I know I drive my wife crazy (and by the way, today is our 16th Anniversary! Can you believe that she has put up with me for that many years!) but I am truly a workaholic. Part of it my … Continue reading
The Forgotten Commandment
Tag Archives: Hebrews
Today’s Homework Is . . . .
When was the last time you said something nice to someone? When was the last time you encouraged someone?
That doesn’t sound like much, does it? Saying something nice, or being encouraging. Doesn’t sound like much of a big deal. But it is. It really is.
We all need someone in our lives, especially at certain times, to encourage us. To say something nice to us. To help us keep on walking, to help us keep on going.
To help us believe in ourselves. Sometimes we don’t believe in ourselves. Sometimes we really don’t think that we can do it. We really don’t think that we can accomplish it.
And that’s when we need someone to believe in us. We need that, don’t we?
And, we need to be that to someone else. Someone else needs someone to believe in them. And that someone should be us. Listen to what it says today in 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 how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
We are told, let’s consider how to stir up good things in each other. Let’s figure out how to make each other better. More faithful. More obedient. More focused on God.
I need you to help me be more faithful. And you need me. That’s the way that community works. We need each other.
And then we are told to encourage one another. Help each other. Motivate each other. Impact each other.
Especially as you see the day drawing near. Especially as tough times come. We need each other.
So, today, when was the last time you encouraged someone? That’s your homework today. Say something encouraging to someone today.
And see what happens. I promise you it will be something good!
Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones, and you thought our app, you can now watch our worship services from Asbury too!
Access
One of the most amazing things about the work that God did for us through Christ is this. We have access to the throne of grace.
No longer must we go through a priest to have access to God. No longer must we go through any person to access to God’s grace.
Listen to what it says in Hebrews 8:1-2 today.
Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.
We each have access to God through our high priest, Jesus Christ. He is seated at God’s right hand, interceding for us, pulling for us, there for us.
Each of us have access to Him. Each of us have direct access to Him. Directly. Through no one else.
You have access to God today. You don’t have to go through me. Or any other preacher or teacher.
You have all the access to God that you need.
You really don’t need me to have access to God. I’m here to love, teach, preach, care, pastor, be a friend, and lead. As many of your pastor, and many of your friend, and for some of y’all, just a dude on the internet, I’m here to help you in your walk with God.
But you don’t need me (or any other preacher) to have access to God.
You can stop right now. At this moment. And pray. And God hears you.
You can go directly to Him right now.
WOW!!!!!!!
That is awesome. The God of the universe hears your prayers. And you have access to Him.
Today, may we take advantage of this great blessing that we have. And may we turn to Him in this, and all, moments.
Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.
Have Faith
It takes faith to live. It takes faith to hope. It takes faith to believe.
Faith that things will get better. Faith that things can change. Faith that you, that I, that we can change.
Faith that the story of yesterday will not be the story of today, or tomorrow.
Faith in a new hope, a new life, a new dream.
Faith in God.
Particularly when we don’t see it. When it’s cloudy outside. When there doesn’t seem to be any reason to hope or dream or have faith.
But faith says that there is more than what we can see with our eyes. Faith says that there is a bigger truth and a bigger hope out there than we can ever imagine. Faith calls us to believe in something, or someone, bigger than us.
That is holding it all together.
Listen to what is says today in Hebrews 11:1-3:
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
The people of old believed that God created the universe, even though they didn’t see it. They believed. Even though their eyes were not there to witness it.
Faith says that there is more than our eyes see, our ears hear, our mind understands.
Faith says that God is at work.
That He is our hope. Our dream. Our change. Our life.
Faith says that there is more around that us. That we are not our only hope. That it is not up to us alone. That there is more happening than we will ever understand.
Faith says this, the God that created the universe, He’s got this.
Have faith today. Know that there’s more going on that you can know. Trust in it.
Trust in God. Even when you can’t see. And don’t understand.
Have faith. Even when we don’t know why.
Because God is alive and at work.
Have faith.
Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.
Today, You are Forgiven
I read a Max Lucado quote a million years ago that I think of quite often. He said “The reason God hates sin so much is because of what it does to His children. It destroys them.” The longer I live the more I find that to be true. Sin destroy us. John 10:10 tells us that the thief (the devil) comes to rob, to kill, and to destroy.
That is what sin does in the big picture. It’s also what it does in our own lives. When we sin, when we do something stupid, when we fall, what happens, at least in my life, is this.
I run from God. I’m ashamed. I’m embarrassed. I feel like I’ve failed. And I want to hide from God.
That’s what sin does. It separates us from God.
So, today, listen to what we read in Hebrews 4:14-16:
Since then 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 is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
We have a high priest, Jesus, who has been tested as are, and yet remained sinless. He became the perfect sacrifice for us. He atoned for us. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves.
He allows us to go home. He allows us to stop running. He allows us to have peace.
He lets us know the fullness of God’s mercy, forgiveness, and grace.
Today, you are forgiven. Today, you can come home. Today, you can start over. Today, you can draw near. Today, you are new.
Not because of anything you’ve done, or haven’t done. But totally because of what He has done for us through Jesus.
Today, you are forgiven. May we each draw close to our God today!
Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.
RevAndy.org 