The Past Inspires A New Tomorrow



Godfather of Soul



Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. – Hebrews 13:7-8





Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 8-10; Hebrews 13







As a kid I remember hearing this verse all the time:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. - Hebrews 13:8

But never was it presented to me in the context of the verse that comes before it; remembering our leaders.

Seeing God As Father

Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. – Hebrews 12:9-11

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 5-7; Hebrews 12

Earlier, I wrote a post about the “fearing God” in which I told the story of getting in trouble when I was little for riding my bike in the street. Since then something has changed in my understanding.

I was recently told that I need to learn to see God as “Father”.

Faith Exists... Literally.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 1-2; Hebrews 11:1-19

Several years ago there was this whole craze around “The Secret”. The basic idea was that there was this secret that successful people knew that no one else knew. It was that faith through positive thinking could manifest things in the real world.

Knowing God

This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel
   after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
   and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
   and they will be my people. 

No longer will they teach their neighbor,
   or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
   from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will forgive their wickedness
   and will remember their sins no more.” – Hebrews 8:10-12

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 50: Hebrews 8

Knowing God. That’s what it is all about.

Obedience with our Talents

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 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: 11-14

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 43-45; Hebrews 5

All of this obedience talk reminded me of the parable of the talents.

I know you remember that one. It is the one about the master who leaves town and gives five bags of gold to one servant, two bags of gold to a second servant, and one bag of gold to the third servant. The first servant invests the gold and doubles his profit. When the master returns he has ten bags of gold. The second servant does the same and produces four bags of gold. The third one is afraid because the master is demanding. He buries his bag of gold because he fears he might lose it if he risks using it.

Many of us are like that third servant.