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What Faith Will Do

Posted in Christianity, discipleship, religion, sanctification, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on September 24, 2013| 2 Comments »

By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned. Hebrews 11:24-29

God’s Grace Through Faith

There’s a lot of hope found in Hebrews 11. As we read through the entire chapter we quickly catch hold of the theme: God through faith equips His children to do His work. By faith (we read) the church understands God’s word. By faith Abel made his offerings to the Lord. By faith Enoch spoke testimonies of the Lord. By faith Noah built. By faith Abraham obeyed. By faith Sarah was strengthened. By faith Issac blessed. By faith Joseph prophesied.

moThe Biblical Hall of Faith continues with the likes of such other notables as: Rahab, Gideon, Sampson, David, and Samuel, but in the middle of these hallowed halls the writer pauses over Moses in order to reflect upon 7 consequences of his faith. I find them conspicuous in that they were all allotted to one man and that they seem to be the same things that the Lord desires to works through us, His children.

Are these things in operation in your walk of faith?

The Magnificent 7

1) By faith we reject what the world has to offer.

By faith Moses…refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter

By faith Moses turned down the world’s offer; refusing the title and the position, and rejecting that which his flesh had previously craved. By faith, Moses was able to (as per Romans 12:2), ‘not be conformed to this world, but was transformed by the renewing of his mind, that it could be proven what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.’

2) By faith we let go of sin.

By faith Moses…(chose) rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin 

By faith Moses repented and let go of sin, choosing to suffer the consequences associated with leaving one’s past behind. By faith Moses understood that, ‘Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.’ (James 1:12)

3) By faith we invest eternally.

By faith Moses…(esteemed) the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt

By faith Moses invested in things eternal. By faith Moses had the assurance of, ‘hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began (Titus 1:2). Missionary Jim Elliot must have understood the concept as well, otherwise how could he have written, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

4) By faith we stand.

By faith (Moses) forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king

By faith Moses was fearless. By faith Moses knew to, “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

5) By faith we see Jesus

By faith…(Moses) endured as seeing Him who is invisible

By faith Moses had spiritual vision. A Christian’s faith isn’t truly blind, for the reality is believers see more.  By faith Moses knew, ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’ (John 20:29)

6) By Faith we are religious

By faith Moses kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood

By faith Moses kept the precepts of our religion, knowing it was not the faith or the religion that saved. By faith Moses knew these components were given by God in order to brig him closer to God. Moses understood ‘If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.’ (John 15:7)

7) By faith we move.

By faith (Moses) passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned

By faith Moses moved forward, obeying the word that he heard; knowing that to reject the truth of God’s word was to die. I can almost imagine Moses saying, “One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13b-14)

So what is this thing called faith?

Again, I found an answer during my research that is better than anything I could have come up with on my own. I found this definition from ‘The Complete Bible Answer Book,’ by Hank Hanegraaff (AKA: The Bible Answer Man). Hank writes:

“The Bible defines faith as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Thus, in biblical vernacular, faith is a channel of living trust—an assurance—that stretches from man to God. In other words, it is the object of faith that renders faith faithful. Furthermore, faith is the assurance that God’s promises will never fail, even if sometimes we do not experience their fulfillment in our mortal existence. Hebrews 11 underscores the fact that we trust God to fulfill his promises for the future (the unseen) based on what he has already fulfilled in the past. Thus, our faith is not blind, but based squarely on God’s proven faithfulness.

Finally, the faith that serves to protect us in spiritual warfare is not to be confused with mere knowledge. Millions worldwide believe in the trustworthiness of Billy Graham. They have heard him proclaim the good news on television and yet do not believe that his message corresponds to reality. Thus, they have the knowledge that it takes to be saved but do not have saving faith. Others hear the message, agree that it corresponds to reality, but due to the hardness of their hearts do not bow. Rather, like the demons, they continue to live in fearful anticipation of the judgment to come (James 2:19). Some, however, have what Scripture describes as genuine justifying faith—a faith that not only knows about the gospel and agrees that its content corresponds to reality, but a faith by which they are transformed.”

