Without Faith It is Impossible to Please God

 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him. Hebrews 11:6, HCSB

Recently I had the pleasure of hearing a young man in our church give a sermon on faith. He said faith requires three things: acceptance, trials, and endurance. This prompted me to devote some time to the study of faith.  Through this I gained new insights and reaffirmed others.

As children of Adam we are all born with a sinful nature. We have nothing to offer in and of ourselves alone; nothing with which to commend ourselves to the perfect Creator. In fact, Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is deceitful above all else. But through the infinite mercy of our loving God we are offered an unspeakable gift—an opportunity for redemption through Jesus Christ.

Jesus said no man comes to Him unless the Father draws, leads, or brings him, John 6:44. The Apostle Paul also reminds us of this in Ephesians 2:8 when he says we are saved through grace, by faith—it is a gift of God. Again, we do nothing on our own merit for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23.

If we do accept this wonderful gift the spiritual journey has just begun. Unfortunately, too many are satisfied with their status of “babes” in Christ. They not only fail to increase in faith but also never make any progress toward spiritual maturity.

On the other hand, if we are truly interested in growing our faith we will look to God’s word, the Bible. Paul said that faith comes from what is heard and what is heard comes through the message about Christ, Romans 10:17. Therefore, we must be in the Word.

Pray is an important element in growing in faith and spiritual maturity. We get to know others through communication and we communicate to God through prayer. Looking to the Bible we can find many examples that point to the importance of prayer. Luke 11:1 is only one of the many examples in the Bible that shows us the importance of prayer. Jesus lead by example and His devotion to prayer did not go unnoticed by those around Him. One day as Jesus finished praying, His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray just as John the Baptist had taught his disciples to pray.

Certainly obedience is an important factor in spiritual growth. Obedience is not optional, it is a requirement. In obedience we step out of our comfort zone in faith and we are rewarded with even deeper faith as we watch how God works on our behalf.

However, through obedience we will often suffer trials--trials which we must learn to embrace. Our trials serve to exercise our faith; trials refine us—mold us, shape us. James tells us the trials we endure mature us and make us complete and lacking nothing, James 1:2-4. Trials help us to become firmly rooted in Christ and established in the faith, Colossians 2:7. It is through the process of spiritual maturity that we grow into the likeness of Christ, Galatians 3:27.

What is the result of and goal of our faith? The Apostle Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:3-9 the goal of our faith is the salvation of our souls and the benefits we enjoy are that we have a living hope; an imperishable inheritance; we are protected by God’s power and we have inexpressible joy.

Don’t wait to enjoy all the blessings God has in store for you. Ask God to help you in your walk of faith. He rewards those who seek Him and He yearns to give you an abundant life now. Begin now—worship intentionally—live expectantly as you passionately pursue the Lord’s will in all things!

God Bless!

If You Only Believe

 Therefore, I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for—believe that you have received them, and you will have them. Mark 11:24, HCSB

During the last week before the crucifixion Jesus and His disciples were passing through the town of Bethany. Jesus, being hungry, saw a fig tree and went to see if there were any figs on it. Finding none, Jesus cursed the fig tree saying that no one would ever eat of it again.

The next day, when passing the fig tree again, the disciples were amazed to find the fig tree already withered. Jesus tells them (in point of fact, He assures them) that anyone who has faith in God and does not doubt can indeed move mountains.

Jesus goes on to say that when we pray and ask for something, our faith should be such that we believe we have already received that for which we asked. This is the power of effective prayer.

Concerning effective prayer, 1 John 5:14-15, HCSB, says: “Now this is the confidence we have before Him: whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.

James 1:5-6, speaking of praying for wisdom, tells us we are to ask in faith without doubting. Our confidence, our faith, our strength, our power, our ability to ask believing that we have already received comes through the power of God in Christ Jesus. It is not just that we exercise faith but it is that our faith is in our Sovereign God.

As humans, our minds and our strength are so limited.  But don’t despair for we have an infinitely powerful God. We don’t have to depend upon and should not depend upon our own limited resources. As Christians, the Spirit of Almighty God lives within us and that is all the power we need—the same power that raised Christ from the dead, Romans 8:11.

And that is why when we pray in faith to God, without doubting, we can ask and believe that our request has already been granted. May God Richly Bless You!

