Our faith will make us whole

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

The end of something, we know that the end of something is very important. If you're working towards something you expect an end, a finish, the finale.  All of us can probably remember various aspects of our lives that consist of beginnings and endings. We can recall them with fondness or sadness, but we can recall them.  When a test was finally over and you passed. When a journey was begun and then over. When a life became part of your life and then that life was over.  We experience so much and the sum of our experience is our life. At the end of our lives people have funerals and almost always speak of the life of the person whose life is now over. People often try to remember the very best of the people that have passed even as they know their lives were just as their own- filled with ups and downs, good and bad things.  Life is filled with so many ups and downs and that is for everyone- no exemptions at all.

Life's ups and downs. People write books on life's ups and downs. Daily we hear about life's ups and downs- just pick up a newspaper and you'll very likely find good stories and sad/bad stories. Constantly in magazines, in tabloids, on television shows,  the radio, and online we are reading, listening, watching the ups and downs of peoples lives.  If there are big group ups they can go down in history, if there are big groups downs they too are written in our history record and told for many, many years to come.

These are life's trials.

Yes, I said these are life's trials, including the good, including those ups to our lives.  Because though a lot of people do not tend to consider anything good a trial it is.  How we live our lives when we receive the good tells so much about us. The glory belongs to God in all things.

Read this-

Luk 17:13  And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
Luk 17:14  And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
Luk 17:15  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
Luk 17:16  And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
Luk 17:17  And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
Luk 17:18  There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
Luk 17:19  And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

He was healed- A GOOD thing!
He was cured- he was having an 'UP' day, not a down day.
And he glorified God with a LOUD voice!
His FAITH made Him whole!

Were the others cured? Yes, but they didn't hear these words of Christ-  'Arise, go thy way; they faith hath made thee whole.' 

The others were cleansed.  'And it came to pass that as thy went they were cleansed.' 

But were they 'made whole'?

Think about it.  Their leprosy was gone but that doesn't mean that they were truly made whole- spiritually, physically, mentally. They did not glorify God. They were Jews, not Samaritans and they did not glorify God upon receiving a cure for this horrendous disease.

We DO have a trial of our FAITH in good things, make no mistake about it.

'Thy faith hath made thee whole.' 

The Samaritan's faith made Him whole.

Our faith can make us whole.  Our faith in God can make us whole.

The END of our FAITH is our being made perfectly whole in CHRIST.

By the grace of our God more tomorrow!  All in HIS LOVE may we have faith that will make us whole in our Savior!

Please LORD, save us!

The end of our faith- SALVATION

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your FAITH, being much more precious than of gold

From yesterday-

'We can look at our lives and the pain whether emotional, mental, or physical - or a combination of any or all of those- and we can know that the pain is from the FIRE TRYING OUR FAITH.

We might call our trials by many names- abuse, fear, hate, depression - there are soooo many names our trials have and everyone of them is made of spiritual FIRE.'

1 Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold THAT PERISHETH, THOUGH IT BE TRIED WITH FIRE

Gold perishes.  People love to think things like gold and precious jewels and such last forever but the truth is they can perish.

You can accumulate storehouses of gold and it can still perish.

All that gold, in fact, all the gold in the world means nothing when measured against the 'TRIAL of our FAITH'.

Our trial of faith is more precious than gold. That means all the pain, all the grief, all the heartache, all the abuse, all the torture of living in this world ruled by Satan is more precious than gold. Every single trial you are called to endure is more precious than gold IF it's the trial of your faith.

I say 'if' because there are those who have no faith. There are those who do not believe in God at all, let alone His Only Son Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR.   Those people suffer too without any faith at all, and Satan loves to use that as an excuse to have everyone believe there is no God. Seriously. Satan loves when people do not believe in God and by lumping us all in the same boat, he succeeds in doing so for so many people. They see no differentiation in those who believe and those who don't so they jump to the conclusion that there is no God rather than there is a God because believing God calls for sacrificing self and people hate the idea of having to sacrifice themselves- their pleasures, their desires, their wants.  When called to choose to believe in the road that leads to self-sacrifice or the one that leads to self-indulgence people more often than not choose to believe in the one that allows them to indulge self.

Whether people believe in God or not, they suffer life's tragedies but this is NO WAY negates the TRIALS of a person who has FAITH in God, who believes in God. 

The trials those who do not believe in God can sometimes lead them to God. When that isn't the case and people go further from God through their trials it is very tragic. When a person who has faith is confronted with a trial it truly is more precious than gold because it will STRENGTHEN their faith if they allow it through their belief.

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

The 'end of our faith' can ONLY be our faith steadfast, our faith strong, our faith fully realized all by the Glory of GOD through JESUS CHRIST our LORD.

Nothing is more precious than SALVATION IN JESUS CHRIST, nothing! So is it any wonder that the trials of our faith- though it be tried with fire- is more precious than gold?

All by the GRACE and MERCY of our SAVIOR! All in HIS LOVE!

More precious than gold- the trial of your faith

More precious than gold.

What is more precious than gold?  Not faith, but the TRIAL of your faith.

The TRIAL of your faith.

We just recently read about the various trials of faith that people in the Bible have been called to go through. It's easy to read about others going through their trials and being triumphant, but it's not so easy experiencing trials yourself.  No, you might not be experiencing trials like those we've read but if you are a Christian, if you are following Christ, if you are, by faith, believing in God the Father and God the Son, as well as God the Holy Spirit then you will have that FAITH TRIED.

You can't escape the trying of your faith.

You shouldn't want to escape the trying of your faith.

Yes, it will be PAINFUL, it will be HORRIBLE, it will most likely be the WORST thing you've ever had to experience in your life, but in the end if you hold fast to that faith it will be MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD.


1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God THROUGH FAITH unto SALVATION ready to be revealed in the last time.

1Pe 1:6  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
1Pe 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:
1Pe 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the END OF YOUR FAITH, even the salvation of your souls.

Tried with fire.

Can you imagine how horrific it would be to be burned to death?  I've burned myself before- little burns that have hurt tremendously. I've had sunburns that have caused me incredible pain. Yet I cannot imagine being burned worse. I've seen my sister burned worse and it's terrible! I've seen the results burns leave on people, so awful. I know that they put the severely burned into medically induced comas because the pain is just so horrific.  Fire burns and bring pain, a lot of pain.

We can look at our lives and the pain whether emotional, mental, or physical - or a combination of any or all of those- and we can know that the pain is from the FIRE TRYING OUR FAITH.

We might call our trials by many names- abuse, fear, hate, depression - there are soooo many names our trials have and everyone of them is made of spiritual FIRE.

More tomorrow by the grace of God!

In HIS LOVE!

Suffer According to the Will of God

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, DO NOT BE ASTONISHED
at the FIERY TRIAL which is to TRY YOU
AS THOUGH A STRANGE THING HAPPENED TO YOU.

1Pe 4:13  but rejoice according as you are PARTAKERS OF CHRIST'S SUFFERING
so that when His glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy.

1Pe 4:14  If you are reviled for the name of Christ,
you are blessed,
 because the Spirit of God and of glory rests on you.
Truly according to them, He is blasphemed, but according to you He is glorified.

1Pe 4:15  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or a meddler in the affairs of others.

1Pe 4:16  BUT IF ONE SUFFERS AS A CHRISTIAN, LET HIM NOT BE ASHAMED BUT LET HIM GLORIFY GOD BECAUSE OF THIS.

1Pe 4:17  For the time has come for the judgment to begin from the house of God. And if it first begins from us, what will be the end of those disobeying the gospel of God?

1Pe 4:18  And if the RIGHTEOUS ONE IS SCARCELY SAVED, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

1Pe 4:19  Therefore let those who  SUFFER ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD COMMIT THEIR SOULS IN WELL-DOING, AS TO A FAITHFUL CREATOR.

 *******

1Pe 3:17  For it is better, if the will of God wills it, to suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing.

