SACRIFICE OF PRAISE
Friday – August 10, 2018, Av 29, 5778
Greetings and welcome back to the faith building teachings found daily in The Three Minute Word. These flowers are blue bonnets in the spring in Texas. Absolutely beautiful sight. We are nearing the end of the Book of Hebrews and will finish with this beautiful Book over the next few weeks. Continue to pray for God to direct me in selecting our next Bible Book or topic of study. Let’s go ahead and read our primary Bible text aloud.
Hebrews 13:14-17 (KJV)
14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
Yesterday I finished with a discussion of this world not being our home no more than the place where we work is our home in the natural, Heaven is our home. Today I will move into verse fifteen. In this verse you will notice that I will be talking about praise and the giving of thanks. Praise and thanksgiving are quite different although commonly discussed or used as interchangeable. This verse, praise, is talking about an attitude of thankfulness as we declare what the Word declares even in the midst of difficulty. We give this sacrifice in the midst of difficulty in the name of Jesus, declaring what the Word declares even though we do not see in the natural what the Word declares yet. The word “thanks” in our verse is actually the word ‘homologeō’ according to Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary which means to say the same thing as. Say the same thing as the Word as the name, the name is Jesus, Jesus is the Word. The word translated as praise is sacrificial thanks saying the Word of God. Of great interest is that the phrase “the sacrifice of praise” is singular in number and feminine in gender. This act in and of itself coupled with the seed (Word of God) will bring a harvest, a restoration. It is vital that we say what the Word says and not what the devil says or the sensations from our bodies. It is hard to do that but vital, it is the difference between continuing in the problem and victory. For example, we don’t say “I’m sicker than a dog” no we say “thank you Lord that your Word says that by your strips I was healed and if I was healed I am healed in Jesus name”.
As we move into verse sixteen, the verse of love (sixteen is the Bible number of love = obedience to God) we are reminded to do good. It is very easy to be selfish and sometimes hard to be selfless (unselfish) toward others.
Hebrews 13:16 (HCSB)
16 Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.
Sometimes giving is easy and sometimes it is a sacrifice. Sometimes we are giving when we ourselves could us some help but we must rest assured that if God directed us He will repay. On the other hand, perhaps, we have forgotten that the things we have are for our enjoyment and are tools for the Kingdom of God. Perhaps we have become attached to the thing or have a fear of loss. Perhaps we fear that if we give the thing up we will not be able to buy another or we imagine there is not another one in the earth. Will we be obedient to the Lord trusting Him or will we rebel? Rebellion is sin and opens the door for stealing, killings, and destruction in our lives. Things are wonderful but our focus and the most wonderful thing we possess is our Lord and Savior and Heavenly Father. Without Them we are doomed to misery and Hell. As I close for the week let each of us be determined to allow the following Scriptures to spur us on to doing what is good sharing as the Lord directs.
Romans 12:13 (KJV)
13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
James 2:15-17 (TLB)
15 If you have a friend who is in need of food and clothing,
16 and you say to him, “Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat hearty,” and then don’t give him clothes or food, what good does that do?
17 So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. You must also do good to prove that you have it. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good works is no faith at all—it is dead and useless.
Until our next publication, I speak this Scriptural prayer for your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Ephesians 1:16-18 (KJV)
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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