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“Without Faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). One of the oddities of the Hebrew Writer’s “roll call of the faithful” is his pit-stop in verse six. Most of the chapter is driven by the names of Israel’s most famous and faithful heroes. Men and women like Abraham and Sarah, Jacob, Samson and Samuel are paraded center stage and applauded for their acts of faithful se...
And so, after months of enjoying the cheers and challenges of the Book of Hebrews, we arrive at one of the most well known chapters in the New Testament. Hebrews 11 has been dubbed the “roll-call of the faithful” and the “Old Testament at a Glance.” It seems fitting that such a famous chapter would begin with one of the greatest (most used) memory verses of all time. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV). Back in the day, when I was s...
Greetings from the land beyond the river! We are still living out of boxes, but they are OUR boxes, and we love them. A funny thing happened on the way to our new ministry. Since the elder assigned to do the announcements was out of town, I was handed a bulletin and pointed toward the pulpit. It was a bit like reading the names during an obituary. I wasn’t sure how to pronounce the names (butchered one, for sure) and wasn’t quite sure if I had met any of the folks for whom we were praying. But t...
I just received a text from one of my favorite young men, Corey Shirey. Not only is he a fellow minister, but he also took several of my class offerings while I was with NWOSU (Ride Rangers Ride). Evidently, the news of my relocation had not filtered down to the Woodwardians, and Corey was checking in to make sure I “didn’t get fired.” No, the elders and members of the College Hill Family treated us quite well, from beginning to end. We wanted to be closer to my Dad (Mom just passed away) and o... Full story
My alter-ego is a second-grade teacher. Mr. Tyree (sir) spends his days encouraging 7 and 8-year olds to read, write legibly, and remember their mathematical fact families. Perhaps as important as those academic endeavors, though, is the day-to-day safe-keeping of little boys and girls. Mr. Tyree picks them up from the cafeteria, where they’ve gathered for a brain strengthening breakfast and makes sure they are safe and sound throughout the day until they head back home. In order for Mr. Tyree t...
Long ago, in a city far, far away (in Wisconsin), I was a singer in a rock and roll band. I’m sure just by saying that I have drawn a few readers closer to my camp while driving others immediately to the comic/crossword section. But yes, I was in a garage band called the PH Factor. The guitarists could play the originals “lick for lick.” In other words, they sounded just like the records (if you don’t know what a record is, ask your parents) and I could imitate the singers note for note. O...
I was raised in the city. I was predominantly raised by my mother, since she had the challenge of being a stay-at-home mom until I was well into my teens. I was well fed. Most of the meals at our home followed the old pyramid plan, including a meat and two veggies, some bread and sweet iced tea. With the exception of the veggies, our doctors now encourage us to avoid eating very much of all the things we always ate. But I digress. I was never, NEVER, in the presence of an animal being butchered...
Boo Boo Kitty is about to lose her mind. Around midnight, she came into our room (a place she is forbidden to be) and began quietly mewing at the back door. You see, Boo Boo’s friend and protector has already moved to Hedley, Texas, along with her three female servants (AKA my daughter and two granddaughters). Our black lab, Jaxon, went with the family, while Boo Boo Kitty had to stay behind with the old folks. Don’t worry, little kitty. You’ll be back with Jaxon by the weekend. Many thing...
Did you ever get the feeling that God was trying to tell you something? We often pray, “God, help me know the right thing to do.” Then, wait and watch; hoping He will give us an unmistakable answer. Unfortunately, our own situation and personal agendas have a way of “sounding” like they are from God. On more than one occasion, I have been told by unhappy spouses that they “know” God wants them to divorce their spouse. God wants me to be happy. When asked if their spouse was abusive or cheating...
I’d like to take a break from our survey of Hebrews and dedicate this week’s article to a few moments of personal thanksgiving. It’s OK with me if you tag your praises alongside mine – even write them in the margins of the paper – I’m sure Marione won’t mind. In the middle of all the tense pushing and pulling that seems to fill our eyes and ears these days, let’s just spend a moment enjoying our recent victories. Ninety days ago, I defied gravity ... for about 1 second. Gravity won. However, t...