2Ti 1:12  For this cause I also suffer these things; but I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to guard My deposit unto that Day.

*******

1Pe 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.  (KJV)

1Pe 4:19  If you suffer for obeying God, you must have complete faith in your faithful Creator and keep on doing right.  (CEV - Contemporary English Version)

Suffering according to the will of GOD.

Suffering for OBEYING GOD.

Faith in our ever faithful CREATOR.

For some reason when you think about suffering for obeying, or if you' d rather- suffering according to the will of God, you automatically think there is something wrong with that verse. 

Don't deny it.

We've been duped by so many false teachers to believe that God should NOT let us suffer because letting us suffer means He wants us to suffer and our God wouldn't be a God of love if He wanted us to suffer-especially for obeying His will.

DUPED.
HOODWINKED.
FOOLED.
TRICKED.
DECEIVED.

It's wrong to suffer.
So if you suffer then something is wrong with the way you believe, something is wrong with the situation.

We've been LIED to!

Suffering for obeying God's will is a BIBLICAL TRUTH!

And if you think that only means suffering if you are being persecuted by those who aren't Christians, think again. Some of the worst suffering will come from fellow believers.

Jesus suffered at the hands of His own religious leaders, those who were a part of His faith.

Today we make the great distinction been Jews and Christians but there were NO CHRISTIANS when Christ was put to death!  Christ HIMSELF was a JEW. He was betrayed and crucified by those of His own religious teachings. He grew up going to the synagogue. People knew Him as a son of Joseph who was an Israelite.

People began to follow Christ's teachings fully after His death and they became known as Christians.  But Christ SUFFERED right up to DEATH by those who were God's chosen people.  People He'd led as God with God before He took on flesh and became the Son of God. He knew these chosen people, He'd chosen them with GOD the FATHER.

So if we get it in our heads that to suffer persecution only comes from those of another faith we are tragically allowing ourselves to be deceived.

Persecution can come from anyone at anytime if you are obeying God's will.

Satan does NOT want us to obey God's will.  Satan hates when we obey God's will. We will be spiritually attack in brutal ways if we choose to obey God's will.

So do NOT for one moment believe that because you believe in God that you are going to be spared suffering, quite the opposite.

If you CHOOSE to obey God's will then you are choosing to suffer.

We will suffer here and now, over and over and over again, but there will be a great reward, we are promised salvation in CHRIST, forever living in God's will in a place where only God's will is done always and forever!

God's will.

God's way.

God's commands.

We can learn of them as we study God's word, we must learn of them as we study God's will. 

HIS WILL BE DONE ALWAYS!


Bless us God as we seek to obey Your will, to do Your will in all things!  Help us to understand the suffering will be worth it in the end when we are reunited with You forever!

Faith in Suffering

Heb 11:32  And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

Heb 11:33  Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

Heb 11:34  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

Heb 11:35  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

Heb 11:36  And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

Heb 11:37  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

Heb 11:38  (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

Heb 11:39  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

Heb 11:40  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.



FAITH!



Subdued kingdoms.

Wrought righteousness.

Obtained promises.

Stopped the mouths of lions.

Quenched the violence of fire.

Escaped the edge of the sword.

Our of weakness were made strong.

Waxed valiant in fight.

Turned to the flight the armies of the aliens.

Dead raised to life again.

Torture.

NOT ACCEPTING DELIVERANCE THAT THEY MIGHT OBTAIN A BETTER RESURRECTION.

Trials of cruel mockings.

Scourgings.

Bonds and imprisonment.

Stoned.

Sawn asunder.

Tempted.

Slain with the sword.

Wandered in sheepskins and goatskins.

Being destitute.

Afflicted.

Tormented.

Wandered in deserts.

Wandered in mountains.

Wandered in dens and caves of the earth.





READ THAT LIST AGAIN it is what those with FAITH can and have to do and endure.



It's all well and good to subdue kingdoms, do righteousness, receive promises, stop the mouths of lions, quench fire, escape the sword, their weakness was made strong, they were valiant in fight, turn armies to flight, had the dead raised to life…but then we read these things that those with faith were called to endure…torture, cruel mockings, scourgings, bonds, imprisonment, stoned, sawn asunder, tempted, slain with the sword, wandered in animal clothing, destitution, affliction, tormented, wandered in deserts, mountains, dens and caves of the earth; and you know what that doesn't sound all well and good at all to us.



We just DO NOT believe that God could be OUR GOD and let us suffer.  Why we don't believe it I don't know. The BIBLE is filled with the suffering of God's people. 



But we REFUSE to believe God will let us suffer. We would rather believe that God would have us do anything to get away from suffering, but that's NOT TRUE! There were MANY people of FAITH who did NOT deny God in order to be spared suffering that we don't even want to imagine. They DID not say that God would understand their doing anything and everything to keep from suffering.  If they had said that they would NOT be people of FAITH. How can I be so sure?  This is how…



JESUS SUFFERED!



Mar 14:32  And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.

Mar 14:33  And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;

Mar 14:34  And saith unto them, My soul is EXCEEDING SORROWFUL UNTO DEATH: tarry ye here, and watch.

Mar 14:35  And he went forward a little, and FELL ON THE GROUND, and prayed that, IF IT WERE POSSIBLE  THE HOUR MIGHT PASS FROM HIM.

Mar 14:36  And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; TAKE AWAY THIS CUP FROM ME: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.





Luk 22:41  And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and KNEELED DOWN AND PRAYED,

Luk 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, REMOVE THIS CUP FROM ME: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Luk 22:43  And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

Luk 22:44  And BEING IN AN AGONY he prayed more earnestly: and HIS SWEAT WAS AS IT WERE GREAT DROPS OF BLOOD falling down to the ground.





Mat 27:35  And they CRUCIFIED HIM, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

Mat 27:36  And sitting down they watched him there;

Mat 27:37  And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Mat 27:38  Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

Mat 27:39  And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,

Mat 27:40  And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

Mat 27:41  Likewise also the chief priests MOCKING HIM, with the scribes and elders, said,

Mat 27:42  He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

Mat 27:43  He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

Mat 27:44  The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

Mat 27:45  Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

Mat 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?





GOD'S SON! 



Did HE have to take the abuse?



Mat 26:67  Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands



Mat 27:26  ...and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.



Mat 27:29  And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head



Mat 27:30  And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

Mat 27:31  And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.



GOD'S SON!



I ask again… DID JESUS HAVE TO TAKE THE ABUSE?



Or



DID JESUS CHOOSE BY FAITH TO TAKE THE ABUSE?



Think about it for a few moments.



Our Savior was a man who cried.

Our Savior was a man who agonized.

Our Savior was a man who felt pain.

Our Savior was a man who suffered.



Do you think for one second that it didn't hurt Him when He was whipped, stuck in the head with huge thorns, beaten with a reed on the head, had nails driven into His flesh? Do you really think that our Savior did not feel any pain, that He could endure all that because He had a special power not to feel hurt?



Heb_4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin



JESUS KNOWS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN IN ALL ASPECTS.



When we place Jesus on a special pedestal giving Him special super human powers that make Him less than human, like we are, then we are creating a FALSE SAVIOR to worship and that is a grave sin.



When you are called to SUFFER you need to ENDURE NOT believe you are supposed to be immune to suffering in order for you to believe God is loving you and protecting you.



People have a lot of trouble believing God allows them to suffer and yet re-reading what we've read above how can we believe that to be true?



IF we are called to endure a life filled with suffering so that we may remain God's, just as our SAVIOR endured suffering and remained God's and God, then we must not faint.



We have to KNOW God's will and if it is God's will that we have NO OTHER GODS BEFORE HIM then we better not have ANY God's before HIM!  We cannot choose to have other Gods and tell ourselves that God will understand, HE WON'T! HE CAN'T!



We cannot deliberately disobey God's MORAL laws and then expect God to understand. We are called to SUFFER because we live in a world where sin reigns and we are not to sin. 



