Message: There are many in our society that question the fairness of God, but keep it in the recesses of their minds. Paul addresses God's ways and plans through Esau and Jacob, representing two nations, a stronger and a weaker. The Hebrew translation clarifies the description of stronger and weaker to larger and smaller groups of people. Esau sells his birthright for food from his tricky brother Jacob, God sees all, but doesn't control all, as He governs what He sees will happen. Is God unfair, loving Jacob and hating Esau? Tradition dictates a birthright is given to the oldest, who will carry the rights and responsibilities of leading the spiritual direction of the family. The spiritual leadership is thought to be the birthright Esau despised. Blessings were a material superiority, affording a double portion of land and property, usually decided by choice or preference. Esau was only interested in the blessing and was distressed along with his father Isaac when learning they were tricked. In his heart, Esau despised the gift of birthright from God, but desired the blessings of land, property and riches. Did God hate Esau? No, God would have also taught Esau, had he had a humble and contrite heart. God still loved Esau, but "lesser" and "with disregard", because the condition of his heart. Paul refers to Malachi 1:1-3 to demonstrate God's response to Israel who are questioning His fairness, as similar to Jacob and Esau. Jacob used trickery, but his heart was for God's plans and will, whereas Esau despised God's ways, preferring prosperity. Israel has a half-hearted approach to God with empty offerings and worship, only desiring the blessings, so they detect unfairness. It is a faith walk, God sees it all, your despise of His plans, but in love draws us to Himself with suffering to save us from hell. Turn to Him in faith and let Him be the Lord of your life, receive the birthright through Jesus Christ, the firstborn of the Father and be blessed forever.

Scripture: Romans 9:10-13 "....Rebekah conceived twin sons by one man [under the same circumstances], by our father Isaac; and though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything either good or bad, so that God’s purpose [His choice, His election] would stand, not because of works [done by either child], but because of [the plan of] Him who calls them, it was said to her, “THE [OLDER (Esau) WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER (Jacob).” As it is written and forever remains written, “JACOB I LOVED (chose, protected, blessed), BUT ESAU I HATED (held in disregard compared to Jacob).”" - AMP

Message: We will never be left out when we call on the name of Jesus. Jesus was taken outside the city according to Roman and Jewish customs of the time, after the the trial for sin, to be crucified. The place is referred to as Golgotha, Skull Rock and Calvary. They mocked Him and led Him out of the city to be crucified, a process used in Exodus and Leviticus for the consecration and purification of priests. Hebrews is showing the need for a Savior, a parallel to the priests process for sacrifice of sin which occurred outside the city, then the blood transported back into the city for the offering.  Isaiah 53:3 prophesied the treatment of Jesus and the perspective of the people, though He was to bear their sin.  Culture says "you are either with us or against us", put out because you are not conforming to the thoughts of the culture. Mosaic law was based on conforming to the law to give the appearance of godliness, where behavior was controlled by guilt and shame with the threat of social rejection. It is important to hear God's voice when various and strange doctrine are present, because we have a heart established through faith by grace. There is no profit in other doctrines, they have no place to put problems, whereas we have an altar of sacrifice to the holy righteous God. We have the sacrifice of Jesus where we can place our sin before the throne of mercy, justified before God. Therefore, offer a sacrifice of praise continuously, stirring yourself with His goodness, grace and mercy. Despise the shame of the world, we have access to the city of God, through Jesus. We cannot be cast out, but will suffer for a better thing, not of our own merit, but of God. See Jesus as ever-present and see yourself included in a city, not made with hands. There's a hymn by E.E. Hewitt (1898) which sums it up like this, "When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory!"

Scripture: Hebrews 13: 11-12 "For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate." KJV

Message: You're going to have trouble and trials which can seem strong enough to shake your confidence. We have to keep our eyes on Jesus, trusting Him in all things to maintain a confidence. Historically, Hebrews was written by Paul in 70AD before the destruction of the temple and the capture of Jerusalem. Paul is building up the Christians and Gentiles on God's faithfulness during the trials. He was addressing their fears and enabling them to have confident hope (boldness in Greek) in God. It is vital to believe His purpose and plan for us. A loss of confidence can be equated to a soldier dropping his shield and fleeing in battle.  Called as a soldier of the Lord, the devil will attack to question your integrity. We are reminded of the strength of the Lord in our faith in Psalm 27:1 and our defense in Hebrews 10:34 against the weapons of the devil. The key is to know within yourself, heaven thinks of you better. Waiting for "something" to give you substance leads to hunger unsatisfied and always missing the mark. God is all we need. It is boldness, a leap of faith and trusting in the One who knows it all. Christ as the Lord of our life, is faith in operation, generating boldness and access to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Faith defined in Hebrews 11:1-2 is hope from things unseen, which gives good report according to the Word of God and gives Him glory. However, going to God with boldness of faith causes suffering, but He promises reward for it, justice. We can miss Christ's plan for us and our time with Him when we take our eyes off Him in our impatience. God is in the process of transforming us, testing our faith with patience, because He can solve anything.  The work of righteousness will continually be performed in us, helping us to become fully confident in God, not ourselves, completing His plan and purposes. Wisdom and our days are from God, rejoice in it, be lifted up and remembered. Let your confidence remain amidst the trials and temptations, hold up your weapons, be strong in the Lord, trust Him all your days and into eternity.

