The Perfect Life

And the Words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times. – Psalm 12:6

Explained in the post “True Value” was that the perfect life of Jesus, death on the cross as a sacrifice, and resurrection from death qualified Him to be a priest forever and save all who accept Him as savior.

The new has come and the Holy Spirit lives in us. Take inspiration from the video Resurrection Power by Chris Tomlin. We have freedom today and resurrection power because of the perfect life of Jesus. 

Index of devotionals

Posted in Bible Study, Integrity | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

True Value

This day with God will be amazing because we are able to find treasure and share in these riches together. His Word is like silver or gold and today we are mining in Hebrews 7:11-17.

Remembering the Old Testament Law, only Levites could serve as priests but we are told in verses 13-14 that Jesus came from the tribe of Judah. So how did Jesus become qualified as priest?

We know today that Jesus became qualified because of being without sin. The perfect life of Jesus, death on the cross as a sacrifice, and resurrection from death qualified Him to be a priest forever and save all who accept Him as savior.

When the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed. The qualifications of Jesus supersede the law because of what He has done. His sacrifice on the cross did what the law couldn’t and that is cover all our sin so we can share in the unlimited treasure of spiritual riches forever.

A thought brought on by this study today is about our monetary system based on paper money. Today a person can be considered wealthy and then tomorrow, this wealth can vanish suddenly because of the decision of a federal bureaucrat or news of a product causing harm which causes the stock price to fall.

The gold standard is a monetary system where a country’s currency or paper money has a value directly linked to gold. As Christians, we have a system God has provided that brings true value for us right now and throughout eternity. That system is solid because of the life of Jesus and what was done for us. 

This day with You Lord, we have studied Your Word and understand the priceless treasure You provide. Your plan for our life is beyond what we could have ever imagined. The plan gives us freedom and gives us power because the Holy Spirit lives in us. Amen.

Posted in Bible Study, Integrity | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rejoice and Be Glad

This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. – Psalm 118:24

In the post “Live Out the Good Life Today”, we are given facts about Melchizedek who in some ways is an excellent representation of Christ.

These truths affect us today and should inspire us daily since we are able to better understand God’s Plan for Us. We can live out the best day today and look forward to our tomorrows. Celebrate today with the uplifting song Greatness of Our God by Newsboys. 

Index of devotionals

Posted in Devotionals, Optimism | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Live Out the Good Life Today

This day with God will be amazing because we have a fresh start and optimistically look forward to a better day than yesterday. We have chosen to accept the unquenchable love of God, His amazing grace, and unlimited power. Reading in Hebrews 7:1-10  we will gather facts about Melchizedek who is an excellent representation of Christ. These facts affect us today because we are able to better understand God’s Plan for Us. We can live out the good life today and look forward to our tomorrows.

Melchizedek was king of Salem which means “king of peace” and Salem became the Jerusalem of Today. The name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”. He blessed Abraham after returning from victory in a war and Abraham gave him a 10th of everything.

Melchizedek is an excellent representation of Christ as he is described as Priest of God Most High. Like the incarnate Christ who is described as Son of God and continual High Priest, there is mystery behind the life of Melchizedek as there was no genealogy recorded of his father. Like Christ who has blessed us with victory, Melchizedek blessed Abraham with victory. Melchizedek had no descendants to take his position and similar to Christ is described as continual priest.

These facts and truths affect us because we are better able to understand God’s ultimate plan given to us in the Old Testament and coming to fruition in the New Testament. For this reason, we can live out the good life today and look forward to even better ones to come.

Lord, this day we have accepted the Son. We are better than brand new because we have received Your unquenchable love, Your amazing grace, and today will be confident because of Your unlimited power at work in us. We are looking forward to each day to getting better and better as we grow in grace. We look forward to living in paradise forever.

 

Posted in Bible Study, Optimism | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Questions for Reflection for Study of Hebrews 7 – 9

Over the last few weeks, we’ve shared some thoughts and ideas from the journey through the book of Hebrews.

