Quote for the Day
“…you have come to mount Zion…the city of the Living God.”
Today's Prayer
This week pray for those in your family that are struggling as you are away or unable to be with them face to face.
Hebrews 12:14-29
Hebrews 12:14-29 (NIV) 14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears. 18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. 25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Message
“…so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe…”. Like so many things in life, the use of extremes allows the intended message to become distorted. Over the years as I have participated in a variety of denominations and churches, I have found that the extremes have clouded my view of God. One group of people worships God with a very pious and devout attitude, unable to even approach Him with praise much less a request. Others tend to look at God as a big “sugar daddy” who only has their best interest in mind regardless of their personal relationship and attitude towards Him. The author of Hebrews is focused on a people who had made God both too distant (no one could achieve the results their god demanded) and yet involved in every moment of their daily life. What I see too much of today both inside and outside the church is a casual attitude about God, one that allows for us to seemingly be the control of His influence and attitude in our lives rather than He in ours. In Hebrews we are shown that we need to, “…worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire’. ” God has a desire to consume our very life, to be the ONE who is both the power and the controller in all we do. This is the joy we find once we have “…come to mount Zion…the city of the living God.” It is Christ in us that allows us to be part of the “kingdom that cannot be shaken.” Consider your relationship with the ONE and mighty God, and allow His Spirit to focus you on both reverence and awe as He consumes you in the living fire of Christ Jesus.