Friends,
Pastor Paul Ciniraj of India wrote these words: “I’m a part of the fellowship of the
unashamed. I have the power of the Holy Spirit. The dye has been cast. I have
stepped over the line. The decision has
been made. I’m a disciple of Jesus. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back
away, or be still. My past is redeemed,
my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low
living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed
visions, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions,
plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised,
regarded, or rewarded. I now live by
faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by
power. My face is set, my gait is fast,
my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my Guide
reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be
bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I
will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the
adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of
popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I
have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of
Christ. l have a great hope of His
coming back, so I preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He
comes for His own, He will have no problems recognizing me; for my banner is
clear!” Perhaps this is the kind of life
that the Hebrews writer has in mind when he says that believers need to live a
sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:10-16,18).
Or, even if not, there is much to be loved, learned and lived in the
brother’s statement. Regardless, we all need to be seeking to glorify God in
our lives.
In chapter 11, there are some great examples of people who
live by faith. In chapter 12, Christians are encouraged to live by faith. This last chapter (13) of the book of Hebrews
considers evidences of faith. Now, we consider some characteristics that should
appear in our lives if we are truly walking by faith and not by sight. A majority of the book of Hebrews compares
the old and new covenants, and distinguishes between the two by sharing that
the new covenant of Jesus Christ is far better.
A Jew under the old covenant could point to the temple as an important
landmark for their faith. Christians do
not (or at least they should not) put the same emphasis on a building which
could be here today and gone tomorrow. We
are the building…Christians are a heavenly sanctuary (1 Corinthians 3:16-17),
inasmuch as our lives are committed to God.
The Jewish people were proud of the city of Jerusalem, but Christians
have an eternal city – the New Jerusalem (heaven). For each of the Old Covenant believer’s
religion that involved temporary earthly details, there is a spiritual, eternal
counterpart which is far better for the Christian.
Verse 10 says, “We have an altar,” and this is not speaking
about a “physical” altar, as under the old covenant, but for us who are
believers in Jesus, He is our altar. It
is through Him that we offer our “spiritual sacrifices” to God. This can be so, because Jesus the Christ’s sacrifice
has already been made. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Day of
Atonement. He was the perfect sin offering sacrificed for us outside of the
camp, so that we might have eternal life.
The gifts that we bring to God are acceptable…not because of an earthly
altar…but because of Him, our heavenly altar.
The big issue for the Hebrews then, and for us now, is –
separation from a dead religion and identification with our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. This has not ever
changed. We must give ourselves wholly
and completely to the Lord and not compromise with religion or the world.
(Romans 12:1-2) The Hebrews writer names
some of the “spiritual sacrifices” that we, in turn, offer as believers in
Christ. Words of praise that come from
our lips should find their origin from our hearts…and in turn is displayed like
beautiful fruit on a fruit tree. There
are many ways that we are able to praise the Lord in song. If we are filled with His Spirit, songs just
spill out of our hearts and from our lips.
We may be participating in a worship service on Sunday, traveling down
the road in our family car having a sing along, or walking down a lonely
road. When we are joyful, we sing
praises (James 5:13). When we are
tempted to grumble instead of being grateful, we need to count our blessings
and realize just how blessed that we truly are.
As one person shared, “Sacrificing our praise begins with a frame of
mind that tunes the heart.”
Another spiritual sacrifice is the good works of sharing,
which, according to the Hebrews writer, includes hospitality and ministry to
prisoners (13:3). “Doing good” covers a
multitude of ministries – whatever blessings and gifts God has given us to
share…sharing food with the needy, taking people to and from church and to others
places, sharing our resources, perhaps just being a good neighbor (as State
Farm is). Finally, the writer emphasizes
the importance of prayer. He is unable to visit with his readers personally,
but he does ask for their prayers. When
we are convicted by the Lord and for the Lord…many wonderful things happen.
One of my friends who lives in the desert of Arizona posted
this picture of a giant Saguaro recently.
This is one of the remarkable creations in nature. It can grow to be over 50 feet high, weigh in
excess of ten tons -- a plant that can weigh up to 20,000 lbs! Their efficient
root systems, which can stretch to 60-70 feet across collect every bit of
moisture that filters through the topsoil. It stores the water in its body,
which functions so well that even after years of drought, the Saguaro still
retains enough moisture to produce fruit. In a similar way, we Christians are to be filled with Living
Water…but we cannot ever get full enough. The fuller that we are, the more that we are
able to bear fruit for the Lord. We have
much to be thankful for, and much to praise God about – family, church family,
health, life, opportunities, homes, jobs.
If we seek to live a life with integrity, we need not be ashamed or
guilty, but as Paul Ciniraj indicates, live life blameless, and to the
fullest…to sacrifice our praise and our lives for the Lord. We are so blessed to be able to be in a one
on one communication with our Creator. We
no longer have to be subservient to a system, but have openness and freedom
thanks to the death, burial and resurrection.
Let’s live a life that reflects our thankfulness to God for what He has
given us, and offer ourselves as “living sacrifices” to His service.
Blessings, Don
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