We are called to have FAITH that NO MATTER WHAT we go through that there is a better reward waiting.



Heb 11:39  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

Heb 11:40  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.



WE WILL ALL BE PERFECTED TOGETHER WHEN OUR SAVIOR COMES FOR US!



All the FAITHFUL will receive their reward together.



You might be called to any of these things--



Subdued kingdoms.

Wrought righteousness.

Obtained promises.

Stopped the mouths of lions.

Quenched the violence of fire.

Escaped the edge of the sword.

Our of weakness were made strong.

Waxed valiant in fight.

Turned to the flight the armies of the aliens.

Dead raised to life again.

Torture.

NOT ACCEPTING DELIVERENCE THAT THEY MIGHT OBTAIN A BETTER RESSURECTION.

Trials of cruel mockings.

Scourgings.

Bonds and imprisonment.

Stoned.

Sawn asunder.

Tempted.

Slain with the sword.

Wandered in sheepskins and goatskins.

Being destitute.

Afflicted.

Tormented.

Wandered in deserts.

Wandered in mountains.

Wandered in dens and caves of the earth.



And through IT ALL whatever form your suffering takes you have to remember this always--



DO NOT ACCEPT DELIVERANCE SO THAT YOU MIGHT OBTAIN A BETTER RESURRECTION, just like those in times past.  CHOOSE TO SUFFER IN RIGHTEOUSNESS rather then be delivered from the suffering and only be resurrected to eternal death.



Please LORD help us to CHOOSE LIFE over death even if it means we suffered horrifically, let us NEVER forsake YOU or YOUR ways!  Help  us! IN YOUR LOVE keep us, save us!



All by YOUR GRACE and MERCY!



IN YOU!

The Faith of the Harlot Rahab

Heb 11:31  By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

Yesterday we studied a bit on the fall of the wall of Jericho.  Prior to that fall the people of God sent two men to spy out the land of Jericho. Those spies were on the verge of being caught and the harlot Rahab hid them so they wouldn't be found. She talked with them and asked them to remember what she'd done and spare her family when they took over the city. She BELIEVED the city would be taken over. Read this--

Jos 2:9  And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

I KNOW that the LORD hath ...

Jos 2:10  For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

We have HEARD how the LORD…

Jos 2:11  And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

OUR HEARTS DID MELT…

HE IS GOD IN HEAVEN ABOVE and IN EARTH BENEATH.

Jos 2:12  Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token:
Jos 2:13  And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
Jos 2:14  And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

She believed! She believed in God having never learned of Him as the children of God had been taught of Him. She had FAITH in God just by HEARING the things He'd done. She hadn't any direct contact with God.  Brought into her life these two men of God could have easily been betrayed by her. She could have feared those in her land more than the God she'd never really knew or worshipped. She misled those inquiring after the two men. She hid those men. She risked her own wellbeing and the wellbeing of her family because she FEARED the ONE TRUE GOD more than she feared the others.  She BELIEVED God would have His way and the city of Jericho would fall to the children of God because it was HIS WILL.  She believed and she was SAVED because of her belief!

The Faith of Rahab- a harlot.

And I say that because God's word says that.

'By faith the harlot Rahab…'

The harlot Rahab.

The harlot.

Websters Definition-A woman who prostitutes her body for hire; a prostitute; a common woman.

Truly one who was a blatant sinner, and yet one that God used, one who allowed herself to be used by God for HIS WILL. 

We all are blatant sinners. A prostitute's sin might be right out there in your face, while another's sin might be a secret sin- but ALL our secret sins are blatant to our GOD, He sees them all! We can hide nothing from God, not a single sin is hidden from Him. You might think you are hiding things from God, you might think you are convincing God your sin isn't really all that bad, but HE knows…He knows.

Whether a prostitute or not, we are all classified as sinners.

We all must live by FAITH in GOD our CREATOR, our REDEEMER, we MUST have faith in HIM. He is, He was, and He will always be.

Saved by FAITH because they LIVE by FAITH.

By the grace of God we WILL live by FAITH and be SAVED by FAITH, all by HIM and HIS LOVE.

May we have the FAITH of Rahab, a living faith, a saving faith.

In the LOVE of GOD always!

By Faith the Wall Fell

Heb 11:30  By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

Jos 6:3  And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
Jos 6:4  And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

Jos 6:5  And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.

Jos 6:6  And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD.
Jos 6:7  And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD.

Jos 6:8  And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.
Jos 6:9  And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

Jos 6:10  And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.

Jos 6:11  So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
Jos 6:12  And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
Jos 6:13  And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

Jos 6:14  And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.

Jos 6:15  And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.
Jos 6:16  And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.
Jos 6:17  And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
Jos 6:18  And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
Jos 6:19  But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.

Jos 6:20  So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

*******

Today we'd say this was stuff of fiction. People include this sort of stuff in their fictional movies that include a supernatural element. We watch those sorts of shows and note the 'special effects', knowing some are accomplished much more realistically than others. We can appreciate really good special effects that make something seem almost real within the story being portrayed. Bad special effects just leave us shaking our heads wishing for a better quality movie.

This was NOT a special effect along the lines of fiction. There were no camera men using tricks of their trade to manipulate the filming in order to make something seem realistic.  This REALLY happened.

The city of Jericho is under siege. 
Within the city are the BAD guys.
Without the city are the GOOD guys.
Within the city are those who do NOT believe in GOD.
Without the city are GOD'S PEOPLE.

After God's people were given their freedom from the Egyptians, Moses led them through the wilderness and after forty years Joshua led them through the lands becoming conquerors of the land promised to them.  Jericho was a part of the land promised to God's people.

Do you imagine for a single moment that Joshua would have acted on the commands of God if he didn't have FAITH in God to perform what He said He would? Seriously, you DO NOT generally do something someone tells you to do without believing what they are saying is true, without having that faith in their word.

If someone told you to go to the edge of a cliff and jump off it, that you'd really be okay, would you believe them?  Automatically you want to say NO WAY, I'm NOT jumping off a cliff for anyone!  I might believe that a person loves me, but asking me to jump off a cliff well that's just plain crazy.  So how do you keep believing in someone if you do not believe them in all things? How can you trust in some ways but NOT others?  Is it a real faith when you condition your believing upon doing only the things you desire to do? Seriously. There may have been a huge safety net filled with the softest padding ever just over that cliff but rather than believe that the person you say you have faith in would NEVER ask you to do something that would harm you, you decided NOT to believe in that person anymore.

You might quickly counter that with God asking people to go suffer through afflictions even unto death as many have and do, but the REASON those people choose to suffer is because they know the reward is so much greater than anything they suffer here and now.  They believed and believe that somehow ALL things would work together for good because they DO LOVE GOD. They have the necessary FAITH in God, a FAITH that believes and acts on that belief regardless of ALL circumstances! They don't jump in with- well just this one time I won't do what I know I should do, God will understand. They DO what they know they should do and KNOW God will reward them accordingly.  Their faith is allowed to GROW when they build upon it, and vice versa. A person's faith is allowed to fade away when they continuously choose NOT to live by it.

Joshua was given commands by the LORD and He relayed those commands to the people of God. The people of God FOLLOWED those commands.

Just imagine- you are told that you are going to march around a city every day in complete silence other than trumpets sounding and you are going to do this for six days.  Then on the seventh day you are going to march around a city seven times and then shout. After doing all that, following all those commands the WALLS to the city you've been marching around would FALL down allowing you to enter and take over the city. 

Who in their right mind would ever believe such a plan?

Joshua did.
The people of God following Joshua did.

They believed in GOD and though what was being asked of them seemed strange, they believed God would do as He said He would. The walls would fall down without any bombardment, without any attack on the walls themselves, they would simply fall down of their own accord. Of course it wouldn't truly be  by their own accord, God's invisible means would bring it all to pass.

What do you suppose would have happened if Joshua didn't believe?  He most certainly wouldn't have
marched around the city for six days not even once a day what would be the point? 
Joshua had to have had faith in God for God's plan to work. 

