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BIBLE READING: James 2                                       A young boy, on an errand for his mother, had just bought a dozen eggs. Walking out of the store, he tripped and dropped the sack. All the eggs broke, and the sidewalk was a mess. The boy tried not to cry. A few people gathered to see if he was OK and to tell him how sorry they were. In the midst of the works of pity, one man handed the boy a quarter. Then he turned to the group and said, "I care 25 cents worth. How much do the rest of you care?" James 2:16 points out that words don't mean much if we can do more.   Many people claim to have a belief in God, yet they don’t contribute anything to show that they have that belief.   In fact, James reminds us that belief is just not enough; even the Devil believes.   What is it then that...

BIBLE READING: James 1             Today we have access to an endless knowledge at the click of a mouse, yet that knowledge does us no good if we don’t know how to use it.   Auto maker Henry Ford asked electrical genius Charlie Steinmetz to build the generators for his factory. One day the generators ground to a halt, and the repairmen couldn’t find the problem; So, Ford called Steinmetz, who tinkered with the machines for a few hours and then threw the switch. The generators whirred to life-but Ford got a bill for $10,000 from Steinmetz. Flabbergasted, the rather tightfisted car maker inquired why the bill was so big; Steinmetz’s reply: For tinkering with the generators, $10. For knowing where to tinker, $9,990. Ford paid the bill.                Although Charlie Steinmetz tried, you really can’t place a value on wisdom.   The Word of God offers us a...

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 13                 As Christians we are commanded to show hospitality.   Hebrews 13.2 tells us “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” We may know that this is something we are supposed to do, but I am not that sure we know what it means?   Hospitality is about people welcoming other people into their homes or other places where they work or spend their time.   It is about being friendly and generous to those people who are not just our friends and family, but acquaintances and strangers as well.   Why does God value this as so important?   Maybe we should try and look at it this way; there is an old saying that says “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care”.   We must remember that we are God’s only plan to evangelize the world.   He has provided us a p...

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 12             It is Monday, and it is going to be Monday all day long!   Monday’s are difficult for most people, but I believe this even more the case with preachers.   Most people can use Sunday as a day of worship and relaxation, yet for preachers Monday’s are more of a day of second guessing, exhaustion and some hard self-criticism.   That is why by the time Monday morning comes around I am already in need of a pep talk.   I love receiving my “Monday Moring Cup of Inspiration” from Dr Kevin Elko.   Each Monday morning, I receive my Monday morning pep talk that will carry me through the rest of the week.   We all need a routine pep talk, even those early Christians did in the first century.   After the Hebrew writer explains in detail how Jesus offers a new and better way of living, he continues to remind them of the importance of not giving up!   In Hebrews 12....

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 7-11                   When we look at the readings for this week it is obvious that the old covenant (The Law of Moses) was not enough for us deal with our sins.   The first covenant only allowed for the sacrifice to offer a remembrance of sins and not a removal of our sins (Hebrews 10.1-3).   The first covenant lacked real forgiveness (Hebrews 9.9; 10.11).   Yet the new covenant that was sealed by the blood of Jesus was not only able to forgive sins of the past, but also the present and those repented sins of the future.   In fact, the prophet Jeremiah foretold of this new covenant where God would “remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8.13; Jeremiah 31.34).   How is it possible for God to remember all of those times that we have sinned against Him?   How can it be possible for Him, whose knowledge is infinite, be able to forget something so painfu...

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 11                   When I first began presenting lessons, I had a habit of using Webster’s dictionary to define the term or topic that I was wishing to cover.   For instance, if I was going to preach a lesson on the topic of “Lying”, my opening statement would sound something like this: “Webster’s Dictionary defines “Lying” as “marked by or containing untrue statements”.   My reasoning was simple; by defining the terms I was ensuring that everyone knew exactly what I was talking about.   The writer of Hebrews 11 does the same thing.   Hebrews 11 contains various examples of individuals who were able to accomplish great things in their lives and they were able to do so because of their faith.   So, in the very first verse of the Hebrews 11, he wants to make sure that we are all on the same page of what “faith” really is by defining it. “Faith means being...

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 10                   Why Christians in the first century had begun to neglect the worship is not stated.   Their reasons were probably similar to the causes of indifference to assembling for the worship in the 21 st century.   Some do not want to be recognized as Christians, for they are ashamed of Christ’s church.   Some prefer the world, with its temporary allurements, over the promise of eternal life given to the faithful member of Christ’s church.   Other’s think they can be faithful enough apart from the brothers and sisters who assemble regularly.   This is a sad mistake, as the admonition of Hebrews 10.25 suggests, and can lead to the apostasy mentioned in Hebrews 10.26, we must help brethren see the risk they are taking.   The constant urging of Hebrews is to “hold fast the confession our hope without wavering.” The author said this in the i...

