Hebrews 3

One primary goal of the letter to the Hebrews was to dissuade the readers from reverting to the traditions of Judaism after hearing the Gospel of Christ. They obviously got their eyes fixed on the wrong things. In their minds, pleasing God through their system of do’s and don’ts sabotaged their thinking. They were essentially sliding back into heresy. The author took the challenge to correct their thinking.

In our day, false concepts of how to please God and attain the hereafter try to allure the minds of men away from Christ. Let’s face it … this can happen to those who are actively searching if they have not had the life-changing encounter with Jesus they really need. When we taste the Heavenly Gift through Christ, it revolutionizes our thinking. All other solutions are bogus.

Beware lest any man spoil (rob) you though philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men and rudiments of the world, and NOT AFTER CHRIST. [Col. 2:8]

Keep your mind filled with Christ Jesus!

Hebrews 1, 2

The longer I know the Lord, the more I realize that we are VERY dependent upon His grace. The writer of Hebrews (Possibly Paul, possibly another early Christian leader who was, no doubt, strongly influenced by Paul’s teachings) states that Christ Himself suffered death by the grace of God. In His death, by God’s grace, He fully experienced death in every person’s place. [Heb 2:9] Through Christ, God paid the penalty of our sin. Because grace is GREATER than our sin, He overcame death and suffering in victorious fashion.

Some good news … we too can overcome the suffering of this world by the grace of God. If you are not looking to that grace, praying to the God Who dispenses it, and reading about it in His Word, you are trying to do it ALL BY YOURSELF. Not wise.

Philemon

It’s doubtful that Paul ever returned to see Philemon, yet he requested that a “guest room be prepared” for a hopeful reunion of the two. [v. 22] Paul indicated that he was relying on Philemon’s prayers to make it happen.

We see great faith on Paul’s part. We see his hope as expressed in this request. Whether or not it happened is not as important as the practice of approaching the future with faith. “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” [Rom. 14:23]

Paul was not planning a luxury vacation. He earnestly desired to see and encourage his converts, of which Philemon was one. As we look to the future, may we likewise plan with faith to be available to God to do His Will.

Note: Paul was likely beheaded by Nero in c. 64-6 A.D. Notice that WE all still have our heads, but often complain about our sufferings for Christ.

Titus 3

Slander – to make a false and damaging statement about someone.

Paul challenges the saints to speak evil of no man. Something may be true, but it could tear down a person if it comes out of your mouth. God reserves the right to take vengeance. We can actually diffuse His vengeance if we become god and belittle someone.

Years ago, I heard Pastor Paul Garlington relate this story at a pastors’ conference. He was sitting in his office bemoaning people in the church who were bad-mouthing him. (This rarely happens to pastors … LOL) He heard God say in his spirit, “If you do something about this, I won’t. But, if YOU don’t do something about it, I WILL.”

‘Nuff said.

Ttus 2

God used Paul to clarify to the Church what rolls the saints were to demonstrate. Here, we’re not talking about getting on the floor … we’re talking about getting on our feet and walking in a way that communicates God’s Holiness.

For instance, the older men (me?) were admonished to be, “sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.” [v. 2] Here are these qualities as they appear in various translations:

• SOBER; self-controlled, temperate, serious, watchful
• GRAVE; serious, dignified, worthy of respect, honorable, unruffled
• TEMPERATE; using good judgement, wise, spiritually healthy, in control of their desires
• SOUND IN FAITH; true faith, well grounded in scripture
• CHARITY; God-like love for others,
• PATIENCE; perseverance, steadfastness, endurance

These character traits are my benchmark. It’s been a stretching week with being challenged by my earthly father’s sterling reputation and confronting my own inadequacies. I need God’s GRACE!

Titus 1

Paul recommended that leaders in the Church be blameless. Now that’s a tall order for anyone. What if they are NOT blameless? What is the path to achieving that status?

When blame can be laid at anyone’s feet, there is a solution. That person can acknowledge where they are wrong and correct it.

Since my earthly father passed away, I am involved in the family estate resolution and disbursement of assets. It can get sticky with close relatives you had no prior friction with. A commitment to blamelessness requires wrongs to be righted. Since I am in the middle of this process, I want to emerge with a blameless reputation.

Here is the scriptural formula for conflict resolution:

“… If, while you are offering your gift at the altar (praying), you should remember that your brother has something against you, you must leave your gift there before the altar (determining in your heart to make it right) and go away. Make your peace with your brother first, then come and offer your gift.” [Matt: 5:24]

2 Tim. 4

We hate to hear hard, offending words. The fact is, the truth is not always easy to hear or receive. Paul encouraged leaders to speak truth even though it may come over as rebuke. This is how he put it to Timothy:

“Use the Word of God to show people they are wrong. Use the Word of God to help them do right. You must be willing to wait (patiently) for people to understand what you teach as you teach them.” [NLV]

Patience and love are critical ingredients to rebuke and correction. If people truly want to be correct, they will accept correction. There is NOTHING more correct than God’s Word. Our eternal future is based upon it.

2 Tim. 3

God’s Word is optimistic about our Heavenly future. It is, however, pessimistic about the world around us. I’ve personally seen the culture take a big slide in values from when I was a boy. Politicians, media, addictive life-destroying drugs, common morality standards … everywhere you turn, it’s not hopeful.

Paul predicted our day. He said the times will be grievous, perilous, dangerous, hard … not a pretty picture. And yet, we are raising children and doing our best to please Him with our hearts and lives. IT CAN BE DONE!!! How? God’s grace.

The more we have God’s grace operating in our lives, the more pleasing and effective our lives will be. Grace is, “God working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” [Phil. 2:13] It’s Christ IN US, not the power of our will and personality.

Heritage helps. We just laid to rest my 97 year old father, David Dean Demos. The Christian life he lived provides a template for life that pleases God. His faith, by God’s grace, will continue forging in me and his descendants a testimony and witness that rises above the “Terrible Times” we live in.