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Hebrews 10:23-25

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Encouraging Words

We live in a world where we often get betrayed or disappointed by those whom we thought we could trust. This is because we are all human and continue to make mistakes. We can be encouraged though that our Lord is always faithful. He will not change and He will not abandon us. By holding on to Him and this promise it becomes easier to reach out to others and put our trust into them. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Hebrews 4:14-16

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 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.

Encouraging Words

Jesus did not die on the cross to turn away the anger of a judgmental God. Jesus, coming from heaven to be incarnated as a human, came to be one with us in the flesh, fully God and fully human. He lived a human life, dealing with temptations that we all deal with, but never being overtaken by them. He lived a sinless life. He willingly went to the cross so that He could die as a human. He then resurrected from that death as a human in His glorified form destroying the chains of death that were shackled to all humans. He did this to make way for us to follow Him into resurrected lives, defeating death. Glory be to God!

Hebrews 4:13

And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Personal Challenge

One big mistake that we humans often make is to do something that we know is wrong when no one is watching. It may be minor or even major. First of all, this calls into question our integrity. But more importantly, we must remember that our God knows all and sees all. There is no hiding anything from. He knows even our thoughts and yet He still loves us and forgives us of our sins and trespasses. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy/ Lord, have mercy!

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Encouraging Words

Our Father in heaven gave us every­thing that we need to make through every situation that life will throw at us. He gave us His word, which is three­fold. His Word is Jesus, His only begotten Son and Gods’ living word. He gave us the scriptures, which we can read, study, and follow. He gave us the teachings and wisdom of the saints, those who have gone before us, who have taught us from Gods’ word. This word of God is alive and all-powerful. Glory be to God!

Hebrews 4:9-10

There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

Encouraging Words

There will be a day for all of us who are followers of Christ where we will enter into His rest. Before we do that we will continue to do His work just as God has done His work. This rest will be perfect and eternal, a rest that is filled with love, mercy, and grace. Glory be to God!

Hebrews 3:13

but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Personal Challenge

We are encouraged by the author of Hebrews to be exhorting one another, building each other up. If we do not do this on a regular basis, then we take the risk of becoming hardened toward one another and our God. By exhorting and lifting up each other we are bringing the love of God to those around us. Glory be to God!

Hebrews 2:17-18

Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Encouraging Words

This passage does a lot to sum up why Jesus became man and went to the cross. It was never possible for a High Priest to represent and intercede for the people of God unless He was one of them. He needed to be one of their brethren to know and understand the issues, challenges, and needs of their lives. Jesus had to do the same thing, be one of us, in order to represent and intercede for us. By doing this, He could show us both His great mercy and God’s great mercy to us. By being the intermediary between us and God He could make propitiation for our sins. As a human, He Himself, has suffered, been tempted, lived a sinless life, and is able to aid us as we are tempted. This is our High Priest. Glory be to God!

Hebrews 2:14-15

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Encouraging Words

One of the most wonderful and encouraging teachings in the Eastern Orthodox church is not that Jesus died on the cross to be our substitutionary atonement to protect us from the ire of an angry, judgmental, capricious God, but that He became fully man while retaining His full nature of being God, so that by living a perfect, sinless life and dying on the cross an innocent and sinless human being, He could put death to death. He undid the curse of death that Adam brought upon us when he committed the first sin. He destroyed all power that Satan had on us and set us all free from the bondage of death. We are no longer slaves to death. Glory be to God!

Titus 3:9-11

But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.

Personal Challenge

Division in the church is not a new thing. Even Paul had to write to Titus about it and how to deal with it. As then, we see similar developments in our Church of the day. Jesus spoke out against the institution of His day that had made the interpretations of the laws of God and the practices and traditions of the leaders in the church higher than God Himself. Jesus fulfilled the law and instituted a new covenant based on love. His new covenant spread throughout the known world adapting its delivery and the traditions to each culture. Paul continued this practice by becoming what was necessary in each culture that he went into in order to preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Today we see people trying to grab onto traditions and practices that they believe define the true church and abandon the true essence of the gospel…loving God and loving one another. We must be willing to avoid and reject these things in order to fully embrace our Lord and share His love. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!