Two years in a row on this same day, God is sending forth a warning cry to make sure our hearts are right and to get ready. His return is getting closer and closer. Don't let anything keep you from making it and hearing Jesus say, "Well done, enter in!"
For years and years people have been trying to guess and figure out exactly when Jesus is going to return. Back in the 80's, someone wrote "88 Reasons Why Jesus Will Return in '88" (obviously He didn't).
And then a FB memory popped up that it was rumored the world was going to end on Sept 23, 2017. Here we are years later and Jesus still hasn't returned. But I can assure you, that doesn't mean that He is not coming.
HIS RETURN IS CLOSER NOW THAN IT'S EVER BEEN!
Jesus said in Mat 25:13 - Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
While no one knows the day or hour of His return. The main thing is to keep your heart right, oil in your lamp filled and burning bright (stay prayed up and full of the Holy Ghost), and keep working for God's Kingdom until He returns.
He's coming soon! Are you ready?
Have you followed Jesus' instructions in John 3 and Peter's instruction in Acts 2:38 to be Born Again of water (Baptism in Jesus name) and of Spirit (filled with the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in another tongue)?
It's not too late.
(Fb memory 9-22-17)
...And, let every one that nameth
the name of Christ
DEPART from iniquity.
2 Timothy 2:19
As Christians, we are not "sinners who sin differently."
We are to DEPART from iniquity.
This flesh can't do it on its own.
It comes by drawing closer and closer to Jesus through a daily walk with Him....pray, seek His face (through prayer, Bible reading, and fastings), turn from all wicked (sinful) ways.
Paul continues admonishing Timothy in verse 21:
If a man therefore PURGE HIMSELF from these,
he shall be a vessel unto honour,
sanctified, and meet for the Master's use,
and prepared unto every good work.
If we want to be a vessel unto honor
that the Master can use,
we must PURGE ourselves
and DEPART from iniquity.
That's not judging.
That's not hate.
Warning against sin
and where it will eventually lead if not repented of
is actually loving others.
BECAUSE those who care where you spend eternity
Will love you enough to issue a warning cry
And explain what the Scriptures say.
It's the Word of God.
Every single part - the verses of comfort & hope, and the verses of correction & instruction.
1 John 3
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, WHEN HE SHALL APPEAR, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM; for we shall see Him as he is.
3 And EVERY MAN THAT HATH THIS HOPE in him PURIFIETH HIMSELF, even as He is pure.
One day soon, we will see Jesus face to face. When he shall appear we shall be like Him.
Those that have this hope IN them, are purifying their hearts and minds, repenting of every sin, and doing what God has commanded in His Word to make their selves ready.
Jesus is coming for a bride without spot or wrinkle. Sin cannot enter there.
Are you making yourself ready?
Have you repented of all your sins ?
Have you washed your sins away in the waters of baptism calling on the name of Jesus just as Ananias commanded Paul to do in Acts 22:16?
Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? Acts 19 (Since = from that time until now) It's not too late. Jesus wants to give you the precious gift of the Holy Ghost.
Jesus is coming soon.
WHEN HE SHALL APPEAR, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM!
(Fb 9-16-22)
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Acts 22:16
Why delay? Time is winding down quickly.
Arise, and wash away your sins in the waters of Baptism calling on the name of the Lord Jesus.
THE WORD OF GOD
Paul wrote in Hebrews 4:12 concerning the Scriptures: For the Word of God is quick, and powerful….
What did he mean when he wrote, “the Word of God is quick”?
Quick
does not mean ‘fast’ as we define the word today.
When the Bible was being translated to English the word
‘quick’ actually
meant ‘to live’ (see
Strong’s G2198)
Paul,
who is the author of the Book of Hebrews, is explaining that the Word of
God is alive…. Because the Word is God.
John
1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God.
(3)
All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was
made.
(10)
He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.
(11)
He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.
(14)
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
These Scriptures reveal that the Word of God is alive – that the Word is God – and that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (referring to Jesus).
Every Scripture we read is God speaking to us because the Word is God.
God wants to speak to us
every time we open and read the Bible.