We need faith in God of we want God's plan for us to work.  Without faith that plan won't work and it will not be God's fault, it will be OUR fault!  We must LIVE by FAITH! That doesn't mean believing in God only when it suits our needs, our desires, our plans.  It means believing ALWAYS even when everything inside of us is telling us not to believe, that'd we'd be crazy to believe- THIS IS FAITH.

Do we believe? Do we have faith? 

BY THE GRACE OF GOD WE CAN HAVE FAITH!

We NEED FAITH.

Rev_14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

The FAITH OF JESUS!

Please LORD all through YOU!

In YOUR AMAZING LOVE!

The Faith of Moses

Heb 11:23  By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
Heb 11:24  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Heb 11:27  By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Heb 11:28  Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
Heb 11:29  By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

By FAITH Moses was HID for three months by his parents.
By FAITH Moses when we was matured REFUSED to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
Moses CHOSE to SUFFER AFFLICTION with the people of GOD rather than ENJOY THE PLEASURES OF SIN FOR A SEASON.
Moses ESTEEMED the reproach of CHRIST GREATER RICHES than the TREASURES in EGYPT, because he knew the reward was ETERNAL LIFE.
By FAITH Moses left Egypt NOT fearing the anger of the king.
By FAITH Moses endured- because HE believed in the INVISIBLE GOD!
Through FAITH Moses kept the passover-the sprinkling of blood- so that the firstborn of His people would not die.
By FAITH Moses walked through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, yet the Egyptians drowned!

By FAITH!

Before Moses ever spoke with God, He, by FAITH chose God over living a life of pure luxury.

Sure we've seen movies and read books and so on all about the main character getting fed up with their superficial life of luxury and forsaking it, but it's so incredibly rare all we truly believe is only fictional people do something like that. Moses was NOT fictional. Moses was as real as you and I are. Moses chose GOD over everything else all by FAITH. He hadn't been given any special visitations by angels to convince him to do the will of God. He wasn't given anything tangible at all whatsoever to prove to him that the Egyptian ways were wrong.  Usually when a person is raised by a certain culture they grow up to accept that culture fully.  Moses didn't do that.  Moses realized he wasn't a 'natural born' Egyptian. And then Moses saw those people that He'd come from and knew that he was originally of them. He didn't thank all the Egyptian gods that He'd been fortunate enough to escape the fate of all his people. He felt the heavy weight of wrongness in the Egyptian way.  He CHOSE to give up all the luxuries KNOWING it would displease the leader of the Egyptians, knowing he would feel the wrath of that man who had the backing of every single Egyptian.   So not only was he choosing to deprive himself of a life of ease- he was incurring the anger of the most powerful man in all of Egypt.

TALK ABOUT FAITH!

We know so little about true faith, don't we? I mean come on. Look at our lives. We are constantly screaming for proof, screaming for a reason to really believe beyond faith. We allow our doubts to reign in us day after day after day not fully believing in God who LOVES us more than we can ever imagine. 

God Loves us so incredibly much.

We MUST believe! We MUST have faith!

The faith of MOSES is amazing!

He LIVED BY FAITH.

HE knew that the SAVIOR was HIS SAVIOR. He knew the TRUTH of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. He believed in all that gives us HOPE.

By the GRACE of GOD may we too have this faith that MOSES had! 

PLEASE Lord HELP US! Help us comprehend our NEED for a real FAITH, that YOU ARE WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE, OUR GOD, OUR CREATOR, OUR KING, OUR SAVIOR!

Please.

Thank you, Lord, all by YOUR LOVE AND GRACE.

The Faith of Joseph

Heb 11:22  By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

Gen 50:24  And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Gen 50:25  And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.
Gen 50:26  So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Exo 13:18  But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
Exo 13:19  And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.

Joseph made a prophecy- the children of Israel would be brought out of the land of Egypt and taken to the land God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When that prophecy was being fulfilled he wanted his bones taken from Egypt to that promised land.

It was by FAITH that Joseph made that prophecy. His FAITH that it would come to pass was a REAL ABIDING FAITH!

He BELIEVED!

We need to BELIEVE every single word of GOD!

JESUS SAID--

Joh_14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Joh_14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

If we have FAITH we KNOW HE WILL COME AGAIN UNTO US!

Were Joseph's bones taken from Egypt to the promised land a year after his death?

No.

We they taken two years after his death?

No.

Were they taken 100 years after his death?

No.

Were they taken 200 years after his death?

No.

What about 300 years after his death?

No.

Think about the length of time involved here. YEARS! Many, many years!

It came to pass just as Joseph prophesized.

How many people knew of that prophecy and as the years passed decided that Joseph's bones would just remain in Egypt forever, just like they would? It's safe to say a lot of people had to have believed they'd never be freed from Egypt's enslavement. It came to pass.

Jesus WILL return.

It's been thousands of years since Jesus made that prophecy, THOUSANDS of YEARS!

And Jesus isn't slack concerning that promise! 

Once that promise is fulfilled it means a whole new world.  It means something completely different from what we can imagine. It means the END of humanity as we know it, and while that is a GREAT thing because SIN and all its horrors will be no more, it's also the end of the chance for ANY more humans to be saved. The number of people that are saved from Adam to the last person will be all there are and NO MORE.  

Humans are sinners.
Humans have a Savior.
Humans will be saved.
Our Savior will save ALL that come to HIM, but ONCE He returns, ONCE it is all finished, all humans will be saved that are going to be saved.  No more will squeak in under the wire. There won't be any second, third, fourth, fifth, and so on -- chances.  All the chances will be over.

Just imagine what it has to take for our GOD to make the final determination that all who choose salvation have made that choice, and all who don't choose salvation never will choose it.

Throughout our lives people have had to make awful choices concerning who lives and who dies in a group of people. This is a decision that haunts many of them for the rest of their lives- and that's a human being who has the excuse of not being infallible. A human being can make the decision and then fall back on 'they did the best they could', and it'd be true.  God has to be make this decision and it has to be a perfect decision and one that will include ALL HUMANS that would choose SALVATION. There will come a time when GOD knows that any future human beings will NOT choose to be saved and that there is no more reason to wait, none.

He tarries, but He's NOT slack concerning the promise He's made to us.

Just as Joseph had FAITH when he made his prophecy.

We NEED to have FAITH that ALL JESUS' PROPHECIES WILL COME TO PASS!

We need to BELIEVE!

Our SAVIOR WILL RETURN FOR US! This is the truth! This is the Gospel of Salvation through HIM!


ALL IN HIS LOVE!

PLEASE Lord help us have the FAITH we need to believe fully in YOU and YOUR PROMISES!

PLEASE.

ALL BY YOUR GRACE!

Issac and Jacob- Blessed Using Faith

Heb 11:20  By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
Heb 11:21  By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau. Giving a blessing Isaac  had to do so using FAITH.

Gen 27:27  And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:
Gen 27:28  Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
Gen 27:29  Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

God give thee.

The blessing was for GOD to give Jacob the things that only God can give to a person.

We believe that we can give so much to each other but it is truly God who gives. Our pride has us believing we orchestrate so much, and Satan would have us believe that we do. Satan wants us to believe we have control over so much. Our pride gets us into so much trouble. We try to manipulate things an we are allowed to do so but only because God allows.  God is in CONTROL.

God BLESSES.

Through FAITH we believe in God's blessings.

By Faith Jacob believed God would bless those he blessed.

We all have to pray by FAITH, don't we?

When we pray we are talking to God. We, through FAITH, are speaking to God. 

FAITH.

A real belief.

Why would you talk to someone that you don't believe is really there?
Why would Isaac and Jacob ask blessings for their own if their was NO ONE to fulfill that blessing? They HAD FAITH.  They BELIEVED.

