TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. - 2 Corinthians 12:9
TODAY IN THE WORD

In one of God's wonderful ironies, Russia has provided a British Christian broadcasting company with radio frequencies once used by the Soviet Union to broadcast Communist propaganda. The frequencies will allow these Christian broadcasters to air the gospel to the British Isles and the rest of Europe. The transfer has been described as one of the great ""peace dividends"" to emerge from the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Stories like these are exciting to hear! They remind us that in the end, God is in control of people and nations, working all things together for the advancement of His work and the good of those who love Him.

What about the other side of the tapestry of events God is weaving--the side that looks as though it's just a jumble of threads? It's great to hear how God has turned someone else's trial into a triumph. But when you're in the middle of a severe test that doesn't seem to make sense and the answer to your prayer is ""no,"" what happens then?

Thankfully, we have an answer to this question from the life of Paul. No one prayed harder or with more faith than Paul did for relief of a problem that was like a ""stake"" in his flesh. God definitely heard and answered Paul's prayer. The apostle's problem was not that God had turned a deaf ear to him.

Instead, Paul's challenge was to accept the answer he received. God could simply have said, ""No, Paul. Do not ask again."" We can be sure Paul would have thanked God and moved on.

But God was much more gracious than that. He explained the reason for the thorn. One paradox of the Christian life is that we discover our greatest spiritual power when we admit our total inability to do anything in our strength. God taught Paul this lesson through his distressing problem.

So the issue for Paul was this: did he want relief more than he wanted God's power? Did he hunger for peaceful circumstances more than he hungered for spiritual strength? Paul's answer rings out: ""I delight in [my] weaknesses"" (v. 10). Can we do the same?
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

How many times have you told a child ""no,"" only to hear this response: ""That's not the answer I wanted?""

It happens all the time, because being told ""no"" is hard for us to accept. But one sign of spiritual maturity is when God says ""no"" to a particular request and we bow before His wisdom because we know He is working another--and better--plan for us.

Are you there yet in your prayer life? This is worth thinking about today.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 5:12-16; 6:12-15
Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. - Luke 5:16
TODAY IN THE WORD

Some of the greatest names in church history are also people who were powerful in prayer. John Wesley had an exemplary prayer life, and Martin Luther was said to spend two hours each morning in prayer. Maybe this is why Wesley became the founder of Methodism, and why Luther became the great reformer.

The link between prayer and power in ministry is evident in many lives, including the earthly life of Jesus. We want to take one more look at the Savior's prayer life and to see what lessons it holds for us.

Luke recorded Jesus at prayer on about half a dozen occasions in addition to His prayer in Gethsemane. Two are listed above, and we can learn from both. Luke's comment that Jesus often escaped the crowds to pray comes at the end of a healing that caused Jesus' fame to spread and that attracted large crowds.

Jesus knew that ministry, even miraculous ministry, was not a substitute for prayer. But our tendency would be to say: ""I can't withdraw and pray now. Look at all these people who need me."" And we would have exhausted ourselves trying to deal with everyone.

But we can't nourish someone else when our own spiritual life is starving for time with God. Jesus didn't let the urgent take the place of important .

Jesus also prayed before the selection of the apostles, at His baptism (Luke 3:21), and during His transfiguration (Luke 9:28-29). Matthew adds another prayer experience when He says that Jesus sent the disciples across the Sea of Galilee in a boat while He went to a mountain alone to pray (Matt. 14:22-23).

The most extended prayer experience of Jesus' life does not mention the word prayer. But we can be sure that Jesus prayed continually during the forty days He fasted in the wilderness preparing to meet Satan (Luke 4:1-13). Even the Son of God did not attempt to engage Satan without prayer.

We could say that private prayer was the secret behind Jesus' public ministry. He prayed not because of any weakness or sin, but to express His dependence on the Father. Since we are weak and sinful, our need to pray is infinitely greater.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

These passages suggest several specific times when prayer is in order. Let's consider the first one we discussed.

