Coffee With The Lord

A devotional reflection from my Bible reading today using the “Necessary Food” Bible reading plan: 2 Kings 15:1-38; Proverbs 20:21-30; Amos 8:1-14; John 18:12-27; Hebrews 9:23-28.

NOT MANY THINGS ARE “ONCE-FOR-ALL”!! Most things require maintenance, oversight, care, and repairs. I rarely go to bed hungry…after that evening snack I feel like I could “fast forever”… but come morning I’m ready for some “break-fast!” I think of our lawn (by week’s end it’ll need mowing). Our cars (It’ll be time for an oil change just around the corner). Students would tell us those assignments seem never-ending! After a good night’s sleep I don’t feel like getting up and exercising … but if I don’t the results aren’t positive… The list could go on. All that to say, NOT MANY THINGS ARE “ONCE-FOR-ALL”

When something is “once-for-all” it is decisive, conclusive, final, convincing, definitive, finished, done, completed … or as my dad used to say, “that settles it, period!”

This morning I read about a “ONCE FOR ALL” in the Bible that ought to cause us to rejoice!! The book of Hebrews tells us…

“For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priests here on earth who enter the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, ONCE FOR ALL TIME, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also CHRIST DIED ONCE FOR ALL TIME as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:24-28 NLT)

My response? Praise the Lord! I’m depending on it!

A devotional reflection from my Bible reading today using the Necessary Food Bible Reading Plan – 2 Kings 10:1-36; Proverbs 19:10-19; Amos 5:18-27; John 17:1-5; Hebrews 8:1-13

It’s a great prophetic theme in the Bible and must be taken seriously… Participation in religious ceremonies, liturgy, church attendance, membership, and worship in and of themselves are NOT adequate. WE MUST PRACTICE WHAT WE PROFESS! There must be a demonstrated reality behind our religious claims!!!

Here it is out of the mouth of Amos, a humble shepherd from Tekoa, who happened to God’s prophetic voice to very religious Judah and Israel…

Speaking for the Lord, Amos declared: “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies! Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them! Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen! BUT LET JUSTICE ROLL DOWN LIKE WATERS, AND RIGHTEOUSNESS LIKE AN EVER-FLOWING STREAM! From Amos 5:21–24 ESV)

A devotional reflection from the “Necessary Food Bible Reading Plan for today: 2 Kings 9:1-37; Proverbs 19:1-9; Amos 5:1-17; John 16:25-33; Hebrews 7:18-28

There are some things you just can’t do for yourself (or things that aren’t advisable for you to try). These are things for which you need a qualified person … someone who is appropriately certified, someone who knows what they’re doing. For example, “do it yourself brain surgery” is NOT recommended! It is usually not recommended that you serve as your own attorney in difficult court cases.

When it comes to you or I standing before God as guilty sinners we need a Divinely qualified priest! Jesus is that priest according to the writer of Hebrews in your Bible! You cannot deal with your own sin! You can’t forgive yourself at the Heavenly tribunal! You can’t take the divine pen and write “acquitted” (the Bible word is “justified”) over the official record of your transgressions! Jesus can!! He’s qualified as our “Great High Priest”!

I read the following words in my Bible this morning and had a bit of a personal praise and thanksgiving spell!! I’m so grateful that Jesus is Divinely qualified to deal with my past – present – and future failures and sin!!

“He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself! For the Law appointed as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath (God’s oath), which came after the Law, appointed the Son (Jesus), who has been made perfect forever! (Hebrews 7:25–28)