High Priest

Intercession. That’s a word we don’t often use. To intercede is to interpose on someone else’s behalf. It is to plead or petition for someone else. It is to mediate between two parties. Do we need someone like that? Of course we do. And Jesus is the One who intercedes for us.

The writer of Hebrews tells us the priests that came before Jesus were numerous because they could not intercede forever. All of them died. Not only that, but they first had to offer a sacrifice for their own sins before they could intercede on behalf of their fellow Israelites.

We now have a high priest forever in Jesus. He has no need to offer a sacrifice for Himself, since He lived a perfect life. Since Jesus is a permanent high priest, there is no need for another priest. He continually intercedes on our behalf before God the Father. It is because He is the permanent high priest that we can go directly to God.

This is not to say there is no need for pastors. Pastors still perform important functions. They plan and lead worship services; study and teach Scripture; provide pastoral care by visiting the sick, those in nursing homes, and the homebound; administer the sacraments; preside over funeral services; and they intercede on the behalf of others, which could be included in pastoral care.

However, each person who follows Jesus has the opportunity to come before Him, confess their sins, petition Him on behalf of themselves and others, and seek His guidance. Because we have this wonderful opportunity, we should give thanks to God and sing his praises. Though we are separated by our sin from him, we are reconciled to him because of Jesus. That is an awesome gift that we can never repay.

I pray we all know Jesus is our high priest forever. I pray we know we can go directly to God. I pray each one of us confess, petition, seek guidance, and give thanks through Jesus. Jesus is our high priest. Confess to Him. Petition Him. Seek His guidance. Give thanks to God.

Hebrews 7:23-25 Furthermore, the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Redeemed

Where do you find refuge? Where do you go when everything goes wrong? Who do you seek solace from when it seems you have nowhere to turn? Who do you go to for advice when your world comes crashing down? Who do you turn to for the day-to-day disappointments?

We all experience disappointments. Sometimes, it seems as though they come every day. At other times, things go well for a stretch of time. Sooner or later, we all experience a time when nothing is going right, it seems like our world is falling apart all around us.

We may have parents, other family members, or close friends we can turn to during those times of distress. We may have a favorite place we like to go to so we can think in quiet. It may be a peaceful place with a running stream or lake. It may be simply sitting on our back porch or deck. It may include listening to the crickets or frogs. Wherever and whomever we turn to, it is because of trust and reliance.

But there is someone else we can always turn to with a trust deeper than any other. We can turn to God and unleash our worries, concerns, fears, and failures. We can trust that he is always there for us. We can know that he understands. We can believe with our whole heart that he will take care of us.

God redeems us when we take refuge in him. He may not do it in the way we want or expect. He may not do it in the timeframe we want. But as long as we continue to go to him, trust him, and rely on him, he will redeem us. Isn’t it comforting to know that God is always there and will always redeem us? It should be. It is to me.

I pray we all take our troubles to God. I pray we trust that he is always there for us. I pray each one of us knows that God cares for us and will redeem us in his time and in his way. Cast your cares on God. Trust he is always there. Know that God understands. Know that God cares. He will redeem you.

Psalm 34:22

The Lord redeems the life of his servants; 

none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Overcoming Fear

What are you afraid of? Do you have fears that you try to hide? Do you have fears that you openly share with others? Are you afraid of various animals? Do you fear for your children, parents, or other relatives? Do you fear for your community or country?

Fear comes in all shapes and sizes. There are fears of spiders, any type of bug, dogs, cats, and wild animals. We fear situations such as interviewing for a job, the first day on a new job, meeting new people, having no one, losing a loved one, and facing a debilitating disease.

I have a fear of heights that I have mostly overcome, while continuing to have a healthy respect for. I partially overcame by force, since part of my training in the Marine Corps required me to repel down a thirty-foot wall and off a one-hundred-foot tower. But I also have learned to trust God when I have had to get on my roof or climb a twenty-foot ladder to put up Christmas lights. Make no mistake, I’m cautious and take my time, but I also ask God to be with me.

The Psalmist isn’t really talking about being afraid of heights. He is talking about being afraid of being overrun by his enemies. He is talking about having to encounter people who would normally seek his demise. Facing that kind of fear is a big challenge and can be debilitating. Fear can be so strong that it freezes us into inaction.

When we face challenges that has us shaking in our boots, we can rely on God to get us through. By trusting God to grant us courage and guide us through the situation, we can overcome our fears. When we trust God to be with us every step of the way, our fears will dissipate, and we will be successful.

I pray we all learn to trust God in all situations. I pray we ask God for the courage we need. I pray each one of us will overcome our fears by relying on God, asking for his guidance. Trust God in all situations. Ask God for courage. Ask God for guidance. Overcome your fears.

Psalm 34:4

I sought the Lord, and he answered me, 

and delivered me from all my fears.

Imposing Conversation

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone on a subject you knew nothing about? Have you been in a conversation on a subject you knew a little but the person you are talking to is an expert? Do you sometimes think you know more about what’s going on than God?

