Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

Hebrews – Learning to get out of the way

We are such a sensitive people! We think we are doing our best work and then the slightest criticism comes our way and BAM, it sends our minds to a place that is dark with thinking that is destructive. Because criticism comes from imperfect people, we must sift out the nuggets of truth and cast away others’ opinions of our character. Ultimately, only God knows us best. God knows our hearts. Take it all to Him. Ask Him to help you grow up.

God is the judge then of our hearts’ motivations and subsequent behaviors. He loves us enough to speak to us about our actions. The writer of Hebrews is reminding us that God disciplines those He loves. Look at the word “discipline”. For us, the first letters begin another important word in the life one who follows Jesus…”disciple”. 

To be a true disciple, we must allow God, our Father who loves us dearly and wants His best for us, to discipline us. He knows what we need just at the right times in our lives. The quicker we lay down our sensitivities and our human nature to place blame on something or someone else and accept our discipline from God the more rapidly we mature. I want to mature in His Kingdom, don’t you?

From Hebrews 12…listen! 

“…have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as HIS children?” 

‘My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline, but don’t be crushed by it either. It’s the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects.’

“God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God?”

“We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holly best.”

“At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. IT always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.” Hebrews 12, Msg

Ah! Think about this last statement! Isn’t THAT what we are seeking when we seek God’s will for our lives? God’s will is to allow God to discipline, to train us for His best, to become more and more MATURE in our relationship with HIM! All kinds of jobs, ministry and secular, will come and go, but the bottom line of God’s will is to become mature in our relationship with Him. IF we are doing that, then we have found God’s will for our lives. Whew! Now, isn’t that an eye-opener! God defines us, not our present vocation.

We have NO earthly reason to drop out now! So, keep running the race, with God in You, training you, for His best…a mature relationship with Him. Wow. Just wow.

One last thought…Jesus taught us to have “child-like” faith but he never said anything about being “childish” in our walk. We need to grow up and that takes discipline for the disciple of Jesus Christ.

Dear Heavenly Father, I wish I could sit with You all day long, but I must get to work today. Continue to work in me. Thank you for this time alone with You to be disciplined as your disciple who loves you with all her heart, mind and soul. Help me to grow in my relationship with You, just be gentle. I know You love me enough to do this. 
In Jesus Name, Amen

PREFERRING SOMETHING BETTER….

Hebrews – Learning to get out of the way

As teachers, this is the time of year when we preparing for the next group of students who will come through the doors of our classrooms in a few short weeks. We are cleaning, rearranging, redecorating, sprucing up lessons, revamping and getting everything set for the new group. We want to be ready. We have faith that they will come. New challenges await us. So we must be ready. We prefer something better than the last year. We want to be better. And the beat goes on…

By faith, many more heroes are mentioned along with their acts of obeying God and meeting their challenges head on, KNOWING that God had something better for them. This is declared in the final message of Hebrews 11… 

“I could go on and on, but I’ve run out of time. There are so many more–Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthat, David, Samuel, the prophets…Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. they were protected from lions, fires, and sward thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, PREFERRING SOMETHING BETTER: RESURRECTION. Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless–the world didn’t deserve them!–making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world.” Hebrews 11, Msg

(I’m not suggesting that teachers go through all of the above…it just feels like it sometimes. 🙂 And this isn’t just for teachers! Any profession faces doubts and discouragement…BE encouraged with God’s Word!)

“Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours.” Hebrews 11, Msg

And the beat goes on and on…Be God’s person through it all. Always consider WHY we do what we do. Always, prefer something better…resurrection!

“Do you see what this means–all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running–and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on JESUS, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed–that exhilarating finish in and with God–he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s THERE, in the place of honor right alongside God.” Hebrews 12, Msg

Hallelujah and amen!

Now…this is for ALL of us…

“When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. THAT will shoot adrenaline into your souls!” Hebrews 12, Msg

Dear Heavenly Father, Your Word to us today, though we are tired in the race but not tired of the race, shoots Spiritual adrenaline into our hearts, minds and souls! There is nothing, that YOU guide and direct us to do that we cannot accomplish, in Your Name, with Your power working and through us. We are exhilarated just to read these words of encouragement about the acts of faith we will join others in doing. And the beat goes on…until we all are resurrected with you someday in our forever home! Thank you, dear Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen

BY AN ACT OF FAITH….

Hebrews – Learning to get out of the way

We are still in awe of how God works in the lives of whom many call the heroes of the faith. To read deeply, slowly and simply, we find that “By an act of faith, they said yes to God.” That’s what it takes. Faith in God says yes to God. No matter where you are on the this journey, no matter how much you have accumulated along the way or what your family circumstances might be at the moment, say yes to God. I love it! I get it!