Have you ever noticed how few golfers “of color” are on the PGA tour? Prior to Tiger Woods, the only name that comes to mind is Calvin Peete. He had 12 wins on the tour – which ain’t too shabby – but comes nowhere near Tiger’s amazing career. I’m sure that’s the reason so many were surprised to see just how successful Mr. Woods has become. There are precious few records that he has not broken and, according to the talking heads that think they know, his newly established records may never be tou...
Just think how great he [Melchizedek] was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people – that is, from their fellow Israelites – even though they also are descended from Abraham. This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. In the one cas...
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness;” then also, “king of Salem...
“... We who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 6:18b-20 NIV). For the preacher’s kid, the meeting house is an endless sea of opportunity to explore, climb, crawl and discover. Of course, there was a price to pay f...
After years of study and growth in the Kingdom, do you still have those moments when you suddenly see something you haven’t noticed before? This morning, as I am hurrying to get my article in by the deadline, I suddenly came face to face with a weird fact. The Hebrew writer brought it to our attention nearly 2000 years ago but I’ve missed it all these years. (OK, in the interest of full disclosure, this article is already almost an hour late.) As a child, I was corrected (and rightly so) for...
Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case – the things that have to do with salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been p...
Years ago, one of my instructors observed that “only a broken pendulum stops in the middle.” He was referring to the wide cultural swings that happen in society at large, and how they might affect the things we emphasize in preaching. For instance, 100 to 150 years ago, there was a wide swing toward emphasizing the wages of sin and the importance of Godly fear. The church permeated society. But by the 1980s, popular culture had carried the weight of the pendulum past dead center in a swing tha...
There has to be a first. Before things in life become normal, there has to be that original “we’ve never been here before” moment. Living in the house with a 7-month-old is a daily reminder. First tooth, first word (not Papa), first wave ... all duly celebrated by those who have chewed, spoken in complete sentences, and parade waved for decades. But even old folks have firsts. Today, I had my first online meeting. In “normal” times, I would have taken the short walk across the street and – qui...
As the writer moves on from his discussion of Jesus’ obedience and suffering, he enters a very challenging – even accusatory – section of the letter. Here are the final few verses of chapter 5: (11) We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. (12) In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! (13) Anyone...
I'm not sure how much longer I can ride the pity party but thanks, again, for the calls, cards, and countless prayers. I am making steady, slow progress. “(7) During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. (8) Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered (9) and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for...
We now interrupt our regularly scheduled article for an important message from our sponsors. For the better part of 50 years, the family at College Hill Church of Christ has hosted the Annual Alva School of Music (affectionately known as “Singing School.”) This summer, that program will be enjoying a new home with the Weatherford Church of Christ. This much larger sister congregation to the southwest is thrilled to take on the role of educating emerging generations on the beauty of a cap...
We’ve already spilled quite a bit of ink on the subject of God’s invitation to enter His rest. But before I’m willing to give it a rest, I’d like to jot down a few short paragraphs to tell the “rest” of the story. Here are the facts, as offered by the writer of Hebrews (may he rest in peace). God’s rest has been around since the creation of the world. In chapter 4 and verse 4, the author reports that God rested from ALL His labor. He didn’t just take a nap and go back to work. His rest was pr...
I’m a fan of oldies rock. There, I’ve said it out loud (sort of). I was a teenager in the 70s, when some of the most powerful bands ever to perform came alive on my little AM/FM boom box (my first Boston album was on 8-track). I even sang lead vocals in a garage band around 1980 or so. We drew large crowds in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, covering songs by Cheap Trick, Van Halen and Led Zepplin, to name a few. I rarely attended concerts, but once saw Heart play in the old Tarrant County Convention Cen...
I’m not sure my students (or the average Christian, for that matter) understand the importance of the question “Is it inspired?” If it sounds right, if it seems to be in agreement with the rest of scripture, if the preacher quotes it during a sermon or it shows up in the stateliest of hymns, it must be from God. Why bother asking if it’s really inspired? Because the Bible does not claim to be a gathering of worthwhile documents and quotes; it claims to be the very Word of God. If it is, we must...
While comparing Jesus with the ministry of Moses, the great law giver, the Hebrew writer “mixes his metaphors.” On the one hand, he refers to Moses as one who was a faithful servant in God’s house, compared to Jesus who was (is) the Son of the owner. No matter how well a servant might discharge his/her duties, they are still a servant. If we were to produce a list of the top ten servants of scripture, surely Moses’ name would appear close to the top of the list; but Moses was (is) not the Son...