Paul wrote to the Church in Philippians 2:5 - Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
How do we get the mind of Christ? He
tells us in His Word. The more you read it, the more you will begin to get the
mind of Christ in you. In other words…you’ll begin to think and act and talk more
like Jesus.
The Word of God should never become stagnant or boring to us. If it is, then we’ve fallen out of the One who inspired holy men of old to write His letters to us.
Daily
Bible reading should be a routine (a daily habit) but never just a ritual. (ritual
= actions or behavior regularly followed by someone) We should never read just to be reading or just
to say we’ve read it because as Paul wrote in….
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That
the man of God may be perfect
(complete),
thoroughly furnished (fully equipped) unto all good works.
When the Bible says all Scripture is given by the inspiration of God it is saying that all Scripture is divinely breathed by God. (Strong’s G2315)
Every Scripture is important and was given by God to:
instruct
and teach us concerning God’s laws and ways (doctrine)
chasten
and convict us when we’re doing things that displease God (reproof)
to
correct us so that we’ll change our ways and straighten up (correction)
to
educate and train us how to be more Christ like in every way (instruction)
BECAUSE – there is a way that seemeth right unto a man, BUT the end thereof are the ways of death. The wisest man that ever lived felt this warning was so important that he penned it twice in Proverbs 14:12 + 16:25.
There
is a way that APPEARS to be right/ok/no big deal in man’s way of looking and
reasoning and justifying BUT the ending result is death (physically and
spiritually).
Just because it APPEARS to be right/no big deal to man does not mean it is right/no big deal to God. That’s why it’s important to SEARCH the Scriptures DAILY to see what God says about a matter (whether it’s salvation, words, actions, reactions, and so on). (John 5:39 + Acts 17:11 + entire Bible)
Are our ways right before God? In the end, He has the final say. The instructions are in His Word. Every Scripture in the Bible was written and recorded for a purpose and is profitable. Therefore, it is important to read the Bible front cover to back cover to see what God is saying to us.
Did you know the Bible actually instructs us to STUDY and SEARCH the Scriptures?
Paul admonished in his letters to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15 to…
STUDY to show thyself approved unto God,
A workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
Rightly dividing the Word of Truth.
When you learn a trade/job, you study and read and re-read and study some more. You listen to those who are more knowledgeable concerning it to gain insight, wisdom, and understanding from them until you know and understand as well.
It is the same with the Bible – to learn it you must read, re-read and study it some more. You listen to those who are more knowledgeable concerning it to gain insight, wisdom, and understanding (that’s why we need Preachers).
Hearing the Preached Word can help us to grow spiritually and to understand more fully what the Scriptures are saying. God gives the Pastor anointing and revelation to expound and explain the Scriptures. Titus 1:3 - But hath in due times manifested His Word through preaching.
Manifest means: to make clear or obvious to the eye or mind. So, God uses the preaching to help bring clarity and make His Word clear to the mind. The preaching helps bring understanding. Hearing the preached Word is necessary and important…
BUT that does not take the place of daily personal Bible reading. The preaching is to help you understand what you have already read. The more you read and study the Scriptures, the more you hear the preached Word, the more you will know what is written within it.
Jesus, Himself, taught in John 5:39 that we are to…
SEARCH the Scriptures; For in them ye think ye have
eternal life:
And they are they which testify of Me.
Search means (through the idea of inquiry) to seek, to investigate (Strong’s G2045)
God WANTS us to seek, to search, and investigate the Scriptures. Every time we open the Bible to read, we need to have an open mind to hear what God wants to say.
Jesus taught us in John 15:7 – If ye abide in Me and My Words (the Scriptures) abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you.
-
We are to let the Scriptures abide (dwell) in us
-
How will the Word abide (dwell) in us if we do not
read it?
As
Christians, we have personal
responsibilities (things God requires of us), but we won’t know what
those responsibilities are unless we read the Bible often.
There are two
important things in our walk with God that we must not neglect.
·
Daily Bible
reading
·
Daily Prayer
These two things are vitally important to feed our spiritual man.
