Posts that reference the book of Hebrews

Temptation: Substance

(Note: When I teach, I learn more than my students. This is the second of three Thursday posts about some things my boys and I learned as we studied Jesus' temptation.)

Matthew, Mark and Luke all relate the account of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. While I love the affirmation that we have a Great High Priest who was tempted like we are (Hebrews 4:15) as I studied, I flipped this around.

Am I ever tempted like Jesus? Are there patterns or similarities I can draw from? The first element I considered was timing. Next, I looked the substance.

He was tempted to turn stones into bread. He'd been fasting for 40 days and who wouldn't want to satisfy that basic human need under those circumstances. And yes I've been tempted, and given it, to eating things I shouldn't for quantity and content. However, this temptation is bigger than that. Am I ever tempted to let go of faith in favor of my comfort?

Jesus was tempted to throw Himself from the pinnacle of the temple and prove God's promises of protection. There's nothing wrong with taking God at His word and resting in His promises. In fact challenges us to do that. To trust Him. This wasn't about trust. This was a throwdown. Am I ever tempted to demand God prove Himself to me to earn my faith? Have I ever proposed that He do "this" THEN I'll respond?

Finally, Jesus was tempted to receive now instead of later. The kingdoms were His as part of God's eternal plan. Have I ever been tempted to shortcut God's plan? Have I chosen to make something or someone else the center of my life – even for a short time – to get what I wanted, what I believed I was entitled to? Have I ever decided there has to be a "better" (faster, easier) way to do things than the way God plainly laid out? Or to trade eternal rewards and blessings for temporary satisfaction?

Yes. To all of them.

Next week we'll look at the response to temptation.

Temptation: Timing

By Paula Wiseman

(Note: When I teach, I learn more than my students. The next three Thursday posts will cover some things my boys and I learned as we studied Jesus' temptation.)

Am I ever tempted like Jesus? Are there patterns or similarities I can draw from? The first element I considered was timing.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him… (Matt 4:1-3a)

At the end of chapter 3, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist and publicly recognized as God's Son, well-pleasing to the Father and beloved. It was a great moment, kicking off Jesus' earthly ministry.

But Satan didn't go after Jesus when the crowds swirled around Him, while He was energized. Satan waited until Jesus was alone. And hungry.

Victories often make me feel self-confident, and satisfied. After Jesus' victory, He was led to a time of intense communion and preparation for the next phase of His mission. I, on the other hand, have a tendency to soak in all in, and rest in "my" accomplishment. That's when it hits. Temptation is most effective when I am isolated, when I am physically depleted or when I'm relying on my own strength.

Next week we'll look at the substance of those temptations.

Buoys

By Paula Wiseman

I spent some time at the beach last week.

A series of buoys marked the boundary for safe swimming. I watched the waves crash in from every direction and batter those buoys.

They were anchored, though.

We have an anchor. Hebrews 6:19 says "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast."

What hope? The promise God made to redeem us and bless us.

The waves will come against us.

We are anchored.

And the anchor will hold. God promised it would.

Running with Endurance

By Paula Wiseman

Last Monday, I ran farther than I had ever run before – nearly 7 miles. I left the house a little after 5 and got home around 6:15. I ran the whole time. 72 minutes. (Yeah, I'm pretty slow.) Not only that, but it was my third straight "longest ever." I'm not doing anything different than what I did last summer when I couldn't break 5.5 miles. Well, maybe there's one thing different – I'm learning the mental side to running. I'm learning my body can do more than I realized if I don't give in to its whining. I'm also learning to listen to my internal "coach" and not the "critic." Who knows, I may be running a half marathon before the season is out.

Of course, all this has a spiritual application. We can do far more for the cause of Christ than we realize ("all things," the apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:13). However, it is all too easy to listen to that voice inside. You know, the one that says, "That will never work." Or, "You're not qualified." Or, "You're just one person. You'll never make a difference."

How would things change if we listened to our Holy Spirit "coach" instead? What would our families and churches and neighborhoods be like if we grabbed hold of, "You have everything you need. You've got this." Or, "That discomfort is because you're doing something. Keep going!" Or "Look how far you've gone!"

When God called us, He equipped us. We can do the ministry He's given us to do. We can. He has infused us with the Holy Spirit. But we have to make the effort and we have to endure.

(A side note: Endure doesn't mean "exhaust yourself." Sometimes we have to make sure we are running the race God has laid out and not running extra miles someone else piles on us.)

Bottom line- Don't quit. Hang on and push through, and you'll start to see amazing things happen.

"…[L]et us run with endurance the race that is set before us" Hebrews 12:1

(PS- I'm shooting for 8 miles by the end of the month!)

Mercy. Grace. Help.

By Paula Wiseman

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16

Hebrews is my favorite book. It details the tremendous things we have, how much better it is with Christ.

A High Priest. Access. Mercy. Grace. Help.

Jesus Christ ushers us before the throne of God and makes sure we are treated with kindness (undeserved, but poured on us anyway).

And we can enter boldly and ask, confident that we will receive.

Mercy. Grace. Help.

My Brother Youcef

By Paula Wiseman

Have you been following the story of Youcef Nadarkhani? He's my brother.

He's a pastor in Iran, with a wife and two little boys. He's been in prison since 2009. He's under a death penalty that can be carried out at any time because he refuses to renounce his faith in Jesus Christ. As of Monday this week he was still alive, his case awaiting further review.

171,000 believers are martyred every year.

Still. Not in Roman times, but in 2011, and 2010, and 2009…

In the time it takes us to sit through a worship service, 20 men, women and children die because of their unyielding commitment to Christ.

I think of them when our Bible study group meets in comfort and safety. I think of them when I look at my shelves with multiple copies of the Bible that I can legally own.

I don't know why God requires so much of my brothers and sisters. Maybe He knows my limits. I have trouble when my husband goes on a trip- my brain would snap if he were imprisoned and sentenced to death. Maybe He knows fighting to keep my testimony in a culture of lazy materialism is all the challenge I can handle. That shames me. At the same time, I'm too comfortable, too afraid to desire a greater challenge.

Hebrews 13:3 says "Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also."

Remember with me. Pray with me. For Youcef and for the millions like him and his family across the world. God has not forgotten them. He is keeping a record.

For more information, check Voice of the Martyrs and Open Doors USA