Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Yesterday the first half of this first was discussed- Faith is the substance (the real, solid) substance of things hoped for. The thing we hope for is Christ, right?
1Ti 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope
Our hope- our Savior.
1Th 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
Our hope…our joy…our crown of rejoicing is to be in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at His coming.
It doesn't say our hope, our joy, our crown of rejoicing is here and now upon this earth in it's fullness in all this earth has to offer. This earth has some wonderful things, marvelous, beautiful things that are to be enjoyed, but ultimately it is Christ, our hope, who is to be our everything.
Faith being the substance of things hoped for, the REAL hope, for the REAL thing and the evidence of things…..NOT SEEN.
Some love to remark how contradictory this sounds- evidence is proof, don't we convict criminals based upon the evidence, based upon the facts that evidence reveals. Evidence doesn't sound wishy washy, evidence sounds firm, it sounds solid and it should- it's evidence. So when we say evidence of things NOT SEEN, we're not offering tangible proof. We are not offering the sort of evidence that we can hold up in court and wave around for people to see. Faith calls for evidence you CAN'T See. By it's very nature, faith isn't something captured in a bottle. Faith isn't something you show to someone. Faith isn't a supposed dated piece of bone millions of years old. Faith isn't the fact you had a prayer answered. Faith isn't in the wealth you gain. Faith isn't in the disasters you encounter. Faith- if you want an example is this---
Your young child walking towards your outstretched arms unaware, uncaring about the dangers around, only seeing you and believing in you and the safety you offer in your arms. Faith is when that child lets go of the furniture they are used to holding to for support and steps out without anything to support them. Faith, the friend willing to jump off a bridge with nothing but a bungee cord- trusting that cord to hold them. Faith, jumping from a building onto a trampoline, trusting it will break your fall. Faith, counting on someone to take care of you when you have no real proof they will. When you marry someonyou marry them out of faith- trusting you will be the one they love forever and no other- by faith you marry. There are any number of examples of faith people have who don't equate faith with religion. There is also misplaced faith. Faith that fails. Parents that don't catch their children, trampolines and cords that break, marriages that fail. Yet this doesn't stop people from having faith, it doesn't even stop those who have tried once and fail from trying again. Those who say that to believe in God and our Savior Jesus Christ is foolish because we have no REAL evidence to hold forth like to say that to have faith in something unseen is stupid, yet they have faith in things they don't see all the time.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Having faith is God is not a misplaced faith- God will never fail us for God promises us eternal life through Jesus Christ His Son- God does not promise us anything else. God does not promise you riches or food in your belly. Yes, God takes care of the birds and the fish, and the flowers and He will take care of us too but He will take care of us in His eternal way, not our mortal way. NO, I'm not saying He won't take care of us now- every breath we take is by His grace- but we face horrors that have many people doubting God exists and that if He does He's a sadistic monster. God is not a sadistic monster, God is…. LOVE. We have to step out of our mortal thinking into His eternal thinking and until we do we will forever risk losing our faith.
Faith.
May God help us to have faith. May God help us to believe and help our unbelief.
In His mercy now and forever and ever!
Amen.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Hope in Reality
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
This is a much beloved verse because when someone asks you what faith is, or if you want to know yourself what faith is then this verse tells you-- faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is-
1) The substance of things hoped for.
2) The evidence of things not seen.
What is the substance of things hoped for- anything we hope for?
The New Testament Greek Lexicon: Substance- Hupostasis hoop-os'-tas-is
Definition -- a setting or placing under thing put under, substructure, foundation that which has foundation, is firm that which has actual existence a substance, real being the substantial quality, nature, of a person or thing the steadfastness of mind, firmness, courage, resolution confidence, firm trust, assurance
This substance that is hoped for isn't a dream. This substance hoped for isn't some fantasy. This substance has REAL existence, REAL being. When we hope for something doesn't it have basis in reality? If I hope for a million dollars the reality is that people sometimes do win a million dollars. If I hope for good weather my hope is in something real- the weather. People do have pipe dreams, people do fantasize about unrealistic things, but unless they are mentally challenged on some level they don't hope for unrealistic things. A person in their right mind doesn't hope to become a super hero. They might have a passing thought about how cool it would be to be a super hero, but to actually hope to be one, well, that is a hope in something unsubstantial, a hope in something that doesn't have actual existence. The substance that is hoped for in this verse on faith is a hope in something REAL.
Eternal life is real.
The promise of God is real.
Our Savior is real.
Living in a world that would have us put our REAL HOPE into the realm of fiction and fantasy we have to know beyond any doubt that our hope is more real then anything we can touch, taste, see, feel, or smell. God is more real than anything else is real, and people would have you believe that's not true. They would rather you believe we exist and have always existed without God. They would have you believe that you were some ooze on the ground that evolved. That your ancestor was an ape. This is more real to these people- these unseen, unproven things, these fictions and fantasies are more real to some people than the truth- that they have a Creator.
Faith- the substance (the reality) of things hoped for. Our REAL hope.
By the grace of God we will have a REAL hope in our Savior.
More tomorrow.
By the will of our God now and forever.
Amen.
This is a much beloved verse because when someone asks you what faith is, or if you want to know yourself what faith is then this verse tells you-- faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is-
1) The substance of things hoped for.
2) The evidence of things not seen.
What is the substance of things hoped for- anything we hope for?