Today  we question God so much of the time.  We dare to question His reality, why because it makes us feel superior somehow to do that, to believe that there is NO ONE to rule over us, NO ONE created us, NO ONE has the power over us or anything we do.  We put ourselves FIRST and yet SO MUCH is out of our control completely. You'd think those things would give us a clue, wouldn't you? The fact that we control NOT even the breath we breathe, NOT the beat of our heart,  OUR own stature and on and on and on the list goes. And if you think because a doctor can prolong a life- restart a heart, artificially breathe for someone, that they are in control - think again.   God allows those hearts to be restarted and allows that breath to keep going. How do I know this? Because people do NOT live forever on heart and breathing machines- if they did we'd have storage for them wouldn't we? There'd be bodies of people well in to their hundreds now and there aren't. People love to imagine they have so much control, but they really don't. They make choices but who gives them the choices to make? The choices don't exist on their own. 

People will go to great lengths to deny GOD, but in the end they have NO answers. God IS THE ANSWER.

Through FAITH great men of God asked God to bless those they loved.  They believed GOD would give that blessing.

Do we believe God gives blessings?
Do we have the faith we need?

We need GOD to give us the FAITH. We believe and we NEED HELP for our UNBELIEF!

Abraham's Living Faith

Heb 11:17  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Heb 11:18  Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Heb 11:19  Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

By Faith.
By Faith.
We've been studying about Faith and we need to keep on studying Faith.

Sometimes we believe that once we've read something or studied it several times that it doesn't bear studying more, but the truth is, unless we are living all the truth we've ever studied we need to keep on studying.

Abraham LIVED faith.

Abraham was rewarded with the son promised to him, a son that by all normal conventions should have been denied him forever. That miracle son was born and that birth had to be amazing. The celebrations that had to have taken place, I mean, just imagine the way Abraham and Sarah had to feel when Issac was born.

God's promised son for them had finally arrived just as God said He would.

The road to that fulfilled promise was filled with a lot of bumps but it was a road that led to truth. We have to live on that road no matter how bumpy it gets. Even when the road seems washed out we have to believe that it isn't, that maybe it's ten feet under water but it's there! Faith.  God is THERE always! God is there! God is HERE! God is forever!

Abraham had his promised son and then…

Everything that Abraham imagined was turned completely upside down.

Do you imagine Abraham had to have thought that his faith had been tested to the fullest for all he'd endured waiting for Isaac? I mean years and years and years of having his faith tested and then…

Another test, the biggest test of his faith ever.

We aren't told much about the emotions going on with Abraham, we can only go on how we might feel, but we are NOT LIVING FAITH as Abraham was LIVING FAITH.

By all accounts Abraham should have been horrified, yet again, we are determining our reactions. Could Abraham's trust, his faith, have been so perfect that he wasn't the least bit horrified?

Gen 22:15  And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
Gen 22:16  And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
Gen 22:17  That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Gen 22:18  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

He did NOT withhold his son, and HE COULD HAVE! He had that choice! He could have denied God's request. He was NOT forced to offer up His son to God. So many believe that God forces situations to get what He wants out of them but He doesn't!

The angel of the LORD said- because thou hast done this thing…

BECAUSE HE DID IT!

He didn't HAVE to do it!

Abraham's real faith, his living faith.

Do WE have this LIVING FAITH?

WE NEED IT!

All by the GRACE of God! All through HIS LOVE! Please LORD give us the FAITH WE NEED, faith as the faith Abraham held, all in YOU!

All These Died with Faith

Heb 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise

Abraham by FAITH stayed in a STRANGE country- not his homeland. What's so important about that? A lot of people today are constantly on the move. A lot of people I would imagine have lived in the same place all their lives- happily. Yes, we've seen lots of movies and such about people wanting to leave their small dinky towns and go to the big city, and vice versa, but a lot of those movies end with the people wanting to go back to their birthplace.  There is something special about living in the same place your ancestors have. The roots run deep.  For Abraham having to leave all his family and his homeland and go to the land of promise sounds like a good thing- a promised land, but at the same time he was called to do it ALL by faith.  That land wasn't an easy land to live in, he had NO real home but tents. This wasn't luxury at all. He was enduring all this THROUGH FAITH. His life was a life of endurance living for a promise of a future for all his descendents.  He had FAITH. He lived pleasing God because He lived for others! Seriously. He was all about loving his fellow man and THIS is what God demands of us.

Abraham BELIEVED in GOD'S promises! He BELIEVED. He would NEVER EVER live to see his descendents number as the sand of the sea, or the stars of the sky but HE believed GOD would make this happen. He BELIEVED what seemed toe be impossible from a human standpoint.

Many men have lived with the idea of their lineage ending with them. If they are an only son without heirs. They live and die with this as a reality. Abraham was childless with his wife and it was only through her he would have a legitimate heir.  They passed their childbearing years and still they believed. There were a few doubts, but NEVER an outright disbelief. There was a lack of understanding, a trying to figure it out in their own way, but never a REAL disbelief, never!

Heb 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

No. He wasn't wandering the earth looking for this city.  He was looking FORWARD to being an occupant of GOD'S Holy City. He knew that GOD had this city and He was promised this city just as WE are promised this city- all by the GRACE of GOD.

Heb 11:11  Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

Sarah had FAITH as well. Did she laugh, did she question, did she try to work things out her own way? Yes to all of those. But she didn't lose her FAITH. She didn't lose her belief in GOD to do as He said He'd do.  We too live in a world that causes us to question, to doubt, to laugh and try to work things out our own way, but honestly none of that means we don't truly believe in GOD. Satan will try EVERYTHING to lead us to despair- a full doubt, a full disbelief one that is never retracted, one that never allows for a glimpse of hope.  As long as we have HOPE we can have FAITH, we can have BELIEF.  Sarah had faith, she had that bit of hope and that's all it took.  She placed her hope in GOD, not in herself, not in her husband, but in GOD.

Heb 11:12  Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

Their faith was rewarded.

They didn't have a whole passel of children to start out the fulfillment of the promise. Abraham and Sarah didn't conceive child after child after child more than was possibly normal.  They had ONE child together. A SINGLE child was born to them long after they were past a human's ability to conceive. God ALONE performed the miracle within both of them to bring forth their promised child. God brought Abraham's seed back to life, and Sarah's womb as well.  Abraham was as good as dead concerning the ability to have children.  Sarah was also as good as dead concerning the same. Yet life came from them both, SOLELY by FAITH in GOD. Had they lacked faith they would NOT have realized the promise as it was beginning to be fulfilled.

Heb 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

They ALL died believing!
They ALL died without receiving the promises fully realized.
They ALL had FAITH enough to believe the promises would one day be fulfilled even if it were far off.
They ALL believed, they embraced the promises being fulfilled at a much LATER time.
They ALL believed they were STRANGERS.
They ALL believed they were PILGRIMS ON EARTH.

Heb 11:14  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

They ALL sought a COUNTRY.

Heb 11:15  And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Heb 11:16  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

They ALL by FAITH knew that the country offered by God in the future was better than any country they could possibly live in here on earth.
They ALL desired a HEAVENLY country.
They ALL desired to live with GOD in HIS country, in the CITY He prepares for them and no other.

They ALL DIED with this hope in them, every single one of them.

This FAITH, this AMAZING FAITH, we too need this FAITH, this BELIEF, this LOVE of GOD that goes so far beyond what we can truly imagine. Seriously, we need this FAITH.

God needs to be so real to us that we truly understand that we are PILGRIMS here on EARTH. We are STRANGERS here on EARTH. This sin corrupted earth is NOT the home we were designed for, not at all!

May God make this very real to us, very, very real!

Please LORD help us! SAVE US!

We believe Lord, we have Faith, help our unbelief, help our lack of faith. PLEASE LORD.

BLESS US!

All in YOU!
In YOUR love always!

Abraham's Faith

Heb 11:8  By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

By Faith.
Can you even imagine being told by someone to go somewhere but not exactly where.
Let's say you get a phone call and the person tells you to pack up and leave your home to start out for a new home, but they don't tell you where to go, just to start walking. You'd hang up right? You'd probably even laugh and think what a loony on the other end of the phone.