What kind of faith do you have?

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Running For the Hills Makes You Fat

Posted in Christianity, discipleship, Jesus, religion, Salvation, tagged , , , , on September 11, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Then a man of God came and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The Lord is God of the hills, but He is not God of the valleys,” therefore I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’ ” And they encamped opposite each other for seven days. So it was that on the seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Israel killed one hundred thousand foot soldiers of the Syrians in one day. 1 Kings 20:28-29

I believe it was Billy Graham who said, ‘Mountaintops are for views and inspiration, but fruit is grown in the valleys.’

Regardless of who said it, we can see the wisdom and truth in that statement. Why then is it that so many Christians, myself included, are often guilty of jumping from one mountain-top experience to another?

Can You Blame Us?

We do it because summit life is splendid.

We serve a God who will continually take the time to minister to us in personal and incredible ways. Who in their right mind would desire to give that up?

It’s this trait that the evil King of Syria misunderstood to be upon the heart of every Israeli in his day. His remark that, ‘The Lord is God of the hills, but He is not God of the valleys,’ bears witness to that. To put it another way, he said, ‘Israel is strong on the mountain top, so when times get tough they will always run for the hills.’

Sad to say, but that is often the case. However, it was not true for this group of Israelites at this particular time in history. As a result of underestimating his adversary (and more accurately the God of his adversary), the king lost a great battle. The event stands today as an awesome testimony to remaining faithfully strong for God and with God in the valleys He places us.  In contrast, what a sad witness it is to be caught fleeing for the mountain top the moment a trial comes.

“In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Where Do You Run?

Faithless men are fearful men. Like light and darkness, faith and fear cannot occupy the same space; one must give way to the other. The reality is that the mountain top is not a place for the terrified, nor is it a hideout. It is a refuge of replenishment for the courageous. It is the place where the faithful come to be refreshed and rejoice in the greatness of the Lord and worship Him. And while it is also true we are fed there, the mountain top inspiration and vision that Billy Graham spoke of does not bring about favorable spiritual enlargement. This type of growth comes when our faith is cultivated in difficult places. In other words, if we stay on the mountain, we will get fat — the highly desired spiritual muscle is acquired in the valley.

Remember, tt’s easy to be a monk in a monastery, but strong Christians get that way in the valley.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. Psalm 23:4-6

  1. What is the Lord telling us in these verses?
  2. What is our proper response?
  3. Where do you tend to ‘hang-out’ the most (spiritually speaking)?
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The Abnormal Heart

Posted in Bible, church, faith, health, Holy Spirit, investment, Jesus, love, prayer, religion, sanctification, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 4, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14

Tone

Don’t you hate it when you write a letter, an email, or an IM and the person for which it was intended didn’t get it?  Oh, I don’t mean that they didn’t receive it, but they just didn’t understand what you were trying to say. The problem: it’s often difficult to convey attitude when we write, especially when its our purpose to convey the truth without a lot of fluff or political correctness (PC). Paul was having a similar problem with the Corinthians.

While these occurrences tend to frustrate and anger us, Paul chose to diffuse the tension with Godly praise. What’s the difference between Paul and the rest of us? A clue is found in our refrigerators. Tip it over and what falls out? The answer of course is, what’s ever inside of it. The same is true for the heart: when it’s nudged the true contents are discharged.

We plainly see that Paul’s heart was filled with love and adoration for Jesus Christ.

For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45B

Heart Questions:

  • Is it your practice to ask the Lord to search your heart?
  • Do you see the guy who cut you off or took your parking space as an answer to that prayer?
  • What spilled out of your heart as you slammed on the brakes to avoid a collision?

