Hebrews 11 "11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
2 For by it the men of old gained approval.
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.
5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;
10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.
13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.
15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not [m]ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;
18 it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.”
19 He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.
27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.
28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.
29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.
32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,
33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;
36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated
38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.
39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,
40 because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect."
Saturday, April 15, 2017
The Holy Spirit Teaches Us
Worship is not what we have seen most of our lives.
There are many people worshiping other people, clamoring to know those people, reading all their writings, fawning over them in the gathering while elevating them more than they elevate Christ.
When we pretend that any person is worthy of continual praise, we are worshiping that person. When we cannot see anything but what we think is the good in someone, that person is the object of our worship.
Only God the Father and Jesus Christ deserve this kind of adulation.
Sadly so many people spend more time talking about their favorite writers, their human heroes, than they speak about Christ and His Word.
There are many people I have met who will not listen to those who are not degreed, they believe that no one can know the truth of God's word if they have not been formally trained in seminaries and Bible colleges. They arrogantly give titles to these "ordained by men", calling them "Pastor" with a capitol P when God never gave anyone a title. The word pastor describes a calling not a position or title. Many men in one gathering can be a pastor as led by God not ordained of man.
God clearly said that EVERY believer has the Holy Spirit and that no one who has Him, need to have a teacher. What teacher could be greater than the author of the Bible, Jesus Christ Who lives in us.
Could it be that most Christians today do not have the faith to believe Christ when He said the following?
1 John 2:27-28 " 27 And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught. 28 And now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.…"
I was once told I could not know the truths of the Bible because I had not gone to seminary. I laughed a little and asked the question; "Oh, you mean the Holy Spirit only goes to seminary?"
How silly to think that the Holy Spirit only hangs out in Seminaries or Bible colleges. Did you know that when Christ was on earth He never established one Bible college or seminary? The Holy Spirit dwells in every born again believer, not in a seminary or Bible College.
Yes, that's right, not once did He command or instruct His apostles to establish these institutions. They began by men with good intentions but slowly over time those that ran these places began to place their trust in the instructors they chose rather than Christ.
None of the Apostles were taught by anyone but Christ in the beginning, perhaps we should return to the first century church way of operating. When those men who are filled with the Spirit, called by Christ do the teaching and each other man evaluate and interject as necessary, also filled with the Holy Spirit, that no one man or group of men have more authority than any other man.
Women are gifted too, since the Holy Spirit dwells in them as well as the men, we too have gifts that God gave to us to use. We are not to lead over men in the gathering, but we can interject into conversations, witness to unbelievers and teach women and children, as well as individual men such as was the case with Timothy, having been instructed by His mother and grandmother.
2 Timothy 1:5 " 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced is in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.…"
Timothy's father was a Greek and did not believe but his mother and grandmother did and so they taught him as a young man.
Acts 16:1-3 "1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: 2 Which was well reported of by the brothers that were at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek."
The gist of this matter is, it's time that the church stop placing their trust in titles, degrees and human training and begin to trust in the Holy Spirit that lives in every believer.
There are many people worshiping other people, clamoring to know those people, reading all their writings, fawning over them in the gathering while elevating them more than they elevate Christ.
When we pretend that any person is worthy of continual praise, we are worshiping that person. When we cannot see anything but what we think is the good in someone, that person is the object of our worship.
Only God the Father and Jesus Christ deserve this kind of adulation.
Sadly so many people spend more time talking about their favorite writers, their human heroes, than they speak about Christ and His Word.
There are many people I have met who will not listen to those who are not degreed, they believe that no one can know the truth of God's word if they have not been formally trained in seminaries and Bible colleges. They arrogantly give titles to these "ordained by men", calling them "Pastor" with a capitol P when God never gave anyone a title. The word pastor describes a calling not a position or title. Many men in one gathering can be a pastor as led by God not ordained of man.
God clearly said that EVERY believer has the Holy Spirit and that no one who has Him, need to have a teacher. What teacher could be greater than the author of the Bible, Jesus Christ Who lives in us.
Could it be that most Christians today do not have the faith to believe Christ when He said the following?
1 John 2:27-28 " 27 And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught. 28 And now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.…"
I was once told I could not know the truths of the Bible because I had not gone to seminary. I laughed a little and asked the question; "Oh, you mean the Holy Spirit only goes to seminary?"
How silly to think that the Holy Spirit only hangs out in Seminaries or Bible colleges. Did you know that when Christ was on earth He never established one Bible college or seminary? The Holy Spirit dwells in every born again believer, not in a seminary or Bible College.
Yes, that's right, not once did He command or instruct His apostles to establish these institutions. They began by men with good intentions but slowly over time those that ran these places began to place their trust in the instructors they chose rather than Christ.
None of the Apostles were taught by anyone but Christ in the beginning, perhaps we should return to the first century church way of operating. When those men who are filled with the Spirit, called by Christ do the teaching and each other man evaluate and interject as necessary, also filled with the Holy Spirit, that no one man or group of men have more authority than any other man.
