DAY 48, Hebrews 4-6

Good Morning!  My name is Jenny Cervik and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of Hebrews, chapters 4-6.

KEY VERSE:  Hebrews 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need.

REFLECTIONS:  This whole passage spoke in many different ways to me, but this verse more so in the fact that the Lord has been bringing my prayer life to my attention.  For the past year or so I have been trying to do exactly as this verse says, going BOLDLY to the Lord.  To me, going boldly to the Lord is like placing it ALL in His hands.  So many times we pray for things asking for His guidance, for the Lord to work it all out and intervene.  BUT, we hold on to a little part of the problem we are asking for help with.  We don't completely hand it to Him.  We hold on to it and worry, fret or become anxious about it.  We haven't given it completely to the Lord.  We haven't boldly said, "Here Lord, I'm giving this to you".  When the prayer is answered, the outcome still may not be as you thought but it is all part of God's perfect plan.  The Lord is your friend and comforter giving you grace and mercy in the time of need.  He is your support in the time of need.  The more you pray, the stronger your relationship with Him will be.

APPLICATION:  Prayer is so very powerful.  The more we pray, the less we sway...from HIM.  I know it's a corny saying; but if you think about it, it is true!

Thank you for being a part of the 100-Day Challenge.  Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!

In Christ,

Jen Cervik

NAME: Jenny Cervik

SAVED: About age 5 and assurance at 12

FAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTER: Noah

FAMILY: Husband Mike; children Norah – 6, and Nate - 3

OCCUPATION: Wife, mom and part time for an appraisal company

FAVORITE BOOK IN BIBLE: Proverbs

MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT AT VBC: Teaching 2’s and 3's, children's music

DAY 47, Hebrews 1-3

Good Morning! My name is Kathy Elkins and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of Hebrews 1- 3.

KEY VERSES:

Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Hebrews 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour (or help) them that are tempted.

Hebrews 3:12, 13 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you and evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

REFLECTIONS: 

I cannot describe my feelings when I look at who Jesus is. I am amazed when I think about it.  He is the Son of a holy God. He is holy and perfect. When everything was created He was there. Just to think how He humbled Himself by becoming one of us is very hard to comprehend. Of course, I do know the reason He did -- He loves us and He wants us to spend eternity with Him in heaven.

Having gone through much humiliation and temptation on earth Jesus understands every temptation and heartache that we go through. All we need to do is ask Him and He will give us all of the help and comfort that we need.

We need each other as believers to help and encourage one another. We can get off the right path and not even realize it. Satan is very subtle. He will never show us the end result of our sin. Being around other Christians can encourage us sometimes just by their good example. In addition to this, we need their prayers to help us go through the difficult times in our life. It can help us if they gently caution us when they see us going in the wrong direction.

APPLICATION:  

First of all, we need to realize who Jesus is. We need to use the resources that God gave to us, with our brothers and sisters in Christ. These people are in our lives for a reason.

Thank you for being a part of the 100-Day Challenge.  Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!

In Christ,  Kathy Elkins

NAME: Kathy Elkins

SAVED: November 1976
FAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTER:  Jesus
FAMILY:  Husband: Kyle – Three boys: John (Jennifer), Tom (Stacy) and Brian (Laura). Seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
OCCUPATION: Retired Steelworker
HOBBIES: Politics and baking (mostly at Christmas time)FAVORITE BOOK IN BIBLE: Psalms and James
MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT AT VBC: Hospitality Team

INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS

WRITER: The authorship of Hebrews has been in controversy from the earliest times. The book is anonymous, but the reference in 2 Peter 3:15 seems conclusive that Paul was the writer. See also Hebrews 13:23 . All agree that, whether by Paul or another, the point of view is Pauline. We undoubtedly have here the method of Paul's synagogue addresses. No book of Scripture more fully authenticates itself as inspired.

DATE: From internal evidence it is clear that Hebrews was written before the destruction of the Temple, A.D. 70 (cf Hebrews 10:11 ).

THEME: The doctrinal passages reveal the purpose of the book. It was written with a twofold intent:

1.  To confirm Jewish Christians by showing that Judaism had come to an end through the fulfilment by Christ of the whole purpose of the law; and

2.  The hortatory [exhorting, encouraging] passages show that the writer had in view the danger ever present to Jewish professed believers of either lapsing back into Judaism, or of pausing short of true faith in Jesus Christ. It is clear from the Acts that even the strongest of the believers in Palestine were held to a strange mingling of Judaism and Christianity (e.g. Acts 21:18-24) and that snare would be especially apt to entangle professed Christians amongst the Jews of the dispersion.

The key-word is "better." Hebrews is a series of contrasts between the good things of Judaism and the better things of Christ. Christ is "better" than angels, than Moses, than Joshua, than Aaron; and the New Covenant than the Mosaic Covenant. Church truth does not appear, the ground of gathering only being stated (Hebrews 13:13). The whole sphere of Christian profession is before the writer; hence exhortations necessary to warn and alarm a mere professor.

Hebrews is in six divisions, but these include five parenthetic passages of exhortation.

The great salvation1:1-2:18 (2:1-4, parenthetic).