The New Testament Greek Lexicon: Substance- Hupostasis hoop-os'-tas-is
Definition -- a setting or placing under thing put under, substructure, foundation that which has foundation, is firm that which has actual existence a substance, real being the substantial quality, nature, of a person or thing the steadfastness of mind, firmness, courage, resolution confidence, firm trust, assurance
This substance that is hoped for isn't a dream. This substance hoped for isn't some fantasy. This substance has REAL existence, REAL being. When we hope for something doesn't it have basis in reality? If I hope for a million dollars the reality is that people sometimes do win a million dollars. If I hope for good weather my hope is in something real- the weather. People do have pipe dreams, people do fantasize about unrealistic things, but unless they are mentally challenged on some level they don't hope for unrealistic things. A person in their right mind doesn't hope to become a super hero. They might have a passing thought about how cool it would be to be a super hero, but to actually hope to be one, well, that is a hope in something unsubstantial, a hope in something that doesn't have actual existence. The substance that is hoped for in this verse on faith is a hope in something REAL.
Eternal life is real.
The promise of God is real.
Our Savior is real.
Living in a world that would have us put our REAL HOPE into the realm of fiction and fantasy we have to know beyond any doubt that our hope is more real then anything we can touch, taste, see, feel, or smell. God is more real than anything else is real, and people would have you believe that's not true. They would rather you believe we exist and have always existed without God. They would have you believe that you were some ooze on the ground that evolved. That your ancestor was an ape. This is more real to these people- these unseen, unproven things, these fictions and fantasies are more real to some people than the truth- that they have a Creator.
Faith- the substance (the reality) of things hoped for. Our REAL hope.
By the grace of God we will have a REAL hope in our Savior.
More tomorrow.
By the will of our God now and forever.
Amen.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Losing Eternal Life is Silent
Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Faith.
We hear about faith all the time and with good reason- it's that important. Faith is belief. If we don't have the belief then everything falls apart after that no matter what sort of glue you try to use to keep it together. If someone attacks your faith if you allow any of their attacks to turn you from your faith, you're lost. It sounds dramatic, and it is dramatic it's your eternal life.
I watched a movie- well, sort of watched- I fast forward through some of the long drawn out parts and bits and pieces I wasn't interested in but it held enough of my attention for me to get the gist of it all. There is a poor young man who attends college and is befriended by a rich young man- who falls in love with him. The rich young man is really emotionally messed up and he takes the poor man home even though he keeps telling himself he shouldn't do that. So he takes him to his mansion and the poor man is understandably very impressed. The rich man introduces the poor man to his grandmother and then tries to hurry them on their way but not before giving into the poor man's desire to see a bit of the mansion- so he shows him the very ornate chapel and mentions his family- particularly his mother is very religious. Anyway, the movie goes on and the poor man sees the rich man's sister and falls in love with her. There can be no sort of relationship with her though because the poor man is an atheist and she has to marry one who believes like she does. Throughout the movie the make the overly religious mother seem as if her religion has ruined the lives of her children, that she is obsessive and such. I'm not going to go on and on about the movie, my point in mentioning it at all is the fact the mother is made out to be the *bad guy* who influences her children into either becoming like her *also bad* or turning from her religious ways and becoming better in the end, all things considered having had such a *moral* upbringing.
The mother was attacked for her faith. I'm not saying there aren't religious fanatics who stop following Christ's ways and go off and become extremists. The Pharisees were extremists. People can become oppressive and that's not how Jesus would have us be. Putting that aside, I think it's safe to say that having our faith attacked by people who are atheists, by people who don't understand how we can believe when we have seemingly no tangible proof, is something we have to expect. Everyday, any day, we have to expect people NOT to understand our faith.
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:
Our faith will be tried in many ways, in all ways. We have to understand that as fire burns, consumes, brings pain, our faith will be tried in painful, *REAL* ways!
Living by FAITH. Staying alive by FAITH. Our Spiritual life lives or dies on faith, not our carnal, fleshy life., our spiritual life.
No, you won't die instantly and be struck by lightening if you give up your faith.
Losing eternal life is a silent death.
No fanfare. No dirge music sounding to herald the demise of a spiritual life.
Spiritual wounds leave spiritual scars- invisible.
A spiritual death is unseen. A person's life will change when they die spiritually, but often because there are so many spiritually dead people it goes mostly unnoticed.
We live surrounded by the spiritually dead, the spiritually dying. Christ would have us bring hope to those who are spiritually dying and dead- because He can bring them back to life. We need to live our lives so that the spiritually wounded can find the spiritual salvation they need to have spiritual life.
We have to live by faith.
Live.
Our existence has to be a living faith in our Savior.
Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Live by faith, don't draw back, believe to the saving of our souls.
If we draw back, if we lose our faith we've lost everything that truly matters-- the spiritual.
May God bless us, keep us in Him by the grace of His Son, through His Son's righteousness forever through faith.
Amen.
Heb 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Faith.
We hear about faith all the time and with good reason- it's that important. Faith is belief. If we don't have the belief then everything falls apart after that no matter what sort of glue you try to use to keep it together. If someone attacks your faith if you allow any of their attacks to turn you from your faith, you're lost. It sounds dramatic, and it is dramatic it's your eternal life.