Jesus got away to pray when the demands on Him were at their greatest. We often get it backwards, figuring we'll pray when things aren't so busy and we have more time. When was the last time that delightful state of affairs was true in your life? We can't afford to wait until all the crowds have gone home and our time is our own. Let's learn to develop a powerful, effective prayer life despite the demands that fill our days.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 6:5-8
When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. - Matthew 6:6
TODAY IN THE WORD

""The first thing the Lord teaches His disciples is that they must have a secret place for prayer,"" writes Andrew Murray in With Christ in the School of Prayer. ""Everyone must have some solitary spot ...to be alone with God. Every teacher must have a schoolroom. We have learned to know and accept Jesus as our only Teacher in the school of prayer.""

Once again, Murray has given us a helpful picture of prayer. In effect, every prayer we pray is in a ""secret place,"" because prayers come from the heart. And it is in our hearts that God meets us, and listens. It is in our hearts that God begins to teach us--our schoolroom--what He requires of us in offering our prayers: sincerity of heart. In this very schoolroom, the lessons of prayer are applied to our lives.

For, because our Father know what is in our hearts, what flows out of our mouths when we pray will show the state of our hearts.

To God, a simple prayer in the privacy of our hearts is much more desirable than a flamboyant prayer prayed for the ears of those around us. The secrecy of prayer stands in sharp contrast to the attitude of hypocrites, for whom prayer was a public demonstration of piety (see Luke 18:11-12). Because their hearts were filled with pride, it was revealed when they prayed.

The secret to the power of prayer we have been talking about is the Father who sees into our hearts and rewards us in keeping with our sincerity. As we have said before, there is nothing magical about prayer. It is a communication and communion between two living spirits: our spirit and our God, who is spirit (John 4:24).

There is also nothing mystical or magical about words spoken in prayer. The idea that a certain formula of words automatically achieves the desired effect, even apart from the spiritual standing of the person praying, may be one of the greatest misconceptions about prayer. This makes prayer seem like a ""vending machine:"" put in the right combination of words, and the desired request comes out.

Jesus turns our thinking in the opposite direction. It's not that God doesn't want to hear our prayers. But since He knows our needs, He is more interested in the heart attitude with which we ask than He is in the exact wording we use.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

One of the age-old dilemmas of prayer is this: if God knows our needs even before we ask, why are we to ask?

One reason is that asking develops dependence. God wants us to ask for our daily needs (Matt. 6:11). Asking also generates gratitude when the Father meets our needs. In addition, asking helps us to clarify our thinking and gives the Holy Spirit a chance to help turn our desires toward God's will. Bring your needs to the Lord today in your private prayer place.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Exodus 3:1-6
Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. - Exodus 3:5
TODAY IN THE WORD

A researcher for the National Geographic learned more about Hawaii's Kilauea volcano than she planned to learn. After four hours of hiking across the heated soil of this active volcano, her feet felt too warm for comfort. The heat from Kilauea had melted the glue that held her hiking boots together.

The soil on which Moses stood when he met God on Mount Horeb was out of the ordinary, too. It was not volcanic heat, however, but the holy presence of God that made the ground very special that day. Moses at the burning bush is a powerful reminder that when we step into God's presence, we come into the presence of infinite majesty and holiness.

Why did Moses have to remove his sandals in God's presence? It was definitely a sign of respect for a superior. It has even been suggested that as Moses stood in this holy place, even being raised by the one-inch leather on his sandals was too much elevation for a sinful man before the God who was about to reveal Himself as ""I am who I AM"" (Exod. 3:14).

The text says the figure who appeared to Moses in the bush was the angel of the Lord. However, this was not merely an angel, but God Himself. Fire became a symbol of His presence on earth.

When Moses approached the strange sight of the bush that burned without being consumed, God called his name. When Moses responded to God's call, God identified Himself. At this, Moses was overcome and hid his face.

Does Exodus 3 teach that God wants us to be afraid when we come into His presence to pray? God is not looking for fear from us, but for a deep reverence that leads us to come to Him in awe and humility.

