Jesus Came to Conclude the Sacrificial System (Advent 21, 2024)

Closure can be the best of things.  A job completed and “well done, good and faithful servant.”  An ending to a suspenseful thriller in which resolution brings a return to restful feelings, knowing how the story ends.   Open chapters and loose ends lend to uncertainty about the future and anxiety over what that looks […]

December 21, 2024 in Articles and Devotionals, Devotionals by

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Jesus Came to Give His Judgment Context (Advent 20, 2024)

Have you ever noticed how people jump to excuses or spin lies when caught doing or saying something wrong?   It’s almost automatic.  People don’t like to be caught with wrongdoing.  But people also don’t like being judged without knowing what charges they’re facing. So, we can see Visitation Principle 20: Jesus Came to Give His […]

December 20, 2024 in Articles and Devotionals, Devotionals by

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Jesus Came to Offer Eternal Redemption (Advent 19, 2024)

. Hebrews 9:11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the […]

December 19, 2024 in Articles and Devotionals, Devotionals by

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Jesus Came to Make Us Fit for the Holy Spirit (Advent 18, 2024)

Hebrews 9:8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. The first tabernacle with its laws was still functioning throughout Jesus’ life and ministry.  He fell under the system of laws just like the […]

December 18, 2024 in Articles and Devotionals, Devotionals by

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Jesus Came to Make the Law Obsolete (Advent 17, 2024)

As we approach Christmas and celebrate Christ’s first Advent, we can see there are more Visitation Principles for why Christ came.  Jesus came to make the righteousness process of the “old covenant” obsolete.  The Holy Spirit is like new technology, and He couldn’t come until after Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension. Our hearts […]

December 17, 2024 in Articles and Devotionals, Devotionals by

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Jesus Came to Give a New Covenant (Advent 16, 2024)

“But God found fault with the people and said: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.  It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead […]

December 16, 2024 in Articles and Devotionals, Devotionals by

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Jesus Came to Transcend Man’s Expectations (Advent 15, 2024)

We’ve now arrived at Visitation Principle 15: Jesus Came to Transcend the Expectations of Men in our look at the Letter to the Hebrews. On one hand, expectations can be good.  They show a predictive functioning of one’s brain to analyze data and create theories about what comes next.  The amount of data pointing in […]

December 15, 2024 in Articles and Devotionals, Devotionals by

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Jesus Came to Display Obedience (Advent 14, 2024)

As we continue our look at the Letter to the Hebrews and find visitation principles for Jesus’ first Advent, we come to this one: Visitation Principle 14: Jesus Came to Display the Reward of Obedience Hebrews 5:8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became […]

December 14, 2024 in Articles and Devotionals, Devotionals by

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Jesus Came to Be God’s Son (Advent 13, 2024)

Hebrews 5:5 “In the same way, Christ did not take on Himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to Him, “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.” God’s Son??? It’s inheritance and appointment language. Jesus is not a created being.  Jesus is eternally God and the quotation of […]

December 13, 2024 in Articles and Devotionals, Devotionals by

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Confidence in Place of Fear (Advent 12, 2024)

Let’s face it: God can be scary.  Especially if He’s angry with you.  But even when He’s pleased with you overall, He’s always holy and that alone can be scary. Jesus made a point of demonstrating in His life that we should view God the way Jesus did: as Father.  While God is Jesus’ Father […]

December 12, 2024 in Articles and Devotionals, Devotionals by

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