I watched a movie- well, sort of watched- I fast forward through some of the long drawn out parts and bits and pieces I wasn't interested in but it held enough of my attention for me to get the gist of it all. There is a poor young man who attends college and is befriended by a rich young man- who falls in love with him. The rich young man is really emotionally messed up and he takes the poor man home even though he keeps telling himself he shouldn't do that. So he takes him to his mansion and the poor man is understandably very impressed. The rich man introduces the poor man to his grandmother and then tries to hurry them on their way but not before giving into the poor man's desire to see a bit of the mansion- so he shows him the very ornate chapel and mentions his family- particularly his mother is very religious. Anyway, the movie goes on and the poor man sees the rich man's sister and falls in love with her. There can be no sort of relationship with her though because the poor man is an atheist and she has to marry one who believes like she does. Throughout the movie the make the overly religious mother seem as if her religion has ruined the lives of her children, that she is obsessive and such. I'm not going to go on and on about the movie, my point in mentioning it at all is the fact the mother is made out to be the *bad guy* who influences her children into either becoming like her *also bad* or turning from her religious ways and becoming better in the end, all things considered having had such a *moral* upbringing.
The mother was attacked for her faith. I'm not saying there aren't religious fanatics who stop following Christ's ways and go off and become extremists. The Pharisees were extremists. People can become oppressive and that's not how Jesus would have us be. Putting that aside, I think it's safe to say that having our faith attacked by people who are atheists, by people who don't understand how we can believe when we have seemingly no tangible proof, is something we have to expect. Everyday, any day, we have to expect people NOT to understand our faith.
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:
Our faith will be tried in many ways, in all ways. We have to understand that as fire burns, consumes, brings pain, our faith will be tried in painful, *REAL* ways!
Living by FAITH. Staying alive by FAITH. Our Spiritual life lives or dies on faith, not our carnal, fleshy life., our spiritual life.
No, you won't die instantly and be struck by lightening if you give up your faith.
Losing eternal life is a silent death.
No fanfare. No dirge music sounding to herald the demise of a spiritual life.
Spiritual wounds leave spiritual scars- invisible.
A spiritual death is unseen. A person's life will change when they die spiritually, but often because there are so many spiritually dead people it goes mostly unnoticed.
We live surrounded by the spiritually dead, the spiritually dying. Christ would have us bring hope to those who are spiritually dying and dead- because He can bring them back to life. We need to live our lives so that the spiritually wounded can find the spiritual salvation they need to have spiritual life.
We have to live by faith.
Live.
Our existence has to be a living faith in our Savior.
Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Live by faith, don't draw back, believe to the saving of our souls.
If we draw back, if we lose our faith we've lost everything that truly matters-- the spiritual.
May God bless us, keep us in Him by the grace of His Son, through His Son's righteousness forever through faith.
Amen.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Need of Patience
Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Need of patience. It's safe to say that we could all use a bit more patience. Okay, maybe not all of us, but most of us. It's a rare thing to ever hear of someone have too much patience. The impatient would readily say such a thing about those who have patience though, wouldn't they? Do you know anyone with a lot of patience? I do. My mother is a very patient woman. Do I have the same patience as she does, unfortunately no. I really have need of patience in all things.
As Christians we need to really cultivate patience because without it we are a lot less likely to hold on to our faith and without faith we are lost and guaranteed to not receive the promise.
Luk 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us
Run with patience; in your patience possess ye your souls.
The Christian walk isn't one that can be started and finished in a single day. It's a LIFE time walk, it's a walk we keep walking and if we are blessed enough to be alive when Christ comes we will continue that walk, that race, that run into eternity. If we are called to sleep before Christ comes, when we wake by the grace of our Savior it will be to enter right into the race heading to the finish line where we will live forever and ever with God, forever in love, His perfect, perfect love.
Is it any wonder we read this… IN YOUR PATIENCE POSSESS YE YOUR SOULS. Our life, our eternal life is in Christ and having patience through our lives for however many days, years, it might be, that we will have our reward in Christ, through Christ.
Heb 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Hab 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
In the scheme of eternity the entire 6000 some years of this world's existence is nothing….nothing. When you're faced with eternity-- years are nothing. When we measure our lives without eternity they can seem long. If you only have 72 years promised you then when you're young- say 20, that 72 years seems like a lot of years. When you're 65 years that 72 years seem like nothing. To say someone has lived to 100 years old is saying WOW that's a long, long life, and for us, it is. When we measure our time with 100 year spans, or 70 year spans as being long we break it down and our days can seem long, our weeks, our years, but in reality when we live in eternity- time here and now is NOTHING.
Is it any wonder we are told to have patience now as we wait for eternity? Is it any wonder it's necessary to have patience? We really need to tell ourselves as life gets us down and our problems seem to be long and drawn out… this is nothing compared to eternity, this will pass, eternity is without end. Any pain and yes, pain can vary from minor to excruciating, any pain will have it's end as we live for eternity. Heartaches, tears, agonies…they are all fleeting in eternity. No, I'm not trying to minimize anyone's pain or problems at all whatsoever, but to have the patience we need to possess our souls we have to look beyond our temporary existence. We have to- by the grace of our Savior- cultivate patience fit for eternity.
One more point...
Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
AFTER ye have done the WILL OF GOD. It's the will of God that we all be saved, that we all accept salvation through our Savior, our Lord, Jesus Christ. After we understand this, after we lay hold of our Savior's gift of salvation we have to have patience, we have to continue on after that acceptance.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord now and forever!
Amen.
Need of patience. It's safe to say that we could all use a bit more patience. Okay, maybe not all of us, but most of us. It's a rare thing to ever hear of someone have too much patience. The impatient would readily say such a thing about those who have patience though, wouldn't they? Do you know anyone with a lot of patience? I do. My mother is a very patient woman. Do I have the same patience as she does, unfortunately no. I really have need of patience in all things.
