The House You're Building

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you will everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.  Hebrews 13:20-21 (ESV) We’ve come to it at last, the final chapter Hebrews.  Jesus is better.  He is a better priest of a better covenant that God had given the Israelites because it depends on the work of Christ, not the ability of the people to follow the law.  It is grace personified, eternal, unconditional favor and secure relationship for God’s people.  As we close Hebrews, chapter 13 reads like a heavenly to-do list. It’s tempting to read these passages and think, if I act this way, God will be pleased with me. If my life is marked by these habits, I will be able to show God I’m good.  It’s possible that as we read the passage, a false ...

      Orient  John 21:1-25 The final chapter of John, the book concludes with an appearance of Jesus to Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James and Joh, and two other unnamed disciples.  The men were fishing and Jesus calls them to shore for a meal.  In this chapter, a well-known dialog between Jesus and Peter occurs where Peter reaffirms his loyalty to Jesus which serves as a parallel to his trice denial.  The book then ends differently than the synoptic gospels, without the resurrection story but a brief conclusion by the disciple John.     Introduction I’m a fan of reality shows.  I think it all started in the early 2000’s with American Idol.  I love seeing non-celebrity reactions to extreme situations.  One I’ve watched for many years is the show Survivor.  A classic scene in most seasons finds the tribe members sitting around a fire eating fish as it is commonly one of the natural food ...