Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

The book of Hebrews can be summarized in 3 words: " ONCE FOR ALL ." It captures the idea that Jesus does something spiritually powerful and effective ONE time. It is a substitutionary act that it is done not for Himself but FOR people. It is for ALL people that are called and is sufficient for EVERY SIN in EVERY PERSON in EVERY ERA. But He doesn't draw ALL, all at once .  In fact, t...

Is your conscience clean? I hope not . It is a crazy thing to say, but a guilty conscience is usually a prerequisite to coming to God. All the previous ways of dealing with sin have been inadequate and temporary. They left the conscience seared . At least they should leave the conscience seared if you don't deny, ignore or compare it to the worst guy you can think of. My prayer today is that...

Hebrews repeatedly makes the point that Jesus now is SEATED .  Well, seated on what?  On the La - Z-Boy like some retiree ? Or is He a bit busier than that?  He is a LIVING God He's writing His laws upon our HEART He's making a people He's upholding the universe He's being merciful toward our iniquities He's helping those on the difficult day of salvation He's helping...

We have been waiting for this new agreement with God: I will put my laws into their minds I will write them on their hearts I will be their God They will be my people They shall all know me This new covenant is more local, more personal, more permanent, and more convicting.  Now, it is not centered in buildings or tents or objects or boxes.  It is in the souls of people. Hear more of this tomorrow...

If you spiritually STINK , you are in good company.  Everybody , either was or is a stinker.  God calls them enemies . Without His help He calls US  His enemies . While we were His enemies, while we were spiritually stinking, He helps us.  In fact, 100 % of people who were saved spent 100% of their pre-saved lives being 100% spiritually stinky . God only saves sinners. God  only saves enemies. God...

Jesus has done His part. He's the maker of this better covenant based on the power of His INDESTRUCTIBLE life. He is ABLE TO SAVE .  He's qualified, ready and able. He asks us to do our part. Who is it that Jesus saves? Jesus is able to save completely those who are willing to be saved;  those who draw near to God through Him.  If that is you, then know that God is at work. No one comes...

Hebrews makes the case that Jesus is the SUPER-PRIEST : effective, permanent, unrivaled, and strong. To do so, the writer goes all the way back to our super- relative Abram, before he even got his full name from God. He does this super- brave thing in Genesis 14 after his not so super-nephew LOT, of salt-fame, gets captured by a Mesopotamian super- army of 4 kings.  Abram attacks with his 318 men...

What is my SOUL Anchored to?  It's important because we live in the storms of life. So, how solid is the anchor of my soul?  God's promised some shiny wonderful things, but how reliable are the promises ? What are they founded upon? Historically, two things: His WORD that is permanent .  God cannot lie His CHARACTER that is permanent . God does not change . Hebrews adds a third: the anch...

Listen as I tell you a great story about my nephew, who began SERVING in the church  ON HIS FIRST DAY in the church! He illustrates and brings life to our passage today in Hebrews 6. Do you love God? SHOW ME by serving His saints. Do you love His name ? Then love practically the people of His name. Do you love what God has done for you? Demonstrate it by doing for His church. Don't be sluggis...

Nobody wants JUSTICE when it relates to our own sinfulness. Nobody wants to pay the price of justice for our personal errors.  So our dear Lord makes another way.  He sends Jesus to take the penalty for us.  He gives us MERCY if we spiritually agree with Him. Yet, there are some who know a lot about Jesus, who perhaps have attended church, listened to sermons, stuck their toe into Christian fellow...

Good news to the Hebrews:  You have CAPACITY and ABILITIES. Bad news: You aren't using it to the extent that you should. There are serious things we gotta talk about and you should be ready for them, but you're not.  You are immature. But, YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED for maturity. So: Train your ears to LISTEN. You're not hard of hearing, you are just hardly hearing! You just aren&...

In all of human history, the most unjust suffering that ever happened was to Jesus.  He was spotless.  He didn't deserve it. 100% of it was unjust.  The Father could have stopped it. The Father had the  ABILITY TO SAVE HIM FROM DEATH . Jesus asked that "the cup would pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as YOU will." (Note the perfect submission) The Father "says NO&q...

