Jesus, High Priest of a Better Covenant

Moving on to Hebrews 8, we continue to learn how Jesus is better than what was before.

1Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. 3For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain." 6But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.

8For he finds fault with them when he says:

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah,
9not like the covenant that I made with their fathers
on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
For they did not continue in my covenant,
and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws into their minds,
and write them on their hearts,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
11And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor
and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,'
for they shall all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
12For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more."

13In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

The old is obsolete. Did you catch that?
The old is obsolete and is ready to vanish away.

and consider this "For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second."

The first covenant God made with his people was not perfect. It lacked something important.

So a second covenant was needed. God sent his son. His son had all, is all, that is needed.

Jesus is our high priest in heaven. "in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man".

Jesus isn't a copy and shadow of what's been shown to him, he" has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises".

Jesus is simply better.

I won't get into the whole rest of this passage today. But I thought this just interesting to ponder over. Jesus isn't a priest who copies...he's the real deal. He operates in a place the GOD put together (not man). He fulfills it all. Jesus is the only real option we have to mediate between us and God.

Fireworks'R'Us

Monday was the Victoria Day Long weekend.
Traditionally one of two days that fireworks are set off in Canada (the other being July 1st).

I grew up with fireworks.
Jim grew up with fireworks.

I MUCH prefer the at home version of fireworks....they aren't quite so loud. :)

Justin tried mightily to nap in the afternoon but just couldn't get his eyes to stay shut.

So I thought, we'll see how it goes. If we have to delay things a day we will, but we'll just see how it goes.

I went out to care for bunnies...he fell asleep on the couch. He was so tired after a busy day. I left him to nap for about 45 minutes all told.


Groggy boy child was woken up to do fireworks. Took him a bit to figure out we were going outside. He was very tired that he couldn't stay warm (gets that! from me) so I even took off my coat to help him stay warm. I shivered, he enjoyed. :)

We had a few different fireworks.

The screamer...we had one that went off that Justin's eyes popped open and the thumb sucking stopped. It was one that screamed up and then did a crackling, popping noise with splatters of colour. "Again" he whispered. :)

Then we had ones we called gigglers. This after daddy would light them and run away quickly from them and all they did was sputter and make noise in the grass. After that Jim would put them on the church parking lot and we could see them better. But Justin would just giggle away at them sputtering.

The Rockets didn't cause a whole lot of reaction other than for one boy child to follow them going up and up with his eyes. Just watched them very closely.

I think there was another type in the package that caused a boy child to smile but I can't recall what it did.

It was fun.

After the fireworks we pulled out the sparklers. He had fun!

First just holding them out to watch them sparkle.


Then looking at dandelions with the light of them.


then walking around both in the front and back yards waving and circling the sparkler around as he walked. Lots of smiles and "again!" and "another one" demands. :)

it was just a very enjoyable evening together.

The Old....and the Work in Progress

The old
Was fine until it was "attacked" by a skid.

Not quite finished, but won't be as easy to attack.

Today we went for a walk

We went for a walk at the dam.

we saw flowers that we had to figure out what they were.

Some were easy...

Dandelions.

picture found here.

Strawberries.

Picture found here.

Then we found a blue/purple flower.. called a marsh blue violet

Picture found here.

and yellow violet

picture found here.

and one flower that's white that we couldn't figure out what it was. Justin thought it was pretty and there were lots of them. We're guessing it's some type of invasive species, but it was pretty.

Meet Milo

This is our boy's cat Milo.

He is a striking brown and white Tabby cat.

He seems to be intelligent, definitely active, likes to eat the Old Cats food.

And he just recently been allowed out and about at night (spent last night sleeping with me). Sleeping with people is what he seems to like best. :)



Anyways, I hope you enjoyed meeting Milo.

For more posts on Milo, go check out Milo Mondays over at Vellenga Views.

I LOVE my spring tulips :)

Porch garden, front yard.

My Kidney garden, front yard


Back yard, corner garden.

all my gardens very badly need weeding, but I've been rather busy lately with moving veggie gardens and caring for bunnies and well...life! :)

I just love my tulips and daffodils though...just love 'em. They make me smile every time I see them.

My Son...the preacher's boy

Here Hoppy is preaching.

and here is his congregation.
:)

Monthly Library Trip

Our every third week trip to the library resulted in these finds.