Scripture: Hebrews 10:35-36 "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." KJV

Message: What are some steps to draw near to God? We accept Jesus, but it is important to go to the root of the separation. There is someone or some thing keeping you distant from God, the desire's of Satan. When we are not in God's presence, there is an absence of light and truth. There are 3 challenges: holding fast, considering others and assembling. Hold on to hope in the struggles and trials. In the challenges we are reminded to stir up, strengthen and encourage, a lifting up and exhorting of one another. We are to hold fast our faith, it's Satan's desire is to weaken our trust in God. It's through the tough times we learn to depend on God. The enemy wants to invade your belief and shatter your trust, so you would go running to some other faith.  Fixing our attention on God allows us to know where we are in our faith. What happens when we lose faith?  We try to do it ourselves, be the master of our own fate. Time will prove we are not able and turn to God for help. We are rewarded in His trust, through His faithfulness. We are to exercise faith by sharing it with others. When we share, it is a consideration, a thought beyond ourselves, a focus on others.  A focus is to think of ways to stimulate others to love and good works. From God's perspective, take time to see others as made in His image, His creation and wonderfully made.  We struggle with relationships with God because we struggle with others, who are made in His image and likeness. To love God is to love others, otherwise it is to live a lie.  In loving others, there is assembly, divine purpose, worship and conducting the divine affairs of the royal kingdom of God.  There is change with assembly, such as, warfare and direction. Our coming together moves God to inhabit our praises. See the joy in assembly, use it wisely to see others as God sees them and you will draw near to Him. The body of believers is a gift.

Scripture: Hebrews 10:23-25 "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Message: In Genesis the beginning of a tenuous relationship between God and man is recorded. Adam and Eve were given a command, breaking it would cause death and separation from God. Sin fell on all mankind, the Spirit no longer dwelled with men. God sent a flood, but man still would not turn and could not save themselves, they would need a Savior. Sin kept a barrier between God and man, a gaze onto Him would result in death, so rituals were used just to get close to Him. God wanted a deeper relationship, therefore He had a plan from the beginning to restore man unto Himself. Through Hebrews, God spoke of an undying love, desiring relationship. He creates a new covenant to save us,  it would be written on our hearts and minds. In the form of a living Word in us, He could transform us. We are left to process the debt for sin He no longer remembers, which was paid in full by Jesus. The remission of sins no longer required an offering. What was impossible for man was possible for God. By the blood of Jesus, we now have access to God's grace, the veil has been torn. Christ the high priest lives in us, a new and living way is made for us to draw near to God. In Hebrews 10:22, the Greek word for "Let" is ketecho, meaning to permit or allow. It also means to hinder or obstruct. One is for good, permitting God into our lives as new creations. The other allows bad, but prohibits sin's full force, resulting in a strained relationship. We should desire an abiding and genuine relationship through Christ the high priest, who makes intercession for us to draw near to God. Jesus in us, we have His heart, assurance, unwavering faith, a conscience free from evil and a body washed with pure water, His blood. Our conscience wants to reject what we can't understand. It wants to believe works can save us, whereas only the blood of Jesus purifies thoughts of saving ourselves. Satan, accuses everyday, you can add to it by letting your conscience accuse you. Purge your conscience to serve the living God with joy, gladness, hope and peace.  Draw near to God and watch what happens: transformation, growth and peace through the blood of Christ for God's glory.

Scripture: Hebrews 10: 22-23 "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)" KJV

Message: According to God's power, He has given us ALL things that pertain to life and Godliness. If THESE things abide in you, they make make you neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ. Peter tried really hard to be that guy, but he was the guy who cut a man in anger, rebuked Jesus, and denied him thrice. What does your life in Christ look like? Sin can be perplexing in its difficulty, but we know God is able t do miraculous thing in us; participation in the divine nature means that we must depend on the divine power. The divine nature of God is represented, but not limited to these attributes; infinite, immutable, self-sufficient/sovereign, omni-potent, omniscient, omni-present, and wise. God desires each of these for us; through the divine nature He places within us. If we were to give notable guidance in walking out divine power power, the strong key points are to have diligence; virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, Godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity; love. God so wants to be exercised and expressed. To be let out, not corrupted by this world and the flesh. The nature of His divine power, is who you’re called to be. Let His power have its perfect work in you.