After saying yes to God…

“Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home.” Hebrews 11, Msg

“If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. But they were after a far better country than that–HEAVEN country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them.” Hebrews 11, Msg

Let it sink in…put your faith in God and what Jesus is preparing for us! Let everything else fall away from focus and see clearly what is ahead. Say yes to God! By faith, say yes.

Dear Heavenly Father, We are stopping here to meditate on this part of your word that fills our souls with hope and encouragement and reminds us WHY we say yes to You, follow You, believe and trust you and most of, get out of the way of what YOU want to do in and through us. Help us to focus, in faith. Give us wisdom, insight and understanding for the real journey…to our true home. This home is only temporary, “for a little while”. 
Our hope is in You! By faith, Yes!
In Jesus Name, Amen

FAITH DRAWS THE LINE!.

Hebrews – Learning to get out of the way

We come to the “hall of fame” of faith examples with wonderful words that leap of the page and into our hearts. Read all of Hebrews 11, slowly with a mind to consider these personalities as real humans who were intimate with God! Hope and encouragement will fill your heart when you do! 

“The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. By faith, we see the world called into existence by God’s word, what we see created by what we don’t see.” Hebrews 11, Msg

The following people were not perfect but were faithful to our Perfect Heavenly Father, the God of Creation!

Abel – “…brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he BELIEVED, not what he BROUGHT, that made the difference.”

Enoch – Skipped death completely. “We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken ‘he pleased God.’ It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists AND that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.”

Noah – Built a boat on dry land. “He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved.”

His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God.” Hebrews 11, Msg

FOCUS for today, for all of us,…how strong and deep is our faith in our Heavenly Father? How intimate are we with Him? Does our faith draw a line between evil and right in God’s eyes? Do we really believe in what we do not see?

“How deep the Father’s love for us, it goes beyond all measure…” the song goes that is ringing in my heart at the moment. 

Faith. Intimacy. One leads to the other.

Dear Heavenly Father, 
Thank you for this message that quickens our hearts and challenges our minds to stop and think about just how deep our faith is in You as we ponder how deep Your love is for us. What is the depth of our belief? We cannot please you without it. We cannot become intimate with You unless we believe deeply in what we do not see. So, make us holy and believing as we come before you. Help us draw the line in the sand between the unbelieving world and belief and faith in You. We do believe. Help our unbelief. Faith takes away fear and worry. We like that. Give us more of that. Help us see the difference in worldview and Your view. Sharpen our focus. Draw the line. 
In Jesus Name, Amen

IT’S A SURE THING!.

Hebrews – Getting out of the way

What encouragement! What a pep talk from the writer of Hebrews, from God Himself to us, too! Think of a ball game you have played in the past, when your team was down and you felt beaten and confused before the game was over. The opponent looked like they were going to win. What did you coach say? Okay, it’s time to give up? NO! The coach said to stay with it, give it all you have! It’s not over! Just keep following the plans I gave you…and play with all you’ve got!

God, the Father and Coach is reminding us of the same thing along with His assurance that His plan is a SURE THING! We win!

“Remember those early days after you first saw the light? Those were the hard times! Kicked around in public, targets of every kind of abuse–some days it was you, other days your friends. If some friends went to prison, you stuck by them. If some enemies broke in and seized your goods, you let them go with a smile, knowing they couldn’t touch your real treasure. Nothing they did bothered you, nothing set you back.” Hebrews 10, Msg

“SO don’t throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. IT’S STILL A SURE THING! But you need to stick it out, staying, with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion.

‘It won’t be long now, he’s on the way’ he’ll sow up most any minute. But anyone who is right with me thrives on loyal trust; if he cuts and runs, I won’t be very happy.’

But we’re not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We’ll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way.” Hebrews 10, Msg

I can just hear the emotion of the writer as he pens these words to us that stir our very souls! Be encouraged! We DO win in the end!

Dear Heavenly Father, Your words speak life and encouragement to our hearts, minds and souls because we love you so much. All of us in You and You in all of us. What a beautiful thought to go to church and teach your Word to little K kids this morning. Your words put a smile on our faces and hope and lift to our steps as we follow You still and always. We love You, Lord! Thank you for your salvation, provision, protection and blessings galore and undeserved! We praise You, O Lord, our Coach for Life!
In Jesus Name, Amen

THE PERFECT CLEANSING!.