As Christians we need to really cultivate patience because without it we are a lot less likely to hold on to our faith and without faith we are lost and guaranteed to not receive the promise.
Luk 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us
Run with patience; in your patience possess ye your souls.
The Christian walk isn't one that can be started and finished in a single day. It's a LIFE time walk, it's a walk we keep walking and if we are blessed enough to be alive when Christ comes we will continue that walk, that race, that run into eternity. If we are called to sleep before Christ comes, when we wake by the grace of our Savior it will be to enter right into the race heading to the finish line where we will live forever and ever with God, forever in love, His perfect, perfect love.
Is it any wonder we read this… IN YOUR PATIENCE POSSESS YE YOUR SOULS. Our life, our eternal life is in Christ and having patience through our lives for however many days, years, it might be, that we will have our reward in Christ, through Christ.
Heb 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Hab 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
In the scheme of eternity the entire 6000 some years of this world's existence is nothing….nothing. When you're faced with eternity-- years are nothing. When we measure our lives without eternity they can seem long. If you only have 72 years promised you then when you're young- say 20, that 72 years seems like a lot of years. When you're 65 years that 72 years seem like nothing. To say someone has lived to 100 years old is saying WOW that's a long, long life, and for us, it is. When we measure our time with 100 year spans, or 70 year spans as being long we break it down and our days can seem long, our weeks, our years, but in reality when we live in eternity- time here and now is NOTHING.
Is it any wonder we are told to have patience now as we wait for eternity? Is it any wonder it's necessary to have patience? We really need to tell ourselves as life gets us down and our problems seem to be long and drawn out… this is nothing compared to eternity, this will pass, eternity is without end. Any pain and yes, pain can vary from minor to excruciating, any pain will have it's end as we live for eternity. Heartaches, tears, agonies…they are all fleeting in eternity. No, I'm not trying to minimize anyone's pain or problems at all whatsoever, but to have the patience we need to possess our souls we have to look beyond our temporary existence. We have to- by the grace of our Savior- cultivate patience fit for eternity.
One more point...
Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
AFTER ye have done the WILL OF GOD. It's the will of God that we all be saved, that we all accept salvation through our Savior, our Lord, Jesus Christ. After we understand this, after we lay hold of our Savior's gift of salvation we have to have patience, we have to continue on after that acceptance.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord now and forever!
Amen.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Grounded Faith
Confidence
CON'FIDENCE, n. [L. See Confide.]
1. A trusting, or reliance; an assurance of mind or firm belief in the integrity, stability or veracity of another, or in the truth and reality of a fact.
Heb 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
I know, I just wrote on confidence yesterday but I can't get it out of my mind for some reason.
Faith equals confidence
Belief equals confidence
Trust equals confidence
Assurance equals confidence
When we think of having faith we think this---
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is hope in what?
Faith is the evidence of what not seen?
Can we say the following and it be true?
Confidence is having hope in Christ.
Confidence is having evidence of Christ and eternal life- not yet seen.
Sometimes when we tell someone to have faith we don't equate it with confidence, but confidence just sounds more firm, doesn't it? Belief even sounds less sure. Yet belief is having confidence, firmly believing! We are to have confidence. Our belief has to be firm… grounded…
Col 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Grounded.
Bring grounded is as firm as it gets, isn't it? I remember my father asking me this when I first started driving…
If you're skidding on the road and have the choice between hitting a telephone pole or a tree which one would you choose?
I don't quite remember what I said, but he then told me- always choose the telephone pole because a tree has deep roots and when you hit it, it's not going anywhere. On the other hand a telephone pole has no roots and can be knocked over easily (of course he was talking about the old wooden telephone poles, I’m not sure about these new cement/metal ones they're putting up here in Florida.)
The point to my relating this story is probably obvious. Being grounded, having our spiritual roots deep means we won't be moved, our confidence won't be shaken. This is how our lives have to be lived! We have to be grounded in our faith, we have to have confidence in our beliefs, we cannot be shaken away from our Lord and Savior though the devil will try His hardest to do all he can to shake us until our faith shatters and we have no more confidence left in our Savior.
When we are told to be confident we are really being told to believe in ourselves. When someone tells us to be confident we need to have that mean in our hearts that they are reminding us to be confident in God, not ourselves, and God will provide all we need one way or another. I say one way or another because what we imagine our need to be and what is really our need can be two different things. God is thinking on the level of eternity. If suffering is our lot in life now in order for us to find our faith in God, or for others to find their faith in God - then we have to trust that it will be enough. We DON'T have to understand, we have to believe and that belief has to be in God and God alone.
Confidence- the word needs to mean in our heart- deep faith in God, faith grounded and rooted as deeply as it can go all by the grace and mercy of our Savior!
Amen.
CON'FIDENCE, n. [L. See Confide.]
1. A trusting, or reliance; an assurance of mind or firm belief in the integrity, stability or veracity of another, or in the truth and reality of a fact.
Heb 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
I know, I just wrote on confidence yesterday but I can't get it out of my mind for some reason.
Faith equals confidence
Belief equals confidence
Trust equals confidence
Assurance equals confidence
When we think of having faith we think this---
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is hope in what?
Faith is the evidence of what not seen?
Can we say the following and it be true?
Confidence is having hope in Christ.
Confidence is having evidence of Christ and eternal life- not yet seen.
