Hebrews Chapter Twelve and Thirteen: Therefore...

Six days. Six until I turn eighteen. That's crazy to say the least. Who cares about the birthday though really? It's all about the gifts isn't it? What am I looking forward to this holiday season? Money! Video games! Instruments! I've already received a lot of my presents, but still, maybe someone will kick down some extra cash if I look extra cute? You never know. On Sunday, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword comes out, and even though I'm not allowed to play it until my birthday, I'm getting it as a gift from my dad. However, I need Wii motion plus to play it, and for some reason my dad refuses to listen when I try to explain that fact to him. He says, “You don't need the fancy remote” and I'm like, “Dad, it's not a fancy remote. It's a required piece of equipment.” Oh well. I'll have birthday money.

Today we finish Hebrews! It's been awesome doing this study with you three people who read. You guys rock. I'm doing chapters twelve and thirteen today so I have next Friday open for a special blog. Are you ready? Here we go:

Chapter 12

1-3 “Such a great cloud of witnesses.” It's a blessing to have so many examples of people that have run the race before us. If you don't remember who these people are, you can review my list in chapter eleven's study. Their lives were recorded for us so we would know how to respond and take action against the hardships of the world. We are to throw off sin and everything that hinders us in the race toward Jesus. Throw off sin, don't just do it less or try to get rid of it. Far be it from us! Throw the retched sin away! We should have nothing to do with that as we fix our eyes on the one who gave us a way to overcome it. Remember the opposition he faced here on earth, how he endured our sin already for us, so that way you don't give up and get tired of running. It's a lot easier to run a race if you know you've already won.

4-11 It's kinda scary to think that God disciplines us. But just like our earthy fathers have to give us a groundation now and then, God has to let us know that we're following the wrong path sometimes. It's not because He's angry with us, or because He's disappointed. It's because He loves us so much and doesn't want to see us messing up our lives. He does it because He desires to be close to us, and we can't be close to God with sin in our lives now can we? God's discipline makes us into better people that can do bigger and better things for God. If you accept and heed God's instruction, you'll grow tremendously in your faith, because your chances of making the same mistakes again have significantly lowered.

12-13 Therefore, we need to get ourselves in shape. We need to make sure we're following God by heading His correction, so the people around us who might not be saved or are not as mature in their faith can see us and be encouraged, not weakened. Be a good example.

14-17 We need to live at peace with everybody, and be good witnesses to those around us, saved or not saved. We need to look out for each other to make sure none of our brothers or sisters are doing things they shouldn't be doing. Esau is used as an example here. If we're careless and do things out of impulse, we might loose something important, perhaps the salvation of a friend or the opportunity to help someone overcome sin. We can't get certain moments back once they're gone.

18-24 The first part of this passage describes what going to God was like back in Moses' day. God basically lived on the top of this fiery mountain and spoke with a voice so terrifying, that the people begged Him to stop. But He's different now. The angels are rejoicing around Him. He's become the righteous judge, and I don't know about you, but if I've been completely washed clean of all guilt, I wouldn't be very afraid of judgment. We come to Jesus, who made it possible for things to change, for the law to be fulfilled, for the awesome way things are now.

25-27 God has an intense voice. He shook the whole earth with His voice, and soon He's going to shake both heaven and earth, leaving nothing but that which cannot be shaken. I think this is a picture of the new heaven and earth. He's showing us that what we have now is temporary. It's all going to be destroyed by the sound of His voice. But we, His children, are going to inherit that which can never be shaken, eternal life.

28-29 God's giving us a permanent, truly secure home someday, and we should be praising Him for that! Things may be a little unstable right now, but someday we're going to be so incredibly stable that nothing can move us. Let us praise our God, who is a consuming fire.

Chapter 13

1-3 Don't go looking for angels around every corner, but be aware that they're out there. Be nice to your fellow Christians no matter what, but be extra nice and consider that things aren't always as they seem. God might send someone to you without them even knowing it to help you with something in your life. I can think of at least a couple of people in my own life that God's sent to me to encourage me and help me get through things. I know they're just normal people, but I would definitely consider them to be angels. :)

4-6 There's two important things to take note of here. The first is to keep the marriage bed pure. This means saving sex for marriage, not mocking the gift of sex once you are married, and encouraging your brothers and sisters to do the same. Sex is an incredibly sacred thing that should never be viewed lightly. The second thing is not to love money, because God is more than enough for us. We shouldn't seek after material possessions that can be taken away from us. Rather we should seek after God, who has promised never to leave us. We can say with confidence that God is our helper because of this promise. Man can't do anything to us.

