Intro

This is Dreamwalker1960. As a reminder you can read the transcripts of all my podcasts at dreamwalker1960.com. You can use Listen Notes, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music or Audible, Google Podcasts or Apple Podcasts. As well as Pandora, Spotify, Podbean and PlayerFM if you wish to listen. All you need do is do a search for Dreamwalker1960.

Discussion

The writer of Hebrews had one intent in mind. Causing those within the Jewish community to come to accept that Jesus Christ was the Messiah they had been looking for.

The Jewish nation had been following the laws given to Moses for near 1500 years. As was shown by the Pharisees the nation went through the motions, but in actuality they had let their faith in God fall away from them. So, when it came time to accept the Messiah, they were too blinded by rituals to see the truth written in the Tanakh.

So why read the book of Hebrews?

In today’s world it has been nearly two thousand years since Jesus Christ ascended. Christianity has faltered in its faith and works. Due to it those teachings that are found within this book are things that today’s Christians need to listen to and think hard upon. For most that call themselves “Christian” are walking down a path that they believe will lead to eternal life. However, this is not totally true in many cases.

Also, we must note that there are many that deny God. Not only when the book of Hebrews was written but now. Within the book of Hebrews many verses are used that come from the Old Testament. Now from the book The Case for Christ a statement is made which refers to many verses found here within the book of Hebrews:

“I had studied this same statistical analysis by mathematician Peter W. Stoner when I was investigating the messianic prophecies for myself. Stoner also computed that the probability of fulfilling forty-eight prophecies was one chance in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion.

“Our minds can’t comprehend a number that big. This is a staggering statistic that’s equal to the number of minuscule atoms in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, billion universes the size of our universe!

“’The odds alone say it would be impossible for anyone to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies,’ Lapides concluded. ‘Yet Jesus – and only Jesus throughout all of history – managed to do it.’” Chapter 10 of the Case for Christ.

In the first chapter alone, there are ten references from the Old Testament that shows how Jesus was foretold of, which is part of the forty-eight prophecies mentioned in the Case for Christ.

In recent debates I have had with those that wish to comment to my podcasts without listening nor reading them. Many have commented that they need faith alone. In the eleventh chapter of Hebrews faith is the key topic. However, if you pay attention to how the chapter is written, the faith of those listed is shown by works. This corresponds to the second chapter of James.

James 2:14-26 – What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? 17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. 18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” 19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? 21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. 25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

When looking through the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. You see time and again those great people whose stories we know from the Old Testament. How they showed their faith by doing the will of God. Living lives in the belief that they were seeking to please God and no human.

Yet, millions go through life now, living only in pleasing themselves and their desires of this world. Thinking they are fine with God because they call Him their Creator. Nevertheless, they live in sin not caring for what the Bible tells us to do and how to truly live our lives. Lives that should not be looking to this world, but for the eternal life that is yet to come.

Millions say that all that is needed is faith, but as was shown clearly in the letter from James:

“Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.”

What saddened me the most is that they see themselves as not only fine with God, but greater than others. Especially those that wish to pursue the teachings of the Bible that tells all they must follow what is written within it. To turn away from seeking after worldly wealth, leisure, and pleasures. To store up their treasures not here on earth, but to store them in Heaven by seeking to do the will of God. By doing works and bearing fruit which bring themselves and others in line with the laws given to all within the Bible.

Those that see themselves better than others are not following the Bible.

Romans 12:3-8 – Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Those that follow God think themselves as part of the whole. Equal with its other parts. Seeking only one thing. To show all the true teachings of the Bible, by being living examples of Jesus Christ and doing those tasks given to us as gifts from God Himself. To show all that God is their Creator and only through His Son can they find true life. An eternal life that will not last a mere one hundred years with the bobbles and trinkets you have collected here on earth. But a life that will last billions upon billions of years with the treasures we have stored up in God’s heavenly presence.

What strikes me most in these debates is the anger that exudes from the wording used by these people who profess they are children of God.

James 1:19-21 – Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

Ephesians 4:31-32 – Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Evil behavior is called blasphemy which means something that you say or do that shows you do not respect God or a religion per Cambridge Dictionary.

This definition reminds me of how these people that say they are “Christian” challenge and confront me. They show me no respect and they see themselves as greater than me. Having an attitude of supremacy over others, not just me. And you wonder why those that deny God do so?

The problem is not those that deny God. It is those that see themselves as one with God when they are no where near living a righteous life. When they can have anger and or resentment for their fellow humans be they Christian or non-Christian. It is this behavior and mentality that caused the Crusades. It is this mentality that instigated wars. That caused those that came into the New World to seek to dominate, control and slaughter those of the cultures and peoples in North and South Americas. Parading they are “Christian.” However never being anywhere truly near the teachings within the Bible. Especially those taught by Jesus Christ Himself, which state not to seek after the world and its riches but to seek after God and His riches and the eternity to come.

Why they grow angry is because they are not God focused but self-focused. They believe they can have their cake and eat it too. They see themselves having the leisure and luxuries of the world and also receiving an enteral life being a servant of God. However, Jesus Christ made it clear they cannot serve God and money. They must hate one and love the other. (Matthew 6:24)

We are told that when someone sins, we are to help them see the truth. However, when you show them the truth, they get angry instead. Insisting you are in the wrong. Nevertheless, you show them the truth found within the Bible and their anger grows.

They aim their anger all at the one telling them they are in error. Even with Biblical prove provided they cannot accept that they live in sin. This is proven once again in Hebrews:

Hebrews 6:4-8 – For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— 6 and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame. 7 When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. 8 But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it.

Now I will say this about my own life. I was born again in 1984. I had fallen away from the true path of salvation and in 2013 God had enough. My field was bearing thorns and thistles and the “farmer:” God was on the verge of burning the field: me. In simpler terms I was on the verge of losing my salvation. This is made clear in John 15 that salvation can be lost. And we will be cast into the fire which is the pit of fire also known as hell. I went through the pruning that God gave me, and it was harsh to say the least, but I endured it for Christ’s glory.

Once when I mentioned John 15. The come back was: “that was for the disciples.” Once you ask Jesus Christ into your life you become a disciple. This is one of those things that it seems people forget. As is shown in Hebrews chapter six many that have been saved and known salvation lose their way to the point that they see themselves as fine with God, yet they subject Christ to shame and ridicule. And they wonder why God would cast them off and return them to damnation. It is this type of behavior that shows why Jesus disliked hypocrisy so much and why in His glorified form He said He would spit the lukewarm from His mouth.

This message gives a portion out there a lot to think about. What is important is to do that thinking. Not for me, but for yourself and the glory of the sacrifice made by our Savior Jesus Christ.

God Bless