When the devil came to Jesus tempting Him to turn stones into bread, Jesus responded with the Word of God. He said in Luke 4:4….
….It is written, that man shall not live by bread
alone,
BUT BY EVERY WORD OF GOD.
We need the Word of God (the Bible) more than our daily food.
It is God’s Word that will sustain us day to day.
Isaiah
40:8 - The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the Word of our God shall
stand for ever.
Every thing else will one day pass away,
but God’s Word will never change. It
will stand forever.
As Christians, we need to read the Bible DAILY! It doesn’t have to be several chapters, but it needs to be read.
*The importance is not concerning how much you read but how much you retain.* Meaning….it’s more important to understand what you’re reading than to have read 3 chapters and not understand what you just read. (that would be reading ritualistically)
The Psalmist penned in Psalm 119:11 - Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.
That’s the goal – to get God’s Word hidden deep down in our heart.
When we know what the Bible says, it will help us not to sin and do wrong.
You’ll also find the more you read it, the more things will quicken to your mind as you read and you’ll begin to make connection between Scriptures.
What if I don’t understand what a word means?
If you don’t understand what
you’re reading, you can do two things:
1.
Pray and ask God
to help you understand what He is saying in His Word. He will begin to open your understanding…but
it will take time. (Just as a baby learning to talk, walk, eat, etc)
2.
Ask the pastor or
a teacher of the Word - Don’t be afraid
or ashamed to ask if you don’t understand.
God has a purpose/a reason for everything that is written within the pages of the Bible.
Romans 15:4 – For whatsoever things were written
aforetime (previously) were written for our learning…
What is written in the Bible is recorded so that we can learn from it. So, every time I open my Bible, I think about what I’ve read and what lesson I can learn from I’ve just read. How can it apply to my life? Is there something that I need to stop doing and repent over? Or is there something God’s Word is instructing me to do that I’m not already doing?
We are so blessed to have our freedoms and many have several Bibles in the home yet oft times, the Bibles sit unread collecting dust. It is God’s letters to us. What He has to say is important.
There are those in other countries who wish they could freely have even one Bible and to be able to gather together with other Believers as we so freely do here in the US. It’s so easy for us to take for granted what they long for.
The Scriptures are our Daily Bread. They feed our spiritual man if we’ll read them….daily and often.
The Word of God is also our sword of the Spirit according to Ephesians 6:17. It’s our weapon against the devil when he comes to try to deceive.
If Adam and Eve had not only quoted God’s Word back to the serpent, but also stood firmly on what God said, the world would not be in the mess that it’s in today.
Jesus quoted Scripture back to the devil when he came trying to tempt Him after a long fast in the wilderness. Every time the devil tried to tempt Jesus to sin, Jesus responded back by quoting Scripture, “It is written….” (Matthew 4:11)
Jesus was exampling to us the importance of knowing what the Scriptures say so that we will be able to use it wisely to combat the devil and his lies.
God’s Word will direct and lead us, but it must be read daily and often.
“There is a way
which seemeth right unto a man,
BUT the end thereof
are the ways of death.”
— Proverbs 14:12 (KJV)
“There is a way
that seemeth right unto a man,
BUT the end thereof
are the ways of death.”
— Proverbs 16:25 (KJV)
The wisest man that ever lived felt this instruction was so important that he penned it twice.
There is a way that APPEARS to be right/ok/no big deal in man's way of looking and reasoning and justifying BUT the ending result is death (physically and spiritually).
Just because it APPEARS to be right/no big deal to man does not mean it is right/no big deal to God.
That's why it's important to SEARCH the Scriptures DAILY to see what God says about a matter (whether it's salvation, words, actions, reactions, etc). (John 5:39 + Acts 17:11 + the entire Bible)
Are our ways right before God? In the end, He has the final say. The instructions are in His Word (every single Scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction - 2 Tim 3:16). We will not be held guiltless if we do not read and search through them DAILY.
I talked with a young man a while back and his words have stayed on my mind. He has withdrawn socially because when he would go out to a store, he saw some stare at him and then call him a meth head loud enough for him to hear.