The Word urges us to humble ourselves before God. Humility comes about when we recognize who God is and who we are and when we put those two facts in perspective. When we realize whom we are approaching, we may even feel compelled to ""remove our sandals,"" as it were. What we must remember is to approach God with a proper heart attitude.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

Everything about the scene on Mount Horeb suggested God's holy and awesome presence.

But you may pray in your car on a crowded freeway, bow your head at the breakfast table, or close your door at work for a few minutes with the Lord. In these modern settings, can we experience the same sense of God's holy presence that Moses felt?

Yes we can, because prayer and worship are matters of the heart. Israel's early worship center, the tabernacle, was portable. The people literally carried the presence of God with them wherever they went. You can do that yourself today, for you are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Revelation 5:6-10; 8:3-4
Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. - Revelation 5:8
TODAY IN THE WORD

When a person touches others as profoundly as Christian author C.S. Lewis has touched this generation, the blessing of his work outlives him. Lewis's writings are more popular today than they were at his death in 1963. And in recent years, we have seen an outpouring of works probing his life, his conversion and faith, and offering analysis of his profound writings.

All of us know that God wants our work here on earth to count for something even after we are gone. Our prayers fall into this category in the sense that the people we have prayed for may still be having an impact for Christ long after we are with Him. So our prayers can have eternal effects.

These two brief references to ""the prayers of the saints"" in Revelation may suggest that our prayers themselves are being stored up in some fashion in heaven. Since John does not explain this portion of the vision, we can't know with certainty all that is meant by the golden bowls and censer (Rev. 5:8; 8:3).

But the simple description of these prayers seems to suggest that we should take the phrase at face value. Storing up the prayers of His people would certainly be no problem for God. He hears whenever one of His children cries out against evil and injustice, praying for His kingdom to come and His truth and righteousness to be vindicated.

The context of these two passages suggests that this is the focus of the prayers being poured out. When the risen Christ takes the scroll from the hand of God and prepares to open it (Rev. 5:7), the heavenly creatures are holding their bowls of prayer.

The scroll contains God's righteous judgments that will be unleashed against evil, and the prayers seem to echo heaven's cry for the Lamb to carry out His ministry. The context in Revelation 8 is similar.

Will other prayers be offered in this manner in the last days? That remains with God. But we can take comfort in knowing that no prayer, delivered in the name of Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, is ever wasted!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

Back on May 1, we suggested that you write out your greatest prayer need and keep the card with you this month as you prayed.

Has God chosen to meet the need? Praise Him for His graciousness. Has God shown over the past few weeks that your greatest prayer need is something different from what you thought? Thank Him for this insight. And if nothing has changed, humanly speaking, in the need you recorded on your card, keep praying--God-honoring prayer is never wasted!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 9:1-62
Anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. - Deuteronomy 21:23
TODAY IN THE WORD
The Romans used crucifixion as a punishment for non-Romans or slaves, and part of the degrading ritual involved the carrying of the crossbeam. The prisoner was subject to mocking, scourging, and complete ridicule, and the Jews of that day would have been particularly horrified by the process because of the stigma that accompanied hanging on a tree (Gal. 3:13).

But even before dying on the cross, Jesus used the image of carrying a cross to describe following Him on a daily basis; let's be honest—this is not exactly a motivational speech. But the crux of today's reading is the almost irreconcilable contrast between the glorious identity of Jesus and the horrible path He would have to walk to fulfill His mission.

As the theories of who Jesus was began to crystallize in the minds of kings (vv. 7-8) and commoners (v. 19), the Apostles realized that He was the Christ. Jesus didn't want that fact popularized, because no one, not even the Twelve, was prepared for the reality of what had to happen. The coming of the Christ meant the coming of the kingdom, so the imminent death of the Christ just didn't compute in the Jewish mentality. Their struggle to understand is illustrated by Peter's desire to celebrate at the Transfiguration (v. 33) and the comparison and competition for spots of greatness in the kingdom (vv. 46-50).