Sometimes when we tell someone to have faith we don't equate it with confidence, but confidence just sounds more firm, doesn't it? Belief even sounds less sure. Yet belief is having confidence, firmly believing! We are to have confidence. Our belief has to be firm… grounded…
Col 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Grounded.
Bring grounded is as firm as it gets, isn't it? I remember my father asking me this when I first started driving…
If you're skidding on the road and have the choice between hitting a telephone pole or a tree which one would you choose?
I don't quite remember what I said, but he then told me- always choose the telephone pole because a tree has deep roots and when you hit it, it's not going anywhere. On the other hand a telephone pole has no roots and can be knocked over easily (of course he was talking about the old wooden telephone poles, I’m not sure about these new cement/metal ones they're putting up here in Florida.)
The point to my relating this story is probably obvious. Being grounded, having our spiritual roots deep means we won't be moved, our confidence won't be shaken. This is how our lives have to be lived! We have to be grounded in our faith, we have to have confidence in our beliefs, we cannot be shaken away from our Lord and Savior though the devil will try His hardest to do all he can to shake us until our faith shatters and we have no more confidence left in our Savior.
When we are told to be confident we are really being told to believe in ourselves. When someone tells us to be confident we need to have that mean in our hearts that they are reminding us to be confident in God, not ourselves, and God will provide all we need one way or another. I say one way or another because what we imagine our need to be and what is really our need can be two different things. God is thinking on the level of eternity. If suffering is our lot in life now in order for us to find our faith in God, or for others to find their faith in God - then we have to trust that it will be enough. We DON'T have to understand, we have to believe and that belief has to be in God and God alone.
Confidence- the word needs to mean in our heart- deep faith in God, faith grounded and rooted as deeply as it can go all by the grace and mercy of our Savior!
Amen.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Confidence!
Heb 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
Can you cast away your confidence? Yes. People do it all the time. You can cast it away when you let fear replace the confidence, when you let worry, when you let anxiety in any way interfere with your confidence. Having confidence means what?
Confidence
CON'FIDENCE, n. [L. See Confide.]
1. A trusting, or reliance; an assurance of mind or firm belief in the integrity, stability or veracity of another, or in the truth and reality of a fact.
2. Trust; reliance; applied to one's own abilities, or fortune; belief in one's own competency.
3. That in which trust is placed; ground of trust; he or that which supports.
4. Safety, or assurance of safety; security.
5. Boldness; courage.
6. Excessive boldness; assurance, proceeding from vanity or a false opinion of one's own abilities, or excellencies.
We can't trust in anyone- not even ourselves- we have to trust SOLELY in Christ. Our confidence has to be IN CHRIST- not in ourselves. The reward for the confidence we keep in Christ is eternal life. Having confidence in Christ is TRUSTING in Christ, relying on Christ, being assured by Christ, Christ is our all in all, He has to be! We cannot get any reward in and of ourselves in anything we do but trusting in Christ- that's it! When we trust in Christ it is everything.
Read some more verses on confidence--
Psa 65:5 By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:
God is the confidence of all the ends of the earth!
Psa 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Our confidence has to be in the LORD!
Psa 118:9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
Trust in the LORD!
Pro 3:26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
The LORD shall be our confidence!
Pro 14:26 In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
The LORD!
I love this--
Eph 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Eph 3:13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
Eph 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Eph 3:15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Heb 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
HOLD FAST the confidence and the rejoicing of the HOPE firm unto the end. Our hope is Christ!
Heb 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end
HOLD the beginning of our confidence stedfast to the end-- the beginning of our confidence is Christ! Salvation in Christ and Christ alone!
1Jn 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
Wonderful!
1Jn 3:19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
1Jn 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
1Jn 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
Confidence toward God- God is greater than our heart! Our hearts must be Christ's heart- He alone has the purest heart!
1Jn 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
1Jn 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
His will! Confidence in Him, according to HIS WILL! We don't have to understand but we have to believe, we have to have faith in our Savior- our Hope- our Confidence!
Heb 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
We cannot ever cast away our confidence in our Savior, NOT EVER! The reward is being with Christ forever and ever without end without sin.
What is our confidence? CHRIST! And we can NEVER CAST AWAY CHRIST, NEVER!!!
By HIS amazing grace!
By His amazing mercy!
By His LOVE!
Amen!
Can you cast away your confidence? Yes. People do it all the time. You can cast it away when you let fear replace the confidence, when you let worry, when you let anxiety in any way interfere with your confidence. Having confidence means what?
Confidence
CON'FIDENCE, n. [L. See Confide.]
1. A trusting, or reliance; an assurance of mind or firm belief in the integrity, stability or veracity of another, or in the truth and reality of a fact.
2. Trust; reliance; applied to one's own abilities, or fortune; belief in one's own competency.
3. That in which trust is placed; ground of trust; he or that which supports.
4. Safety, or assurance of safety; security.
5. Boldness; courage.
6. Excessive boldness; assurance, proceeding from vanity or a false opinion of one's own abilities, or excellencies.
We can't trust in anyone- not even ourselves- we have to trust SOLELY in Christ. Our confidence has to be IN CHRIST- not in ourselves. The reward for the confidence we keep in Christ is eternal life. Having confidence in Christ is TRUSTING in Christ, relying on Christ, being assured by Christ, Christ is our all in all, He has to be! We cannot get any reward in and of ourselves in anything we do but trusting in Christ- that's it! When we trust in Christ it is everything.