He's not a meth head. He doesn't do drugs.My poor plant!
My husband bought it for me for Mother's Day.
I was diligent to take care and water it at first.
But then...
I got busy...."I'll water it later"
But later, I forgot.
Then, I'd remember again at some point and water it.
Unfortunately, the same cycle of being busy and forgetting kept repeating
Until....I realized my plant had shriveled and died.
The same happens in our spiritual walk...
We get busy...."I'll pray and read my Bible later"
But later, we forget.
At times we'll remember and take a few quick moments to pray and read a verse or two before hurrying off to do whatever we need to or are wanting to do.
Unfortunately, that cycle of being busy, forgetting, or just wanting to do something else continues
Until....our spiritual man has shriveled and died.
Sometimes, a person will realize it
Sometimes, a person won't
Because cares of life have choked out and become dominant over the spiritual and spending time with our First Love (Jesus)
Jesus warned the Church in Sardis that they were alive, yet they were dead. They were alive physically but dead spiritually. (Rev 3:1)
Don't be alive to the cares, wants, and desires of the physical flesh
While letting your spiritual man starve and die 💔
Take time, make time, to pray and read your Bible (God's letters to us) EVERY DAY.
Eternity is coming.
What you do for Jesus Christ is the only thing that will matter then.
9-11-22
That We Might Understand THY Truth
All this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might
(1) turn from our iniquities, and
(2) understand THY Truth.
Daniel 9:13
That we might understand THY Truth
and turn from our iniquities
To understand THY Truth
and repent (turn) from all sin
We're so quick to claim the Promises of God - what God will do for us - but how much do we SEARCH the Scriptures to see what God requires of us?
There are 66 Books in the entire Bible.
How much of those 66 Books are you reading?
It needs to be ALL,
every single chapter, verse, and word.
Because whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for us to learn from. (Romans 15:4)
We need to seek for HIS Truth
Not just what we THINK is Truth
It's written in the pages of the Bible
We need to seek to understand HIS Truth
and turn from our iniquities
9-10-22
I've had a few at times tell me "just talk about the love of God. Quit talking about all this other stuff."
Yes, God is love and He loves you too much to leave you in the filth of sin clothed with the beggarly elements of this world. Sin cannot enter Heaven's gates.
It is out of His great love and not willing that any should perish that He lays it on the hearts of some to cry out for the need to repent, get sin out of our lives, and obey Jesus' instructions to be born again. Time is running out.
Too many are deceived into believing they can live any way they want, do whatever they want, talk however they want and still go to heaven. But the Bible warns in Galatians 5:19-21.....
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these:
Adultery = relations with someone other than spouse
fornication = relations without being married
uncleanness = physical or moral impurity
lasciviousness = intense or unbridled desire
20 Idolatry = anything put before God
witchcraft = fortune telling, horoscopes, anything to do with witches, scorcery, demonic activity, etc
hatred = hostile feelings toward another
variance = strife, quarreling
emulations = jealousy, malice
wrath = fierce anger
strife = contentions, bickering, bitter disagreement
seditions = divisions
heresies = false doctrines
21 Envyings = jealousy, ill-will toward another
murders = kill another person
drunkenness = intoxication
revellings = rioting
and such like = anything that is similar and a sin
of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that THEY WHICH DO SUCH THINGS SHALL NOT inherit the kingdom of God.
And we're warned again in 1 Corinthians6:9-10....
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall NOT inherit the kingdom of God?
BE NOT DECEIVED:
neither fornicators = relations without being married
nor idolaters = anything put before God
nor adulterers = relations with someone other than spouse
nor effeminate = a man expressing feminine qualities
nor abusers of themselves with mankind = that word means they DEFILE themselves with mankind
(Cross ref: Rom 1:20-28, 2 Pet 2:6-22, Lev 18:22, 20:13, Gen 19:4-11, Rev 21:27)
10 Nor thieves = steals, takes what is not theirs
nor covetous = eager for gain, desiring more)
nor drunkards = intoxicated
nor revilers = someone who speaks abusively or contemptuously to others
nor extortioners = uses threats or intimidation to obtain something from another)
shall inherit the kingdom of God.
