God was in Christ reconciling,

loving, saving, ministering,

teaching, and giving of

Himself every breath

until He had no breath left.

I’ve been reading through the book of Hebrews again. What an amazing book! The writer points out those facets of our lives as Believers that are vital to us and for us. He talks about the necessity of faith (without faith it is impossible to please God 11:6), the wonder of the Word of God (it is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword 4:12), and emphasizes many times just who we are now that we are in Christ (by this will we have been sanctified and He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified 10:10, 14). But Chapter Seven (even though there are a few things underlined) eludes me! I’m confident I could ask our pastor to explain Melchizedek and he could do that, but I would dare say that most of us “pew sitters” would glibly say, “He was the incarnate Christ.” Thank you. Now explain that to me. (“Uhs” and “ahs” would no doubt be liberal in the explanation!)

I don’t recall who said it, but someone made a statement along these lines:

I do not worry about those parts of the Bible that I do not understand. I am very concerned and focus on those things that I DO understand.

Jesus knew that arguing over the scriptures, or spending hours discussing the meaning of certain passages, or isolating ourselves to “learn” would profit us nothing. So He summed it all up saying: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40.) Paul does essentially the same thing when he says: For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Galatians 5:14).

Knowing the “ins and outs” of God’s Word should be a consuming passion for us as we read our Bibles because it is through this passion for His Word that we come to know Jesus Christ more completely. But we must not neglect the “first and great commandment nor the second, which is like it.”

Nietzche[1] once said:”These Christians must show me that they are redeemed before I will believe in their Redeemer!” There should not be two divisions where we fuss about them among ourselves and have labeled them today, one for “doing”