Emmanuel Okoro (aka MrLift)

"In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away." (Heb.8.13) It was Jeremiah the prophet that spoke of the New Covenant that was to come. (see Jer:31) Everyone looked forward to it and almost missed it when it finally came. And what must be said is that most of us still live our lives as though it is based on the Old Covenant. No, it is not. The old is gone and the new is here.  In the old, the blood of goats and bulls was required to atone for sins but in the new, Jesus offered Himself once and for all. And in so doing, secured our eternal salvation once and for all.  "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?&

"For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (Heb.8.12) Another benefit of the New Covenant is that God is merciful to our unrighteousness and our sins He will remember no more.  This is on the basis that one accepts the provisional sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on behalf of the world. With the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God lost His ability to reckon sin against humanity.  God says He will not remember sins and iniquities anymore because He remembered them in Christ. The Bible says that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. "For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. (2Cor.5.19 NLT) If you accept this reconciliation, then you too must learn to not only forgive others but also yourself. A lot of people are under the bandage of unf

"They won't go to school to learn about me, or buy a book called God in Five Easy Lessons. They'll all get to know me firsthand, the little and the big, the small and the great." (Heb.8.11 MSB) One of the benefits of the New Covenant is the promise of a one-on-one intimate relationship with the Father. In the Old Covenant, God dealt with the people through a prophet and spoke to the people through a prophet but in the New Covenant, He says you will not need to buy a book called God in Five Easy Lessons.  And the reason is simple, it says "They'll all get to know me firsthand, the little and the big, the small and the great". That means I can approach the Father and fellowship with Him. In fact, God the Holy Ghost dwells in me and relates with me. I carry God on the inside. That is the mystery of godliness that the God who created the heavens and the earth lives in me.  This has always been the intention of God - to have an intimate one on one

"For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:" (Heb.8.7-8) We know of the passage that asked what the righteous could do should the foundation be destroyed. A lot of people assume the answer to that question is nothing.  "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Ps.11.3) But that is not right. God will never leave us without an option. God left us an example to follow.  In our text, we understand that God found the covenant He operated with the children of Israel faulty. God did not throw up His hands in despair and begin to complain and murmur. Our text says He went ahead to make a new one. The old covenant was faulty, He simply made a new one with better prospects and better promises.  If most of us would approach l

"But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises." (Heb.8.6) I struggled a bit with the title of today's devotional. Struggled because promises made in the Old Testament were made by God and were just as good as those made in the new. But no! It is true God has not changed but something has, and that is the mediator - the one who executes the promise. And that makes it a better promise. It is one thing to make a promise, it is another thing to be able to backup or execute that promise legally. That was what the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ did for you and me.  When He rose from the dead, Christ secured the results of every promise God ever made to us. And all that is left now, is for us to reach out and receive. Hence our text says we have a mediator of a better covenant. We now have a legal right to lay claims to the promises of God.  &q

"Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount." (Heb:8:5) We all live according to a pattern, knowingly or unknowingly. We are creatures of habits, some are more deliberate than others. The more deliberate you are, the more likely you will achieve your goals.  Our text reveals that God also has patterns. Patterns He wants us to conform our lives to. So He says to Moses, make sure you build according to the pattern you were shown. That tells us that God has patterns for our lives. Build according to your pattern and not another's.  The Apostle Paul says it this way, "I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.   "Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision" (Acts.26.19) To create patterns, create habits based on God's word and th

"Abraham in turn gave him a tenth of the spoils. "Melchizedek" means "King of Righteousness. Salem" means "Peace." So, he is also "King of Peace." (Heb.7.2 MSB) Melchizedek means righteousness. That means one who has a right standing with God. And because he has a right standing with God he became King of Salem, therefore king of peace. He is righteous, he is therefore King of peace. It has been said that peace is not the absence of war but of justice. We cannot enjoy peace unless there is righteousness.  We see in our text that before Melchizedek became king of peace he was first, king of righteousness. Right living, doing, and acting right will engender peace.  So if we want to enjoy the peace of God, the kind of peace that is restful and does not agitate, the peace that God gives, righteousness is the precursor.  The Bible talks about the fruit that righteousness bears. It calls it peace.  "Now no chastening for the prese

"This was so that, by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God ever to prove false or deceive us, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before [us]." (Heb.6.18 AMP) We know that God does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Two things that also do not change are the promises of God and the oath that God made to back up his promise to us.  Hence our text says by two unchangeable things -His promise and His oath, we know that God cannot lie.  If God had made you a promise, we know that promise is sure to come to pass. But to reassure you, He backed up that promise with an oath. For that promise not to come to pass will mean that the universe as we know it will disintegrate and God will cease to be God. And for God to cease to be God,  world and everything in the world will cease to exi

"When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee" (Heb.6.17 MSB) A promise is a debt. It is agreed that when a promise is made, it is not only honourable to keep it, but it is also responsible. God is both honourable and responsible. So when He made a promise, to guarantee that He was going to keep that promise, He gave His word.  If we say a man's word is bound, how much more it is for a God Who cannot lie? His word says God is not a man that He should lie, nor is He like men to repent. (see Num:2319) God's word is a guarantee that God will do what He says He will do. So if you find it in the word, you can take that word back to Him and be rest assured to get an answer from Him. Isaiah tells that His word will not return to Him void but the word will accomplish the purpose for which it was sent.  "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that wh

  "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises." (Heb.6.12) Do not be a slacker is the way we will say the opening line of this verse in today's parlance. And then to see how not to be a slacker, it says it is by following these who through faith and patience inherit the promise.  That seems like an oxymoron. But it is not. Faith is acting, while patience is waiting. But it is not oxymoronic because what it is saying is that you have to act while you wait. It is saying that being in a state of patience is not necessarily a state of being inactive.  And this is where faith comes in. While you through patience wait for the promise, your faith is actively speaking God's word. Your faith is engaging with the word f God. Your faith is steadfast.  "Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." (1Pet.5.9) So it says do

"But we do [strongly and earnestly] desire for each of you to show the same diligence and sincerity [all the way through] in realizing and enjoying the full assurance and development of [your] hope until the end"(Heb.6.11 AMP) There is so much talk about faith and it is a good thing. Paul spoke of three very important ingredients in our Christian walk.  "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” (1Cor.13.13) Faith depends n the remaining two ingredients to be fully realized. Galatians tells that faith works by love (see Gal:5:6) and Hebrews says faith needs something to be a substance. (see Heb11:1) Our text, therefore talks about the full assurance and development of our hope till the end. We must develop our hope by constantly feeding it with the word of God. What gives our hope substance is faith but for that faith to give substance we must hope. Without hope, faith has nothing to give substance to. All the m

"For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." (Heb.6.10) God is not unrighteous. We must do well to remember that always. God is not unrighteous, meaning, He will do justly, and He will remember your work.  Hold it. If God will remember your work, then you must make that work worth remembering. What work and labour of love are you showing towards the brethren in God's name? Is that work worth remembering? Revelations tell us that our work follows us. (See Rev:14:13) If our work follows us and they do, then you want to make sure that your work has eternal value. That it is not only relevant here and now. Here and now is good but eternal is better. See to it then that you minister to the saint -the people of God and that your work is worth remembering.  Do you remember Dorcas? When she died, all the widows she had ministered to brought what she

"But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak." (Heb.6.9) In our text, the Apostle Paul says "I am persuaded of better things concerning you.' God's plan for you is always good.  How are you so persuaded you may ask?  And I would say: I know the thoughts that I think concerning you says the Lord. Thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you hope and a future. (see Jer:29:11) God in the Old Testament as well as in the New always has your best interest at heart. Everything He's done was for your benefit    He says through the speaker in the book of Hebrews that He was persuaded of better things concerning you. Did not the Psalmist ask, "What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him?" (see Psa:8:4) God's mind is full of good thoughts concerning you. God is thinking of you right now. And His thoughts are not evil but good. I am persua

"Parched ground that soaks up the rain and then produces an abundance of carrots and corn for its gardener gets God's "Well done!" (Heb.6.7 MSB) Our text brings to mind the parable Jesus gave about a fig tree that was taking up so much space and was not producing fruits, the owner wanted it cut down but the gardener requested that he be given the chance to dig around and dung the fg tree and if after that it still doesn't produce, then it can be cut down. (See Luke:13:6-9) Hebrew 6 opened with the principles, the elementary of the doctrine or teachings of Christ. Then verses three to six, began to talk about those who have tasted the good word of God, tasted the heavenly gifts, and made partakers of the Holy Ghost. (See Hebrew:6:3-6) And then in verse 7, it says a dry ground, that receives enough rainfall and then produces abundance will receive the Lord's well done. What shows the difference between a person who receives enough rain and a person

"baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. (Heb.6.2 MSB) The final two that make up the six Principles of the Doctrine of Christ are the resurrection of the dead and the eternal judgement.  It was the Apostle Paul that says if only in this life we have hope in Christ then we are most miserable of all men "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." (1Cor.15.19) It should be noted that this hope of resurrection is in Christ. Jesus demonstrated this hope when he rose from the dead on the third day and assured us that where he is, is where we will be also(see John 15.) Resurrection is real. And by extension, everything dead in and around you comes to life. Amen Finally, eternal judgement. It is true that everyone, whether they believed in Christ Jesus or not would resurrect. The question is, what would you resurrect to?  Some will resurrect to what the Bible calls eternal judgement

"baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. (Heb.6.2 MSB) The next two on the list of the principles of the doctrine of Christ are "baptism instructions" and the "laying on hands" The instruction Jesus gave regarding baptism as he spoke to his disciples just before he ascended says:   "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matt.28.19) Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost and some have taken this to mean deep into the water three times. But if you understand what water baptism represents then you'd know that is wrong. Baptism is a physical representation of the dead, buried, and resurrection of Christ. Christ did not die three times but once.  "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of

"Let us stop going over the same old ground again and again, always teaching those first lessons about Christ. Let us go on instead to other things and become mature in our understanding, as strong Christians ought to be. Surely we don’t need to speak further about the foolishness of trying to be saved by being good, or about the necessity of faith in God" (Hebrews 6:1 TLB) In our text today, two out of the six principles of the doctrine of Christ were discussed. We will look at them.  "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God," (Heb.6.1) We are urged to leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ and go on to Christian maturity. But to leave these principles we must first familiarize ourselves with them. The only reason we were asked to leave them, is in the hope that we are by now familiar with them so we can move o

"Therefore let us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ (the Messiah), advancing steadily toward the completeness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity. Let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works (dead formalism) and of the faith [by which you turned] to God, (Heb.6.1 AMP) One of the most fascinating sights to behold is the growth of a child. One day, he is so tiny and looking all innocent, and the next day he is rubbing shoulders with you, measuring his height against yours.  What happened? He made steady progress. When he wakes up in the morning and eats, he adds to his statue but this is not always visible until one day, it just becomes apparent.  This is what happens in the spirit realm also. As long as you keep feeding on the word of God and digesting it with prayers now and again and you keep practicing the word, growth may not seem visible at first, but it is taking p

"But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law." (Heb.5.14 AMP) Some people live to eat. What a waste. Others eat to live. For one to grow with full mental capacity and sense fully sensitive to distinguish  and discriminate between what is morally right and noble, one needs what the Bible refers to as solid food.  Have you had your senses and mental faculties trained by practice? I watch some basketball moves that will utterly astound you. And those moves were only made possible by constant and consistent practice. That is what we are to do with the word of God.  God's word says you are healed and then the devil tries to put sickness on you but you refuse and do what first Peter 5:8 says, "resist him steadfast in the faith".  But this is only possible because you

"For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action), for he is a mere infant [not able to talk yet]! (Heb.5.13 AMP) We saw yesterday that both milk and solid food are both a product of the word of God. One way we can look at it is, how we get different byproducts from the same source. For example, we can get kerosene and petroleum from crude oil. We can get starch and garri from cassava. So also we can milk and solid food from God's word.  If we continue feeding on milk which is for babies, there is only so much we can grow. Our text says "For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness..." And because such a one is inexperienced and unskilled in the use of God's word, it becomes difficult to conform to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action. 

"You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scriptures. You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food." (Heb.5.12 NLT) That you have been a Christian for a long time is not what guarantees Christian maturity. Just as food is what causes growth in the physical so it does in the spiritual and growth guarantees maturity. And it is not all food that leads to maturity. Our text clarifies two categories of food. One is called milk and the other is called solid food. Milk is for babies. 1 Peter 2:2 says newborn babies need the sincere milk of the word of God so they can grow. "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:" (1Pet.2.2) But we realize that solid food is also the word of God. So what differentiates milk from solid food is the user. The believer who keeps doing an

"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." (Heb.5.8) Life is either lived for a reason or a lesson, either way, let it be for a purpose. When we fail, we learn a lesson, and when we succeed, it's for a reason . Failure tends to teach us more than success does. We tend to step back and take another look just so we can learn a lesson. Jesus learned obedience through the things he suffered. His sonship did not negate his learning process, if anything, it validated it. That you are "entitled" is the self-same reason why you need to subject yourself and learn. His suffering taught him obedience. Galatians tells us that sons are brought under guidance and tutors just so they can learn. (see Gal:4) Suffering is a schoolmaster meant to help you learn a lesson. Do not despise it. Whatever you are going through holds either a reason or a lesson. Good day,  Have a great day today,  EmmA (aka Mr. Lift)  @Liftemma 

It is important to find out how the Bible instructs us to pray. Prayer is an essential part of our service to God. When we pray, we must pray in such a way that God will hear and answer us.  I read a story a few days ago of a lady who says she stopped being a Christian because God never answered her prayers. She said God has favourites, whose prayers He answers. And she was not one of God's favourites.  "While he lived on earth, anticipating death, Jesus cried out in pain and wept in sorrow as he offered up priestly prayers to God. Because he honored God, God answered him. (Heb.5.7 MSB) We see here in our text a report of Jesus while he was on earth. The text says that because he honored God, God answered him.  God asked a question in Malachi: "A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, W