorded in Scripture, but we are going to focus on his great prayer is in Daniel 9:4-19.

I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. Daniel 9:4-5 (ESV)

Look at what Daniel confessed. WE have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled and turned aside. Daniel had not done any of those things. I mean, he wasn’t perfect, but his life was exemplary. Was it false modesty? Was it delusion? Was it an overly active guilty conscience? No. None of those. He was identifying himself with his people who needed God’s forgiveness and help.

It takes humility and compassion to identify with those who have sinned and stand in need of prayer.

In the days of the Old Testament sacrifices, the one bringing the offering would first put his hands on the animal’s head in a symbolic gesture. It was a way of proclaiming, “The death of the animal is the death I should have received because of my sin.” That’s the humility part.

But it also takes a deep sense of compassion for those in sin, and sense of responsibility for their well-being. Daniel had just finished reading Jeremiah and he understood that the exile was the outworking of God’s judgment. Now the people would continue to suffer unless God showed them mercy. Because Daniel loved his people and identified with them, he interceded for God to act quickly to forgive them and restore them (vv. 16-19)

Identifying with sinners is Christlike.

Jesus Christ identified with us. Philippians 2:8 explains how He humbled Himself and became a man. Hebrews 2:9-10 shows us that His being made a little lower than the angels allowed Him to go through the death sentence for every person.

Identifying with sinners is not sinning with them.

It is intervening on their behalf before the Father. Again, Jesus did not sin. Ever. Daniel did not commit the sins that caused the captivity of Judah. But their love for others, their heartbreak at the suffering caused them to act. In an oversimplified analogy, think of it like a prince who has access to his father the king. The prince knows a group of people in his kingdom who are suffering because they rebelled against the king. But the prince goes and asks for the king to be merciful. While the king might not hear the rebels, he might be moved by the pleas of his son.

The people may never know you are interceding for them.

It is unlikely the people in Judah knew how Daniel prayed for them. We don’t know all the ways Jesus intercedes for us even today. That shouldn’t stop us. In humility, we don’t pray to win points with God or with those we pray for. We do it because we love people, we want God to bless them and we know that God cannot bless them in their rebellion against Him?

So, what situations cause your heart to break because you know God is not pleased? What injustices need to be made right for us to live as God’s people? These things, the things that move you are invitations to intercession. Take those opportunities, identify with those people, and meet God in humility and with compassion just like Daniel.

Doctrinal Definitions: Sanctification

By Paula Wiseman

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. Romans 6:22 (ESV)

What is sanctification?
It’s not some secret thing reserved for a select few.

It is the fact and the process by which believers are set apart
By God
From the world
To be conformed to Christ
According to His purposes.

We pursue sanctification (or we should),
But the Holy Spirit accomplishes it.

W. E. Vine says it is “an individual possession,
Built up little by little,
As a result of obedience to the Word of God
And of following the example of Christ.”

It is God’s will for us (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
It should be our fervent pursuit (Hebrews 12:14).

You are sanctified. You are being sanctified.
One day you will be ultimately and utterly sanctified.

Read others in the series; Doctrinal Definitions

Underappreciated Virtues: Contentment

By Paula

But godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6

We’re continuing our look at some underrated traits that are no less necessary in the body of Christ than some of these other fruits. We’ve covered encouragement, maturity, and equity. We finish up this week with contentment. (Which is particularly appropriate as we look forward to Thanksgiving in the U.S.)

What is contentment?

The dictionary defines it as having our desires limited to what we have. The second definition is not disposed to complain or grumble.

Contentment is a sign of maturity. It is evidence that we trust God and His care for us. We have faith in His goodness and His provision for us. We understand that what we have is exactly what we need. We don’t have to be validated by our possessions, by our position, by who we know or even by our circumstances.

Since it’s a sign of maturity, contentment is something we learn. Consider what Paul says:
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13)

Catch that? Paul, the great apostle, learned to be content. Paul had been through enough, had seen God’s hand at work and was at peace no matter what state he was in.

Contentment is a sign of having an eternal, Christ-focused perspective.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)

Paul faced more hardships than most of us, especially in our cushy, modern culture. But in each one, he saw the greater purpose – getting the gospel to as many people as possible. Because that was his ultimate goal and not his own comfort, he accepted each circumstance.

Contentment keeps our possessions in their proper place.
But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. (1 Timothy 6:6-8)

Our things aren’t supposed to control us … but they often do. We have to store them, repair them, clean them, and then dispose of them when we grow tired of them. And to be honest, in many cases, we are still making payments on them when the boredom hits. Then there’s the bigger house, the better neighborhood. Additionally, we are constantly pressed to get ahead, to be more, to do more, to experience more.

It’s no wonder we are stressed, exhausted and constantly feel inadequate. Contentment removes that pressure.

Let’s stop right here and make some important clarifications. Contentment is NOT:

Laziness – No one should be “content” with a dead-end job while his or her family struggles to meet their basics needs.

Disobedience – No one should be “content” with filling a pew when God is clearly calling them to deeper commitment or ministry.

Asceticism – No one should disavow everything just to prove a point.

How does discontent show up among God’s people?