Forever Active

"Do not lack diligence; be fervent in Spirit; serve the Lord." Romans 12:11, HCSB

Are you waiting for others to do the job God has called you to do? And if no one steps up to do that job, do you simply walk away, without regret, leaving the job undone?

Years ago I heard a pastor say something like this, “Perhaps your gift is just filling a pew each and every Sunday.” May I respectfully, disagree with this notion? For I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt the Bible teaches we are to be active, not passive, in God’s service.

Now make no mistake, the Bible does indeed say we are to meet together as Christians and encourage one another, Hebrews 10:25. But I have never read anything in the Bible that indicates a Spiritual gift is passive. Everything I read in the Bible indicates we are to be active, in fact, forever active, in the Lord’s service. (Even when God named Himself, “I AM”, He used active voice! –Exodus 3:14)

In calling His disciples Jesus said, “Follow Me.” In the telling of the parable of the large banquet Jesus said to go out and make [compel] them to come in, Luke 14:16-23. The Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20 can be easily summed up in two words: GO and DO.

As Christians, we are to grow more and more like Christ. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:15, we are to grow in every way into Him—Christ.  This goal can only be achieved through activity.

It also follows that retirement is not an option. We are to serve until death. Just think of how old the Apostle John must have been when he received and wrote down the Revelation, not to mention the ages of the patriarchs of the Old Testament.

Commit yourself to being forever active for the cause of Christ and His Kingdom. Don’t walk away from the work (and blessings) God has designed especially for you.

“To Him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His blood,” Revelation 1:5, HCSB. AMEN!

God Bless!

The True One

 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true One. We are in the true One—that is, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20, HCSB

Throughout my life I have used food to comfort me when I’m upset, anxious, etc. My lack of self-control over food has wreaked havoc with my weight but the real problem, as a Christian, is much bigger.

I have abused my body with poor food choices and lack of exercise and that is sin because of the harm it has caused my physical body—I am not my own, I’ve been bought with a price and therefore I am a temple of the Holy Spirit who lives within me, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. But most important is the fact that anything we choose over God is sin, Exodus 20:3. Anytime we choose to replace God with something else or someone else we are elevating that thing or person to idol-status in our lives.

In my case, I have sought comfort and solace in food instead of seeking comfort and solace in the Lord. The truth is a harsh one for me but through the power of the Holy Spirit, the problem can be conquered, Romans 8:37. (Recommended Reading: “Made to Crave; Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food,” Lysa Terkeurst, Zondervan, 2010)

The Apostle Paul wrote of glorifying God in both body and spirit in 1 Corinthians 6:12-13, HCSB, when he said, “Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be brought under the control of anything. “Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods,” but God will do away with both of them.

“Everything is permissible for me,” and “foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods” were apparently popular notions of the day. Paul corrects this thinking by adding that just because things are permitted does not mean they are beneficial and further anything that controls you is not helpful—the word “addiction” should leap to your mind. Paul also states that in the case of food and the stomach, both will be done away with (in the glorified body).

When I recognized I was putting food before God—I was horrified. I was disgusted by the realization of the preeminence I had given food in my life. The solution: confession and repentance—a turning away from sin and turning to the true One; the only One that can give true comfort and true peace.

God Bless!

Reasonable Service

Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2, HCSB

Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, HCSB

I don't drink alcohol; I don’t gamble; I don’t smoke; I don’t take illegal drugs nor do I abuse prescription medications; and I was never sexually promiscuous. However, I do have a problem with food. I love to eat and I made food my drug of choice many years ago. Food is my comfort—it is what calms me down when I am nervous or upset. Food is my addiction.

As a result of my addiction, I have struggled with weight issues my whole life. Several months ago, the Holy Spirit began to deal with me about the state of my health. After all, as Christians, we are not our own; we are bought with a price and we are to glorify God with our bodies. We do that by presenting our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice. (And BTW, that is our reasonable service as opposed to our above and beyond service. WoW! That hits home doesn’t it?)

If I’m abusing my body with food and I’m not exercising as I should then it follows that I’m presenting a substandard (i.e., unacceptable) sacrifice to the Lord.  Also, along with impeding my ability to perform well I am more than likely affecting the longevity of my earthly life. To cut to the chase—I’m sinning against God because I’m abusing my body.