The good news is: such WERE some of you.
You don’t have continue living in sin.
There is hope, joy, and peace when we have been WASHED, and SANCTIFIED, and JUSTIFIED in the NAME of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor 6:11)
Yes, God loves you very much.
BUT He loves you too much to leave you as you are. When you're born again, you will become a new creature.
You will not be the same and you will not stay the same.
BE NOT DECEIVED.
God is going to present to Himself the Church
that does not have SPOT (stain or blemish)
Or WRINKLE (folds, creases, unkept)
Or ANY SUCH THING
but that it should be
HOLY (physically pure, morally blameless)
And WITHOUT BLEMISH (without blame or fault or sin)
If we want to be in the Bride of Christ we must get sin out of our lives....that's what true REPENTANCE is.
And we must be BAPTIZED in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins
And be filled with and full of the Holy Ghost
(Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16-17, John 3:1-7)
Come let Jesus transform your life.
Faith Without Works
James 2
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
17 EVEN SO FAITH, IF IT HATH NOT WORKS, IS DEAD, BEING ALONE.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I WILL SHEW THEE MY FAITH BY MY WORKS.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD?
21 Was not Abraham our father JUSTIFIED BY WORKS, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and BY WORKS WAS FAITH MADE PERFECT?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that BY WORKS A MAN IS JUSTIFIED, AND NOT BY FAITH ONLY.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, SO FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD also.
It takes more than just believing.
WITHOUT FAITH
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD
The definition of Faith means:
1.
Complete trust or confidence in someone or
something. (Oxford dictionary)
2.
Firm belief in something for which there is no
proof. (Merriam-webster)
Paul warned in Hebrews 11:6 –
Without faith it is impossible to please Him.
Faith is important to God:
1.
We must believe in Him
2.
and believe in His ability to do anything, even
the impossible, even when there is no proof.
FAITH PLEASES GOD
Jesus instructed that we need to Have
faith in God. (Mark 11:22)
We find many Scriptures in the Bible
where various ones were commended for their faith.…
The woman who had been sick with
an issue of blood for 12 years believed that if she could just touch the lower
part of Jesus’ garment, she would be made whole. She was considered unclean and not supposed
to be near anyone. This may be why she
was trying to secretly touch His robe so no one knew or saw. But Jesus knew.
Matt 9:22 – But Jesus turned Him about,
and when He saw her, He said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith
hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. (Mark 5:34 + Luke 8:48)
Blind Bartamaeus was so excited
when he heard that Jesus was going to pass by where he was. He didn’t want Jesus to pass him by so he began
to cry out loudly, “Thou Son of David, have mercy upon me!” People told him to be quiet, but the Bible
said he cried out a great deal more.
Jesus heard his cry and healed him.
Mark 10:52 – And Jesus said unto him,
Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he
received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. (Luke 18:42)
Jesus hears our silent cries, but
there are times when we need to cry out more and more to God. Bartamaeus was not crying out for lack of
faith. He was crying out because he believed
and would not be denied. He received his sight because of it.
Ten lepers standing far away that
cried out pleading with Jesus to have mercy on them. Jesus told them to go show theirselves to the
Priest who would declare if they were now clean or still unclean. They were not
clean (YET) as they began their journey to where the Priest was, but the Bible
says it was AS THEY WENT (they headed there in faith) that they were cleansed.
While everyone else was rejoicing
and hurrying to find the Priest, one man thanked God loudly as he hurried back
to where Jesus was, falling at His feet in gratitude. While the others received their healing, this
man was healed AND made whole.
Luke 17:19 – And He said unto
him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
A crippled man in Lystra heard
Paul preaching and was healed because he believed that Jesus was able to heal
him.
Acts 14:9-10 – The same heard
Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had
faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on thy feet.”
And he leaped and walked.