It's no coincidence that the dispute over kingdom greatness came shortly after Jesus confirmed that He was the Christ. The Twelve preferred to focus on their own reward rather than the penalty that Jesus had just announced He would suffer (v. 45). But to be fair, no one but Jesus could have understood what awaited Him, much less the idea that His followers would suffer as well. As He discussed at the end of this chapter, the expectation for a follower of Christ is complete, uncompromising allegiance, even if doing so requires unthinkable suffering.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you ever tell Jesus, “I will follow you, but . . .” and place some condition on your obedience? Sometimes we wait for finances or confidence or a resolution to a particular conflict. But postponed obedience is disobedience. Whatever God asks you to do, do it without hesitation. He can tie up the loose ends better than we can. If you wait for the time to be just right, you could spend the rest of your life avoiding God's will for you.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 1:1-4
- Hebrews 1:3
TODAY IN THE WORD

Moody Bible Institute president, Dr. Joseph Stowell, has written concerning today's text: ""God has always had spokesmen ready to speak for Him. When He wanted to announce the birth of His Son, He sent an angel with a message too significant to trust to a human being."" The same was true for the news of Christ's resurrection. But god's greatest spokesman was neither a patriarch nor a prophet nor an angel. According to the author of Hebrews, when God wanted to reveal Himself fully, He spoke ""by his Son"" (Heb. 1:2).

There's a very good reason that God spoke fully, and finally, through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only Person of whom it can be said, ""He is exactly like god."" That's because Jesus is God--He is therefore both perfect and superior to anyone who has come before or since.

In a nutshell, that's the thesis of the letter to the Hebrews: Christ is superior in every way. This wonderful, and sometimes hard to understand, book is the focus of our study this month. We believe you'll be richly repaid for the time you spend in God's Word over the next thirty days. Hebrews will remind you of the incredible provisions and privileges you have in Christ.

Our study of Hebrews will follow this basic outline: the superiority of Christ's Person (1:1-4:11), the superiority of Christ's priesthood (4:12-10:18), and the superiority of Christ's power (10:19-13:25).

Since the book is anonymous, we don't know who the author of Hebrews was. It could have been Apollos, Barnabas, Silas, or Paul. It was probably written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, since it refers to the Mosaic sacrifical system as if it were still in practice.

What we don't know about the book of Hebrews is not nearly so significant as what the content of the book itself makes clear. In Jesus Christ, we have a Savior and a High Priest who is superior to the Old Testament prophets (vv. 1-2), superior to the Old Testament priests and their sacrifices (v. 3), and superior to the angels (v. 4). Jesus alone can claim the title ""Son of God.""
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

If it's been awhile since you have thought about the provisions and privileges you have in Christ, Hebrews is the right book for you!

Here are three privileges you can praise God for today, as you prepare your heart for this study. First, since Jesus is God's finale ""spokesman,"" we have God's complete Word in our hands. Second, since Jesus offered the final sacrifice on the Cross, you don't have to bring an animal to church to sacrifice next Sunday--He paid the price of sin once and for all! And third, because Jesus is superior to the angels, you don't have to go through any other human or heavenly being to gain direct access to God.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 1:5-14
Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. - Hebrews 1:8
TODAY IN THE WORD

When George Vanderbilt opened his new home for a family dinner on Christmas Eve, 1895, it was more than just a family get-together. The home, though still not completed, was the fulfillment of Vanderbilt's dream: a 250-room mansion majestically nestled in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. Young Vanderbilt felt he had a name and a family reputation to uphold. His grandfather, Cornelius Vanderbilt, had been the most powerful and successful business baron in America in his day.

Jesus Christ also has a name to uphold, but that's where the comparison ends. Jesus is the Son of God--eternal and exalted far above any other name, title, or created being in heaven or on earth.

The author of Hebrews wanted to be sure his readers understood the superiority of Christ over everything they had ever known. The writer had a good reason for demonstrating Christ's greatness. The evidence from the book suggests that the Hebrews were a group of Christians who had come to faith out of Judaism.

As we will see later, these believers had undergone persecution for their faith and may have been facing trials again. Such persecution seems to have caused them to waver in their commitment to Christ. They may have even thought about returning to Judaism.

Yet the writer wanted them to see that they had no reason to go back, for, in Christ, they had Someone who was superior--even to the angels.

