The Bible repeatedly encourages us to mold our character and lifestyle into those that reflect the Lord Jesus. To do so requires that we maintain a Biblical worldview and to remain devoted to the commands of Christ. As we grow in our faith and consistently demonstrate a purity of heart, we become empowered by the Holy Spirit; God shows us favor which is a privilege of Kings.
In the ancient Middle East, the skin ailment of leprosy often disfigured the patient. It also produced a social stigma that required the individual to tear their clothes and shout “Unclean, unclean” when in public. In 2 Kings chapter 5, the Bible records a vivid story about Naaman, a well-respected Syrian military leader afflicted with this disease. He visited Elisha, the mighty Israeli prophet, in search of his healing powers.
The second chapter of Genesis describes how the Lord designed Adam and gave him five strategic assignments — all before Eve was even created. These conditions apply to men even today, in modern times. This instructive passage reads:
Early in the Gospel of Luke we find a familiar story where Mary and Joseph are frantically searching in Jerusalem for three days, looking for their 12-year-old son Jesus. Finally finding Him in the Temple, speaking with the elders, the boy asks his parents, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” These are His first recorded words, and they reveal an early awareness of His divine assignment. It speaks to His identity as the Son of God.
Mankind has an insatiable hunger for discovery. We delight in scientific and technological advances. The microchip has democratized access to information in the last few decades, ushering in a knowledge revolution unseen since Gutenberg’s printing press in the 1430s. Concepts may now be conceived, tested, revised, discarded and implemented in hours and days. Our world now operates at the speed of thought.
If sensible, skilled marketing teams had been retained to design a world-class religion in 1st century Palestine, certain recommendations would certainly have guided the development of the Christian faith. This is a sample of the brand development report we would expect to see. It’s all quite reasonable, but maybe it’s good that the Lord didn’t consult this team first.
Background – The author of Hebrews is anonymous: (perhaps Paul, Barnabas, or Apollos?) but chapter 2 confirms that the author knew the apostles. The Author’s Assumption – that you have a thorough knowledge of the Old Testament, including these historical facts:
The Lord uses ten notable methods to communicate with His people, and we are wise to learn them all. We become increasingly mature as we “allow” God to speak on His terms, without demanding that He communicate in the ways we understand best. Admittedly, some of His methods are dramatic, but seldom used, while others are quieter and used more frequently. For example, it’s not often that we receive an angelic visitation, but Zacharias certainly did. Let’s recall the prophetic words spoken to him by the mighty archangel Gabriel:
In our previous journal article {Ten Ways That God “Speaks,” Part 1} on this subject we learned four of the ten ways that the Lord speaks to His people. They included:
God is a totally pre-existent, self-sufficient Being. Psalm 90:2 – “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou [art] God.”