No, Abraham's situation wasn't the same at all. He didn't get any message from another human being, He received a message from GOD HIMSELF. Yet if Abraham did NOT believe GOD was who He said He was, if Abraham hadn't had complete FAITH in GOD, He would NOT have listened.

What amazing FAITH!

Gen 11:27  Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
Gen 11:28  And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
Gen 11:29  And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.
Gen 11:30  But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Gen 11:31  And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

Gen 12:1  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Gen 12:2  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Gen 12:3  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Gen 12:4  So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
Gen 12:5  And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

Terah took Abram and Lot and other family members from UR of the Chaldees to the land of Canaan.

Obviously God didn't think Abram was done moving.

God didn't call Abram's father to lead Abram further. God called Abram himself. God SPOKE to Abram-

Get thee out of thy country.
Get thee away from thy family.
Get thee away from thy father's house.

Go to a land that I (GOD) will show you.
I will make you a great nation.
I will bless you.
I will make your name great.
You will be a blessing.

God talked with Abram.
Abram listened.

God talked.
Abram listened.

God told.
Abram obeyed.

Every part of Abram's life as he'd known it for a really long time was about to change drastically.  Drastically how? He didn't KNOW where He was going!

He had to go, but He wasn't given an exact location, He wasn't told how long it would take, He wasn't told it would be problem free.

Did Abram have a choice?

YES!

Abram was NOT forced.

Again, people love to say that if God spoke directly to them that they'd do whatever He said too. Yet God speaks to us all. His will has been revealed to us in His Word and we don't listen to even a smidgen of what He tells us.

And people will go on and counter saying that's not the same. But it is.

Abram didn't have God's Word to read, to study, to live.  God had to speak directly to those who were forming the Fathers of His chosen people, the Fathers of the ONE who would one day be a descendent from whom GOD would bring forth His ONLY SON. 

We cannot allow ourselves any pity for not being spoken to directly by God, we CAN'T! We cannot long for the voice of GOD to speak to us directly as if we'd suddenly obey Him because we hear the sound of His voice. It is such a miracle that we even have HIS written Word as we do and yet people don't believe that it's all that important, they treat it so flippantly, so lightly.

Abram heard God and obeyed.
We need to hear God and obey.
We need to OBEY.
So many read and read and read, they hear but they do NOT obey. They think obeying is old school, obeying was done away with in the Old Testament.  God did NOT give us the entire Bible without reason. It's His WORD and we must OBEY.

More tomorrow all by the GRACE of our LORD and SAVIOR!

From His love may we live!

ALL in HIS LOVE!

ALL IN HIM!

Noah's Faith

Heb 11:7  By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

By Faith.

Noah built an ark. We all know that story. There was even a modern day movie, a comedy, that dealt with the idea of God asking someone to do something that seems totally ludicrous, yet that person does it.  Noah was told by God things that would come to pass and Noah listened. He didn't have to listen. He wasn't force to listen to God, no one is. Situations can occur that seem to make it hit home that God would have a person do a certain thing and when that person resists God tries to impress upon that person just how much He really wants that thing done. Can the person still refuse? Yes. If God could force a person to do something He wouldn't need to tell them, and He certainly wouldn't have to do various things to try and impress upon a person that they should do that thing- He'd just force them. God doesn't work through forcing the will. God wants us to have FAITH in Him, a real abiding faith that goes way beyond merely believing there is a possibility of God.

Many do that don't they? They believe in the possibility of God but not the reality.
Many do believe in God but they believe in a false God, a God of their own making and NOT the God of our Bible. They'll come up with all sorts of things that show they are right to believe the way they do, but it'll still be a false God they are worshipping, all the while believing it to be the REAL God. 

No, you do NOT want to believe that is possible.  You want to believe that as long as a person is genuine in their belief they need nothing more. Yet you can have a lot of people who are genuine in their devil worshipping, does that mean they are acceptable to God? You can have a lot of people believing in God but if they use their belief to twist God into something acceptable to them, rather than their needing to be acceptable to God, then they will not be saved.

We don't like to hear that, we don't, I know I don't. I like to believe that God, who knows the heart, will understand the sincerity behind a person's belief and that's all that matters. But what matters is the truth. Remember the verse about 'devils believing and trembling'?  We have to believe in God and all HE is, ALL HIS TRUTH.

Noah's faith.
Noah was an heir of righteousness by faith.
His faith was accounted righteousness.

Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man

People change the GLORY of the UNCORRUPTIBLE GOD into an image made like to CORRUPTIBLE MAN.

We are GUILTY of bringing God down to our level of comprehension. We are GUILTY of questioning GOD as if He is just a another human being in a slightly different form.  We don't want to believe there is a RIGHTEOUSNESS by FAITH, a REAL righteousness that comprehends that God is AGAINST ALL ungodliness, all unrighteousness. We want God to wink at the unrighteousness and ungodliness we commit because we have this delusion that we are that magnanimous and would wink at others unrighteousness and ungodliness. We ONLY wink at other people's unrighteousness and ungodliness because we want ours winked at! We want to believe that everything is acceptable to God and there really is no line between right and wrong, because we want to live in the wrong yet be accepted as righteous!

We are called to live by faith and that faith must be in GOD and ALL HE SAYS HE STANDS FOR! If God has a wrath against unrighteousness who are WE to say that He does not! We lie when we say that! We lie when we believe that God has to accept unrighteousness, He doesn't, HE WON'T! 

We cannot laugh off our sins! They are grievous! THEY KILLED GOD'S ONLY SON! So how dare we shrug them off! Did Jesus shrug off sin? NO! He preached among all sinners and did so to bring them the comprehension that they need to SIN NO MORE. He forgave them but did NOT accept their sin. He never said, I forgive you now make sure you ask for more forgiveness when you sin next. He NEVER SAID THAT  so why do we want to believe He did?!  The very awful danger of being accepting of unrighteousness, of being accepting of sin is undermining the truth that it is a deadly poisonous thing that has the potential to lead us so far astray we NEVER even want to seek forgiveness, true forgiveness and we sure don't believe we even have to, we want to believe God will forgive automatically without any thought on our part. It's a LIE!  Sin is EVIL, unrighteousness is EVIL and we are to SIN NO MORE, but if we do… if we take that deadly poison and inject ourselves with it we'd better fall to our knees before God and BEG His forgiveness and HEED CHRIST'S WORDS-  GO AND SIN NO MORE! 

STOP ACCEPTING SIN, ANY SIN, ALL SIN! STOP IT!

HATE ALL SIN! DESPISE ALL SIN before it's too late and you're caught in a deadly trap so many are going to fall into - changing the glory of the UNCORRUPTIBLE GOD, into an IMAGE like a CORRUPTIBLE MAN!

God is not corruptible like we are, God will never die, God will never condone evil, never condone sin, never condone unrighteousness and He sure does NOT want us to do that!

The FAITH of NOAH was counted as RIGHTEOUSNESS.

We need FAITH and the RIGHTEOUSNESS that comes by FAITH in our GOD.

We cannot hold TRUTH in unrighteousness. We cannot KNOW the truth and not believe in that TRUTH but corrupt it to suit our evil. We can't!

Noah's faith was a faith that we need to look upon as an example. Surrounded by a world filled with corrupt people, He held fast to GOD'S Righteousness. He didn't succumb to the crowd mentality that shouted for Him to be evil like them.  They didn't believe in God as Noah did.  They changed things to suit their own selves. They believed they'd be fine because they were in the majority.

Today we live in a world that has accepted so much evil and turned it into something that people call good, and those same people call those who still believe in the evil of evil, wrong, and they persecute them.

