How Much Fruit will you Make (Heb. 6:7-8)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                            Date:  02-28-03

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  How much Fruit will be Made

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Hebrews 6:7,8

1.  Message of the verse:  “For ground that drinks the rain which often falls upon it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.”  (NASB)  “When the ground soaks up the rain that falls on it and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has the blessing of God.  But if a field bears the thistles and thorns, it is useless.  The Farmer will condemn that field and burn it.”  (NLT)

            I think that this little parable can be looked at in two different ways as to what it is illustrating.  The first way would be that the ground is unregenerate man and the person who drinks in the spiritual rain and grows a good crop is a fruitful believer and the ground that does not produce good fruit but thorns and thistles is that of a person who is not a believer.  The second way to understand the meaning that the writer is writing about is that all of the ground illustrates believers and some of the believers produce a good and fruitful crop, a crop of spiritual fruit to the Lord or those things which accompany salvation as described in verse ten.  The ground that produces thorns and thistles has the crop burned up, but not the ground.  Paul speaks of this in 1Corinthians 3:13-15, “Each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.  If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward.  If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.” 

            As stated in yesterday’s devotions I believe that the writer is speaking to believers in this passage with the possibility of some of them were not saved but only acted like believers.  That is why I spoke of the passage in 2Corthians 13:5 & 6 which states, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?  But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.”  In verse six Paul states that he trusts that they will not fail the test and I believe that the writer to Hebrews is dealing with the same situation.

2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It is not enough to just be a believer in Jesus Christ and receive all of the benefits of salvation without growing up in the Lord and produce the fruit that He has intended for me to produce.  The Lord has a plan for my life and most of the importance of that plan can be understood by reading and studying the Word of God for none of His plan for my life will go against what He has already revealed in His Word.  I need to just keep on keeping on in the Christian life by doing the things that He instructs me to do in His Word and to listen for that still small voice of the Spirit that lives within me as He speaks to my spirit.

The Word of God brought forth a challenge for me as I read it today.

My Steps of Faith Today:  To again trust the Lord with the problems that I face each and every day with IBS and pray that He will deal with it like He did yesterday when I went with Jim over to Wade’s house.  I praise the Lord for seeing me through that.

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 40:1,2

1. I waited patiently for the LORD; And He heard my cry.
2. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; And set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.

     

 

Be Sure that you are A Believer (Heb. 6:4-6)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                Date:  02-27-03

 

My Worship Time                                          Focus:  Be sure that you are a believer

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Hebrews 6:4-6

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame.”  (NASB)

            This is a very difficult passage to understand as evidenced by the many different opinions of the people that I have read who have their own ideas about the meaning of it.  My own Pastor Jacobs seemed to put thing in the proper prospective for me to understand what the writer is speaking about.  Pastor Jacobs believes that this was a very poor place to have a chapter break as the things that were written about in chapter five seem to flow with these things written in the first part of chapter six.  The writer has been warning these people that he is writing to about the fact that they are not growing in the Lord as they should be and that they are wasting time in their walk with the Lord because of this lack of growth.  He could have given them deeper spiritual truths if they we not stuck in immaturity needing again predigested milk as if they were babes in the Lord.

            I believe that the writer is trying to get the attention of these people and thus the strong warning he gives here to them.  It seems clear to me that if they would not have been in the “mess” that the writer would not have had to write to them about this and so others in the Church age would have missed out on this warning that God has for them.  God makes no mistakes and uses all of these problems to help those along the way who need to read warnings like this one.

            I believe that the writer is saying to this group of people that they need to stop and take inventory of their spiritual life and make sure that they indeed are true believers, and it could be that some of them were not believers, however I do not believe that he was writing to that group in particular.  The part in verse six that speaks of if they fall away they cannot be renewed again could mean that while they are in that condition that they could not be renewed, but once the repent then they can be renewed.  There are far to many other passages that say different.  I think of 1John 1:9 which is speaking to believers confessing their sins and that God is faithful and just to forgive those sins.  However if a person is just “playing Christian” and continues to sin there will come a time like in the life of Pharaoh that God will eventually harden his heart.  If a believer continues to sin and does not repent God may take him home “early.”  Paul speaks of this in 1Corinthians eleven on the passage about the Lords Table.

           

2.      Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I believe that the thing that I need to take out of this passage is that from time to time I need to take spiritual inventory to one make sure that I am a believer and two make sure that my life is pleasing to my Lord as I go on this journey here on earth.  The one thing that I will miss least when I get to heaven is summed up in Revelations 22:3, “and there shall no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bond-servants shall serve Him.”  This verse says to me that the effects of sin will be no more and that I will be with the Lord and will be able to serve Him in a perfect environment not having to contend with the effects of sin. 