Read some more verses on confidence--
Psa 65:5 By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:
God is the confidence of all the ends of the earth!
Psa 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Our confidence has to be in the LORD!
Psa 118:9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
Trust in the LORD!
Pro 3:26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
The LORD shall be our confidence!
Pro 14:26 In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
The LORD!
I love this--
Eph 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Eph 3:13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
Eph 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Eph 3:15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Heb 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
HOLD FAST the confidence and the rejoicing of the HOPE firm unto the end. Our hope is Christ!
Heb 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end
HOLD the beginning of our confidence stedfast to the end-- the beginning of our confidence is Christ! Salvation in Christ and Christ alone!
1Jn 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
Wonderful!
1Jn 3:19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
1Jn 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
1Jn 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
Confidence toward God- God is greater than our heart! Our hearts must be Christ's heart- He alone has the purest heart!
1Jn 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
1Jn 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
His will! Confidence in Him, according to HIS WILL! We don't have to understand but we have to believe, we have to have faith in our Savior- our Hope- our Confidence!
Heb 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
We cannot ever cast away our confidence in our Savior, NOT EVER! The reward is being with Christ forever and ever without end without sin.
What is our confidence? CHRIST! And we can NEVER CAST AWAY CHRIST, NEVER!!!
By HIS amazing grace!
By His amazing mercy!
By His LOVE!
Amen!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Heaven Bound
Heb 10:32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
Heb 10:33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
Do you remember when you first came to the knowledge of Christ as your personal Savior? For most it is a memory worthy of personal celebration, isn't it? It should be. The first moments of realization that you are no longer condemned but there is hope for eternal life is something amazing. Because our lives vary so greatly it'd be hard to say that instantly afterwards our lives took a turn for the worse- at least in a worldly way. Some are born again in Christ under the loving influence of family members. Others are born again into salvation with like believers eager to surround them with their love. Still others aren't quite so lucky, they have the experience of joyous conversion and then shortly thereafter are thrust into a life surrounded by people who ridicule them for their faith. On a completely opposite end of the spectrum some embrace their Savior's promise and are instantly facing a life of torture for their beliefs.
When we read these verses people were living in a time when Christianity was new and rejected by the majority. There was no- do as you please as long as you don't bother me. Professing Christianity was a reason for death. It's like that even today in some countries- really- it is! Look up Christian persecution on Google and see what it brings up.
Here's a few examples-
China threatened by Christian meeting
China is not allowing Christians to attend the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism in South Africa as officials claim their attendance to the mission-minded gathering is a "threat to national security."
More than 230 Chinese Christian leaders were invited, mostly through the underground church movement, to the conference, but they were stopped one-by-one at airports in China and turned away. Some were placed in detention, but ChinaAid founder Bob Fu says his information indicates a handful were able to go.
"The Chinese government [is] basically saying that the Chinese church should not participate as long as they are not under the total control of the Chinese government," Fu laments.
Pasted from
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NEWS ALERT: Iran Releases Pastor's Wife as Husband Faces Execution
Posted on: 2010-10-18 02:00:30
By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
TEHRAN, IRAN (Worthy News)-- The wife of a prominent evangelical pastor in Iran was free Monday, October 18, after four months of detention, but her husband still faced the death penalty for abandoning Islam, the Church of Iransaid.
Fatemeh Passandideh, the wife of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, was released October 11 by a court in Gilan province,in northern Iran, an official linked to the Church of Iran told Worthy News and its news partner BosNewsLife.
"The release of Fatemeh Passandideh comes ten days after the announcement of the death sentence for her husbandPastor Youcef Nadarkhani," he said, speaking on earlier agreed conditions of anonymity, amid security concerns.
Pastor Nadarkhani was convicted of "apostasy", or leaving Islam, last month by the 11th Chamber of the Assize Court of theprovince of Gilan. The pastor's attorney is expected to file an appeal against the ruling after he reportedly found"serious procedural flaws" in the case.
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Ethiopian Muslims Burn Down Christian Homes, Farms
Posted on: 2010-09-30 02:52:08
by George Whitten
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Worthy News)-- Twenty-five Muslims burned down ten Christian homes, leaving eighty Christians homeless in Ethiopia, a Washington-based rights' group said Thursday, September 30.
International Christian Concern (ICC) said on July 15 at 8 PM local time, attackers who were led by a local government militia, destroyed the homes in the Goda district of Jimma, Ethiopia. They also set fire to their barns, killing their animals and destroying their harvest.
"The assailants asked the Christians to leave their homes and told them, 'We will show you what we are going to do to your homes, and if you inform this to anyone we will burn you the way we burn your homes.' Then they set the Christian homes on fire and began celebrating by singing near the burned homes," ICC quoted a Christian leader, who apparently spoke anonymously due to security concerns.
The attackers then prevented the victims from leaving the village for 16 days. Finally, one of the Christians managed to escape and report the attacks to district officials after walking for 16 hours. The police temporarily arrested the person who led the attack and a local official. However, they were later released on bail.
The Muslims have prevented the Christians from rebuilding their homes and the Christians now live under trees.
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8 Christians Captured, Forced to Return to Buddhism in Bangladesh
Posted on: 2010-09-24 02:14:14
by Joseph DeCaro
CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (Worthy News) -- Buddhist extremists held eight Chakma Christians for four days in order to force them to return to Buddhism.
