THE CHOICE He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. —Hebrews 10:25 There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith.…

BY FAITH! Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. ———Hebrews 11:1-3 It is by faith, which is a confidence and assurance, “we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” By faith then: 1- We understand that the universe was formed at God’s command. Multiple times in Genesis chapter 1 God created through…

PERFECT & BLAMELESS! The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. —Hebrews 10:1 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. — Hebrews 10:4 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. —Hebrews 10:10 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. — Hebrews 10:14 Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts…

MY HOPE IS IN JESUS! Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. —Lamentations 3:21-23 Call this to your mind… and have hope! It is “because of the Lord’s great love that we are not consumed” and also that “his compassions never fail.” Not only that, but his love and compassions are new every morning and his faithfulness is great! May we truly call this to mind and have hope! More than likely you are not in the same context as when this…

JESUS INTERCEDES FOR ME! Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. —Hebrews 7:25 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. —Romans 8:27 Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God–and He is interceding for us. —Romans 8:34 For Christ did not enter a man-made copy of the true sanctuary, but He entered heaven itself, now to appear on…

ANCHORED! Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. —Hebrews 6:17-20 —holding on to faith…

GROW! In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. —Hebrews 5:12-14 How long have you been following Jesus? Are you still growing? Have you stagnated? Are you truly becoming all that Jesus wants you to be? Are you serving as He wants you to serve? Oh, please do not just…

OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST—- JESUS! Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. —Hebrews 4:14-16 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z_OoO_3suQ Jesus knows what we go through and is able to empathize with us.…

WE BELIEVE! So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. —Hebrews 3:19 Unbelief kept the people from entering the Promised Land and unbelief will keep people from entering Heaven. Do you believe? If you affirm with a yes, then rejoice for we are the most fortunate people on the planet! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRzI_FbWTkg “I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?” (John 3:12). “But since you do not believe what he (Moses) wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” (John 5:47). “But if I do them, even…

VICTORY! But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone… Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. —Hebrews 1:9, 14-15 Think about that! Jesus tasted “death for everyone.” He broke the power of Satan who held us in…