Good day and good Tuesday. Wow, where did that sunny 80 degree day come from yesterday? Gotta love February in Texas right? But of course, don’t get too excited just yet, Friday is a low of 30 and a high of 44. Kinda like a yo-yo huh?
We had a dear, dear friend from Maui email us last week and let us know that her husband was turning 70. What a big day. The email was actually a request. She told us she had a wonderful habit of writing him little daily notes and it had become a staple in their long and loving marriage. She was requesting friends and family to not just copy and paste happy birthday on facebook, but to actually write him a letter. Not via snail mail but write him a letter in an email and she would print them all out and build a scrap book of them and present them to him on his birthday. What a beautiful gift. It makes me think about the power of the written word. This has long been known and even today in the way of digital media, it has not changed. Write someone a message on facebook or write them something on paper and put it in their hands. There’s a difference. I think back to when Margie and I were first engaged, I was living in Wichita Falls and she was at Dallas Baptist University. We were agonizingly separated and that was in the days of long distance, so we couldn’t talk nearly as much as we wanted. (especially after that first $300 phone bill!) So we wrote. We wrote letters that exposed our hearts. The words told of our feelings and the paper carried the emotions over the distance. The power of the written word. All of this brings me back to thinking about the ultimate love letter…God’s Word. Even though you can read the Bible on your phone, your tablet or your kindle, for me there is no substitute for sitting in front of a Bible. A collections of paper pages with words written on them. It surpasses just being ink on page, it is the Words of God written to us from afar. It is the prose of God handed to us as just what it is. A letter of love, hope, grace, mercy and sacrifice. Oh, the power of the written Words of God.
Today we will be finishing the book of Hebrews with chapter 13. What a great book this has been as God has taught us so much. If you have missed any of the chapter studies, you can easily go back and find them all at the5MC.com. At the prompting of God, I created this website to house all of the daily 5 minute challenge studies. In fact, if you are wanting to strike out on your own and launch into the study of a book in God’s Word by yourself, you can use the5MC.com to do just that. I have worked diligently to carefully classify all of the books on the site so you can easily find them. Just find the book you’re looking for, click on it and then all of the individual chapter studies will pop up. You can use the 5MC however you like, as a commentary, a study aid or just as an accompaniment. The one thing I do recommend is ALWAYS read God’s Word first before you read the 5MC. By doing this you will allow God to speak to you and not Dan. I highly encourage you all to constantly be in the study of at least one book in God’s Word. Have fun!
Today we find in chapter 13…guidance. Guidance from God. Guidance with Love. The way that God loves us is amazing. Just as a parent has an amazing love for their children, God has an amazing love for His children. Are you a child of God? If you have realized that you have sinned against God and have no way to make it right and have called upon the name of His Son Jesus to cover your sins, then you are a child of God. Our world today will tell us that if you’re simply born, you’re a child of God, but folks, if you believe in the Word of God that’s simply not true. I wish our world were one of truth and goodness but it’s not. We’re told in God’s Word that the devil is the ruler of this world (John 14:30, John 16:11) This sinful world wants nothing more than to lead us astray. That’s why God gave us the amazing gift of His Holy Word. We need His Word as a roadmap to help us navigate the perilous pitfalls of an evil and sin filled planet.
This morning we find 9 guidelines of Love from God. Let’s dive right in and look at these guides than can offer us peace, joy and freedom in our lives today.
1) Let brotherly love continue. (Heb 13:1) If you are a child of God you are in the family of God. Others that have called upon Christ are also in the family of God. As a result, you now have brothers and sisters in Christ. “But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matt 12:48-50 And how are you to treat your brothers and sisters? With love, of course. With brotherly love. Now this can also be translated as “brother love”. You see we are not to love ‘like’ brothers but love because we ‘are’ brothers. I have some brothers and sisters in Christ that have changed my life. I have some brothers and sisters in Christ that I love with all that I am. I love them with a special type of love. You see, God allows us a deeper level of love for our brothers and sister in Christ. How? Every believer has the gift of the Holy Spirit and THIS allows us to love on a deeper level. If you allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, He will guide you into a deeper love of your brothers and sisters in Christ. Oh, what a beautiful thing this is God has given us. We are told here to let it continue. To live every minute in this brotherly love.
2) Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers for some have entertained angels unawares. (Heb 13:2) There were several instances in God’s Word where people in the Old Testament encountered an angel in human form. (Abraham, Jacob and Joshua) That’s what the “have entertained angels unawares” portion means. But in essence the verse means exactly what is says. We should show strangers hospitality. Hospitality means “the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.” A stranger is “a person whom one does not know or with whom one is not familiar.” Folks, this verse is not complicated but it’s also not easy. Take the two definitions and put them together and then just do it. You could also see this verse as an extension of “love your neighbor”.
3) Remember those in prison. (Heb 13:3) This is not just those physically incarcerated, you can also read this as “remember those in bonds.” Do you have brothers and sisters that are bed-ridden at home? What about in a nursing home? In the hospital? These people are in bonds to their situation and can’t easily leave to enjoy fellowship with other believers. Go to them. Go see them. Don’t forget them remember them.
4) Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. (Heb 13:4) There might not be a more unpopular verse in the world today. Our society today has demanded that marriage be changed to suit the current taste and desire of the day and it has succeeded. Society seems to ignore that marriage was created by God at the beginning of the world, to be used for God to populate the planet. (but society also ignores God’s Words all together.) “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” I googled the definition of marriage and it’s quite different that God’s version. “the legally or formally recognized union of two people as partners in a personal relationship (historically and in some jurisdictions specifically a union between a man and a woman). God gave man free will, free will to reject Him and His laws. It is a choice and you are free to make it. You can choose to adhere to any marriage law that you like but notice the last part of the verse. “for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” Every sin in our lives has a consequence and this one not immune.
5) Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have. (Heb 13:5) Another unpopular verse for today’s world. We live in a world of money, materialism and accumulation. Never has the world seen levels of hoarding as we see today. Generous income levels has afforded us the ability to “collect” just about anything we want. You see, man will do his best to fill his life with what he believes will offer him satisfaction and security. Friends, there is nothing on this planet that can offer you true satisfaction and security. God knows this and God knows us. He’s telling us here, don’t go down that road, stuff will not make you happy, there will never be enough. God has given you what you need today, be joyful, be content with it. Don’t wish for more to make you happy, it just won’t work.
6) Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. (Heb 13:7) I LOVE this one. Think about this deeply. This is speaking about your spiritual leaders, those that have or are teaching you the Word of God. In order to teach do you need to study? Well, of course you do! Do you think your pastor studies the Word of God every week to prepare for the sermon on Sunday? That’s a huge yes! In fact, I know of some pastors that spend around 25 hours preparing for a sermon! So what does our verse tell us? Imitate them! This verse kills all excuses we can ever make about studying God’s Word. WE SHOULD BE STUDYING GOD’S WORD AS MUCH AS OUR PASTOR! Think about that even deeper, let it sink in. Studying and giving out God’s Word is not just the pastor’s job. It’s not just left up to your Sunday School teacher. We should all daily be in an in depth study of God’s Word so that we can be giving it out to those God puts in our lives. Like it or not, we are all preachers of God’s Word, the question is how well do you know His Word?
7) Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. (Heb 13:9) Have you ever noticed that almost all the strange cults throughout history have some type of weird food requirement? You can eat this or not that. Restrictions that hope to incur reward. The date today might have changed but people haven’t. It was the same at the date of this writing and we’re told not to be led astray by these diverse and strange teachings. That word fascinates me, diverse. Diverse is defined as “showing a great deal of variety; very different.” You see, there’s a religion for everybody. What do you want to believe? What makes sense to you or what makes you happy? Figure it out and then go find it. What, it doesn’t exist? Then go make it. Do you know how many “new religions” have been made just in our lifetime? Folks, its alarming! I just googled it and a search comes up for “NRM’s” or “New Religious Movements”. Wikipedia has over 225 NRM’s listed. The most alarming part? Most all have been started since 1950! Wow, that’s crazy. Thank the Lord that we serve a God that is the same today, tomorrow and forever. In fact, we’re told that right here in Hebrews chapter 8. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Heb 13:8) Be wary, my friends. Be immersed in the Word of God and He will not allow you to be led astray by diverse and strange teachings.
8) Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. (Heb 13:16) Pretty straight forward. We need to keep an external focus in our lives not an internal one. Stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about others. The disease of selfishness is slowly destroying the world. We are concerned with ourselves and our families and that’s about it. That is the polar opposite of Jesus. He came here this planet to suffer and die for us on a cross. He gave all. We are called to do the same. That doesn’t mean to work for your own financial gain all day and then go home and watch Netflix all night and cut yourself off from the world. We are to be in the world, serve the world and share what we have. Sharing doesn’t just mean money either. We are to do good and share out time, our gifts and passions. We are to use all that we are, all that God has given us, to bless others.
9) Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. (Heb 13:18) Pray. Pray for your pastor. Pray for your pastoral staff. Pray for your spouse. Pray for the lost. Pray for the sick. Pray for those hurting emotionally. Pray for your church. Pray for your family. Pray for missionaries. Pray for any that teach the Word of God. Pray. Notice in all of this I did not mention the words me, my, I or myself. In fact, I challenge you to do this with your prayer life. Pray every day for 7 days and do not pray for yourself. If you removed yourself from your prayer list would you have much left? The verse says “pray for us”. We are called to pray for others. If you do this, you will be praying for someone and someone else will be praying for you. In the process our hearts are changed. We are moved into an external focus versus and internal one. That’s a good place to be.
What a beautiful chapter God gave us today. So full of wisdom and knowledge to enable us to walk this world filled with peace, joy and freedom. I pray today that you are a student of God’s Word. That you are actively engaged in a program to really study the truth of God’s Word. If you don’t have a program, join me in the 5 minute challenge. The challenge? Read God’s with me for at least 5 minutes every day for 30 days in a row. Trust me, try it, 30 days with God’s Word will change your world.
If you are reading this, you are being prayed for. God bless you.
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