The Buddhists held a pastor, a church secretary, a village leader and five members from a Baptist church in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The captives were all forced to wear Buddhist robes, shave their heads, bow down before a statue of Buddha and clean the temple; they were also threatened with beatings and even death if they tried to escape.
Detained Aug. 23, they were initially told they would be confined to the temple for one to two weeks, but after four days the Chrsitian captives were released provided they remained Buddhist.
"They are not allowed to pray to Jesus, nor read Bibles, but they say they are still Christian in their hearts," said Josette Lindem, who added that 10 new Chakma churches formed with about 300 Chakmas professing their faith in Jesus. However, persecution of Chakma believers soon increased.
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These are JUST A FEW articles on Christian persecution today in our world. Christian persecution DID NOT end with modernization, with civilization's advancement. Christian persecution might not be something people in democratic societies face but that doesn't mean it's stopped existing altogether- it hasn't and it won't- ever. So reading these verses of Christian persecution is very relevant to us all.
Heb 10:32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
Heb 10:33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
Do we know this? Do we have this experience in our lives? Or is this something we need to use our imagination to capture for us?
Have YOU ever been made a gazingstock for you faith? Have you ever faced reproach and afflictions for your faith? Have you ever been put into bonds for your faith? Have your goods been spoiled because you believe in Christ? Most likely you'll be able to answer no to most of these questions. Most likely if you can answer yes, the things you endured were miniscule compared to what others are suffering or have suffered at the hands of those who would rather see Christian's dead than suffer them to live. No matter the form or the intensity of Christian persecution we've faced or others face we ALL need to take this advice--
Heb 10:34 '...knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.'
We have in heaven a BETTER and ENDURING SUBSTANCE!
Here we do not have anything! We don't! We kid ourselves when we think we have good things and become content in those good things knowing somewhere in the back of our minds that all the good things here on earth can be stripped from us in a moment. Yet we allow ourselves to take comfort in our things, in our life the way it is, in our family around us, in our marriages, in our free time we use to do things that bring us pleasure and comfort, relaxation. We hold onto our lives as if they are the greatest treasure and is it no wonder when our lives are shattered that we are sometimes willing to blame God for it and turn from Him? Where are we supposed to be focused? Where is our mind supposed to be turned? Where??????? On the next trip to the store to gather our goods- whatever they might be? On a visit to our friends or family where we can chat and visit? On tomorrow's existence continuing to be on an even keel without sickness or hurt? Where?
IN ALL WE DO, yes, I'm shouting, IN ALL WE DO we need to have our minds on HEAVEN FIRST AND FOREMOST. Is it any wonder we are to pray… 'THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN'? Is it any wonder Jesus prayed… 'Luk 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. ' We have to be heaven focused. When we wake up in the morning we need to focus our minds heavenward, to our heavenly reward. We need to pray to have a constant desire for the heavenly over the earthly. We need to pray that we are focused heavenward. We need to pray God's will be done and mean it. We need to pray for acceptance that our earthly life might be a life of torture and pain, heartache and ruin, but our heavenly life is safe in our Savior, a life He promises to us that when He comes again we will go with Him to heaven. We will suffer here on earth, we will. And even if we are flowing in earthly riches, earthly treasures; even if we have the love and respect of all those around us, we have to realize it all is nothing compared to our heavenly rewards. The heavenly… in heaven we have a better and an enduring substance.
Let us remember by the grace and mercy of our Savior we live with hope in Him for a NEW life, a life that is heaven bound.
In His love!
Amen!
Heb 10:33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
Do you remember when you first came to the knowledge of Christ as your personal Savior? For most it is a memory worthy of personal celebration, isn't it? It should be. The first moments of realization that you are no longer condemned but there is hope for eternal life is something amazing. Because our lives vary so greatly it'd be hard to say that instantly afterwards our lives took a turn for the worse- at least in a worldly way. Some are born again in Christ under the loving influence of family members. Others are born again into salvation with like believers eager to surround them with their love. Still others aren't quite so lucky, they have the experience of joyous conversion and then shortly thereafter are thrust into a life surrounded by people who ridicule them for their faith. On a completely opposite end of the spectrum some embrace their Savior's promise and are instantly facing a life of torture for their beliefs.
When we read these verses people were living in a time when Christianity was new and rejected by the majority. There was no- do as you please as long as you don't bother me. Professing Christianity was a reason for death. It's like that even today in some countries- really- it is! Look up Christian persecution on Google and see what it brings up.
Here's a few examples-
China threatened by Christian meeting
China is not allowing Christians to attend the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism in South Africa as officials claim their attendance to the mission-minded gathering is a "threat to national security."
More than 230 Chinese Christian leaders were invited, mostly through the underground church movement, to the conference, but they were stopped one-by-one at airports in China and turned away. Some were placed in detention, but ChinaAid founder Bob Fu says his information indicates a handful were able to go.
"The Chinese government [is] basically saying that the Chinese church should not participate as long as they are not under the total control of the Chinese government," Fu laments.
Pasted from
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NEWS ALERT: Iran Releases Pastor's Wife as Husband Faces Execution
Posted on: 2010-10-18 02:00:30
By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
TEHRAN, IRAN (Worthy News)-- The wife of a prominent evangelical pastor in Iran was free Monday, October 18, after four months of detention, but her husband still faced the death penalty for abandoning Islam, the Church of Iransaid.
Fatemeh Passandideh, the wife of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, was released October 11 by a court in Gilan province,in northern Iran, an official linked to the Church of Iran told Worthy News and its news partner BosNewsLife.