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 9                   As some point all of us have made reservations for something.   Whether it be dinner reservations, hotel reservations or reserving a plane ticket for our vacation.   The purpose of having made a reservation, is to ensure that you have a spot, a table or a seat at a specific time.   The thing with having reservations is that we can cancel them, move them or just simply ignore them. However, there is one reservation that we all have that we cannot ignore, move or cancel.   In fact, this reservation was not made by us, but for us.   It also isn’t necessarily made for a specific time, rather more of a certainty and inevitability.   The writer of Hebrews tells us that this “reservation” or “appointment” is death and whether we like it or not, death is something that that will happen to all of us.   If we dwell on that fact long en...

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 8               What does Hebrews 8.10 mean when it says, “I will put my laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts.”?                   This large portion of this passage is quoted from Jeremiah 31 and intended to mean that in time God will send a new covenant.   Jeremiah further illustrates that this new covenant will not be like the old one that the Israelites broke not long after they had received it while in the wilderness.   This new covenant will not be written on stone, as in having just one copy, it will be more of a personal covenant; It would be personal in that each person will be able to not only have full knowledge of the covenant, but also why it was given – out of love.   This new covenant would be placed in their minds and written on their hearts.   God is simply t...

                Few persons in the Bible are shrouded in more mystery than Melchizedek, king of Salem. After the battle against the five kings in  Genesis 14:17 , Melchizedek stepped into the narrative as if out of nowhere . . . then vanished again. We know nothing of his ancestry, his family, or his exploits. All we know is that he was the ruler of nearby Salem—the city that would one day be called “Jerusalem”—and that he was called “priest of God Most High ( Genesis 14:18 ). When Melchizedek met Abram after his victory, the king came with bread and wine in his hands and a blessing on his lips. Centuries later, after the coming of Christ, the author of Hebrews looked at the account of Melchizedek and drew a number of analogies between him and the ultimate High Priest and King of Jerusalem, Jesus. The book of Hebrews doesn’t say that Melchizedek was literally the Son of God making a cameo appearance. R...

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 2-6                     In Ephesians 6.10-20, Paul urges us to put on the whole armor of God so we will be able to endure the temptations of the devil.   In the middle of all that defensive armor, the Sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God) is our only offensive weapon.   Paul doesn’t go into detail about just how powerful this weapon is in Ephesians, but the Hebrew writer paints us a clearer picture of its power.   “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12).    Because this Word is so powerful, we must make sure that we are properly trained in how to use it appropriately.   This word must be taught in our pulpits, in our classrooms and in our homes.  ...

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 6     Forgiveness is one of the most sublime concepts in the Bible. To think that our Creator loves us in spite of grievous sins that we have committed is thrilling. And to know that the blood of Jesus can forgive us when we repent and obey is nothing short of amazing (see  Lyons and Butt , 2015). One of the most terrifying ideas, however, is the thought that maybe we have done things that are so wicked and sinful that we are beyond God’s forgiveness. Some believe this due to an incorrect understanding of two concepts in the Bible—the unpardonable sin and a statement in Hebrews 6:4-6. The idea of an unpardonable sin scares some people, because they believe they may have committed it, even though most of them do not have a proper understanding of what the sin actually is. We read about the unpardonable sin in Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-30, and Luke 12:10. The sin is the very specific sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. That means the a...

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 5                  In Hebrews 2, we learn that we must pay close attention to those fundamentals so that we do not allow ourselves to drift away from the Truth.   However, we cannot afford to only focus on those fundamentals.   We must also dedicate ourselves to constantly push for maturity.   The writer of Hebrews tells us “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, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:12-14).   Although the basics are important, if we are to grow in our faith we must push on to maturity.   Imagine a parent who is rais...

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 4                      When you are studying the Bible, before you can fully understand what it means for you, you must first understand what it meant for its original audience.   That statement could not be any truer than when you are studying the book of Hebrews.   The book of Hebrews is often referred to as the “Book of Better Things”.   The reason for that title is because the writer is revealing to a Jewish audience all the various aspects of where Jesus is better than their former understanding of things.   One of those basic aspects where Jesus is better is seen in His role as our High Priest.   The first century Jew had been brought up and educated on what the role of the High Priest was for the people.   It was his job to make the sacrifices on behalf of the people to atone for their sins.   He was the only person who had...

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 3                      It must have been very difficult for Joshua and Caleb when they made their case to take the land of Canaan.   Their faith was strong, and they were so convicted of God giving the land into their hands, only to be overwhelmed by the amount of negativity they faced.   Due to the faith of Joshua and Caleb, they were able to enter their rest and retire in the Promise Land.   Yet due to the unbelief of the remainder of the nation, God punished them by not being able to experience that same rest.   The parallel of Hebrews 3 is clear, God still has promised a rest in His Promised land for those who maintain their faith and believe in Him. Yet for those who do not believe, they will never get o experience rest.   Let this serve as an example and a warning to us today, that we continue to encourage one another while we still h...