Sometimes, our faith can touch God
and make a difference for someone else…
A woman from Canaan had heard about
all Jesus was doing. She was desperate
for her daughter to be delivered from devil possession. She was considered a heathen and endured
being called a dog by the One she was desperately pleading help from. Many would have turned away after being
insulted like that, but she believed and would not be denied. She humbled
herself acknowledging what Jesus said was true, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the Master’s table. She was asking
for just a crumb and Jesus gave her more…
Matt 15:28 – Then Jesus answered
and said unto her, O woman, GREAT IS THY FAITH: be it unto thee even as
thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Thankfully, we are children of
the King and can receive if we ask in faith believing. We can stand and claim
the Promises in Scripture.
But I have to ask myself: Would I
be able to humble myself and take what many would call ‘verbal abuse’ in order
to see my loved one receive a miracle or deliverance? Or would I walk away
indignant and embarrassed?
Many are bound, oppressed, and
even possessed yet most don’t recognize it. It’s labeled as something else. Don’t
give up praying and interceding and fasting and believing we WILL see our loved
ones delivered and set free from the devil’s hold!
Jesus marvelled at the faith of
the Centurion who believed that Jesus did not have to come to his home in order
to heal his servant who was tormented from palsy. Jesus was willing to go, but the Centurion
felt unworthy to have Jesus enter his home. He told Jesus he knew that if Jesus would just speak the
word only, his servant would be healed.
Matt 8:10 – When Jesus heard it,
He marvelled and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have
not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. (Luke 7:9)
That is great faith!
Another man who was sick with
Palsy could not get to Jesus so his friends brought him to Jesus. Their faith touched Jesus’ heart and the man
was made whole.
Matt 9:2 – And behold, they
brought to Him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing
their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy
sins be forgiven thee.
I’m unsure if this is the same
man as mentioned in Matthew 9:2, but Mark records this man’s friends as tearing
the roof off to get him to Jesus.
Mark 2:5 – When Jesus saw
their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be
forgiven thee. (Luke 5:20)
All these things were recorded
for our learning. We, too, can tear the
roof off through our prayers to get others to Jesus. We do this by quoting God’s promises in Scripture:
“God, Your Word PROMISES_____________!” “God,
You said in Your Word____________!” “You
did it before; I believe You’ll do it again!”
A blind man received his sight
because of Peter’s had faith for his healing….
Acts 3:16 – And His name through
FAITH in His name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea,
the FAITH which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness
in the presence of you all.
Jesus wants us to believe! He wants us to take Him at His Word! Whether for ourselves or for others.
OUR FAITH WILL SOMETIMES BE TRIED
It’s easy to believe when we can
see evidence or a glimpse of the possibility of something happening, but sometimes
our faith is tried.
Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:7…
That the
TRIAL OF YOUR FAITH,
being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,
though it be tried with fire,
MIGHT BE FOUND UNTO PRAISE AND HONOUR AND GLORY
at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Our faith can be tried when a
situation or sickness arises where the outcome looks bleak and hopeless or we’re
expected to believe for the impossible.
Abraham had to believe for the
impossible. He was 75 years old (his
wife, Sarai, was 65 years old) when God told him that unto his seed (his descendants)
God would give the land of Canaan. (Gen 12:1-7)
Abraham had no idea how that was
going to be possible since they did not have any children and were well up in
age, but Abraham trusted that what God had promised would come to pass somehow
and someway.
Time passed and Abraham and Sarah
still didn’t have a child. The Bible does not say how much later, but Abraham,
Sarah, and Lot had spent time in Egypt because of a famine then departed;
Abraham and Lot’s herds were growing and causing strife so they parted ways;
Lot moved toward Sodom and over time moved into Sodom; a war took place and Lot
and his family were taken captive; Abraham fought and defeated several kings
and their armies to free Lot and everyone taken captive (pretty commendable for
a man his age); he met with Melchizedek; then returned back home.
God appeared again to confirm His
promise to Abraham. Abraham still
believed God but questioned whether the promise would be fulfilled through his
servant Eliezer since they were childless and well up in age. God again
affirmed that he would have a child of his own.
Abraham believed God and the Lord counted it to him for righteousness.