 

The Word of God was refreshing to me, it was convicting to me and it was a challenge to me.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  I say that I need to remember to take this “spiritual inventory” from time to time.  I also want to trust the Lord as I pick up Jim and go to Wades house today that He will see me through this without expecting problems with IBS.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 40:1,2

 

I waited patiently for the LORD and He inclined to me and heard my cry.

He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; and set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.

  

 

Moving on to Maturity PT-2 (Heb. 6:2-3)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                Date:  02-26-03

 

My Worship Time                                          Focus: Moving on to Maturity PT-2 

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  Hebrews 6:2, 3

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “of instruction about washings, and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.  And this we shall do, if God permits. (NASB)  “You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.  And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.”  (NLT)

            This verse gives the four remaining features that the writer started in verse one.  The word for baptisms can be translated washings and can describe the OT washings that are described in Exodus and also Leviticus.  This word is not used for Christian baptism.  Laying on of hands is used in the OT when a person brought a sacrifice he laid his hands on it to indemnify with the sacrifice.  An example of its use in the NT is when the leaders of the Church laid their hands on Paul and his companion when they sent them out on the first missionary trip.  The resurrection of the dead is spoken of in the OT but more information is given about it in the NT, both for saved and lost people.  The eternal judgment of God is spoken of also in both the OT and the NT.  These things are just the ground work or the ABC’s of the Christian faith and are needed but when learned a person must go on or move forward as verse three speaks of.

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It is my desire to continue to grow in my Christian faith and to do things that will cause me to become more like my Lord and Savior:  Jesus Christ. 

 

The Word of God was refreshing and convicting to me today as I learned about Christian growth.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  I trust the Lord that He will give me a profitable time as I go to m first missionary committee meeting today.  I pray the I will not have trouble with my IBS as I go there today and that the Lord will use me for His glory while there.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 40:1,2

 

1.  I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, and heard my cry,

2.  He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; And set my feet                  upon a rock making my footsteps firm.      

           

 

Moving on to Maturity (Heb. 6:1)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                            Date:  02-25-03

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  Moving on to maturity

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Hebrews 6:1

 

            1.Message of the verse:  “Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,”  (NASB)  “So let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again.  Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding.  Surely we don’t need to start all over again with the importance of turning away from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.”  (NLT)

            As said before these Hebrew believers were not maturing in their new faith and thus wanted to leave it and go back to Judaism.  There are six OT features listed in verses one and two and I will go over the first two that are mentioned in this verse.  The first feature is repentance and this was taught in the OT and its form in the OT is turning away from evil deeds that bring death and turn to God.  The problem that many Jews had with this is that is was done outwardly but not from the heart.  In the New Testament repentance (and I must say that this too was practiced in the OT when someone truly turned from their sins and trusted the Lord to take away their sins, knowing that it was impossible for them to take care of their own sin problem,) one confesses his sins to the Father and believes that Jesus Christ has already paid for his sins on the cross and therefore can have a new relationship with God.  The second feature is faith toward God and the Jews in the OT did at times have faith in God the Father because they did not believe in the Trinity.  On must have faith in Jesus Christ too as taught in the NT.  These features from the OT that he is speaking of were shadows while in the NT they are substances. 

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  In speaking of repentance Dr. Wiersbe says that it comes from or is brought about from God and sites Acts 5:31 & 11:18 as proof of this.  I believe that the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is the One who brings about conviction in my life by using the Scriptures to show me when I have done something that is sinful.  I am then to agree with Him that this is sin and turn from it.  I know that there are times when anger takes control in my life and it did happen yesterday when my lack of patience brought about anger in my life.  I know that this is wrong and so I agree with God that this is sinful and ask His forgiveness for this.

 

The Word of God was convicting to my soul as I read it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To say that I am sorry about my anger and lack of patience towards Sandy last night.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 40:1,2

 

1. I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, and heard my cry,
2. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; And set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.     