1. The rest of God, 3:1-4:16 (all parenthetic).
2. Our great High Priest, 5:1-8,6 (5:11-6:12, parenthetic).
3. The new covenant and the heavenly sanctuary, 8:7-10:39 (10:26-39, parenthetic).
4. The superiority of the faith way, 11:1-40.
5. The worship and walk of the believer-priest, 12:1-13:25 (12:3-17, parenthetic).

C. I. Scofield

DAY 46, TITUS 3 AND PHILEMON

Good Morning! My name is Margie Jackson and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of Titus 3 and Philemon.

 KEY VERSES:  

3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…

3:7  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

REFLECTIONS

Verses 1 and 8 and 14 of Titus 3 talk about being ready to do “every good work,” and “maintain good works.”  But that is not the only message of this chapter.   Paul reminds us in verses 2 and 3 to consider what sinners we ourselves are before we quarrel or say unkind things about anyone else.

It’s a good thing that our salvation is “not by works of righteousness which we have done” – what a thought to dwell on:  “According to his mercy he saved us…That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life,” verse 5.  Romans 4 tells us that if anybody’s good works could save him, Abraham’s could have.  But they didn’t.  “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”  And that goes for us, too.  It is not our works, but our faith in God that is counted for righteousness – the righteousness of Christ!

A line from a sweet song comes to mind – I don’t know what a sinner you are, but I know what a Saviour He is.  Oh, what a Saviour!

APPLICATION:  

When my focus is on Him and His grace, I am always more ready to do what is good. 

Thank you for being a part of the 100-Day Challenge.  Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!

In Christ, Margie Jackson 

NAME: Margie Jackson

 SAVED:  Age 9

FAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTERS:  David and Peter 

FAMILY:  Husband Bob, 5 children, Granny Jackson

OCCUPATION: Homemaker

FAVORITE BOOK IN BIBLE:  Psalms, for now J 

MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT AT VBC:  Children’s music, web team

INTRODUCTION TO PHILEMON

WRITER: The Apostle Paul ( 1:1 )

DATE: Probably A.D. 64. It is one of the Prison Epistles. See Introductions to Ephesians and Colossians.

THEME: Onesimus ("profitable"), a slave of Philemon, a Christian of Colosse, had robbed his master and fled to Rome. There he became a convert through Paul, who sent him back to Philemon with this letter. It is of priceless value as a teaching

(1) in practical righteousness;

(2) in Christian brotherhood;

(3) in Christian courtesy;

(4) in the law of love.

The divisions are four

I. Greeting 1-3.

II. The character of Philemon, 4-7.

III. Intercession for Onesimus, 8-21.

IV. Salutations and conclusion, 22-25

C. I. Scofield

INTRODUCTION TO TITUS

WRITER: The Apostle Paul ( 1:1 )

DATE: Practically the same with First Timothy

THEME: Titus has much in common with First Timothy. Both Epistles are concerned with the due order of the churches. The distinction is that in First Timothy sound doctrine is more prominent, 1 Timothy 1:3-10; in Titus the divine order for the local churches, Titus 1:5.  The permanent use of these Epistles lies in this twofold application; on the one hand to churches grown careless as to the truth of God, on the other, to churches careless as to the order of God's house. The importance of this order is made solemnly emphatic in that the tests by which true elders and deacons may be known are repeated, 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9.

There are two divisions:

1. The qualifications and functions of elders, 1:1-16.
2. The pastoral work of the true elder, 2:1-3:15.

C. I. Scofield

DAY 45, TITUS 1-2

Good Morning! My name is Hal Boyd and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of Titus chapters 1 and 2.

KEY VERSES:

Titus 1:7 - For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre…..  Titus 2:2 - That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

REFLECTIONS:  In a world where everything seems to be continually changing it is reassuring to know that there is a Book, the Bible, that can keep us on the straight and narrow.  Even though these chapters refer to the elders and bishops I believe it applies to you and me as well.  We are to be blameless, not quick tempered, honest, patient and of sound faith.  Ladies are instructed in behavior as becometh holiness, teachers of good things, truthful, discreet, chaste and keepers of the home, all of which will help us be more Christlike.

APPLICATION:   The Bible is life’s answer book.  If we will read it, study it, meditate on it and then apply what it says we will be blessed and will bless those with whom we have contact.  In addition to how we should conduct our lives there is also a warning in Titus 1 to guard against false teachers because they profess to know God, but in works deny him.  Remember this chapter warns us…Be careful!  And then in closing, Chapter 2 turns to the Christian life.  First that the grace of God brings us salvation; then that God has appeared to all of us.  In other words all people have the opportunity to be saved.  And then we are to be living and looking for that blessed hope of the imminent return of Jesus Christ when He calls His children home. 

Thank you for being a part of the 100-Day Challenge.  Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!

In Christ,

Hal Boyd 

NAME:   Hal Boyd
SAVED: 1973
FAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTER:  David
FAMILY:  Pat, Sarah Herrold, Stephanie Brittain, Amanda Miller.  9 Grandchildren, Chloe, Caleb, Carter, Bailey, Cassidy, Cole, Madison, Molli, Max.
OCCUPATION:   District Sales Manager
FAVORITE BOOK IN BIBLE:  John
MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT:  New Heights Baptist Church, Wylie, TX.  Deacon and  Choir.