7-8 We should look to the people above us that have taught us the word: our parents, our pastors, or older friends, and imitate their faith based on the outcome of their lives. If you see someone who is strong in their walk with the Lord, you should watch them closely and try to live your life the same way. If you don't have anyone around you like that, Jesus was a perfect example. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, so what worked for Christians thousands of years ago will work for you. God's not going to change things up on us.

9-10 We need to understand that we aren't saved by things or religion. We're saved by grace, and therefore we shouldn't get carried away with all this extra stuff. Confession doesn't save us, baptism doesn't save us, communion doesn't save us, being vegetarian doesn't save us. I might be stepping on a few toes by saying that, but it's true. It's not by our strength. Jesus is the only one that can save us.

11-14 When the priests offered sacrifices, they always took the gross nasty body of the animal they killed outside the city gates to burn it. It was considered unclean because of the sin that it had died for. Jesus did the same thing, he took our sin and shame for us. We humble ourselves when we come to the cross, because we admit that we're too dirty to show ourselves elsewhere. He understands, because he had to carry out the same procedure. How amazing it is to have a Savior who understands!

15-17 Always praise God, no matter what. He deserves praise. Always think higher of others than yourself. Obey the leaders God has placed in authority over you, because God judges them according to the way you turn out. If you have a youth leader who pours his life into you, and you mock him by not taking him seriously, there's a much worse outcome than you would expect. God given authority is an incredible responsibility, and by being submissive, we can make their job a little easier.

18-21 The writer asks for prayer here, and uplifts by asking the Lord to strengthen His people to do His will. We should pray for each other in the same way, asking God to give our brothers and sisters strength to carry out the will of God. I love when people pray for me. I know when people pray for me, is crazy. If you ever need prayer, don't hesitate to let me know. We should take joy in lifting up each other's needs to the Father.

22-25 Annnnnnnnd the letter of Hebrews has been concluded. I don't know about you, but that was not a short letter. It felt like forever and a day long. I'm kidding, it was amazing. Thanks for reading! Come back next Friday for my very first blog as an adult! :D Have an awesomely fantastical day!

Hebrews Chapter Eleven: Faith (No Imagination...)

It's cold, it's raining, my amazing mom made me oatmeal, and now I get to sit by the window and write. Afterward, I'm going to do school, and then I have my choice of playing on my Wii, on my GameCube, or on my 3DS. Life doesn't get much better than this.

The faith chapter, chapter eleven of Hebrews, is one of my favorites. All the people mentioned in this chapter had the same God and the same faith as we do. All of them had faith in their salvation. All of them had faith that God would do exactly as he promised, and all of them had faith in the heavenly home God has promised.

As much as I would like to do mini rants about each individual in this chapter, I'm going to turn the tables on you this time around. Instead of going through the chapter like I normally do, I'm only going to list the different people, situations, and where you can find the original story in the bible. You are more than welcome to print this list out for reference. What I want you to do as you read this chapter is ponder each thing these people did. Go back and read the stories if you have time, and try to relate to them as much as possible. Would you have done what they did? Have you found yourself in the same situations? Can you make such drastic choices or actions based on faith alone? When you're done, I would love for you to describe anything God showed you in the comments. Have fun!

Creation of the Universe: Genesis 1

Cain and Abel: Genesis 4:1-16

Enoch: Genesis 5:21-24

Noah: Genesis 6-8

Abraham in a Foreign Country: Genesis 12:1-9

Abraham's Descendents: Genesis 15:1-6

Abraham and Issac: Genesis 22:1-18

Issac, Jacob, and Esau: Genesis 27:1-40

Jacob and Joseph's Sons: Genesis 49:22-26

Joseph Near Death: Genesis 50:24-25

Moses' Parents: Genesis 2:1-2

Moses Mistreated: Genesis 4:18

Moses Leaving Egypt: Genesis 12:42

Moses and the Passover: 12:1-28

The Red Sea: Genesis 14:5-31

Jericho: Joshua 6:1-21

Rahab: Joshua 2:1-16, 6:22-25

Have an awesome weekend!