 

Be Feed with Solid Food from God's Word (Heb. 5:14)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                Date:  02-24-03

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  Be Feed with Solid Food from God’s Word

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Hebrews 5:14

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”  (NASB)  “Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right.”  (NLT)  “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”  (NKJV)

            There is a difference in these translations for the work “mature” which is used in the NASB, however it is used “full of age” in the NKJV.  Dr. MaCarthur says that this word means salvation, and it can mean this but I believe that the writer is speaking of the believer in Jesus Christ growing up in his faith so that he can discern right from wrong and then do the right thing, which is how the NLT has it written.  Dr. Wiersbe has given a good lesson on this verse when he quotes a Pastor that said that most believers were living as “betweeners” and they were between coming out of Egypt and entering into Canaan.  They are between Good Friday and Easter; they have been saved and are out of danger but have not entered into the Promised Land or live in the power of the resurrection.

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  One of the aspects of maturing in the faith is to know the Word of God and how it applies to certain situations that God allows you to go through in life in order to cause you to grow in your faith and be on your way to becoming like Jesus Christ.  This is my desire; to become like my Savior and Lord.  May God give me the wisdom to be successful in all of the tests He gives me so I may become more like Christ.

 

The Word of God was challenging to my heart as I read and studied it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To live my life so it is pleasing to God.  To get to EMH and get my long overdue workout in.  To help Sandy around the house today so she will feel comfortable in having our gests over tomorrow.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 40: 1,2

 

1. I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, and heard my cry.
2. He brought me out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.   

 

 

Having a Baby Food Diet (Heb. 5:12b-13)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                            Date:  02-23-03

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Baby food diet

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  Hebrews 5:12b, 13

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.  For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.”  (NASB)  “You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others.  Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scriptures.  You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food.  And a person who is living on milk isn’t very far along in the Christian life and doesn’t know much about doing what is right.”  (NLT)

            I like the way that Dr. Wiersbe writes on this section when he says that the mile of the Word speaks about Jesus Christ’s ministry while He was upon the earth and the meat of the Word speaks of His unfinished work that He is doing while in heaven as our High Priest.  Part of the milk of the Word is the salvation story that Jesus accomplished for all those who believe while upon the earth.  The writer started out this section by mentioning the Priesthood of Jesus Christ but then he did not finish writing about it because they were not mature enough to handle it.  He does go on to write more on this subject later on in the letter.  I want to say something about the phrase “word of righteousness” that is used in verse thirteen in the NASB translation.  The word, word is logos in the Greek, which is the used in John 1:1 that describes Jesus Christ.  This saying is equivalent to the gospel of salvation by faith rather than works according to Dr. MaCarthur. 

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I think that it is obvious from this section of Scripture that I need to grow up in the Word of God and continue to learn the things that my High Priest is doing while in heaven.

 

The Word of God has brought a challenge to my heart as I studied it today.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  I have been falling down on my memory verses for a long time now and I need to get back taking this more seriously so I want to start reviewing Psalm forty in the NASB, a Psalm that I learned many years ago.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 40: 1 & 2

 

1  I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.

2  He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.

  

2nd Principle of Spiritual Immaturity (Not able to Share) (Heb. 5:12a)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                            Date:  02-21-03

 

My Worship Time      Focus:  2^nd principle of spiritual immaturity (inability to share)

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Hebrews 5:12a

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”  (NASB)  “You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others.  Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scriptures.  You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food.”  (NLT)

            Dr. Wiersbe says of these believers that they were having a second childhood in their walk with the Lord.  These believers were not able to share the truths of God’s Word with others, they were not able to tell unbelievers how to be saved, or tell other believers how to grow.  They were in need of being taught themselves.  I want to add the definition the word “oracle” that Strongs gives in their concordance.  “   1a) in the NT, the words or utterances of God   1b) of the contents of the Mosaic law” Dr. MaCarthur says that this word has to do with the teachings of the OT.

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I not only be able to teach others the things that I learn in the Word of God, but I want to do this for it is important in God’s plan for my life to be able to do this.  I also want to be able to lead a person to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ when God gives me the opportunity to do so.  I would also like to caution myself about becoming to cocky about know the truths of God and use them in the wrong way, like being puffed up because I know them.  Humility is not thinking less of myself, but thinking of myself less.

 

The Word of God was refreshing to me as I read it today and it also brought conviction to my soul, and it was a challenge to me as well.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To trust the Lord as to whether or not Clair will be there to teach our small group this afternoon or if He would have me to do it.  If He has me to do it I want to trust Him to give me the grace and the wisdom and the courage to do it for the glory of God.  That I would also be humble as I do this work for the Lord.

 

 

Withdrawing From the Word of God (Heb. 5:11)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                Date:  02-20-03

 

My Worship Time                              Focus:  Withdrawing from the Word of God

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  Hebrews 5:11

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.”  (NASB)  “There is so much more we would like to say about this.  But you don’t seem to listen, so it’s hard to make you understand.”

