PHILEMON-HEBREWS-JAMES

This morning I enjoyed reading in these three books.  In one, Paul pleads for a convert who is a runaway slave from a good friend of his.  In Hebrews, we see a portrait of Christ being God in flesh, and far above the old priestly set up in the Old Testament.  Our attention is focused upon Jesus Christ in Hebrews.  Then in James, we see that faith has action to it.  Faith works!  Here are some thoughts I had this morning: 1) WE SEE JESUS- Yes, in Hebrews, we see Jesus!  In chapter one we see Jesus as God.  "But unto the Son he (God the Father) saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever:" (vs. 8)  Here God the Father calls Jesus, GOD!  Now God the Father ought to know, and does, who is God and who is not God.  He calls Jesus God, and that is good enough for me!  In verse 6, we see that the angels know Jesus to be God because they worship Him!  AND, Jesus knows He is God because in verse 10:  "And, Thou, LORD, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of thine hands:"  So... all of these say:  Jesus is God!  That's settled. BUT... That is Jesus as God!  IN chapter two, we see Jesus "who was made a little lower than the angels fro the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour: that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." (2:9)  So, chapter two shows us Jesus as man.  Jesus who became flesh for us and died for our sins.  Then, in chapter three, we see Jesus as "the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus:"  (3:1)  So He is God, and He is our High Priest who purchased our Salvation!  He is Just and the Justifier of us as sinners!  WE SEE JESUS- As God, As man, As Redeemer!  Thank you Jesus!!  You are everything we need. 2) TODAY- I cannot escape this thought:  "To day, if ye will hear his voice," (Hebrews 3:7, 15; 4:  7)  Three times this phrase is mentioned.  I keep asking myself.... am I listening?  Oh how I want to listen to God today.... He wants to speak to me.... and I'm all ears!  It very clearly implies that God wants to talk with us and that the only hinderence is whether or not we will be listening.  It doesn't read "IF ye hear his voice"  it reads:  "IF ye WILL hear his voice"..   God will be speaking to us.... can we hear Him?  WILL we hear HIM???  Oh dear friend, let us listen to God today.  As we read our Bibles, as we Pray to Him let us listen as well, and as we go throughout the day, let His Spirit speak and direct us!  To day!! 3) TITHING- Hebrews 7:1-10 teaches us that Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedec, King of Salem.  Mechisedec was a type of Christ to whom Abraham paid tithes, and because Levi was in Abraham (Abraham one day being his father) that the levites paid tithes to Melchisedec who was not of the levitical order.  So, then since Christ is a High Priest, after the order of Melchisedec, then when we pay our tithes, it goes to Jesus.  (vs. 8) " And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth."  Our paying tithes prove we serve a risen Savior who is Alive!!  Do what you will brother, I'm paying mine and more!! 4)  ETERNAL- Hebrews 9:12 "eternal redemption".  Praise God I am saved for ever!  Hebrews 10:10 says:  "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all"  Here Christ's death "sanctified" us.  (Set us apart)  vs. 14 reads:  "For by one offering (same one in verse ten) he hath perfected for ever, them that are sanctified."  We were sanctified by Christ's death, and then having been sanctified (set apart) we have been "perfected for ever".  Sounds like in the presence of God we have been made perfect positionally!  God sees us as having been made "Perfect" by the blood of Jesus Christ.  He took our sins, and gave us His perfection!  Wow!!!   Eternal Redemption!! 5) MIND YOUR P's AND Q's-  For Hebrews 5:9 tells us "Behold, the judge standeth before the door."   Jesus is just about to enter and receive us to Himself.... let us mind our p's and q's!   Typesetters had to be real careful because their minds would easily put a p for a q and visa versa, so they were told to mind their p's and q's.  We too had better be real careful!! Well, let us listen to God's voice today.  LORD, speak and we will listen.  Hope you have a blessed day in the LORD.  Pastor Mike Mutchler