Nice little book. Teaches children about guinea pigs in a story format.



First time Jim heard this book read he laughed. My first impression was...it's a bit silly. Justin's response.. "Read it again mommy! Daddy read this book all the way for me".



Not your normal counting book. It has a bunny in it... Justin is happy. He likes it. I suspect he'll get it out more than once.



This book has been a repeat visitor to our home. Justin Loves this book. He has a stuffed rabbit named...Rabbit...and this book is all about "rabbit". We change it a bit to include some of his other bunnies and life is just a fun read with this book. A nightly event. :)



Yes, our boy likes Dora. She's fun. She helps people. She too, (I was told tonight) lives in bunny town.

Next Task

tear down old composter.

Erect a new one!

hopefully will do after work today if the weather holds for me. :)

ANother part of busyness

Proof...she ate for greens for the first three days.
COULD NOT get her to drink.
that lack of drinking caught up to her.

new doe.
refused to eat or drink at day 4 of being here.

water administered every 20 minutes or so.
water/pellets/yogurt etc. every hour or two.

She failed none-the-less.

I am very disappointed.

Wasn't she just absolutely gorgeous?

Some of my busyness

half way done

Moved raspberries into a garden

Moved gardens. See the empty spot there (the bucket)?
that was two gardens now at the other end of the garden.
That planted garden in the foreground has now been moved to where the two littles gardens were.

Walk in a Manner Worthy of your Calling

On Sunday we will be installing a new deacon, and reinstalling an elder to positions of leadership within the church.

This particular calling of a deacon has been troublesome as we are part of an older congregation with men who are getting tired or ill so our "pool" of men capable of serving has shrunk. Therefore a woman deacon has been called. The lady in question has a servants heart and should serve well in this position, but it has been a difficult one for some people to accept.

Jim has chosen Ephesians 4:1-16 as the sermon text.

¹I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ²with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. ⁷But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸Therefore it says,

"When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men."

⁹( In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? ¹⁰He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) ¹¹And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

We are urged by Paul to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called".

Think about that for a moment.

How do you live your Christian life?

Do you want in a manner worthy of being called?

For each of us has been called by God to be his own. We wouldn't be his children if he hadn't claimed us first! So how are you living out your calling as a believer.

Are you:

• walking with humility and gentleness
• walking patiently
• bearing with each other in love
• eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
• remembering that you are part of one body and one Spirit
• remembering that there is one Lord, one faith and one baptism
  
• Remembering that there is one God and Father of all
• remembering that grace has been given to each of us.
  

How are you walking?

God gave us each different gifts to different people for these reasons:

1. to equip the saints for ministry,
   
2. to build up the bodyuntil we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the son of God
3. to mature manhood (personhood)
4. to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ

SO THAT

5. we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, and by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

We are to grow in EVERY WAY into Christ.

He is the one who makes every part work together, and when we do so in the manner in which we aught, we grow as we build in love.

This is what we are called to...to use our gifts and talents for the building up of the church in love, so that we can be more and more like Christ.

How are you walking?

ps> Jim sent me this Servants, not Spectators, which I think fits in well with todays devotion.

Hebrews 7 continued.....

Here is the section of Hebrews 7 that we continue to look at.

¹¹ Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? ¹²For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. ¹³For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. ¹⁴For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

¹⁵This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, ¹⁶who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷For it is witnessed of him,

"You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek."

¹⁸For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness ¹⁹(for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

²⁰And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, ²¹but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:

"The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
'You are a priest forever.'"

²²This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

²³The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, ²⁴but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. ²⁵Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

²⁶For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. ²⁷He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. ²⁸For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

We've already learned that Jesus follows the line of Melchizadek. We also know from verse 14 that he comes from line that was specified for Priests (the line of Judah). So that shows the Jesus is a different type of priest.

¹⁵This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, ¹⁶who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷For it is witnessed of him,

"You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek."

Jesus is a forever priest, not one by birth, but one for life. That makes him better than the regular priesthood. He was made a priest by oath (v 20). And since Jesus won't die, his office is secure, he's a better priest because he continues for ever, that makes a guarantor of a better covenant. :) pretty cool eh?

Just read these words: Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Jesus can save us forever. Not just for a moment, but forever. he able to forever make intercession for us.

This is who Jesus is: ²⁶For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. ²⁷He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.