Hebrews Chapter Ten: November!

I like the month of November. Here in my area of residence, it's finally beginning to get cold. People are walking around all bundled up. The anticipation of the holidays is building, and something in the air smells like happiness. Of course for me, it also means my birthday, and this year, I will be turning eighteen. I know, you know already right? Moving on. My family just received a new computer from a friend of my grandma's, and it's so weird! I haven't used it yet. The keyboard is actually in front of the screen, and it's this grey-ish color...and it's dirty. Hmm.

Hebrews ten and eleven are the longest chapters in the book, so expect lots of rambling in the next two blogs. I will be doing chapters twelve and thirteen in the same blog, so that means we only have three weeks left of Hebrews! It feels like my blog has been nothing but Hebrews for a very long time, but it was worth it. I've learned so much by publicly sharing my notes with you guys, and it's my prayer that you've also gained a deeper understanding of the greatness of belonging to God.

1-4 I mentioned earlier in this study that my family used to belong to a religion that put at lot of stock into keeping the law. The certain one that my family was involved with, however, is not the only religion that teaches that you will be judged according to how well you keep the law. Many people believe that being good and doing more right instead of wrong will get you into heaven. This is clearly not the case. If it was, the people in the old testament wouldn't have needed to offer sacrifices all the time. For if it was, they would have been made perfect with the first sacrifice, and guilt for sins and sin itself would have vanished. The law is not a means by which we can be saved, it is only a reminder that we sin. It acts like a mirror, showing us what we're doing wrong.

5-10 By following the will of his Father and dying on the cross, Jesus gave the Lord what he truly desired: A complete removal of sin and the old ways. Although they were required by the law, offerings of animal flesh didn't please the Lord, There was something more he wanted to accomplish with his relationship to His people, and it wasn't happening with the old way of doing things. With the help of Jesus, we have been made holy and perfect enough for us to have the connection with God He desires to have with us.

11-18 I kinda feel sorry for the priests, repeating the same act that could never save the people, only keep God among them for a limited period of time. But he had nothing to worry about with Jesus on the way. Jesus took care of the whole thing for eternity. Forever we are covered by his blood. There won't ever be a need for us to worry about our sin separating us from God! I love verse 16, where the Lord says, “I will put my law in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” It's like He's saying that we have the ability to keep the law now, because we have Jesus who took away all our offenses against it. We are forgiven! And if we have been forgiven, there is no longer any need to pay for our wrongs. YES! HE'S AWESOME, ISN'T HE?!?!?

19-25 I almost don't want to say anything about this part, because it clearly gives us instructions about what we should do now that we belong to Christ. We shouldn't be afraid to draw near to God, for we have been made clean. We should hold on to the hope we profess, for the one who promised it is faithful. We should encourage each other to do good things. We should meet with each other and and encourage each other as the day of the Lord's returning draws closer.

26-31 All this stuff about being freed from sin and having to keep the law to be able to enter into the presence of God is wonderful, but does this give us an excuse to do whatever we want? Under no circumstances should we keep on sinning after we have received forgiveness for the things we've already done. In Moses' day, when someone broke the law, he was punished severely for his actions. Someone who sins against God after he's already done so much for us should be punished even worse! It's unthinkable to take the act of Jesus on the cross and throw it back in his face by continuing to sin after we've received his gift. I wouldn't want to receive punishment from God almighty for sure.

32-34 When the Christians were persecuted for their faith, they didn't mind because they had something much better than anything here on earth. They had the promise of heaven and eternal riches that no one could take away from them. The gift of salvation was so great to them, that no amount of suffering could make them loose hope.

35-39 We should be like those Christians, looking forward to the return of Christ and not shrinking back. We live by faith, knowing that God will do as He promised. We have the knowledge of the things He's done for us, and the horrible things He's set us free from. That should be more than enough motivation for anyone to keep pushing through.

Second longest chapter DONE! Next week will be the longest chapter, but probably the one that takes the least explaining. Make sure you keep reading, I have a surprise starting the week after I finish this book. It's a reward of sorts for the faithful readers who stuck with me during this first attempt at doing a bible study. It's so weird, but it's going to be great.

Now go out and do something useful! Please! You must have so much free time if you've made it this far!