The main point of the post “Architect and Builder” is that you should choose to build your life by following the characteristics of Christ. He leads as a friend to great faith and accomplishment.

The post “Impacting Lives” brought out the thought that we need to focus in on what really matters. One thing for sure is that we need to pay attentions to the Spirit’s prompting.

We live in the information age but as explained in the post “The Great Physician” some information is negative and some is positive. That’s why taking in the positive information from God’s Word is so important for a healthy mind, body, and soul.

In the post “Overcome with Desire and Enthusiasm”, there is a picture of my dog Marlee. She is ready each day to get up early for her food. The picture demonstrates how she was telling us she was ready to be fed as she hopped up on the chair next to the dinner table. This day with God, accept the invitation. Come to the table and receive food for the soul.

We explored the characteristics of being enlightened in the post “Treasures for the Soul”. Being enlightened comes about by noticing God all around us, relying on the Spirits’ prompting, and applying the Word. We are touch with the power of enlightenment and are ready to share with others the promise of a glorious future.

Within the post “Encouraged by Hope” a metaphor used was an anchor. A ship at sea needs an anchor when the waters get rough. It’s the same with us as we need an anchor to keep us grounded and steady during the storms of life.

The reading plan below will be used to hold me accountable to sharing about God’s word. As I share about my study over the next few posts, it’s important to have a plan. I’m thankful that Jesus is God’s plan for us and by accepting Christ as Savior; we have taken the steps necessary to make this day with God amazing!

Questions for Reflection

Hebrews 7:1-10
What are the facts about Melchizedek (See Gen. 14:17-20)? In what ways is he the excellent representation of Christ? How do these truths affect you? What should be our response?

Hebrews 7:11-17
What happens to the law when the priesthood is superseded? To what tribe does Jesus belong? What is Jesus’ qualification to be a priest?

Hebrews 7:18-28
In what way is the hope and covenant through Christ better than the hope and covenant through the law? How is Christ superior to the Levitical priests? What is the impact of these truths in your thinking? In your daily living?

Hebrews 8:1-6
What is the duty of priest? How is the earthly sanctuary a model for Christ’s ministry? How is the setting of Christ’s ministry as high priest superior to the setting of the ministry of earthly priests?

Hebrews 8:7-13
What are the reasons the old covenant was inadequate for bringing salvation? In what ways has God overcome this difficulty? What happens to the old covenant when God initiates the new? How is the new covenant superior to the old?

Hebrews 9:1-14
How was the sanctuary laid out in the Old Testament times? What is the significance of the curtain dividing the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies? Why is Christ’s blood of unique significance?

Hebrews 9:15-28
What is the meaning of mediator? What does the death of Christ accomplish in regard to Old Testament believers? What was Christ’s purpose on the cross, purpose in heaven now, and purpose for the future?

Feel free to respond with a short note or a comment about any of the questions above. Also, I welcome any other thoughts or ideas, favorite inspirational videos, photos, or favorite Bible verses. Just add them to the comments or to a Facebook page I’ve set up at this link: This Day With God. 

Resources and Supplementary Helps Used in Posts

Adeney, Carol. This Morning with God: A Daily Study Guide to the Entire Bible. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1978. Print. 
“Sermons.” Sermons | FUMC Waco. N.p., n.d. Web.  <http://fumcwaco.org/resources/sermons/>.
“Bible.” The Bible – The Word of God – ChristNotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 2017. <http://www.christianity.com/bible/>.
Nicholes, Lou. “Recent Commentaries.” Family-Times.net – Devotional Commentary Index. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.family-times.net/commentary/>.
“Bing.” Microsoft. N.p., n.d. Web. Images >.
“BibleGateway.” BibleGateway.com: A Searchable Online Bible in over 150 Versions and 50 Languages. N.p., n.d. Web. <https://www.biblegateway.com/>.

To store up thoughts that are good for the soul, listen to a sermon. Download the free app in the App Store or on Google Play. Look for First Waco.

 

Posted in Bible Study, Devotionals, Questions for Reflection | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment