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Hebrews 1:1-2

NASB	NLT	VOICE
1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,	1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets.	1 Long ago, at different times and in various ways, God’s voice came to our ancestors through the Hebrew prophets.
2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world.	2 And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through His Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.	2 But in these last days, it has come to us through His Son, the One who has been given dominion over all things and through whom all worlds were made.

God’s Diverse Communication Styles

God has a history of always communicating with humanity. God interacted with people through the biblical narrative, leading them (and us) to the ultimate reveal in Jesus Christ. How God communicated to people was diverse. God spoke to Moses through a burning bush, to Joseph through dreams, and to Elijah through a gentle whisper. God uses His creative ability to make sure His communication can be understood to all people. God spoke to the patriarchs and ancestors of the Jewish people, an important thing for the Hebrew audience to recognize as it shows how faithful God is to them. God often communicated through prophets. Prophets were God’s chosen messengers to act as intermediaries between God and His people. Prophets were important to guide, warn, and encourage their people.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: God speaks to us in different ways. What is a unique way God communicated with you? How did you respond?

Using the Gift of Discernment

Prophets were vital in conveying God’s messages. It shows us how important it is for us to listen to those that speak of God’s truth. There’s a lot of people on all different platform in reality and digitality that share their own beliefs about God, the Bible, and more. Unfortunately, some people will misuse what Scripture teaches to support their long-seeded beliefs instead of ensuring that the Scripture truly means what it says and applying the proper contexts to their beliefs. People struggle to unlearn their beliefs because those beliefs have been taught to them for many years and by people they trusted at that time (and potentially still do.) All this to say that we need to be mindful of the teachings that others share. We must be mindful what others teach and use the gift of discernment that is in us through the Holy Spirit to ensure that we take in the things that align with God’s teachings and avoid the things that don’t. For me, I try to take in all perspectives. Is there certain perspectives that I avoid? Yes. There are certain perspectives that I avoid because it wholeheartedly goes against the beliefs that I am grounded in. Yet there are perspectives that I am open to hearing because it’s something that could change my mind on something (and helps build conversational dialogue with others). It’s all about using that discernment to take into your heart the things that God’s needs for us to hear and achieve.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: We must use discernment to properly take in what God needs us to hear. How does that discernment process look for you?

The Fulfillment of the Word

The “last days” describes an era initiated by Christ’s first coming, showing the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies and the start of the end times. We’d start to see a shift from how God communicates from humanity. Unlike the fragmented messages of the past, Jesus shows the complete and final Word of God. Jesus possesses all creation, showing us His power and fulfillment of God’s covenantal promises. Jesus isn’t just the heir, but also the agen of creation. All things were made through Jesus.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: Jesus is the fulfillment of everything God is about. What is one teaching of Christ that you follow closely and why?

Be Present in These Last Days

Living in the “last days” should motivate us to live with urgency and purpose. We do not know when the last day on Earth will be. We do not know how the events of the last days will take place definitively (remember – Revelation is full of apocalyptic imagery; it is not a literal one-for-one understand of the final days). Because of this mindset, a lot of preachers and Bible teachers will put a fear mindset into the “last days” to ensure that we are ready and prepared. People will tie certain events of the world to the last days to show us that we should be afraid but ready. For me, I stick with the understanding that – no one knows. No one truly knows when the last day will be here, so until then, we stick to the commands God has given us. Love God. Love others. Reach as many people as we can with His message. Be His hands and feet to the world. Do all of this in His love. The world is scary. The world is full of evil. The world is full of anxiety, panic, strife, depression, and more. It’s easy to see the news and become fearful. It’s easy to become unsure on if the next day will be present. My advice to you is to be present at this moment. Be with God now. Be with loved ones now. Do things for others. Do things that honor God. Get yourself right with Him today, and all the future to be what it will be. Take today for what it is, and leave tomorrow for tomorrow.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: The heaviness of the future can make us anxious today. What is one thing you can do to bring peace to yourself through God?

PRAY Action

Praise God for everything He has done, is doing, and will do.

Read John 1:14

Ask God how you can use discernment to understand how to apply His teachings into the world today.

You were made for a time such as this. Times are scary, but God is powerful. Times are anxious, but God is peaceful. Times feel like giving up, but God is victorious.

Next slice of manna: Come and Believe || John 6:35 || Manna for the Mind #307