Hebrews 8 (résumé): The High Priest of a New Covenant

Hebrews 8 shows that Jesus is the permanent and definitive High Priest of a new and better covenant with better promises including a deeper relationship with God. "The ministry of Jesus is superior to all of the past and he is the mediator of a superior covenant than the old one, founded on better promises... the time is coming when I will make a new covenant... and 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... for I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more... so the old covenant is obsolete". 

Hebrews 7 (résumé): Melchizedek the Priest

Hebrews 7 shows how Jesus is our perfect and eternal high priest of an order greater than the Old Testament priesthood. "Melchizedek was a priest who received tithes from Abraham... and remains a priest forever like the Son of God... unlike the Levitical priests whose priesthood ended at death, Jesus remains a priest forever... for it is declared (in Psalm 110:4) You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek... and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God... The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: You are a priest forever... Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant... and because Jesus lives forever he has a permanent priesthood... and He is able to save all who come to Him... and he lives to intercede for them... such a high priest meets our need... he is holy, blameless and set above the heavens... and he sacrificed for sins once for all when he offered himself... for God has appointed the Son who has been made perfect forever".

Hebrews 6 (résumé): Going on to Maturity

 Hebrews 6 encourages Christians to grow in Christ, hold firm to the faith and remain faithful to God. "Let us go on to maturity... and hold firm in Christ... for it's impossible for those who have shared of the Holy Spirit, and later fall away, to be brought back to repentance... because they crucify Jesus all over again... and the author compares such backsliders to those who produce thorns and thistles so as to be subject to judgement... but we are confident of better things in your case... and God swore by himself when promising to Abraham... and Abraham received what was promised... so trust in God... because it's impossible for God to lie... we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure".

Precious Promises

 Last night I led the service in Patos and Pastor Murilo preached on 'Precious Promises' from 2 Peter 1:4. It was a good service, but numbers were down a bit. Pastor Rafael went and took the communion service at our Teixeira church.

Yesterday afternoon Sacha's mother-in-law and Alice and Bia's grandmother died aged 79 of pulmonary emphysema. We went to her wake last night after church, and we will be going to her funeral this afternoon. 

My mother would have been 102-years-old today. Happy memories! She went to be with the Lord aged 92.

Hebrews 5 (résumé): Jesus the great High Priest

Hebrews 5 commences talking about how Jesus was chosen by God to be high priest as had Aaron been in the Old Testament, though Jesus was a priest forever after the order of Melquizedek... and he learned obedience through suffering and became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. "But this is all hard to explain because you are slow to learn... you need milk and not solid food... so you are not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness... but solid food is for the mature". 

Hebrews 4 (résumé): A Sabbath-rest for the people of God

Hebrews 4 tells us that "the promise of his rest still stands... so be careful not to fall short of it... so now we that believe enter that rest... and on the seventh day God rested from his work... so today do not harden your hearts... because there remains a Sabbath-rest for the people of God... so make every effort to enter that rest... for the word of God is living and active, sharper than a double-edged sword, penetrating to divide soul and spirit, judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart... so since we have Jesus our great high priest hold firmly to the faith... for we have a high priest who was tempted like us yet without sin... so let us approach the throne of grace with confidence and find mercy and grace".

Hebrews 3 (résumé): Jesus greater than Moses

 Chapter 3 starts: "Fix your thoughts on Jesus - our apostle and high priest... he was faithful to God who appointed him as was Moses, but Jesus has been found worthy of greater honour than Moses... and Christ is faithful as a son over God's house... so today if you hear the Holy Spirit's voice don't harden your hearts... see to it that none of you have a sinful unbelieving heart that turns away from God... so don't be like those who never entered Canaan owing to their unbelief".