"The release of Fatemeh Passandideh comes ten days after the announcement of the death sentence for her husbandPastor Youcef Nadarkhani," he said, speaking on earlier agreed conditions of anonymity, amid security concerns.
Pastor Nadarkhani was convicted of "apostasy", or leaving Islam, last month by the 11th Chamber of the Assize Court of theprovince of Gilan. The pastor's attorney is expected to file an appeal against the ruling after he reportedly found"serious procedural flaws" in the case.
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Ethiopian Muslims Burn Down Christian Homes, Farms
Posted on: 2010-09-30 02:52:08
by George Whitten
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Worthy News)-- Twenty-five Muslims burned down ten Christian homes, leaving eighty Christians homeless in Ethiopia, a Washington-based rights' group said Thursday, September 30.
International Christian Concern (ICC) said on July 15 at 8 PM local time, attackers who were led by a local government militia, destroyed the homes in the Goda district of Jimma, Ethiopia. They also set fire to their barns, killing their animals and destroying their harvest.
"The assailants asked the Christians to leave their homes and told them, 'We will show you what we are going to do to your homes, and if you inform this to anyone we will burn you the way we burn your homes.' Then they set the Christian homes on fire and began celebrating by singing near the burned homes," ICC quoted a Christian leader, who apparently spoke anonymously due to security concerns.
The attackers then prevented the victims from leaving the village for 16 days. Finally, one of the Christians managed to escape and report the attacks to district officials after walking for 16 hours. The police temporarily arrested the person who led the attack and a local official. However, they were later released on bail.
The Muslims have prevented the Christians from rebuilding their homes and the Christians now live under trees.
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8 Christians Captured, Forced to Return to Buddhism in Bangladesh
Posted on: 2010-09-24 02:14:14
by Joseph DeCaro
CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (Worthy News) -- Buddhist extremists held eight Chakma Christians for four days in order to force them to return to Buddhism.
The Buddhists held a pastor, a church secretary, a village leader and five members from a Baptist church in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The captives were all forced to wear Buddhist robes, shave their heads, bow down before a statue of Buddha and clean the temple; they were also threatened with beatings and even death if they tried to escape.
Detained Aug. 23, they were initially told they would be confined to the temple for one to two weeks, but after four days the Chrsitian captives were released provided they remained Buddhist.
"They are not allowed to pray to Jesus, nor read Bibles, but they say they are still Christian in their hearts," said Josette Lindem, who added that 10 new Chakma churches formed with about 300 Chakmas professing their faith in Jesus. However, persecution of Chakma believers soon increased.
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*
These are JUST A FEW articles on Christian persecution today in our world. Christian persecution DID NOT end with modernization, with civilization's advancement. Christian persecution might not be something people in democratic societies face but that doesn't mean it's stopped existing altogether- it hasn't and it won't- ever. So reading these verses of Christian persecution is very relevant to us all.
Heb 10:32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
Heb 10:33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
Do we know this? Do we have this experience in our lives? Or is this something we need to use our imagination to capture for us?
Have YOU ever been made a gazingstock for you faith? Have you ever faced reproach and afflictions for your faith? Have you ever been put into bonds for your faith? Have your goods been spoiled because you believe in Christ? Most likely you'll be able to answer no to most of these questions. Most likely if you can answer yes, the things you endured were miniscule compared to what others are suffering or have suffered at the hands of those who would rather see Christian's dead than suffer them to live. No matter the form or the intensity of Christian persecution we've faced or others face we ALL need to take this advice--
Heb 10:34 '...knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.'
We have in heaven a BETTER and ENDURING SUBSTANCE!
Here we do not have anything! We don't! We kid ourselves when we think we have good things and become content in those good things knowing somewhere in the back of our minds that all the good things here on earth can be stripped from us in a moment. Yet we allow ourselves to take comfort in our things, in our life the way it is, in our family around us, in our marriages, in our free time we use to do things that bring us pleasure and comfort, relaxation. We hold onto our lives as if they are the greatest treasure and is it no wonder when our lives are shattered that we are sometimes willing to blame God for it and turn from Him? Where are we supposed to be focused? Where is our mind supposed to be turned? Where??????? On the next trip to the store to gather our goods- whatever they might be? On a visit to our friends or family where we can chat and visit? On tomorrow's existence continuing to be on an even keel without sickness or hurt? Where?
IN ALL WE DO, yes, I'm shouting, IN ALL WE DO we need to have our minds on HEAVEN FIRST AND FOREMOST. Is it any wonder we are to pray… 'THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN'? Is it any wonder Jesus prayed… 'Luk 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. ' We have to be heaven focused. When we wake up in the morning we need to focus our minds heavenward, to our heavenly reward. We need to pray to have a constant desire for the heavenly over the earthly. We need to pray that we are focused heavenward. We need to pray God's will be done and mean it. We need to pray for acceptance that our earthly life might be a life of torture and pain, heartache and ruin, but our heavenly life is safe in our Savior, a life He promises to us that when He comes again we will go with Him to heaven. We will suffer here on earth, we will. And even if we are flowing in earthly riches, earthly treasures; even if we have the love and respect of all those around us, we have to realize it all is nothing compared to our heavenly rewards. The heavenly… in heaven we have a better and an enduring substance.
Let us remember by the grace and mercy of our Savior we live with hope in Him for a NEW life, a life that is heaven bound.
In His love!
Amen!
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