(Gen 15:6)
Abraham and Sarah began to
question God’s method. He was now 85 and Sarah was 75. At 65, there may have
been a glimmer of hope that perhaps she could have a child, but the age of 75
seemed beyond all probability for Sarah.
They had picked up a servant for
Sarah while in Egypt. Sarah began to ponder if perhaps the promise of a child
would come through her servant, Hagar. So, Sarah vocalized her thoughts to
Abraham. They tried to make God’s
promise come to pass in their own way and ended up with Ishmael. (Gen 16)
Sometimes, we can create more
problems when we try to take matters into our own hands and bring God’s
promises to pass in the way they think they should.
At 90 and 100 years of age, God
fulfilled His promise to Abraham and Sarah blessing them with Isaac. Sometimes,
God is waiting until it is completely impossible to man before He moves so that
He can get the full glory out of it.
Romans 4:9, 19-20 - …for we say
that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. ….And being
not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was
about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb. He STAGGERED NOT AT THE PROMISE OF GOD
THROUGH UNBELIEF; but was STRONG IN FAITH, giving glory to God.
Abraham never wavered at the Promise
of God. He faltered in HOW it would come
about. God was merciful and still fulfilled His covenant to Abraham. If God gave you a promise, stand on it, be
still, and wait patiently on Him.
SOME WERE REBUKED FOR LACK OF FAITH…
Jesus grieved over lack of faith
as He asked, “… Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find
faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)
Jesus taught that we do not have
to worry about what we will eat or drink or wear. He PROMISED: Wherefore if God so clothe the
grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He
not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? (Matt 6:30 + Luke
12:28)
Jesus acknowledged they had a
little faith, but there were times and areas where their faith lacked. God knows what we have need of. When we’ve done our part and yet it is not
enough, pray in faith then trust God to provide. (Mt 6:31-32)
However, Jesus added a clause to
that promise (for every promise, God requires something from us first). He instructed, “SEEK YE FIRST the Kingdom of
God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Mt
6:33)
If we’re putting God FIRST, then
we can be assured God is taking care of the rest. He knows and He sees.
Jesus and His disciples entered a
ship. Jesus went to sleep and appeared
to be sleeping through a great storm that everyone thought was about to take
the ship under. Franticly, they woke Jesus up.
They had not learned to trust Him fully.
Jesus rebuked them as He asked, “Why
are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the
winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. (Matt 8:26) Mark 4:40 – And He
said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? Luke 8:25 says He asked them, “Where is
your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What
manner of man is this! For He commandeth even the winds and water, and they
obey Him.”
We worry about so many things
when Jesus wants us to learn to trust Him.
Sometimes Jesus will allow storms
to come our way – He’ll even send us in the direction of a storm to teach us to
trust Him fully.
He sent the Disciples out on a
boat while He went into a mountain to pray alone. Jesus knew the storm was coming their way. He SAW them toiling and rowing. (Mk 6:48) Jesus knew the storm was difficult for them.
In HIS time, Jesus came walking
toward them on the water and was going to keep walking on by. The Disciples became
more afraid thinking it was a ghost. Jesus
calmly told them, “Be of good cheer: It is I; be not afraid.” Jesus was still
trying to teach them to trust.
Peter’s faith soared. They had just witnessed the miracle of the
loaves and fishes and now see Jesus walking on water. Peter believed he could to if Jesus bid him
to come. As long as he kept his eyes on
Jesus, he was able to walk on water, too, but the moment he took his eyes off
Jesus and began focusing on the storm and the impossibility of what he was
doing, fear set in and he began to sink.
Jesus didn’t let him drown, but He
did rebuke him for doubting….
Matt 14:31 – And immediately
Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou
of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Jesus often rebuked His disciples
because they would forget the miracles and would doubt in their hearts….
Matt 16:8 – Which when Jesus
perceived, He said unto them, O ye of little faith…
A man brought his lunatic (crazy)
son to the Disciples, but they were unable to cure him. The young man would sometimes fall into the
fire and other times into the water. The
dad knew this was a life or death situation as he pleaded with Jesus for mercy.
Jesus rebuked the Disciples for lack of
faith….