Our world is filled with the same kinds of people that existed in the days of Noah.  People barely know what God's righteousness really is.  They forget about Jesus' tirade in the temple against the money changers, preferring to just remember that Jesus ate with sinners- likening His doing that as His accepting sin. He NEVER accepted SIN, He loved SINNERS and offered them REDEMPTION FROM SIN, wanting them to SIN NO MORE.

Please LORD help us to have the FAITH of NOAH, Help us to have faith that will be counted for RIGHTEOUSNESS, FAITH IN OUR SAVIOR WHO IS OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS!  Keep us from EVIL LORD, keep us from ever accepting SIN as being good in any way. Help us to always recognize the sin in our lives and seek forgiveness, repenting, and by the grace of our LORD heeding HIS words to sin no more!

ALL THROUGH YOU!
ALL FAITH IN YOU!
ALL LOVE!

Enoch's Faith

Heb 11:5  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

BEFORE God took Enoch, Enoch had a testimony-- 

What is a testimony?

(Webster)
Affirmation; declaration.
Open attestation; profession.
Confirmation.

If you give a testimony you are giving the truth as you know it, right? If you go to court and give a testimony, you are giving the truth as you perceive it. My testimony, your testimony, their testimony, a testimony is something you believe to be true beyond a doubt. Enoch had a testimony, Enoch had a truth and that testimony, that truth was that he PLEASED GOD. The truth.

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to PLEASE him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Enoch had FAITH!

Enoch PLEASED GOD!

Enoch believed that GOD is, was, and will always be.
Enoch believed that GOD is a rewarder of those who DILIGENTLY seek HIM.

Enoch's testimony, Enoch's truth was that God was everything! Enoch had no doubt, no room for doubt at all. This TRUTH was what TRANSLATED Enoch from earth to heaven to be with God without seeing death.

This example is for US.

FAITH pleases God- believing please God.

If you've ever had anyone lose faith in you WRONGLY, you can only imagine on a tiny scale how God feels. If you've ever had anyone stop believing in you WRONGLY, again, you can only imagine on a tiny scale how God feels. It doesn't feel good at all, it feels awful. You feel so incredibly helpless and frustrated because you know you didn't do this thing that has brought about others losing faith in you, no longer believing you.  No matter what you say or do it's gone, that faith is gone. It's one thing to have people lose faith in you when you've actually done something to warrant that loss of faith, but when you've done absolutely NOTHING, you are truly helpless. You can hope all you want that someone will believe in you again, but you have no guarantee that will happen, but that hope is what you do have.

God did NOTHING to lose our faith in Him, not a single thing, yet we chose to lose faith in Him. We willingly gave up believing in Him and all He represents.  We lost the right to be with HIM, to know HIM as He wanted to be known. We gave up that right willingly when we decided WRONGLY that He wasn't being honest with us, that He was keeping something from us. We had NO proof, NO reason to believe that He would not give us all good things and yet we chose to believe lies rather than truth. And before you say YOU didn't do that, that Eve did, you are being awfully arrogant to believe you would have done differently. We are all a part of this and the weakness that Eve revealed is a weakness we all share.

We accused GOD falsely and then we turn around and HE still LOVES US! HE FORGIVES US! And what does He want in return?  He wants us to BELIEVE in HIM AGAIN! He wants us to have FAITH in HIM AGAIN!

And we can't go by sight, we can't go by feelings. We can't go by the things we are called to endure in this world. We have to go by the TRUTH, and the TRUTH is GOD IS ALL LOVE and all that entails.

PLEASE LORD HELP us to have this faith that we need! Enoch had FAITH that pleased YOU perfectly! Please LORD give us this faith! PLEASE in YOU, all in YOU always!

Acceptable Faith

Heb 11:4  By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

Gen 4:3  And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
Gen 4:4  And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
Gen 4:5  But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Gen 4:6  And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
Gen 4:7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Gen 4:8  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
Gen 4:9  And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
Gen 4:10  And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

By FAITH Able offered God a more excellent sacrifice.
By FAITH.

Cain did NOT have the faith He needed. Cain did not believe and hope in GOD the way Abel did.
Why not? Cain spoke with God- isn't that proof enough of God and His love? Think about it, imagine yourself able to speak to God and hear His voice in reply. You'd think that'd be more than enough to give you all the faith you need, but Cain did not have the faith that Abel had.

God respected the offering Abel made because it was offered in FAITH.

Cain was upset because God did not respect his offering.

God told Cain that if he did well that he would be accepted, and if he didn't that sin would be right there ready for him. That doing well was FAITH, right? Because it was by FAITH that Abel's offering was more excellent than Cain's. Abel realized His need of God, His need of a Savior, Abel recognized God as His Creator and Redeemer. Abel BELIEVED in God in a way that Cain did not, not that He existed but His authority, His love, His ability to save, to bridge that separation that had been created by sin, that is was even necessary.

You know it's true that one person can have more faith in someone than another person. It's often the story that a wife will have faith in her husband even when her family has no faith in him. A parent will have faith in one child but maybe not so much in another, these are unfortunate facts.  Then again, some people are more trustworthy than others and more deserving of faith than others.  God is ALWAYS trustworthy, ALWAYS all deserving of our faith. When people do NOT have faith in God they are saying that God is undeserving, unworthy, in fact not truly God all loving at all.  Cain did not have FAITH as Abel had FAITH. Abel believed, Cain did not believe.

God told Cain if he did well-he would be accepted.

If Cain had faith - he would be accepted.

Cain believed that while he was supposed to give offerings to God they didn't have to be real sacrificial offerings. Cain didn't believe that HIS sins warranted any real atonement. Cain did not have the faith he needed, the belief in God and God's plan.  It was God's plan that man's sin needed to be recognized and a sacrifice needed to be made for that sin.  It was God's plan that in time a Messiah would come who would be the ultimate Sacrifice and it would be to that Messiah we would all turn to.  Until that Messiah came there would be a system set up for mankind to make sacrifices pointing towards that Ultimate Sacrifice.  The FAITH needed to comprehend that God is GOD, and our SIN separates us from Him is what we ALL NEED.

Cain didn't have that faith, not fully. Cain could have that faith, he could do what was required by FAITH, but he didn't. Cain chose NOT to have that faith, that belief in God.

We are faced with the SAME choice as Cain and Abel.  Real faith or no real faith, and it is only by a REAL FAITH that we will be accepted by GOD. Our sacrifices that we are called to make are different but no less real.

Psa_51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service

Mar 12:33  And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

1Pe 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.


 Acceptable to God.
Abel's offering was acceptable to God.
Cain's offering was not acceptable to God.
We must be acceptable to God and we are, through FAITH, through BELIEF, through HOPE, all through our SAVIOR!

All by HIS GRACE, HIS AMAZING LOVE!

Please Lord help us, make us acceptable to YOU- through YOU.

In Your LOVE.

Faith- the Word of God Framed the Worlds

Faith.

From the beginning after sin entered the world and separated us from God FAITH became necessary for ALL mankind.  A belief in something HOPED FOR, and that HOPE is the EVIDENCE of THINGS NOT SEEN.

We weren't to be allowed to see God. We gave that up! We abandoned that! We lost that right, that privilege.  We separated ourselves from our God, from our Creator, our Maker, our Leader, we turned our back on Him and took matters into our own hands. We told God we know better than He knows what is best for us. WE DID THAT and we continue to do that! We do! You can lie to yourself if you want to, we do it all the time, but it's the truth. We have this idea of things and expect them to go accordingly and when they don't how easy is it for us to just get mad at God, believing that He should have done things differently, He should have allowed things to happen another way- OUR WAY. We turned our back on God in that garden when we believed that He was keeping something from us and we knew better- that things should be the way we thought, not the way He commanded. I say we and I mean we because everyone of us had the same potential to commit the same first sin. Eve wasn't someone unique, she was a human being given a free will just like you and I are.  Each time we choose to sin we are making the same choice- we are choosing to disobey God.

We were kept from seeing our CREATOR because we chose and continue to choose that path. Once we were set down that road there was no going back. We could NOT force God to reveal Himself to us. God chose to keep us alive and offer us redemption but FAITH would be required of us.