Why the comparison of Christ to angels? There is evidence that first-century Judaism gave extra prominence to the ministry of angels. So the Hebrews author begins his case for Christ's superiority by demonstrating how much higher He is than angels.

While angels are ""ministering spirits"" (v. 14), Jesus bears the exalted title of ""Son of God."" The Father has bestowed this title on Jesus in much the same way God declared the Davidic king as His Son (see Ps. 2:7, which the writer quotes in v. 5).

But Jesus did not just become the Son of God one day. He is the Son, the eternal Second Person of the Trinity. The following verses clearly demonstrate His eternal nature as God. Jesus was active in creation (v. 10), and He will never change (v. 12), being ""the same yesterday and today and forever"" (Heb. 13:.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

There are lots of famous family names in history, but no one bears a higher name than Jesus.

We also bear His name, because we are His children. Part of our calling as believers is to bring Jesus Christ honor by the way we conduct our lives. Today, let's pray that the people who are watching our lives will get a favorable picture of what Jesus is like.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 2:1-9
We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. - Hebrews 2:1
TODAY IN THE WORD

According to the Campus Journal, a major university recently removed a popular line of study notes from its bookstore. These notes summarize the plots, themes, and characters of well-known books so students can pass an exam without having to read the required book. The university wants its students to wrestle with the message of great books rather than to opt for the easy way out.

The writer of Hebrews did not want his ""students"" to take the easy way out and turn away from their commitment to Christ. Because he wanted them to wrestle with the great truths of their faith, he wrote them a letter that has become one of the great books of history.

The Hebrews were not simply students trying to make the Dean's List. Defection from Christ would result in more serious consequences than a failing grade. Today's verses offer the first of five warnings in the book. Here, the recipients of the letter are pictured as being in danger of ""drifting away"" from Christ--much like an inattentive child in a crowded mall who refuses to heed his parents' warning to stay close and who consequently gets lost.

The author reminded his readers that just as violators of the Mosaic Law received punishment, they also could not expect to drift away from the new covenant in Christ without receiving discipline.

The text does not spell out the discipline the Hebrews could expect if they pulled away from Christ. Perhaps the writer did not define it because he was ""confident of better things"" from them (Heb. 6:9).

One of the blessings the Hebrews might have forfeited is suggested in the first chapter of Hebrews. In verses 1, 5, and 13, the picture is of God enthroning His king and giving Him absolute triumph over His enemies. The king would then share His joy with ""His companions"" (Heb. 1:9).

This is a picture of Christ on His millennial throne, a reign in which His followers will share. The writer was looking at the ""world to come"" (Heb. 2:5), showing that even though humankind had lost dominion through sin, the Son regained it through His sacrificial death.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

Obviously, the Hebrews weren't the only believers in danger of drifting spiritually.

We've all known times of lethargy and lack of attention to our ""great salvation"" (v. 3). One way you can guard against drifting is to promise the Lord you'll be faithful in prayer and Bible study this month. It may help to write out your commitment, sign and date it, and put it in a prominent place in your kitchen, bedroom, or office.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 2:10-18
[Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest. - HEBREWS 2:17
TODAY IN THE WORD

Seeking the Democratic presidential nomination in 1960, John F. Kennedy visited a coal mine in West Virginia, where a miner asked him, ""Is it true that you're the son of one of our wealthiest men?"" Kennedy said it was so.

The miner continued, ""Is it true you've never done a day's work with your hands all your life?"" Kennedy nodded.

""Well, let me tell you this,"" the miner replied, ""you haven't missed a thing.""

So much for a presidential candidate trying to identify with his constituents! One of the problems of finite human beings is that we can't possibly identify with others perfectly and understand exactly what they are going through.

But we have a Savior who can! This great section of Hebrews holds more blessing and encouragement than we can absorb in one setting. It's worth several days of study. Consider what these verses tell us about our great salvation, and our great Savior.