Being in a conversation with someone who knows far more about a topic than we do can be imposing. It is especially so when the topic is one both we and the other person thinks we should know something about. We may quickly look for a way to escape the conversation.

During my time as an IT consultant, I often had conversations with people who assumed I knew everything about computers. Though I had ascended to being a Systems Architect, there was no way I could know everything about every computer, network router or switch, server, database, or programming language. I became good at asking questions and learning from the conversations.

When we pray, we often ask God for blessings. Those blessings may include healing, a new job, finding a mate, or even material things. We present our wants to God and wonder why he doesn’t answer.  Yet, more often than we want to admit, we don’t know what we are asking for. We don’t know what God has planned for us. So, what do we do?

Rather than continually asking God for things we want; we would do well to ask that he uses us as he sees fit. We would do well to trust that he will provide, just as he has promised. As we learn to trust him more, knowing he loves us deeply, we can pray more effectively.

I pray we all trust God will provide. I pray we know God loves us deeply. I pray each one of us will choose to seek understanding of God’s plan for us and seek to be used by God as he sees fit. Trust God will provide. God loves you. Seek understanding. Ask God to use you.

Job 42:1-3

Then Job answered the Lord: 

“I know that you can do all things, 

and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 

‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ 

Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, 

things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

Abide in God

What does it mean to abide in God? How can we abide in him every day of our lives? What does abide mean? How is it defined and how can we apply it in our daily lives? Have you ever given serious thought to abiding in God?

The word abide means to remain in, continue, stay, dwell, or reside. To abide in God is to remain in him, continue in him, stay in him, dwell in him, or reside in him. Regardless of which one of those you focus on, they all mean to be in God every moment of every day.

That can be a challenge. Especially when our personal feelings are hurt, we are offended, or we are wounded. It is even more challenging when we see the words in 1 John 4. He states that in order to abide in God we must abide in love. Whoa! It is even more difficult to love the person who has offended us.

We must remember this, the love John speaks of is a decision to love. It means that we decide to be benevolent toward others or show goodwill toward others. In other words, it is not emotion but action. It is our decision to continue to act with graciousness toward others, to forgive others, and to be the hands and feet of Christ to others, regardless of our circumstances.

John tells us we cannot love God and not love our brother and sister in Christ. He bluntly states we are liars if we claim otherwise in 1 John 4:20. Therefore, let’s love each member of the body of Christ and thereby abide in God.

I pray we all choose to love one another. I pray we choose love over hatred. I pray each one of us will love our brothers and sisters and abide in God and his love for us. Love one another. Choose love over hatred. Abide in love. Abide in God.

1 John 4:16 God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.

Servant Leader

Do you seek to have power over someone else? Are you upset with the leaders appointed over you? Do you see them as tyrants who lord their power over those beneath them? How would you change the environment if you were in charge? Would you serve everyone?

Power can be intoxicating. We may have the best of intentions, and yet, be overwhelmed by the lure of power. Despite having a desire to make things far better, we can become the tyrant who is unwilling to listen to others and dictates changes based solely on personal preferences.

Jesus talks about rulers. His statement is generic enough to apply to team leads, section heads, CEO’s, mayors, governors, presidents, and kings and queens. It doesn’t matter who the person is or the title they hold, people can become tyrants when they are put in charge of other people.

But Jesus tells us that is not how it is to be among His followers. Those who are put in leadership positions are to be servants of all. In other words, the leaders are to seek the best for everyone within their charge. That does not mean the leader can give everyone what they want. It does mean the leader is to seek to carry out plans that will have the best results for everyone.

Within the church, the pastor is often seen as the senior person. They are regarded as the shepherd of the flock. Yet, every church body has various committees with a variety of people sitting on them. Each person is there to represent the flock and provide insight to what is needed. The pastor is to listen to them, pray for God’s guidance, and guide the flock according to God’s plan.

I pray our leaders seek to serve the body of Christ. I pray we seek to serve others when we are leaders. I pray each one of us choose to serve one another and pray for our leaders to follow Jesus’ example. Serve the body of Christ. Be a servant leader. Pray for every leader.

Mark 10:42-44 So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.”

Places of Honor

Have you ever wished for something to happen, then regretted it later? Have you thought something you wanted would be great only to find out after you had acquired it it was not as great as you thought? Have you asked to be put in a position only to find out it wasn’t what you thought it would be?

We often think we know best. We think we know what we want to do, only to find out it wasn’t what we expected. We strive to achieve a higher position but discover it is not all its cracked up to be. We wish for specific things to happen only to regret it when it does.

James and John thought they knew what they wanted, but Jesus knew they couldn’t have it. First, it was not His to give to them. Second, He tried to discourage their asking by asking them if they could endure what He was going to endure. Again, they quickly said they could. Jesus knew better but told them they would have to go through many trials and persecutions in service to Him.

As we ask God to promote us or put us into positions of honor, we don’t really know what we are asking for any more than James and John did. We want the honor and respect, but don’t know to achieve it we must undergo trials and persecutions, which we do not want to go through. Rather than asking God to elevate us, we should ask that he use us as he sees fit based on how he has blessed us and according to his plan.