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 2                      Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest basketball player who ever lived.   Yet, even Michael Jordan was cut from his basketball team during his sophomore season of varsity basketball.   Following being cut, he worked even harder at his game and saw that failure as an opportunity to succeed.   Michael once said, “Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.”    I would imagine that Michael worked nearly every day on the fundamentals of the game to improve.   Even as an NBA legend, during his pregame rituals you could find him working on the fundamentals. In Hebrews 2:1 the writer says, “…we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it”.   Could it be that the writer is giving us a warning to make sure we pay close attention to those fundamentals ...

BIBLE READING: Titus 1-Hebrews 1                      In Titus 2.10 Paul encourages us to “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior”.    That word “adorn” is a very interesting choice of words.   The Greek word for “adorn”, is the word in which we get our English word “cosmetics”.   It means “causing something to have an attractive appearance”.   We have seen this word before from Paul in I Timothy 2.9 when he directs the women to “adorn themselves with proper clothing”.   John uses this word in Revelation 21.2 to describe the heaven as a “bride adorned for her husband”.   Yet here in this context Paul is using the word as he addresses slaves.   Slaves (or bondservants) were considered the lowest class on the social chart.   Here Paul is reminding them that it doesn’t matter what class you are in, how much money that you have or what you even look...

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 1                      Several years ago, as a child while attending a Gospel Meeting, I was listening to a Minister teach a class on the overview of the book of Hebrews.   That was the first time I had ever heard the book of Hebrews being called the “Book of Better Things”.   Essentially, that is exactly what it is about.   It explains how the new covenant is much better than the old covenant, how the one new sacrifice is better than all the old ones, and the one mediator is better than the many of the past.   In fact, the very first chapter sets the stage for this as he introduces the concept of Jesus being the means by which God speaks to us.   Long ago, God spoke to humanity through the patriarchs like Adam, Noah and Abraham.   Then He spoke to us through Moses and the Law, as He began to reveal to us how the Law was going to show ...

BIBLE READING: Philemon 1       During the Reformation, when Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli were exchanging strong words about Biblical interpretations and ecclesiastical practices, Zwingli spent a troubled morning walking the mountain trails of his beloved Switzerland. From a distance he observed two goats making their way toward each other on a path barely stitched to the side of a cliff. It was obvious that these nimble creatures could not pass one another. As the goats approached each other, each feinted a power move at the other in what looked like the beginning of a battle. In a surprise twist, however, one goat suddenly collapsed onto the narrow ledge so the other goat could walk over its back. Then each moved on. Zwingli was impressed. Here was strength defined by submission. It allowed two opponents to survive a crisis so both could get on with more important things. Zwingli applied the lesson to his next encounter with Luther. The same pr...

BIBLE READING: Titus 3                       There are some things in life that we take for granted on a regular basis.   For instance, even as you read this devotional you are inhaling air that contains about 21% oxygen. When you breathe in, ‘fresh’ air, it enters your lungs and reaches the air sacs (alveoli) which have very thin walls in contact with blood capillaries. The (deoxygenated) blood contains hemoglobin which has an affinity for oxygen. By the process of diffusion, oxygen is driven by the blood, taken up by the hemoglobin (in the red blood cells), and then transported by circulation to the rest of the cells in the body. Then the expired air now contains less oxygen and more carbon dioxide is exhaled from the body only to begin the monotonous process again.   I will have to admit, I had to google that explanation of how oxygen from the air enters our blood strea...

BIBLE READING: Titus 2                                    As we live in this world, there a lot of things that are out of our control.   We cannot control what the stock market will do, we can’t dictate the weather, we can’t even control how other people treat us.   When we notice all the things that are beyond our control, it is easy to remember what we can control…ourselves.    As Paul imparts his words of wisdom from the Holy Spirit to Titus he says “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” (Titus 2:7-8) We mustn’t forget that the conditions that Titus was living in were not the most Christian.   Daily he was h...

BIBLE READING: Titus 1                                  The island of Crete was not a very wholesome place for one to live.   The island was known to inhabit criminals and mercenaries who would commit heinous acts for the highest bidder.   It was so well known for being a place of dishonesty and deceit that Paul even quotes one of the Cretan prophets in Titus 1.12 “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts and lazy gluttons” .   In fact, if you were to call someone a Cretan, you were essentially calling them a liar. Geographically, the island had many strategic seaports that sent ships all over the known world.   The Apostle Paul thought because of all the dishonest, idolatry and immorality as well as the strategic places of the seaports, this seemed like a perfect place for him to establish a church.   Afterall, they n...

BIBLE READING: 1 Timothy 6- 2 Timothy 4                                                                        As I read through I & 2 Timothy, the word “respect” keeps popping into my mind.   Personally, I just don’t see respect being given as it has been in generations before.    Instead of respecting those who fight for our freedoms, we see people kneeling during the national anthem.   Instead of respecting the police officers, we record them in case they make a mistake.   Instead of respecting one’s opinions, we criticize them for not showing tolerance.   Instead of respecting the Word of God, we sim...