SUCCOUR
Tuesday – Aug 22, 2017
Greetings to our partners and friends and welcome back to this wonderful study of Scripture taken from the Book of Hebrews and presented by Dr. Wood and The Three Minute Word publications. It is Tuesday and the day I remind us all to pray for the various governments of this great nation. This nation is not great because we are great but because the One upon Whom it is founded is great, the Almighty God. The picture above is of the State Capitol building of Arizona. Look at the Preamble of the Constitution for the State of Arizona.
“Preamble
We the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution.”
In The Bill of Rights, Amendment 1 reads in part: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof:” In the minds of the Founding Fathers the use of the word ‘religion’ here was not speaking of Christianity verses Hinduism verses Islam and so on. No, and no, they are speaking about favoring one sect or what we now call Christian denominations over another. Or, establishing a national religion (Christian) saying everyone must be a Catholic or a Methodist as they had just fled from in England. There are among many two perverse lies in America. The first is that the Christian religion has no part in government and the second is that there can be no religious tests. The only religious test prohibited is for federal office and remember that is in the favoring of one Christian denomination over another.
In all these things remember that our brother James tells us by the unction of the Holy Spirit that the fervent prayer of a righteous person is effective.
James 5:16 (KJV)
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (Bold added by Dr. Wood)
1 Kings 17:1 (ESV)
1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
Notice that the ‘prayer’ of Elijah was actually a decree by the will of God. Let us pay attention to the Word of God and utter the righteous decrees for our time and as our President says, drain the swamp. Well, let’s get back to our text in Hebrews and move forward, we must know and act upon the fact that there is One who is more than able to succor us.
Hebrews 2:17-18 (KJV)
17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
The word rendered ‘succour’ in our text (Hebrews 2:18) means to help or to be a helper. This idea is first brought to us, you guessed it, in the Book of Genesis with the making of Eve.
Genesis 2:18 (KJV)
18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Notice the wording in the Amplified Version.
Genesis 2:18 (AMP)
18 Now the Lord God said, It is not good (sufficient, satisfactory) that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper (suitable, adapted, complementary) for him.
The word or phrase ‘help meet’ means to aid or help. The root word (from which it derives) means to surround, protect, aid, help, or succour according to Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary. Eve was the bride (wife) of Adam just as we (the Church) are the bride of Christ (the last Adam). It was impossible for Adam (the man, the bridegroom) to accomplish the will of God in the earth without Eve (the bride – today the Church). There were many things that The Man, and The Woman could accomplish in the earth independent of each other but perhaps the most important thing to God they could not do independent of each other. That most important thing to God was and is to enlarge the family or God. God’s first two commands were to be fruitful and to multiply.
Genesis 1:28 (KJV)
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Before sin the commands to be fruitful and multiply had to do with the enlargement of the family and the expression of His personality, character upon the earth. Since sin, there is the extra work of converting people from the world, the kingdom of darkness, to the Kingdom of God, being a light in very dark places. It is important that we understand that we are vital to the will of God as the bride, the help meet of Christ. If we do not do our part the will of God is frustrated until He is able to raise up others in our place. Jesus is in Heaven, we are in the earth, we are in but not of the world; we are the light of the world. Without our voice there is nothing to move the Holy Spirit or the Holy angels. Jesus is our help meet, the One who succors us and the reason He is so good at it is because He has been there and done that. As we finish for today consider the following Scripture.
Hebrews 4:15-16 (KJV)
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Jesus is our intercessor before the Father, He is our High Priest and He understands what we are facing or as some say what we are up against. Although Jesus was tempted at every point, at no time did He succumb to the temptation and sin. Once again let us remember that we too can be without sin for we are to do the things He did which would include not sinning. What about verse sixteen in the preceding text? Where is and who sits upon the throne of grace. The throne of grace is the throne upon which Jesus sits. Grace is the Holy Spirit of God. The throne to which the Holy Spirit reports and receives direction is Jesus. Don’t forget who is sitting on that same Throne in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6). You are, I am, and He is!!!!
John 16:13-15 (KJV)
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
We are to rush to the throne of Grace, our Lord Jesus, the Head of the Church and we will find mercy and He will release the Holy Spirit to help (aid) us in our confrontation of temptation and the defeat of the tempter. And we are not to come timidly to the Head of the Church, we are to come boldly (confidently, brashly, brazenly, shamelessly, and bravely) to Jesus.
Until our next publication, I speak blessing into your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV)
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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