Reading this over has impressed upon me the greatness of Jesus. If you aren't impressed...read over chapter seven again. See who he is.

Unblemished, innocent, holy, high priest, one who died for me (and for you), one who intercedes for us forever, and of the line of Melchizadek .... a priest chosen by oath.

This is Jesus! Be impressed by him, be changed by him, know that he died to saved you. He stands between you and God and makes relationship with God possible.

Parenting Dilemma... going stark raving mad......

I am going to go stark raving mad!

The boy is toilet trained. He KNOWS where to go pee.

So WHY?????? does he decide that he should pee in his bed? in a jar? in a pail? in an empty aquarium and ah...who knows what is next???

WHY??????

I don't get it.
He always has a plausible reason for what he does...but it's driving me bonkers!!!
The jar....so we have it for when we go the doctors
the pail....so I don't pee on the floor or get myself wet
the aquarium....I'm washing away the green stuff mommy.
the bed....I want to dream longer about bunny town.

Yes I know....probable shelf life of six weeks.

I don't know if I can survive six weeks.... I ship critters out for 2-3 violations of this code if there is nothing wrong with them. NO PEEING in the house on my floor!!!!!!!! (it drives me nuts!)

Last night he got me up TWICE because he peed his bed. One time? yeah okay...tired boy just sleeping. But the second time??? he was awake!!!!!!!!! he just wanted to dream longer about bunny town (he told me this tonight).

Tonight I put him to bed with a sheet protector on...what does he do? He pees on it!!!!! (wanted to test out my statement that it would keep the bed dry). Yet MORE laundry......

I am going stark raving mad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Coping skills?
Solutions?

Re-diapering an option...though he will get mightily offended at the notion.....(is it worth the offense you think??)

things learned when.....

Things learned when planting seeds with a preschooler.

Sometimes a request to plant seeds....well...isn't a request to actually PLANT seeds. :) It's called give me some seeds, I'll dump them in a bucket and then let them all assume different personalities and hide throughout the backyard. (complete with different voices). Made me laugh, made me call him a goob. :)

Preschoolers do know which way is up when planting onions...but it's fun to tease onions and plant their faces into the ground. the same works for garlic. and rotten onions are to be thrown far far away cause they are bad onions and shouldn't be with good, nice onions.

Planting carrots is very hard work! "I can't see them!!! they are too little! You do it mommy! I'm going to go play!"

Sometimes more rows are planted of things then what one originally anticipates, for example I wanted two rows of corn, and well...we have three rows now so that rest of the seeds won't be lonely. :)

The best thing to do after gardening is to sit on the couch with dad and watch a movie.

I have to try to plan out the rest of the gardens really well...I'm running out of room because of a boy child's help! :)

Another day of hard work

Day two of hard work.

Since our disaster we have been reconsidering how to set things up in the backyard.

And our best solution is to locate the rabbitry under the old maple tree, building a more solid shelter for them.

That means moving four gardens over. Moving the composter (which needs major repair done to it) and such like.

So I've got most of the gardens moved over. Just have one big one (which is currently planted) and that this job will be done.

Not today anymore though
need to get myself to the eye doctor first! :)

They almost played.....

So our old boy Sparks is adapting to a kitten being in the house.

They almost played together tonight. and then Jim tried to get his camera.

Sparks did his "i'm offended, you caught me" act.

So well....the play time stopped.

Jesus from Melchizadek's line

The next section in Hebrews covers the last half of chapter 7. I doubt that I'll get through it all today. :)

¹¹ Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? ¹²For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. ¹³For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. ¹⁴For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

¹⁵This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, ¹⁶who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷For it is witnessed of him,

"You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek."

¹⁸For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness ¹⁹(for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

²⁰And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, ²¹but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:

"The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
'You are a priest forever.'"

²²This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

²³The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, ²⁴but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. ²⁵Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

²⁶For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. ²⁷He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. ²⁸For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

The writer of Hebrews uses good logic. :)

¹¹ Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? ¹²For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. ¹³For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. ¹⁴For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

Doesn't that make sense? If the first priesthood had been all that God needed to make people right with him, why would he change the system? God needed to change how the priesthood worked, so he created a new one.

Jesus is part of that new priesthood. He is part of God's better design.

and my son is up so...my time has been cut short this morning. we'll study more tomorrow (I hope). :)