Thursday, December 16, 2021

GOD SPEAKS

Today’s Reading: Hebrews 1-2

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

 

An Orthodox Jew and another less religious person pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, which is part of the original retaining wall of the Temple Mount during the time of Jesus. During Jesus’ three years of teaching, preaching and healing the sick, thousands of Jews believed in Him, and many thousands more believed following His death and resurrection. Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the Temple of God. When asked, “What sign do You show to us?” His answer was, “Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). John went on to say, “But He was speaking of the Temple of His body”… His death and resurrection.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verses: Hebrews 1:1-2

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds…

 

What we used to call “the bare subject” of the key sentence is “God.” The bare predicate or verb (action word) is “has spoken.” How does God speak in the present? The literal words in the Greek language of the writer describes how God speaks now. He does not say that He speaks in Greek, Hebrew, or for us in English, but God speaks “by His Son.” Jesus is, in Himself, what God has to say to the human race. Jesus is the living “Word”…God’s means of communication with us (read John 1:14-18). “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.”

Today’s reading contains 15 direct quotes from the Hebrew Bible, which lets us in on what God said to His Son in eternity past. For example, Hebrews 1:8a, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.” This reminds us of the prophecy of the Jewish prophet Isaiah, who wrote in Isaiah 9:6, “Unto us a Child is born. Unto us a Son is given…His Name will be called…Mighty God.” In the light of dozens of such prophecies, no wonder thousands of those who practised Judaism became followers of Jesus as their promised Saviour and God.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I’ve just read in Hebrews 2:1 words which I pray that You’ll write indelibly on my heart. I “must give the more ernest heed to the things we [I] have heard, lest we [I] drift away.” Keep me, Lord Jesus, close, so very close, to You always. In Your Name (Your Person) I pray, Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I often quote to myself and to God the words of Hebrews 2:9, “But we see Jesus…” I think that one of the reasons we don’t have a physical description of what Jesus looked like recorded in Scripture is that the Holy Spirit, wanting us to see with insight rather than physical sight, deliberately avoided telling us of the outward appearance of Jesus. I ask myself, can I say to Jesus, “I see You!”

I can’t pass by these chapters without a warning that there are false teachers who will come to every door sooner or later, who believe that Jesus was the archangel Michael. That’s right, they teach that Jesus is an angel! I’ve just read again Hebrews 1:5-14. How dare they teach such lies? Let’s love these people who are deceived by the one who comes as an “angel of light,” but in reality is the fallen angel, Lucifer or Satan (read 2 Corinthians 11:13-15). Any teaching that seeks to lower the Person of Jesus from being 100% God as well as 100% Human is “the spirit of antichrist” (read 1 John 4:1-6).

Yours to help open the eyes of our hearts to see, carefully observe, and take in every detail of His Person as revealed to us through our daily Bible readings,

David

P.S. Many artists have tried to represent Jesus in a painting. My favourite one is of Jesus knocking at the door of the human heart. It hangs in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England (see photo of the painting below). It carries a powerful message, but of course, it is not an actual likeness of Jesus in His human Person. We do have a word picture of Jesus in His glory given by the Apostle John who saw Him in a vision and did his best to describe Him for us (read Revelation 1:12-20). I am eagerly looking forward to seeing Jesus face-to-face soon (1 Corinthians 13:12). The Angels said, as Jesus’ followers watched Him leave earth, “This same Jesus…will so come in like manner as you saw Him go onto Heaven” (Acts 1:7-11). If any reader has not opened your heart’s door to invite Jesus inside, please do so now as you consider the painting below. There is no handle on the outside of the door. It’s only on the inside. You may choose to open the door. He will never break the door down and forcibly enter. He loves you and waits for your decision. There is a little chorus that says, “Into my heart. Into my heart, come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Come in today. Come in to stay. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.” Make this your prayer (click here for the song, “Into My Heart”).

Christ at Your Heart’s Door by Warner Sallman.

14 thoughts on “Thursday, December 16, 2021

  1. Lord God, thank You for Your Word and for all those who listen to You. Thank You for all those who bring Your Word to others. Help every person in this world hear You calling them to come to You and be saved. Break down the walls that separate people from You and from each other. As David prayed, keep all Your children close to You, in Jesus’s great name, amen

  2. The picture of Jesus reminds me of this song –
    “At your heart’s door the Saviour’s waiting;
    At your heart’s door fast closed by sin.
    Don’t you hear Him gently knocking?
    Slide the bolt and let Him in.”

  3. Good Morning Friends.
    I have a question that conflicts within me.
    Yesterday, I read:
    “Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel… they saw God, and they ate and drank.”( Exodus 24:9-11).
    Today, I read:
    “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, Who is in the bosom of The Father, He has declared Him.” ( John 1:18)….

    Just wondering if anyone has an interpretation/ wisdom on these apparent discrepancies?

  4. Laur, try reading the English Standard Version of those verses. It says that God told Moses to come but the others to stay far back. God spoke to Moses via a burning bush in the past so possibly (probably) there was a shield of some kind. The brightness of God the Father, I believe, is too intense for one in human form. I would like to ask for prayer for me today as I’m having a lot of problems with my internet/phone and I have no one to help me. I had to struggle to get this post today. I haven’t had a similar problem before. I’m taking courses on line too (since May) and I so want to continue. (Morris Cerullo – http://www.gvamcsom.com}. Thanks so much.

    • Thanks Doreen. ESV vs 11 still implies seeing ( beheld) God…
      I will pray Now for your success with the Internet. It can be very frustrating!

      • Sid Roth today, had the topic, “seeing God”. His program usually plays out several times a week. Maybe you can catch it. “It’s Supernatural”.

  5. I had my second cast removed yesterday and now have a strap-on-boot cast but can not apply any weight to it for 2 more weeks.His knock on ‘the door with no latch’ reminded me of this message.Merry Christmas to all
    If One Day Is Too Late

    There are no locks on His gates,  
    You are free to walk in with His Son.  
    He is patient as He awaits  
    For you,oh wayward son.  

    Now is always the right time,
    For your next day is never assured,
    And He forgives your every crime
    When you make Him your Lord.

    Adrift in a silent sea,
    With no god to save you from your fate,
    In blackness for eternity,
    If one day is too late.

    Down from heaven to free us,
    When hell tried to kill this holy Child
    The One the world knows as Jesus
    And left us all beguiled.

    As He grew He learned to teach,    
    And told the elders how they err,
    Then they came to fear His outreach
    So trapped Him in their snare.

    But this was what He came for,
    To willingly die to save us all,
    For such love He still has in store
    For those saved from the fall.
    GW(Bill) Marshall/‎‎15 ‎Dec,2019

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