Matt 17:17 – Then Jesus answered
and said, O FAITHLESS and perverse (morally corrupt) generation,
how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him hither to
Me. (Mark 9:19 + Luke 9:41)
Going back to the story of the
woman whom Jesus called a dog – could we handle it humbly and receive correction
if Jesus rebuked us and called us faithless and morally corrupt?
When our faith waivers, we need
to cry out, “Lord, increase my faith!” as the Apostles did. (Luke 17:5) But
know that can come through more testing of our faith.
Paul wrote to encourage the Corinthian
church, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Cor 5:7)
Our walk with Jesus will more
often than not be based on what we believe is possible than what we visibly
see with our eyes.
Jesus explained that sometimes prayers
are not answered and we do not see miracles as we should BECAUSE OF OUR UNBELIEF. But if we have even a little mustard seed
faith, we can see the impossible become the possible….
Matt 17:20 – And Jesus said unto
them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If
ye have faith as the grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this
mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing
shall be impossible unto you.
Matt 21:21 – Jesus answered and
said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not,
ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall
say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it
shall be done.
Luke 17:6 – And the Lord said, If
ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this
sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea;
and it should obey you.
Even a little seed of faith, can allow
us to see the miraculous!
In some instances, Jesus will answer
according to how much we believe for it – “According to your faith be it
unto you.” (Matt 9:29)
That’s why we need to pray daily
as the apostles asked of Jesus, “Lord, Increase our faith.” (Luke
17:5)
Sometimes we may have faith and
yet the prayer is not answered. We question why??? We need to pray in
faith. We need to believe. But in the
end submit our will to God as we pray, “Thy will be done.” (1 John 5:14 + Rom
8:27)
Stephen is remembered as being a
man FULL of two things: FAITH and the HOLY GHOST. Because of it, God was able to work many
wonders and miracles through him.
Act 6:5,8 – And the saying pleased
the whole multitude: and thy chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of
the Holy Ghost…And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great
wonders and miracles among the people.
Acts 11:24 – For he was a good
man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was
added unto the Lord.
We need both. The more we pray and stay FULL of the Holy
Ghost, the more faith we will have and the more we will see the miraculous.
Faith is a fruit of the Spirit
and a gift of the Spirit, but the Bible also lets us know that God has given
each of us a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3 + 1 Cor 12:9 + Gal 5:22) It’s up to
us to build on it and allow our faith to increase.
How can we build our faith?
Romans 10:17 teaches – So then FAITH
cometh by HEARING, and hearing by the WORD OF GOD.
Our faith is built when we hear miracles
recorded in the Word of God. Hearing the
preached Word is important. It is also
built as we listen to testimonies from others of what God has done for them and
through them as well as recalling all that God has done for us.
Faith is an important piece of
the Armor of God.
Eph 6:16 – Above all,
taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked.
Paul wrote ABOVE ALL take up the
shield of Faith. It is FAITH, believing
God IN ALL things and FOR ALL things, that will quench the fiery darts of the
wicked.
And it is FAITH that helps us to
please God – for without FAITH it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.
What Are You Savoring More?
So many are wrapped up, tied up and busy doing man's work - - - but not God's.
So many are quick to try to sell you on their product or business - - - but yet are hesitant to or won't mention Jesus or the Bible.
So many, too many are so quick to talk about, post about, and like so many things - - - except the things about Jesus.
So many will try to convince and even COMPEL you on so many things: "come on! You HAVE to go (name of place or destination)!" or
"you HAVE TO TRY this!" Especially if they mention a favorite food.
and on it goes - - - but yet are embarrassed and afraid to invite someone to come to Church.
Jesus rebuked Peter in Matthew 16:23 - thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of man.
Savourest = regard; interest oneself in; be like minded with; be of the same mind
What are you savoring (interesting yourself in) more?
The things of God?
Or the things of man?
Fellow Christian, we're running out of time. Jesus is coming soon.
We must interest ourselves in the things of God more than the things of this world.
We must have the same mind as Christ and be about the Father's business. We must reach for the lost before it's too late.