Envy/ jealousy/ covetousness – At their root, each of these feelings reveals our belief that God is NOT fair, just, or good. If that weren’t sinful and presumptuous enough, over time, they lead to…

Bitterness – Bitterness will eat up and individual and infect the whole body. The writer of Hebrews admonishes, Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness—without it no one will see the Lord. Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and defiling many. (Hebrews 12:14-15)

Grumbling – And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, (Exodus 16:2). The Israelites wandering in the desert displayed the opposite of contentment at every turn. Not only did it result in a failure to embrace the promises God had made, it cost their leaders as well. Moses, Aaron and Miriam died in the desert with them. Each of the leaders’ sins — anger, idolatry, jealousy — can be directly traced to discontent, either their own or the pressures from a grumbling people.

How do we achieve contentment?

Realize you are cared for by a good God. We are all familiar with Psalm 23, but take some time to consider the tender care God has for us. For a new Testament perspective, ponder Paul’s words in Romans 8:31-32:
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

Focus on what is more important. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5). Money, position, and stuff are all temporal. Christ is eternal and His promise to never leave us or forsake is greater than anything we could have in this life. As you do this, it may prompt you to…

Reorder your priorities. Follow Paul’s lead.

Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)

Becoming more like Christ is our singular goal as believers. Hopefully these last few weeks we’ve been challenged to work toward that as we strive to be encouraging, to be mature, to treat others with equity and to be content.

No post next week. See you in December as we look toward the celebration of Christ’s birth!

For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, (1 Thessalonians 3:9).

Read all of the Underappreciated Virtues series

Underappreciated Virtues: Maturity

By Paula

We’re continuing our look at some underrated traits that are no less necessary in the body of Christ than some of these other fruits. Last week we looked at encouragement. This week we’ll think about maturity.

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. Hebrews 5:12

What does spiritual maturity look like?

Hebrews 5:14 tells us the mature are those have “trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” They have taken the time and put in the effort. And implicit in distinguishing good from evil is choosing good consistently.

In 1 Timothy 3:6, among the qualifications for pastor, Paul says that the candidate “must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.” So, in contrast, humility is a mark of the mature. So is resisting temptation.

Perhaps the most straightforward lists are in Titus 2. Paul describes how older men and women should conduct themselves within the body of Christ. There is an underlying assumption that the physically mature are also spiritually mature. You can read the lists for yourself but I want to highlight a couple of broad characteristics.

The mature are reverent. They hold God and His Word in high esteem and show the respect due.

The mature are even-tempered. They aren’t given to angry outbursts. They think before they speak.

The mature mentor. They lead by example. They welcome the opportunity to help others grow and benefit from their wisdom and experience. (They aren’t bossy, know-it-alls, or demand that things be dome their way. Remember humility is a key characteristic of the mature.)

How do we become mature?

The short answer – the hard way. The slightly longer answer is that maturity happens as we commit ourselves to learn what it means to be Christlike. More practically, we let Christ stretch our faith. That means going through challenging circumstances. There is no shortcut or instant formula for maturity. Granted some mature more quickly than others. I think this may be because some are more surrendered to the Holy Spirit working in us. Some are more willing to renounce the things the Spirit asks us to change. Some are more willing to walk through the doors the Spirit opens.

Peter gives us an outline of the process. “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. (2 Peter 1:5-7). I won’t take the time to walk through each of those virtues, but I will point out the instruction to “make every effort.” It must be a high priority, worthy of our sustained efforts.

Why does the church need mature believers?

For the answer to that, let’s go back to the verse at the top of the post. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, Hebrews 5:12. The church’s ability to function, to carry out its mission is hampered by immaturity. How can we disciple others if we haven’t moved past the very basics of our faith? How can we live by biblical principles if we don’t know what those are? We will be governed more by our emotions than by the Holy Spirit. We will be influenced more by the culture around us than the example of Christ. Paul and James both warn of the dangers of not detecting false doctrine because we are immature and easily swayed. Once false doctrine takes over, the church is in real spiritual danger as the letters in Revelation attest.

Maturity is necessary for the church to carry out the Commission. We have to make sure we are doing all we can to reach it, as well as not fighting God when He works in our lives to bring it about.

Next week in the Underappreciated Virtues series: Equity

Your Labor

By Paula

Ever feel like no one notices your labor?

For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. Hebrews 6:10 ESV

Your work

Your love

Your service

It is seen. It is noticed.

And it will be rewarded.

Happy Labor Day!

Intercession: When Trouble Comes

Hezekiah approached God on the basis of His covenant relationship with Israel, and His place above all as creator.

Hezekiah next draws attention to the Assyrians’ sacrilegious mocking of God.

Finally, Hezekiah requests deliverance so that God gets the glory.

Intercession: Identification

It takes humility and compassion to identify with those who have sinned and stand in need of prayer.

Identifying with sinners is Christlike.

Identifying with sinners is not sinning with them.

The people may never know you are interceding for them.

Doctrinal Definitions: Sanctification

Underappreciated Virtues: Contentment

What is contentment?

How does discontent show up among God’s people?

How do we achieve contentment?

Underappreciated Virtues: Maturity

What does spiritual maturity look like?

How do we become mature?

Why does the church need mature believers?

Your Labor

Encounters Series

Covenant of Trust Series

Foundations Series