FAITH is required and faith is believing when we do NOT see, FAITH is having the HOPE that become the EVIDENCE of the thing we CANNOT see.  FAITH- we are NOT allow to see GOD. We are NOT allowed to see our SALVATION.  We are NOT being given TANGIBLE proof. 

Faith has been required of all of God's chosen from the first to the last.

None could please God without FAITH, without BELIEVING in all they could not see, without HOPING for GOD, that HOPE being the EVIDENCE of His existence, EVIDENCE of HIS LOVE!

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Heb 11:2  For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Heb 11:3  Through FAITH we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

The worlds were FRAMED by the WORD of GOD.
THINGS which are SEEN were NOT MADE of things which do APPEAR.

The WORD of GOD created the WORLDS.

Does everyone believe this? No.

It takes FAITH to believe this. We are asked to believe without seeing, without touching, without detail explanations that involve all the whys and wherefores.  If you've ever been in love, or have loved someone you know that it's not completely explainable down to the last detail, yet you know it's real, it exists. There are a million things we cannot explain and yet we believe them because they are. God IS and many choose not to believe as they try to believe there are other ways of answering things, that scientists will open their eyes to everything just by their supposedly educated hypothesis and so on. Because their words are plentiful and their ideas grandiose they try to explain everything when in the end, the very end of it, ONLY FAITH will give the true answers.

More tomorrow all by the GRACE of God!

IN HIS LOVE!
IN HIS MERCY!
ALL BY HIS GRACE!

Provoke unto love - 2

Heb 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works

Yes, I'm coming back to this because we generally don't think much about provoking someone to love and to good works.

The word provoke has taken on bad connotations. When we think of provoking we think about teasing, instigating, getting people to do things that aren't good. Provoking someone to react in a bad way. We generally just don't usually hear the term in this way-  'He provoked me to do good.'  We do however hear this. 'He encouraged me to do good.'   The word is provoke and that means to incite and again we do not think good things when we think about inciting.  We think about inciting to anger, inciting to riot, we don't think about inciting to love and good works. But we HAVE to think about it because we are told to consider one another and in that considering we are to PROVOKE to love and to good works.

Incite to do good. 
Incite to love.

We know what it means to provoke to do bad we're good at that aren't we? We know how to get on each others nerves easily. But we need to know how to easily provoke to good.

Ask yourself right now, when is the last time you provoked someone to do good, to love?

I know people who seem to do it all the time. Their lives are spent seeking to do good for others and encouraging others to do it as well.   These people are living closer to God than most because they are loving! And we are called to LOVE!

We are NOT called to be loved, but to GIVE LOVE.

We've gotten things so screwed up, and it's been screwed up for so long that we honestly believe we deserve love and all that we imagine comes with it. We deserve it and if we get it then maybe, just maybe we'll give it too. 

We believe we are owed love. That being loved by others is our RIGHT and if we aren't loved then something is wrong somewhere, with others maybe or more often than not we internalize not being loved and believe that the fault lies with us, that there is something wrong with us and that's why we aren't loved. We look for a superficial love, our society has made that superficial love all important, more important than the real love that God intended. The truth is we should LOVE FIRST and if love is returned than praise GOD, but if it's not we can't let that dictate our ability to LOVE.

We need to provoke each other to love.
I need others to provoke me to love, and I need to provoke others to love.  When we provoke and are provoked to love we are being surrounded by love, aren't we?

Yet I have no guarantees that anyone will provoke me to love especially this day and age. I'm not guaranteed to have anyone poking at me mentally, emotionally telling me daily to love, to love, to love, to love…..loveeeeeeeeeeeee!   And I do have someone a principality, a power in SATAN who will constantly do all he can to keep me from loving, or wanting to love in anyway, even in the smallest ways. Sometimes those small ways mean a lot and Satan hates all love because he knows where the REAL source of TRUE love is, and he hates God.

LOVE.

It's such a simple answer, but it means so incredibly much!

GOD'S LOVE.

True love, unlike the perverted love that we know so well.

We are never deprived of GOD'S love and yet how many people long for love- that hollow, poor excuse for love that Satan has introduced and that He withholds and destroys all the time?  People long for it, they ache for this love, they die for this love, they kill for this love, they do crazy things for this love, and yes, at times they do wonderful things for this love. That love can only destroy because it's NOT God's LOVE, the true love that we need so desperately, the love we truly should be longing for. We can find God's true love in His Word and know it's revealed perfectly through the love of His SON, the Sacrifice.

God please provoke us to love, YOUR LOVE.  Please Lord help us to provoke each other to YOUR true love and through that- good works.  Please LORD all in YOU, all THROUGH YOU!

In YOUR LOVE!
By YOUR GRACE!
YOUR MERCY!

Provoke unto love

Heb 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Provoke unto LOVE and GOOD WORKS.
EXHORTING one another and so much more as you see the DAY APPROACHING.

Provoke- incitement to good.
Exhort- implore, entreat, pray.

We are to incite one another to LOVE and to GOOD WORKS.
We are to get together and IMPLORE, ENTREAT, PRAY for one another more and more as we see the day of the coming of the LORD is approaching.

Do we do this?
Do we INCITE, do we PROVOKE one another to LOVE? To do GOOD?

Seriously. This is something we really need to think about. If we are NOT inciting one another to LOVE and do GOOD what exactly are we doing? If we aren't praying for one another, then how are we helping each other, encouraging each other? 

It's so easy to tear one another down. We read something like this--

2Ti 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2Ti 4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

These verses telling us to preach the word, to REPOVE, REBUKE, EXHORT with longsuffering and doctrine- because there will be a time when people will NOT want to hear sound doctrine but only want to hear things that make them feel good, they won't want truth but lies that comfort them.

So these two verses seem a bit contradictory-

Provoke to LOVE and GOOD WORKS.
REPROVE, REBUKE.

Can you provoke to love if you are reproving and rebuking?

At our Bible study this week we talked about this, about how maybe we should reprove one another when we see one another doing wrong, but it was quickly shut down and then decided we should only do that when it's something serious, not nitpick at each others many faults, faults we all seem to have.

We don't want ANYONE pointing out our faults especially when we are so aware of them ourselves. To put ourselves up for intense scrutiny means realizing others do see things in us that are not Godly. 

Someone might point out that I have a very selfish streak, and what would I say in reply? I know and it's my prayer that God help me overcome this awfulness in me. Would it hurt me to have others point out my faults, yes. But is that hurt a result of PRIDE in me? If it is a result of my pride then this too is an awful thing.

No, I'm not saying I want to sit at my Bible Study and point out the faults I see in those around me, I don't and I won't! Why? Because they are aware of their own faults. And I do agree that if there was something major that I saw and truly believed that I should reprove. But … and it is a but… it gets so confusing because maybe it is that selfishness in me that needs more work on. And by work I mean maybe I do need it pointed out and in having it pointed out have others pray for me. We don't rebuke and reprove for no reason, but rather to HELP.

We are to PRAY for each other! We are not to simply reprove, rebuke, and so on without any LOVE in us for those we are confronting.  Without LOVE it's all wrong!

We really do need to PROVOKE to LOVE and GOOD WORKS and we certainly are not doing that if we spend a lot of time pointing our fingers  at each others faults.  Maybe people do not want to hear about their faults and that's their right, and we need to pray for that also. We need to pray to accept any reproof that comes our way and let that reproof work in us as God would have it work.

First and foremost LOVE. LOVE! I can't scream it here on paper as much as I want to, I could put a million exclamation points after it and it still wouldn't be enough.

We need to love and provoke others to love.

We need to consider HOW we can provoke others to love.  Yes, maybe we are to reprove and rebuke but we have to remember that reproving and rebuking without love at it's core means absolutely NOTHING, and is wrong, very, very wrong.

More tomorrow all by the GRACE and WILL of our GOD!

In HIS LOVE!