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Written by Michelle J. Goff, founder and director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries
We do not know who wrote the book of Hebrews. Considering his extensive knowledge of Jewish customs and practices, the author was most assuredly a Jew. Furthermore, he saw his Judaism as an opportunity to appreciate Christ more deeply as the fulfillment of all the Hebrew prophecies and the archetype for all foreshadowing in Hebrew teaching.
When the Holy Spirit inspired this author to pen this letter to the Jews, his primary purpose was to provide assurances based in the Torah and the Prophets. His explanations are rooted in what we know as the Old Testament. His points regarding the supremacy of Christ emphasize the importance of keeping Christ at the center of everything. But why?
The Hebrew audience had grown discouraged. They were doubting whether Jesus of Nazareth really was all of who He said He was. And not many years had yet passed since Jesus’ resurrection. It is traditionally believed that the book was written during the second half of the 1st century. This is less than one generation after Jesus had died.
It doesn’t take long for us to get discouraged. And to forget. If we don’t intentionally remember, we will forget and lose faith. Therefore, we celebrate the God stories in our lives. We delight in sharing with others how living and active God is. We marvel at the power revealed through the stories of the Bible.
The first nine and a half chapters of Hebrews set the stage for the primary encouragement of the letter: Keep the faith!
Allow me a one-sentence summary of each chapter as a preamble to his greatest admonition to keep the faith.
- Superior to the angels, Jesus was the Son of God.
- Jesus was 100% God and 100% human.
- Worthy of a greater honor than Moses, Jesus is the faithful Son over God’s house.
- Jesus was the ultimate high priest and atonement for our sins.
- Please believe in Jesus, the source of eternal salvation.
- God is unchangeable and had this plan from the beginning.
- Jesus is the guarantor of a better covenant, living to intercede for us, a high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
- Jesus was perfect and is the mediator of the new covenant.
- Eternal redemption is possible through the blood shed by the perfect sacrifice, Christ.
- We are made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Yet no matter how much evidence there is, no matter how many arguments presented, there is no way to convince someone with total assurance about the Christ. Why? Because no one can believe without faith.
When our faith wavers, we can reflect on God’s faithfulness. When we get discouraged, we can remember the times when Jesus was discouraged and looked to His Father.
The author of Hebrews recognized that many Christian Jews had become discouraged, and their faith was teetering on the edge of giving up.
He reminds his readers:
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
After summarizing the first ten chapters in these three verses (10:19-21), the author begins his encouraging admonition to the Hebrews.
22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb. 10:22-25)
The solution?
- Draw near to God. Don’t isolate.
- Recognize the lies and remember our cleansing.
- Hold onto hope. Let go of discouragement.
- Remain faithful as God is faithful.
- Encourage one another. We are not alone!
- Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus (Heb. 12:1). Everything else pales in comparison.
Which admonition from Hebrews is most encouraging and hope-filled for you today?
#IronRoseSister #HIStories #keepthefaith #runtherace #eyesfixedonJesus #Hebrews #MichelleJGoff #blog
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Written by Nilaurys Garcia, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Canada
Has it happened to you that after a vacation you need to rest? In other words, you need another vacation to rest from the holidays, it may be that you want to spend all day lying in bed reading a book, binge watching your favorite series, sunbathing on the beach, walking in the park or whatever activity that you like the most.
I can imagine several people laughing and commenting that the days off are to do the things you can't do while you work or are in your daily routine, and why do I know this? Because my mind also works like that. But a day after a small mental breakdown that led me to faint on the subway on the way to work, both my family and my boss decided to have an intervention, and very kindly forced me to take a few days off. I wish this story ended here, and I would love to say that after the break I learned to relax, connect with God and live in a peaceful state, but no. Six months later it happened again. After medical studies and results that only indicated one thing, stress. This intervention was no longer so kind, but this time I did learn.
There was an internal struggle within me in living these two experiences, after being oversaturated with good things like multiple Bible studies, ladies and youth meetings, children's classes, social activities and more, I completely drained myself. There was nothing left to give. Some will think, “but that's the life of the servant and it's part of the task to do all that, plus how are you going to get tired if all those activities nourish and transform you, help you connect more with God and make you grow?” All that is true, but if we exceed our limits, there are consequences.
What led me to understand that rest or stepping aside was necessary was to see the example of Jesus, in Luke 6:12, when after several miracles, days of teaching, and having to deal with the Scribes and Pharisees He retreated all night to pray “and He spent the night praying to God.” It is not the first and only time we see Him doing this, He also did it after He had walked on water, had fed a crowd and before being betrayed. In Luke 5:16 the Bibles states that "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
Since I understood that it was necessary to dedicate moments, days, or seasons in this action of recharging, I understood that I had much more to give, but it was only possible if I made these conscious pauses to return to the Source that would allow me to breathe deeply and talk to the Source, beyond the daily interaction. I have learned from Jesus to retreat and breathe for a few moments. I learned to identify the symptoms that indicate that I need to pause and regain strength, and I spend conscious time doing so.
Depending on your tastes and personality, retreating can look like sitting in the park while you study your devotional, taking a couple of hours to journal, taking the long way to work while praying out loud if you're driving, or saying no to a church study or activity, but it should be a conscious decision. You can also invite a friend if you wish. In my case it works best when I'm alone and I pray out loud, so if you ever see me on the street speaking to myself, you already know what I'm doing. You don't need to go to the middle of the forest for a week to be alone with God and your thoughts, but if that's your way, great! I just recommend that you don't wait to collapse to retreat, breathe, and recharge. Remember Jesus spent time resting and recharging directly from the Source.
#IronRoseSister #HIStories #retreat #recharge #breathe #rest #guestwriter #blog