First, although the Hebrews were looking back to Judaism, the writer was pointing them forward to Christ's glorious reign. It was God's purpose to bring His children to glory by giving them a ""leader"" or ""captain"" of salvation who could identify with them in every way (v. 10). In fact, so close is the relationship between Christ and His people that He is not ashamed to call us family (v. 11)!

But why did the sinless, eternal, perfect Son of God have to come to earth to identify with humanity in His suffering? He came so that He might render the devil powerless, freeing those held captive by him in the slavery of sin and the fear of death (vv. 14, 15).

Think of it. Jesus is not some distant deity, far above and aloof from our pain. He took on human flesh so that He might live a sinless life and die a sacrificial death--all to pay the debt for our sins! No wonder the author of Hebrews set Christ before his readers and said, in effect, ""Take a good look at Jesus before you decide to slip away.""

This is also the first mention of Jesus' priesthood, a theme we will meet again. Unlike human priests, Jesus did not have to pay for His sins before offering atonement for the sins of the people. Because He was tempted, He understands what we face. But He never yielded, so He can help us in our need (vv. 17, 18).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

God said we would be tempted, but that we do not have to yield.

Although the devil is still in business for now, Jesus has disarmed Satan (Col. 2:15). We can have victory in Christ over temptation, but we also need to make sure we aren't helping the enemy gain a foothold by our actions. Why not do a ""temptation checkup"" this weekend to eliminate anything that may be giving Satan an opening into your life?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 3:1-6
Fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. - Hebrews 3:1
TODAY IN THE WORD

As the procession wound its way down the west side of the Mount of Olives and the city of Jerusalem loomed ahead, the band of disciples became increasingly excited. Their leader, Jesus, was riding triumphantly into Jerusalem in recognition of His rightful claim to be the Messiah. Just as the prophets had written, the Messiah was coming to the nation of Israel on a lowly donkey (Zech. 9:9). The joyful disciples could not help but shout praise to God and throw palm branches in Jesus' path.

On the day we now celebrate as Palm Sunday, the thoughts of Jesus' followers were fixed on Him. The author of Hebrews would have applauded that focus. We need to fix both our thoughts and our eyes (Heb. 12:2) on Jesus.

Earlier in this book, Jesus had been compared to the prophets and to angels and was found to be superior to both. His salvation was also shown to be greater than the system of law handed down to Moses. It is not surprising that the author would again introduce Moses into his argument here in chapter 3.

The mention of Jesus as our high priest brings to mind the sacrificial system instituted under Moses. The Law even specified the ""house"" that Moses was to build, which was the tabernacle in the wilderness, so that sacrifices could be offered. Moses was faithful to build the Israelites' place of worship just as God commanded.

But Moses was still just a servant in God's house. Jesus, on the other hand, was the ""builder of everything"" because He is God (vv. 5-6). The ministry of Moses pointed forward to Jesus and was a testimony to His coming. Jesus was the fulfillment of this testimony. Moses was ""in"" God's house, but Jesus is ""over"" God's house; the Son is greater than a servant is.

This passage of Hebrews ends with a wonderfully encouraging reminder that we, too, are part of God's house--the body of believers of which Jesus is the Head.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

It's impossible to overstate the importance of keeping our focus fixed on Jesus.

But to do that effectively, we need to ""unplug"" our minds and hearts from things that distract us and keep us from focusing on Christ. Perhaps a problem area for you is the temptation that you brought before the Lord yesterday. Try to identify the activity that occupies most of your time and attention. Then evaluate whether the time being spent on this activity is proportionate to the importance of the activity.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 3:7-19
Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. - Hebrews 3:7-8
TODAY IN THE WORD

What one national park worker calls ""a false sense of security"" continues to lead visitors of national parks to ignore warnings and to take dangerous chances. Despite clear warnings, for example, people still try to pose with the bears, to get too close to other wild animals, or to enter waters that are not safe for swimming. This park worker suggests that perhaps the word ""park"" itself helps to lull people into feeling safe when they are actually in a potentially dangerous environment.

It seems to be part of our human nature to ignore warning signs. The recipients of the letter to the Hebrews had a very clear warning posted before them of the tragic consequences of allowing their hearts to be hardened through unbelief. But the writer was afraid these believers were about to crash through the warning sign and commit the same error that a previous generation of God's people had committed.