But You, O Lord, know me; You have seen me, And You have tested my heart toward You. Jeremiah 12:3a

In these types of situations, what if instead of rage we chose gratitude; after all, didn’t God just answer your prayer?  I don’t know about you, but having my prayers answered so emphatically is extremely cool! What if instead of rolling down the window and cursing, we paused to thank the person, sharing how God just used him to answer your prayer?

Talk about a witnessing opportunity!

The Abnormal Heart

Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. Acts 16:22-26

Paul’s heart was filled with love for Jesus and when it was disturbed, prayer and song sprang forth naturally. Paul did not have Acts 16 to read, therefore he could not have intellectually surmised,

Ok Silas, all we need to do is pray and sing and God will break these chains and open these doors.”

That’s Not Adoration, That’s Manipulation

Paul’s reaction was not normal and I submit to you that Paul was in the habit of:

  1. Asking God to search his heart, and
  2. Submitting himself to whatever changes God wanted to make.

Paul was submitted to the sanctification process.  The proof of that is seen in what oozed from his heart when it was squished.  What’s oozing from your heart today?

For He knows the secrets of the heart…Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties…And give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men) Psalms 139:23; 44:21b; 1 Kings 8:39b


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Silent Lights

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Bible Prophecy, faith, Holy Spirit, investment, Jesus, poverty, prayer, religion, sanctification, social justice, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 4, 2011| 2 Comments »

God be merciful to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us…That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. Psalm 67:1-2

The sixty-seventh Psalm is a prophetic song speaking to the way things will be when Christ Jesus returns. We can see that in the passage as the psalmist writes that, “God shall bless us,” when all the peoples (note the plural) praise Him and rejoice in Him. We’re not there yet, but we’re getting closer.

However despite its farsightedness, we can still receive and make a personal application for today—the first two verses of the Psalm spell it all out: ‘We are blessed so that we might be a blessing to others.’ (Paraphrase mine). A little side note, the doctrine represented here undermines entirely the ‘name-it-and-claim-it,’ prosperity gospel. The psalmist could not have made it any clearer—it’s not about us, it’s about God.

The Jews Blew it

“I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles…” Isaiah 42:6

This is how we know (in part) that the Psalm is prophetic in design—God called the Jews to be His light to the Gentiles; to share what they knew of Him with them. The Gentiles are of course everyone who is not a Jew; in other words, ‘all peoples.’ In this regard, the Jews dropped the ball. I’m not bashing the Nation of Israel (keep reading).

The Christians Blew it

Collectively, the church is blowing it too. The nation of Israel was supposed to be that blessing to the people of the earth, right? And today Christians understand that we are blessed so that we may be a blessing to others, thus bringing all honor, glory, and praise to Him, right?

It would appear we’re not doing the best job we can. By that I mean (and I’m pointing a finger at myself right now), “How many have I shared the Gospel with today? Yesterday? This past year?”

Don’t get me wrong, I know God’s will is going to be done in spite of the fact that His children are poor evangelizers; that’s a given. However, that does not let any believer off the hook. Now before I start sounding too legalistic, let me remind you (us) that sharing the Gospel is something we get to do; it is not something we have to do.

Our lives have been spared, right? We’re a grateful lot of people, right? What Jesus did for us was miraculous, right? How then can we keep from shouting His praise, right?

But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not. Jeremiah 20:9b

If you’re no Billy Graham, don’t be condemned, be convicted. How can you tell the difference? Condemnation will draw you away from Jesus, while conviction will draw you closer to Him. Billy Graham was not the Billy Graham (we know) over night and he would likely tell you that he is still a ‘work in progress.’ So are we. Besides that, God does not want me to be a Billy Graham; He wants me to be a David Wells. Who does God want you to be?

Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:12-13


These ramblings are typically (but not always) a byproduct inspired by God through my personal Bible study at SearchLight with Pastor Jon Courson and with my pastor at my home church, Calvary Chapel Coastlands

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