God the Father was not powerless at the suffering and crucifixion of His Son Jesus. In fact, today we learn that the Father was ABLE TO SAVE Jesus from death.  He wasn't absent from the throne that day either: The Father heard the prayers, supplications, and loud cries and saw the tears. The Father did not  hide His face from this horrible process.  Ps22:24 He(the Father) has NOT HIDDEN His f...

Sometimes the Bible is so much fun that in reading it, words just POP out of your mouth.  Such is our passage today. Listen 7 minutes and see what pops out of your mouth. You'll hear that there is mercy and grace in our time of need .  You'll be invited to a whole throne full of grace .  You'll see the occupier of that throne as a sympathetic , yet able Great Priest . For believers,...

We end up like the contestants of the 16 season Discovery Channel TV show. That is, we end up Naked and Afraid . We are not hidden ; we are not unseen . In fact, we are seen deeply all the way down to our " marrow ". We are seen discerningly, through all thoughts and intentions of the heart.  He sees the content , the structure , and the intent of our souls. So, we end up rather exposed...

If I were to expose your BONE, that would be called a deep laceration. If I were to expose the MARROW of your bone, that would be called a COMPOUND FRACTURE or an OPEN fracture.  It is a big deal.  It fast becomes the highest priority of a person's life. Similarly, God says He's gonna do such exposure on us.  He's gonna give us COMPOUND fractures with His Word.  He's gonna expo...

God's REST is the dependent posture of the soul, being held in the achievments of an accomplished God. It is achieved by the striving to listen, to know, to obey, to believe along with the characters of history (Israel), the characters of today (the Church), and the characters of a future Kingdom (heaven). God's Rest is available and open for business . It is ultimately achieved by Him,...

There are a whole lot of  todays in 40 years, 14,600 to be exact. The Old Testament people of God had that many chances to get it right. They chose to be knuckleheads. How many of them? All of them. Our response in hearing this should not be, "Oh that would NEVER be me" but more humbly, "Wait, that COULD BE ME." I will hear His voice TODAY, I will do the "one another'...

You have heard the  worst advice many times, "Just FOLLOW YOUR HEART ." Cautionary Red flags should be everywhere because the Bible tells us what our hearts are really like: deceitful , prone to hardening , and even evil . In "following mode", this is where they end up. Rather than following our hearts , we must LEAD our hearts.   lead our hearts to His VOICE . We'll find...

Big, Huge, Wonderful Jesus makes His home with believers.  He chooses to indwell us. This should blow the minds of believers and unbelievers alike. He's better than angels. He's better than Moses. He's the creator and builder of all things. He's worthy of glory and honor. He's the fulfillment of the Old Testament truths. He's High Priest and mediator. He's Helper...

The PAIN-POINT of our temptation is exactly the HELP-POINT of God's grace.   Jesus has been tempted.  He successfully resisted temptation throughout His life.  It was difficult and painful for Him.  This means He can  SYMPATHIZE with what we face daily. He sympathizes that it too is difficult for us. But hold on, we are to s ympathize with Him as well.  We are to join Him in the resistance to...

Temptation is universal, ongoing and PAINFUL. It is where the rubber meets the road in the reality of Christian living. Temptation is no longer painful when it is yielded to. RESISTING TEMPTATION is so difficult it is described as  SUFFERING . Yielding to temptation is easy. There is painful work to be done at the borders of holy living. Here's the great news: we have HELP. Jesus has been the...

People of faith get something  that angels do not . Available to them is a process of redemption. They get a chance to be rescued. It is not angels God helps in this regard, it is PEOPLE. How so? Resembles us. He becomes like us in taking on human flesh. Represents us. He becomes the high priest with authority of position enough to offer something on our behalf Rescues us. What He offers COUNTS. I...

Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers.  we have shared a humanity . That makes us brothers . we have shared the inherent suffering of humanity .  That makes us brothers . we have share a condition called death . For believers, He "tastes death: for us. That makes us brothers . we too can entrust and imitate Jesus in our  response to suffering . That  REALLY   makes us brothers. As we suffe...

Here's a name of Jesus you don't hear everyday: DEATH TASTER. The death that rightly is to be RECEIVED BY you is now TASTED and SWALLOWED up FOR YOU, if you RECEIVE HIM.  This is the good news. Because He did this for us, positionally He is above everyTHING, He is above everyONE, He is above everyWHERE. Bewithme.us and Apple Podcasts. Listen 7 minutes.