We are to praise the Lord in our spirit and we are to praise Him with our physical bodies. God meant for us to put good things into our bodies. That’s why we feel better when we eat the good stuff. God meant for us to exercise our bodies—our bodies are built for movement—that’s why we have about 206 bones but three to four times (depending on who you ask) as many muscles—and that’s why we feel better when we exercise regularly.

My solution? I have started to walk for exercise again. The Holy Spirit has allowed me to see that I can make walking more than just exercise, it can be worship as well.

Bringing my body into submission as far as food is concerned is more difficult for me. But I know the battle can be won. I now realize the battle is not just a physical battle but also a spiritual battle. And the good news is that God is on my side! However, my battle with food is not a battle I can win in my own strength. If I could have won the battle on my own I would have won it years ago. No, for me this is a battle that can only be won through total dependence upon the Lord. He is there to bridge the gap for me.

Lysa Terkeurst, President of Proverbs 31 Ministries has written a book, “Made to Crave; Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food”. In the book, Lysa writes, “Moment by moment we have the choice to live in our own strength and risk failure or to reach across the gap and grab hold of God’s unwavering strength. And the beautiful thing is, the more dependent we become on God’s strength, the less enamored we are with other choices. “(168-169)

Yes, God is there to stand in the gap for us; to give us strength when we are weak. Many times we must lose to win. There must be a stripping away of those things that hold us down and hold us back from being what God intends for us to be. But we can be sure that, “He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion,” Philippians 1:6, HCSB.

God Bless!

I AM WHO I AM

God replied to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you." Exodus 3:14, HCSB

In his book, “No More Secondhand God”, Buckminster Fuller said, “God is a verb. I wonder if Mr. Fuller came up with the idea of God being a verb after reading Exodus 3:14. As one of the great thinkers of the 20^th century and an author who wrote of God, Mr. Fuller surely pondered the thought of the Uncreated One; the Eternal One; the One who is unchanging and absolute; the “One who is, who was, and who is coming,” (Revelation 1:4).

Since the beginning of time man has attempted to describe our great and awesome God. However, try as we might, our descriptions are always inadequate. Why? Because God is so much more than we our earthly minds can fathom.

God reveals Himself through nature; He has revealed Himself through historical events and people and through His unerring word, the Bible. And yet we are able to come to know Him intimately through trusting in Jesus Christ His Son. “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16, HCSB

If you haven’t already done so, I invite you to come to know God through reliance upon His Son. Come to know the extravagant love of the Father through the Son. Enjoy a personal relationship with God both now and throughout eternity.

“You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:8-9, HCSB

God Bless!

Standing in the Gap

“I searched for a man among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land so that I might not destroy it, but I found no one.” Ezekiel 22:30, HCSB (also see Isaiah 41:28; 59:16; 63:5)

Standing in the gap before God means interceding on behalf of someone or a group of people, such as a country or nation, in prayer. This resonated with me deeply, very recently, when I realized how little time I spend in prayer for my country.

I’m never able to read through Isaiah or Jeremiah without thinking about the United States and how closely the sins of our country today resemble those of Israel and Judah. It has been said that what one generation tolerates, the next accepts and we have tolerated ourselves right into the muck and scum of depravity and immorality.

What are we to do? Pray. We are to pray; we are to stand in the gap before God and pray on behalf of our nation. In Ezekiel 22:30, God searched for a man to pray on behalf of the land and found no one. Isaiah 59:16 says God was appalled there was no one to intervene and again in Isaiah 63:5 it says that God was amazed that there was no one to give support.

We are to pray. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says we are to pray continually; without ceasing. We are to stand in the gap before God on behalf of the land and on behalf of others.

The Apostle Paul in giving instructions to Timothy on prayer said:

“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4, HCSB

Notice the “why” of the above—we’re to prayer for others so that “WE may lead a tranquil and quiet life” and because it pleases God. Increase the boundary of your prayers to include your nation as a whole and others individually for this pleases God whose desire it is that ALL be saved. So be faithful in praying for others as the Holy Spirit directs and then watch expectantly as God answers those prayers in mercy and in grace.

God Bless!!