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:3-8 "as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." - NKJV

Message:  Paul addresses the Galatians with an aggressive letter to point the people back to Christ. The Galatians are adding requirements to salvation. Paul compares the people to the Israelites and Moses from captivity, rescue, provisions and the wilderness. Paul points to God's faithfulness, the purpose of the Law and Christ in their lives. Christ has freed us from sin and the Law, paying our debt of sin from breaking the Law, saving us from death. Christ has freed us from ourselves as we attempt to make an idealized version of ourselves, only to achieve below God's standard.  We have rest in Christ, His yolk is our freedom from slavery to the Law. Like the Israelites, anything less than God's provision is a return to slavery and potentially worse conditions.  Paul also questions their intentions, seeing a dilution of the gospel. He reveals the trap of legalism tied to their lists of rules and things to do, which they are using for evidence of salvation and judgments. We're to be on guard for ourselves and others for the subtleties and trickery of works based faith, which entraps us into trying to save ourselves. Salvation by grace is a confession and belief in Jesus, evidenced by the presence of the Holy Spirit's influence in our lives, giving us access to God. Paul stresses the seriousness of following the commands of the Lord to display the freedom of expressing His goodness and glory. In freedom we use the Holy Spirit to instruct us. Using God's grace to sin, entices sin and ways to justify it. Freedom is to be used around those who are of like consciousness, otherwise sin inadvertently by tempting others. Our ability to access the throne of God is freedom. How do we daily live out freedom? Love God, love our neighbors, though we may fail at times. Reject teaching that says we can save ourselves.  Seek forgiveness of others. Love and sacrifice ourselves for those around us. In all things, rest in Jesus.

Scripture: Galatians 5: 1-6 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love." - NKJV

Message: The Jews could not obtain righteousness through the Law or works, so Paul speaks of a mystery revealed to them by God. The mystery is Christ in us our hope for future glory. Man fails, with Christ in us we cannot. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would enter to empower people for service, then leave. In the New Testament, believers hadn't received the Holy Spirit yet, Jesus sends them out, but their strength didn't have sticking power. There were conditions for the Holy Spirit to stay. In ourselves we are unrighteous, but Christ in us, we are perfectly righteous. It is the truth of Christ in our hearts fulfilled where there are riches given. The Holy Spirit has a temple to reside in, leading us to all spiritual truth. Christ gives life to our mortal bodies, once dead, now alive, there's life beyond our earthly existence. We no longer operate in darkness, but have the light of life, seeing what is of God. The light of life dwells in us for the whole world to see. How does this happen? A child in a manger, a light into the darkness to shine throughout the whole world, saying "come to me all you weary and heavy burdened, find rest for your soul". Christ reaches out from the cross as your Lord and Savior, for whoever believes is activated by faith and the door to your heart opens to let Him in by God's grace. There's no other way. Let God speak to you today and gives the greatest gift of all mankind, letting the light of Christ be the light in you.

Scripture: Colossians 1:27: "To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

Message: God delights in giving us His kingdom's authority, riches, might, life and liberty to those who believe.  There's not a condition with God, it is gifted, unlike the world which creates lists. What has God gifted to you? Gifts speaks of the thoughts of the giver. God gives with no restraint and cheerfully, the kingdom. It shows how much God loves and values us each day. He never wants us to wonder about His love, loving us unconditionally and everlasting. Trust and obedience shows an acceptance of the gift and His character.  God's wrath is a protective love for us, keeping us from destruction. He protects us through Christ who is unfailing in His intimate pursuit of us. Grace, first given to us with wisdom and insight, is the salvation plan unfolded through Christ. It gets us through any situation and is sufficient for all things we work on.  The Church is often thinks Christ or the Spirt being the gift to the church, seldom thinking the church as the gift. Believers gather to give glory and honor to God. The church meets our needs, we in turn use our gifts, talents and abilities to serve and edify the body of Christ.  The church allows rest, comfort and edification in the presence of the Lord, through the Holy Spirit. The gift of the church joins us together amidst diversity into true community to promote the ministry of Christ. The gift of eternal life is known as the One who is life, the true God. Just as Christ laid down His life, knowing His Father's love and in obedience, so we are called to lay down our life for others, safe against man's attempt to take it.  We have comfort and strength in the promise of eternal life. God's gifts sustain, give glory, direct and give love. Whatever God calls you to step in to, do it without fear, our time is short. Merry Christ-magnified-in-you.

Scripture: Luke 12:32 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." - NKJV

Message: Because of God's love, He gave us a gift, when we accept the gift, He is with us. God desired to be with those He created, but saw man's depravity. Flesh corrupted it's way on the earth, wanting kings to rule them, rejecting God. It divided them leading them into destruction and captivity. Man became wise in his own eyes; God became silent. They were in darkness for 400 years without God, but there was a promise of forerunners to the Messiah, announcing His arrival. Then, there was a Light, when Jesus Christ came as man; God working through His creation.  Saints of God have Christ with us, dwelling in us through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us hope and comfort and never leaves us. Let God be with you in a fully present way. Stir up the gift of God in you, fan the flames and continue to kindle it.  We can give devotion and prayer, however, we can also step out into our gifts, talents and abilities. The Holy Spirit engages us, reminds us and leads us into spiritual truths. We will not be left or forsaken, so trust God, knowing He is with us.

Scripture: John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." NKJV