Study Desk

The high priest had to offer sacrifices every single year with blood that was not his. But Christ didn't have to go into heaven every single year and offer himself as a sacrifice again and again.

Jesus died once and then took away the sins of the world. No need to do it again if it was perfect the first time. Jesus is going to come riding back, but it won't be to save us from sin, he already did that. He will come riding over the hill again to take his cowboys who have been watching for him back home with him forever.

That old agreement between God and his people was just the shadow on the ground of the real thing to come. Every single year, every sacrifice had to be made again and again. Animal blood just couldn't get the job done for very long. The cleaning it gave just wasn't pure. Following rules and sacrificing animals couldn't make anyone perfect.

But our Man of God, Jesus, gave himself as an offering to God one time and it took sins away for all time. When his job was done, he got to sit down at the right hand of God who is on the throne of thrones.

Jesus waits as his enemies are humbled and become a footstool under his feet.

His one sacrifice made perfect all those who are being made holy by riding for his brand every day.

His death threw open the gate to God's ranch and the throne room where he resides.

Let us tie hard and fast to the hope we've been given. God don't crawfish on his promises.

We weren't deaf when we heard him say, "I'm on my way and I will have my revenge." He also said, "The Lord's going to judge his riders."

My cowboys will ride by faith, but I won't tolerate anyone who drinks from my well and turns his back on me."

It was Abel's heapin' of faith that helped him bring a sacrifice to God that was worthy of what it was supposed to be. Cain's was not. Abel's sacrifice showed his faith in God and God showed his approval. Even though Abel has long been in the grave, his example still speaks.

You can't please the Boss without a heapin' of faith, because in order to knock on his door you must believe that he's there and he surely gives favors to those who know where to look and who to ask.

It was by a heapin' of faith that Noah built him a big boat for his family to ride out the storm that wiped everyone else out. It was as simple as listening to God and doing what he said—even though no one had even heard of such a thing happening before. Noah's faith was the dividing line between who was saved and who was lost.

Even when he rode in to the new country, he lived there purely by faith in their cowboy teepees. Same goes for his kids, Isaac and Jake. They received the same promise their daddy had.

It was by a heapin' of faith that Abe's wife Sarah was able to have a kid. She was way too long in the tooth and she was dry to boot. A child had to come from God and she believed that God keeps his word.

But no, they set their eyes on something bigger and better that was just over the final hill—their forever home in heaven. And it is there that God is waiting on his hands. He ain't ashamed to call them his crew and he has something amazing waiting on them.

It was a whole heapin' of faith that allowed Abe to offer up his only boy Isaac as a sacrifice. God wasn't really going to let him do it. With great promises come great tests.

It was through a heapin' of faith that Isaac blessed his sons, Jake and Esau.

It was because of a heapin' of faith that in Jake's last days, he blessed each of his grandsons while worshiping God and leaning on his sortin' stick.

It was by a heapin' of faith that during Joseph's last days on earth, he knew for certain all his people would leave Egypt. He even told them to take him back and bury his bones in the land that had been promised.