            The writer has just mentioned that Jesus Christ was a priest after the line of Melchizedek in the verse before this one and probably desired to go on and write further on the subject of the priesthood of Jesus Christ, but he felt that these believers were unable to understand this because they were not making as much progress in their walk with the Lord as they should have been.  In this section, (5:11-6:20) the writer will give deal with three topics that deal with spiritual maturity.  The first one tells four marks of spiritual immaturity, with the first one in the verse speaking of their dullness or slothfulness to the Word of God.  The word for dull is translated in 6:12 as slothful, which refers to “a condition of spiritual apathy and laziness that prevents spiritual development.” (From “Be Confident”) 

            There are many places in the Scriptures which speak of the benefits of the Word of God such as the 176 verses of Psalm 119.  However the writer of this letter has already written about the dullness of his readers concerning the Word of God in Hebrews two, and verses one through four which says:  “ 1 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.”  This section was speaking of drifting from the Word of God and in Hebrews 3:7—4:13 the writer speaks of doubting the Word of God.  In Acts 17: 10-12 we read of the people from Berea who had the right ideas about the Word of God.  “ Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.  These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.  Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.”

 

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I know that sin will keep me from wanting to read the Word of God, when at that time it is truly what I need for in it, it tells me that “If you confess your sin He is faithful and just to forgive your sin and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.”  The Word of God has all I need to show me how I should live while on this earth and I need to make every effort to be in it and study it as much as I can every day that God lends me air to breath.

 

The Word of God was challenging to my heart as I read it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To have a good season of prayer, praying for my family, my church family, and the things that concern my nation.  I would like to get hold of Dick Vernon to invite him to our Bible Study, but first I want to pray about it.

Jesus Christ Offered a Better Sacrifice (Heb. 5:9-10)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                Date:  02-19-03

 

My Worship Time:                            Focus:  Jesus Christ offered a better sacrifice

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Hebrews 5:9,10

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.”  (NASB)  “In this way, God qualified Him as a perfect High Priest, and He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him.  And G0d designated Him to be a High Priest in the line of Melchizedek.  (NLT)

            The word of being made perfect in verse nine is the same work used in Hebrews 2:10, which means to be mad complete.  “By means of His earthly sufferings, Jesus Christ was equipped for His heavenly ministry as our High Priest.  He is able to save, keep, and strengthen His people.”  The phrase “obey Him” in verse nine does not imply that if we do not obey Him we will lose that eternal salvation.  “To obey God is the same as to trust God as them that obey Him is a description of those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ.”  The last two quotes are from “Be Confident” by Warren Wiersbe.  In verse ten the writer again brings up the line of Priesthood that Jesus Christ is from, and that is the line of Melchizedek. 

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am so glade that when I do not obey the Lord Jesus Christ that I do not loose the eternal salvation that He purchased for me.  The reason that I do not loose it is because I did not do one thing to gain it as it was a gift from God to me by His mercy and through His grace.  I cannot ever do anything to get it of do anything to loose it.  This does not mean that I am to go around sinning because I cannot loose my salvation because I have been given new life old things have past, behold all things are new.

 

The Word of God brought challenges to me and it was also refreshing to me, along with convicting me too.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To trust the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding.

 

Jesus Christ Offered a Superior Sacrifice (Heb. 5:3)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                                        Date:  2-17-03

 

My Worship Time                              Focus:  Jesus Christ offered a superior sacrifice.

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Hebrews 5:3

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself.”  (NASB)  “Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins.”  (NKJV)  “That is why he has to offer sacrifices, both for their sins and for his own sins.”  (NLT) 

            Verse three describes the OT priest and the sacrifice that he offered on the Day of Atonement.  The OT priest had to first offer a sacrifice for himself and then for the nation of Israel.  When Jesus Christ offered Himself for our sins He did not have to offer as sacrifice for Himself because He was in complete fellowship with His Heavenly Father.  Therefore He offered a superior sacrifice.

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am so blessed by God because Jesus Christ offered a superior sacrifice for my sins and because of this I am His child forever.  Because of this truth I am to offer by body as a living sacrifice to the Lord which is my reasonable act of worship to Him.

 

The Word of God was challenging to me today and it was also very refreshing to me.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To offer myself as a living sacrifice to the Lord today.  To trust the Lord to get Tim and Kim safely back home as they travel today.

 

Memory verse for the week:  Colossians 4:5

 

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.