Women are gifted too, since the Holy Spirit dwells in them as well as the men, we too have gifts that God gave to us to use. We are not to lead over men in the gathering, but we can interject into conversations, witness to unbelievers and teach women and children, as well as individual men such as was the case with Timothy, having been instructed by His mother and grandmother.
2 Timothy 1:5 " 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced is in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.…"
Timothy's father was a Greek and did not believe but his mother and grandmother did and so they taught him as a young man.
Acts 16:1-3 "1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: 2 Which was well reported of by the brothers that were at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek."
The gist of this matter is, it's time that the church stop placing their trust in titles, degrees and human training and begin to trust in the Holy Spirit that lives in every believer.
Not What You Think
Continually I hear many excuses to justify sin in the church. The worst of all is the continual twisting of Scripture to make the Bible fit with whatever the reader wants to believe.
If I ever hear again the phrase, "what does that verse mean to you", it will be too soon.
We are not to read the Bible to make it say what comes to our mind. We are to read the Bible to find out the mind of Christ, if we don't understand something then we should go to prayer and ask God to show us.
1 Corinthians 2:15-16 "…15 The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment. 16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ."
If I ever hear again the phrase, "what does that verse mean to you", it will be too soon.
We are not to read the Bible to make it say what comes to our mind. We are to read the Bible to find out the mind of Christ, if we don't understand something then we should go to prayer and ask God to show us.
1 Corinthians 2:15-16 "…15 The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment. 16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ."
Emotions do not equal Weakness
Tears are not a sign of weakness, Christ was strong but He shed tears. Tears are God's stress release.
Psalm 56:8
"8 You have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle.
Are they not in Your book?"
God does not count grief or tears as weakness. Those who judge a person as weak because of their tears are the ones who are too weak to admit they have griefs to bear.
A strong person can admit when they are wrong, when they hurt, when they grieve, when they are happy, when they have joy. It is Christ's strength in us that sustains us.
To refuse to admit weakness is to miss the blessing and deny the working of the Holy Spirit in us. When we admit our weakness we are declaring Christ's power to sustain us. He gets all the glory.
A weak and prideful person cannot admit to anything, their pretense of false strength shows their inability to enjoy truth in all it's forms.
Isaiah 40:29 "29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."
Psalm 119:28 "28 My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word."
Isaiah 40:31 "31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
"9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Psalm 56:8
"8 You have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle.
Are they not in Your book?"
God does not count grief or tears as weakness. Those who judge a person as weak because of their tears are the ones who are too weak to admit they have griefs to bear.
A strong person can admit when they are wrong, when they hurt, when they grieve, when they are happy, when they have joy. It is Christ's strength in us that sustains us.
To refuse to admit weakness is to miss the blessing and deny the working of the Holy Spirit in us. When we admit our weakness we are declaring Christ's power to sustain us. He gets all the glory.
A weak and prideful person cannot admit to anything, their pretense of false strength shows their inability to enjoy truth in all it's forms.
Isaiah 40:29 "29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."
Psalm 119:28 "28 My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word."
Isaiah 40:31 "31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
"9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Maturing is not Automatic
It is sad to notice that many people in their 70's are still acting and responding the way they did when they were 17, as though they are stuck in a time warp.
This is what happens when we are not growing in Christ. Whatever flaws we had at 15 years of age are still there and enhanced.
Why are they often enhance? My observation is that when we get older we no longer are as concerned about our appearances as a 15 year old.
A teenager tends to hide a little for the sake of being accepted, but the elderly who have remained infantile do not hide anything anymore, they have no need to impress anyone so they hang it all out there without any expectations.
Proverbs 14:6-8 "…6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none, But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding. 7 Leave the presence of a fool, Or you will not discern words of knowledge. 8 The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, But the foolishness of fools is deceit.…"
Do we want to be wise and mature as we grow older? The way to do that is to seek Christ, obey His Word, confess our flaws as they are revealed, while continuing to give Him the glory for our progress, without Him, we would remain foolish.
This is what happens when we are not growing in Christ. Whatever flaws we had at 15 years of age are still there and enhanced.
Why are they often enhance? My observation is that when we get older we no longer are as concerned about our appearances as a 15 year old.
A teenager tends to hide a little for the sake of being accepted, but the elderly who have remained infantile do not hide anything anymore, they have no need to impress anyone so they hang it all out there without any expectations.
Proverbs 14:6-8 "…6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none, But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding. 7 Leave the presence of a fool, Or you will not discern words of knowledge. 8 The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, But the foolishness of fools is deceit.…"
Do we want to be wise and mature as we grow older? The way to do that is to seek Christ, obey His Word, confess our flaws as they are revealed, while continuing to give Him the glory for our progress, without Him, we would remain foolish.
Appearing or Being, That is the Question
Matthew 20:15-16 "…15 Do I not have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Our human minds have a tendency to elevate ourselves above what is reality. Mankind, since Eve in the garden, has always had a propensity for self aggrandizement.