These verses are part of an ongoing series of warnings directed at a group of people who were wavering in their commitment to Christ. They were reminded that the generation of Israelites that came out of Egypt under Moses never reached God's promised rest in Canaan, although it was waiting to be claimed.

The problem was the people's hardness of heart, which led them to test God, to doubt His provision, and to rebel against His will for them. These Israelites provoked God to anger, and He ""declared on oath"" (v. 11) that their bones would bleach in the desert until the entire generation died out (v. 17).

We also need to take this warning to heart. Unbelief always displeases God. The solution to this problem is to keep our hearts tender toward Him, something believers need to help one another do every day (v. 13).

The urgency of doing this today is obvious from the fact that sin is very deceitful. If we ignore it, sin will harden our spirits as surely as cement hardens once it has been poured. We need the same kind of faithfulness the writer of Hebrews urged his readers to maintain (v. 14).

Just to make sure the point wasn't missed, the writer returned to the example of Moses' unbelieving generation (vv. 15- 19). It's a warning we can't hear too often. God honors faith, whereas unbelief invites His judgment.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

This very day is one of the ""todays"" that the author of Hebrews urges us to take advantage of as we encourage one another.

Through today's study, we have attempted to encourage you to walk faithfully with Christ. Do you know someone you can encourage in his or her walk? It might be a family member or a friend who is experiencing doubt or a trial. Ask God to lead you to someone who needs an encouraging word this week.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 4:1-11
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God. - Hebrews 4:9
TODAY IN THE WORD

If you saw a notice in the newspaper listing you among potential heirs being sought for a great inheritance, would you make contact with the people placing the ad? Probably so. And if you checked things out and discovered you were a legitimate heir, would you be motivated to show up at the time and place designated to claim your inheritance? You'd be foolish not to go!

That's similar to the situation facing the readers of Hebrews--and us as believers today. God has a promised inheritance for His people called His rest. This rest was offered to the generation that Moses led out of Egypt, but they failed to claim it because they lacked the one prerequisite: faith.

The opening verses of Hebrews 4 continue the writer's train of thought. Having previously described the generation that angered God by its unbelief, he now applies the lessons of that generation to the believers of his day. And, as always, believers in every generation need to learn the same lessons.

The good news of this passage is that God's offer of a rest, a Sabbath rest, still stands. Even though Moses' generation missed it, God's promise remains. His rest has been available since the dawn of creation. God rested from His work (Gen. 2:2) and decided it was such a good idea that He commanded a rest for His creatures.

Notice that God's rest includes the cessation of work (v. 10). In God's case, He rested because He was finished with creation--His was a rest of completion and satisfaction.

If we are to enter God's rest today, what work must we cease doing? Part of the answer is that we are to rest from or give up our own efforts to save ourselves, since God's rest includes our salvation. The ""rest"" of salvation is entered only by faith.

The writer urges the Hebrews, ""Make every effort to enter that rest"" (v. 11). So the rest must go beyond salvation, since they were already believers. It seems clear that God's rest extends to the entirety of our lives, as we give up our attempts to live the Christian life in our own strength and rest in His promises.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

The principle of Sabbath rest--one day in seven set aside for rest and worship--stands out in this passage.

This is a rest God wants us to enjoy today. For us as Christians this special day is the Lord's day. But sadly, for many of us, this day is as hectic and noisy as the rest of the week. If your day of worship seems like every other day, except for church services, make a commitment to turn off the noise, unplug some of the activities, and spend more time in contemplation of God's goodness.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 4:12-16
In [Christ] and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. - Ephesians 3:12
TODAY IN THE WORD

The British pastor Charles Spurgeon once made this observation about our need for the application of the Scriptures: ""When a soldier is wounded in battle, it is of little use for him to know that there are those at the hospital who can bind his wounds and medicines there to ease all the pains which he now suffers. What he needs is to be taken there and the remedies applied. It is thus with our souls. To meet this need there is one, the Spirit of truth, who takes of the things of Jesus and applies them to us.""