I pray we all stop asking God to elevate us to places of honor. I pray we seek to follow God’s plan for our lives. I pray each one of us will ask God to use us according to his blessings. Stop seeking honor. Seek to follow God’s plan. Be willing to be used by God. See the blessings God has given you.

Mark 10:38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

Intense Prayer

How often do you pray? What do you pray about? Are your prayers casual or intense? Are you praying for what you want or for what God wants? Are you praying in generalities or being specific? Are you trusting God will answer your prayers? Will you accept his answer?

As we pray, we can go in a hundred different directions and be very general in our prayers. If someone were to listen to them, they may think we are being scatter brained. Our prayers can also be selfish in nature, praying for things we want or outcomes we desire.

Praying specifically is much more effective. Rather than praying for the leadership of our country, pray specifically for your congressman, senator, and president by name. Rather than pray that a surgery goes well, pray for God to guide the hands of the surgeon and grant the surgeon and nurses wisdom and discernment as they perform the surgery.

Not only should we pray specifically, but we should also pray with intensity. We should put our whole heart into our prayer. We may have tears stream down our face, and that is okay. It is when we put our whole being into our prayer that we are most like Jesus. He prayed that way when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane.

This is not to dismiss the short prayer asking God for his guidance as we walk into a job interview or meeting. Those prayers are heard and answered as well. But spending dedicated time to pray specifically for what is going on in our lives, in our community, and in our country with focus and intensity imitates Jesus and brings us closer to God.

I pray we all choose to pray with specifics. I pray we pray with focus and intensity. I pray each one of us will make a list to pray over and spend dedicated time in prayer each day. Pray specific prayers. Pray with focus. Pray with intensity. Make a list. Dedicate time for prayer.

Hebrews 5:7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

Put in Charge

What does it mean to be put in charge? Do you believe it means the person in charge can boss everyone around? Can they set their own rules? Are they allowed to rule with an iron fist? Do you know some who act in this way? What does it mean for the people of God?

Many of us have experienced working for a boss who rules with an iron fist. They make the rules and enforce them without mercy. They believe they have the power, and they are to execute it without regard for others. When we work for someone like this, we do not like it.

As the people of God, we are not to take charge in such a way. We are to govern with a humble heart. A pastor, preacher, or priest is to understand they are put in charge of God’s belongings. They are to act one God’s behalf. That means to act as God would, in a loving way. As part of their service, they are to offer gifts and sacrifices.

What gifts and sacrifices? They are to offer the gifts God has blessed them with back to God. They are to offer their gifts to serve God’s people with what God has blessed them with. Their sacrifices are their time, energy, sleepless nights, a heart that breaks for the people, and through that they ask God to forgive their sins and the sins of the people.

Though this is put on the shoulders of the pastor, preacher, or priest, every member of the body of Christ is considered a priest (1 Peter 2:9). Each member should offer their gifts and sacrifices for themselves and others. If each person is doing so, each member is being prayed for multiple times. Each of us could benefit from the prayer of others.

I pray we all give our gifts to God. I pray we offer him the sacrifice of our time and energy. I pray each one of us will experience broken hearts for those who are hurting and pray over them. Give gifts to God. Sacrifice your time to God. Sacrifice your energy to God. Be brokenhearted for others. Pray over others.

Hebrews 5:1 Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

Blessings

Who do you bless? How do you bless them? Who do you honor? How do you honor them? Do you bless them with words? Do you bless them with your presence? Do you honor them with words? Do you honor them with respect? Do you see them in a different light?

We don’t often think about blessing others, even if we respect them. We may wish them well. We may pray they are successful or are healed. One of the few times we may say “bless you” is when someone sneezes. It simply isn’t something we think to do in our culture.

Giving someone your blessing is powerful. When we give our blessing with our whole heart, much like praying with our whole heart, we offer the power God has given us to them. Our blessing can make a big difference in someone’s life. It can give them the approval they need to be successful in their endeavors.

The Psalmist blesses God. Have you ever thought to do that? The blessing is given with respect and awe. It acknowledges the greatness and majesty of God. When we bless God, we are both honoring him and thanking him. Blessing God is returning to him a portion of the blessing he has granted us.

Whether blessing God or blessing someone else, we are sharing our blessings from God, which what God desires us to do. We are not given blessings to selfishly hold them for ourselves. So, restart the tradition of blessing others. Give your blessing to them verbally. Give your blessing to them with respect. Honor God and honor others with blessings.

I pray we all choose to bless God. I pray we bless others. I pray each one of us share the blessings of God with others, just as God intended us to do. Bless God. Bless others. Bless them verbally. Bless them with respect. Honor them with blessings. Bless with your whole heart.

Psalm 104:1-2a

Bless the Lord, O my soul. 

O Lord my God, you are very great. 

You are clothed with honor and majesty, 

wrapped in light as with a garment.