When we have an elevated view of our own importance or accomplishments, it is likely that we cannot progress or grow spiritually or emotionally.
It is only when we see ourselves in truth, while admitting the flaws that we can progress in life changes.
Why would we focus on only the good in ourselves, that needs no fixing, we should be focused on that which needs improvement.
This summer, in a few weeks, we are going to paint the outside of the buildings on our property, they are looking shabby and in need of sprucing. Why would we ever say, "let's not paint, instead lets look at the spots that are still alright so we feel better." That would be silly, we notice the shabby because it is in need of repair, then when it is all fixed up we can enjoy the beauty of it all.
As fallen and prideful human beings we are always in need of repair. Christ lives in us not to praise us all the time so we can be full of self esteem, but rather to redirect our thinking, our deeds and our goals to match His mind.
If we are walking with the Lord, seeking Him for everything in our lives we will find ourselves growing and changing continually. God begins the cleansing process when we become born again and continues that until He takes us Home. We can be pleased and excited every time the Lord does a work in us. Those who refuse to look at themselves in truth miss that maturity and blessing.
1 John 1:9
"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
He will only cleanse us as we confess, God never forces anyone. Our rewards in heaven will be according to how we obeyed and honored Him in our lives.
Ephesians 2:10 "10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life."
When we become stubborn as His children, He disciplines us to bring us back into obedience to Him.
Impressing others with what we think is our greatness, is going to be a terrible embarrassment at the final judgment. All our sins and all our phony good deeds will be exposed for what they are, for all to see.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, or lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
The final question! Are we more interested in being "seen" as godly, than we are in actually "being" so?
Our human minds have a tendency to elevate ourselves above what is reality. Mankind, since Eve in the garden, has always had a propensity for self aggrandizement.
When we have an elevated view of our own importance or accomplishments, it is likely that we cannot progress or grow spiritually or emotionally.
It is only when we see ourselves in truth, while admitting the flaws that we can progress in life changes.
Why would we focus on only the good in ourselves, that needs no fixing, we should be focused on that which needs improvement.
This summer, in a few weeks, we are going to paint the outside of the buildings on our property, they are looking shabby and in need of sprucing. Why would we ever say, "let's not paint, instead lets look at the spots that are still alright so we feel better." That would be silly, we notice the shabby because it is in need of repair, then when it is all fixed up we can enjoy the beauty of it all.
As fallen and prideful human beings we are always in need of repair. Christ lives in us not to praise us all the time so we can be full of self esteem, but rather to redirect our thinking, our deeds and our goals to match His mind.
If we are walking with the Lord, seeking Him for everything in our lives we will find ourselves growing and changing continually. God begins the cleansing process when we become born again and continues that until He takes us Home. We can be pleased and excited every time the Lord does a work in us. Those who refuse to look at themselves in truth miss that maturity and blessing.
1 John 1:9
"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
He will only cleanse us as we confess, God never forces anyone. Our rewards in heaven will be according to how we obeyed and honored Him in our lives.
Ephesians 2:10 "10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life."
When we become stubborn as His children, He disciplines us to bring us back into obedience to Him.
Impressing others with what we think is our greatness, is going to be a terrible embarrassment at the final judgment. All our sins and all our phony good deeds will be exposed for what they are, for all to see.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, or lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
The final question! Are we more interested in being "seen" as godly, than we are in actually "being" so?
A Fool for Christ
December 3, 2015
When in discussion with people at length and most everything that comes up is of this world whether good or bad, we have an idea what we are dealing with.
Those who love the Lord can only talk about superficial matters a little while then everything said is interpreted in terms of God's principles and His character.
WE can't help but bring up the Lord, in everything. It is interesting to watch, so many are enthralled with a discussion about food and clothing, but as soon as the Bible is quoted the room goes silent, the looks are embarrassment, as soon as we are through the discussion returns to the superficial mundane and insignificant matters of life.
1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!"
A believer who thinks about the Lord continually, is one who will have to speak about Him, we think and speak about Him almost as often as we take a breath, that's why others call us fanatics or obsessed. Guilty I am a fanatic for Christ and I am obsessed with Him and His principles.
Matthew 22:37 "And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'"
When in discussion with people at length and most everything that comes up is of this world whether good or bad, we have an idea what we are dealing with.
Those who love the Lord can only talk about superficial matters a little while then everything said is interpreted in terms of God's principles and His character.
WE can't help but bring up the Lord, in everything. It is interesting to watch, so many are enthralled with a discussion about food and clothing, but as soon as the Bible is quoted the room goes silent, the looks are embarrassment, as soon as we are through the discussion returns to the superficial mundane and insignificant matters of life.
1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!"
A believer who thinks about the Lord continually, is one who will have to speak about Him, we think and speak about Him almost as often as we take a breath, that's why others call us fanatics or obsessed. Guilty I am a fanatic for Christ and I am obsessed with Him and His principles.
Matthew 22:37 "And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'"
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