Although the writer of Hebrews may not specifically have had the comforting power of God's Word in mind here, Spurgeon's point is helpful. Only the Word of God, applied with surgical precision by the Spirit of God, can meet the needs of the human heart.

Why did the author mention the Scriptures at this point (v. 12)? Because sin is so deceitful (Heb. 3:13) and the danger of drifting away so real that our only safe guide is the Word of God.

The Word is so potent that it can expose the deepest motives of our hearts. We need this penetrating work desperately, as did the Hebrews, because ""the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"" (Jer. 17:9). God's Word can reveal our tendency toward waywardness and help keep us on the path of faithfulness to Christ.

We have another source of help and strength in our struggle. In addition to the living written Word, we have the living incarnate Word in the Person of Jesus Christ.

In verse 14, Jesus is presented in His ministering role as our great High Priest. Jesus took the blood of His sacrifice into the heavenly sanctuary, just as Israel's high priest took the blood of animal sacrifices into the inner sanctuary of the temple to make atonement for sin.

We are encouraged to approach Jesus in our weakness because He was tempted in every way that we are tempted (v. 15). The difference, of course, is that Jesus never succumbed to temptation. He never sinned.

Instead of Jesus' sinlessness being a barrier between Him and us, we are encouraged to come to Him for mercy and grace in our time of need (v. 16).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

With today's passage we begin the second section of our study, the superiority of Christ's priesthood (see the April 1 study for our brief outline of the book of Hebrews).

We're in for several weeks of encouragement and blessing as we consider Christ's priestly work on our behalf. That ministry is available to you today, especially if you are facing a time of need. Bring your burden, problem, or sin to the Lord right now and thank Him for His mercy and grace to deal with it.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 5:1-10
He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him. - Hebrews 5:9
TODAY IN THE WORD

More than a century ago, a young English preacher of great promise suddenly lost confidence in the Bible. The liberal thought of the late-nineteenth century left him confused and questioning the Scriptures. So 21-year-old G. Campbell Morgan locked all of his books about the Bible in a cupboard and sat down to study the Bible itself. Morgan came away so convinced of the truth of God's Word that he spent the next sixty years preaching and teaching it on both sides of the Atlantic.

We can be sure that given his experience, Campbell Morgan would have been sympathetic to any sincere doubter he met. We tend to be more patient and understanding with those who have our weaknesses.

In the same way, Israel's high priests were able to ""deal gently"" with struggling sinners (v. 2). Why? Because the high priest was a redeemed sinner himself. The sacrifices he offered for the people's sins were necessary to cover his sins as well.

Clearly, the Spirit-inspired writer of Hebrews was appreciative of the office the high priest held. After all, these priests were called by God, just as Aaron was called to be Israel's first high priest and the model for priestly ministry.

But as honored as the office of high priest was, the men who occupied that post could not help but pale in comparison to Jesus Christ--God's perfect, sinless, eternal High Priest.

We said at the beginning of the month that the author of Hebrews is concerned with demonstrating Christ's superiority. Today's passage is a perfect example of this emphasis. Just as earthly high priests had to meet certain qualifications, so Jesus met, and far exceeded, those qualifications.

For instance, Jesus was also appointed to His priestly post by God. And He offered a sacrifice for the people's sins.

But that's where the comparison ends. Jesus is the Son of God, He holds His priesthood forever, He Himself was the sacrifice for sin, and He is the source of salvation ""for all who obey Him"" (v. 9). And Jesus' priesthood is not after the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchizedek, a mysterious figure we will meet again.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

The ""loud cries and tears"" of Jesus were most evident in His prayer in Gethse-mane just before His crucifixion.

Gethsemane takes on added significance for us during this special week, as we see a Savior who can sympathize with our human limitations. It was in the garden that Jesus ""learned obedience"" by submitting Himself to His Father's will--and it was on behalf of us, to take the burden of our sins upon Himself! For Him, it would mean suffering and death on the Cross. Today, let's worship, praise, and adore the Savior, our permanent High Priest who offered Himself up for us!