Bible Commentary & Daily Devotional

 Hebrews 2 - The Cross of Our High Priest           It’s easy to want Chapter Two's second half and ignore the first half.  We want the helper, the merciful, forgiving High Priest.  But God says we will not be immune from consequences if we ignore the Great Cross of Christ (2:3).           Let’s talk about it for a second, for I believe it is a critical issue for the church's health and growth, and revival.           Jesus is our perfect leader.  By God’s grace, he tasted death for everyone.  And what a poisonous taste.  Thank God for His grace.  Thank God that everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God.  Every child of God defeats this evil world.  We achieve this victory through faith in Jesus (1 John 5:4).  Jesus makes us holy.  The Son of God (fully man, fully God) brings us salvation.           Jesus broke the power of the devil - He broke the power of death.  He sets us free from the fear of dying.  It doesn’t mean that we don’t suffer and th

 Hebrews 2:1-5 - Signs and Wonders - Miracles and Gifts I can shock myself at my inability to learn simple lessons.  They say just showing up is 90% of success.  Well, I’m confident inattentiveness, waffling, and ambivalence are keys to failure. In this passage, we hear yet again a warning to “listen very carefully” to God’s message or we run a real risk of total failure - drifting away from God (2:1).  With responsibility comes consequences.  Just ask any sentry, goaltender, place-kicker, or pilot.  You have a job to do - if you don’t do it well the results are clear.  So, let’s do it well. It’s the same as we develop and grow as Christians.  We have to make a decision to grow.  I've been reading about growthmindset lately and I think God is finally getting through to me.           It will not come as a shocker to any dad hooked on porn, a mom who has dabbled in an office romance, or the pastor who’s craftily swindled money from the church.  Christians can’t just casually li

  Hebrews 1 - The King It's a good day for  trading.  I’ve made a lot of bad trades over the years.  But there are good trades, nay, great trades available today.  A lot of us wait decades, clinging to our old ways - doubling down on what we know is unfulfilling.  I’m tired of my way; I want God’s way.  Give up sickness, so-called freedom (stubbornness really), selfishness, and pride - in return receive God’s way, the real good life, with wisdom, freedom in Christ, and joy.  I’m ready for that trade.  I’m ready to grow in Christ.  Please pour out your oil of joy in us Lord Jesus.  Please refresh our souls with goodness, kindness, and godly confidence. These final days - the church age if you will - spans from when Jesus finished His rescue mission on earth, and sat down in heaven (1:3), until His return to earth.  Some think that Jesus does not yet reign and that the final days are some far-off future time.  I have no doubt that Jesus reigns today (Revelation 19:6). Jesus is

 Hebrews 1 - The Son - Jesus Christ It is a blessing that God has revealed to us the relationship between the Father and the Son.  We understand family relationships - at least somewhat.  We understand how much we love our kids.   God wants us to understand who Jesus is because God wants us to understand how much he loves us.  God didn’t send His Son to die on the Cross for angels, He sent His Son to die for you.  And for me.           It is good for us to think deeply about the character of Almighty God.  Indeed, if we get God’s character wrong we are lost.  I believe God wants us to know Him more by using all of our faculties and abilities to do so.             There is a deep mystery in the relationship between God the Father and God the Son.  We hear God’s truth of that relationship in this passage (completely consistent with all of Scripture including Colossians 1:15, John 1:3, 1 John 1:2, Ephesians 1:4, 1 Corinthians 1:2, Romans 1:5, Acts 4:12, etc.).   The more we understand

 Hebrews 1 - Waiting on God's Timing God is not silent.  He speaks through Scripture; He displays His solemn majesty through creation.  I’m reminded of that this morning as I watched the purples and pinks of the sunrise.  Any mom can tell you the same thing.  They’ve seen God’s hand in the breath of their newborn - in the perfect eyelashes of their little one. We’re reminded in this passage to pause and reflect on the power and majesty of Jesus Christ.  Today, as we approach the celebration of the resurrection of our King, we patiently wait for God’s timing and we listen for what He is saying to us. Jesus is to be worshiped - by God’s angels (1:6) and by His followers (Matthew 16:16).  Jesus, our God and our Saviour, laid the foundation of this earth.  With his powerful and gentle hands, He made everything.  And with those same hands pierced by nails, he suffered to cleanse us from our sins.  And today, He reigns in Heaven and powerfully sustains everything by His command (1:

 Philemon - Keep Learning, Keep Growing How much can we learn from Scripture?  How much can we learn from an old man writing from an ancient Roman prison?  Is there any ceiling on our growth in Christ?  Do we ever reach a point where we stop needing the encouragement to grow and learn in Christ?  What’s the power of an ancient message, a letter from a prisoner, a preacher, a co-worker, a partner in the Gospel, a brother, and a fellow soldier in Christ?  We get the answer in Philemon. Honesty.   Paul tells the truth.  Philemon knows it because he’s worked with Paul.  He knows Paul’s character.  And he knows very well the power of the Holy Spirit.  Without truth, there is no love, no God-fearing relationship.  Truth can be hard to hear (you may want to burn the message like King Jehoiakim in Jeremiah 36 rather than letting the message transform you and bring you to a place of repentance and forgiveness).  With honesty, we can be useful for Christ - productive.           But make no m

  Philemon - The Kindness Policy God sets a “tone from the top.”  God is patient.  But He does not suffer fools lightly; jerks have a very short tenure on His team.           As Jesus' followers, He expects us to do the same.  Christian organizations should be known for their cultures of kindness and godly behavior.  Sadly, that’s often not the case.  In our “niceness,” we often overlook the ill-treatment of people because we are scared of confrontation.  That is not God’s style.  And it shouldn’t be ours.   Sometimes, as Paul shows in this short letter, we have to ask for what we want and clearly set our expectations.  You'll notice here that Paul's ask is not for himself.  Paul has a big favor to ask in terms of Philemon giving up his rights against Onesimus (Philemon’s former slave).  This is much more than a reference letter for Onesimus.  It is a code of conduct for the Christian household, nay, for the Christian community. God’s consistent character is that of a