By Faith…

Hebrews 11:23-31

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Ephesians 2:8)

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17)

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made by things which do appear.” (Hebrews 11:3)

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

The concept of faith can seem rather complicated at first glance, but the more the Spirit of God opens one’s understanding, they’ll soon grab hold of what the essence of faith is, and how to properly apply it to daily holy living. Faith can be understood as believing in something to happen, that has yet to manifest, based on past experiences. Another writer explained faith as the conviction based on past experience that God’s new and fresh surprises will surely be ours. Having faith in God requires confidence and conviction. God made it plain that He will provide for, and sustain His people, but the children of God must believe that he is, and that He’s a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Faith is necessary in all situations, whether they be good or not so good. In times of plenty, we must have faith in God to keep us humble, and not allow our prosperity to cause us to entertain pride. On the contrary, when we experience times of suffering or lack, it’s our faith in God that keeps us standing strong through our adversity, until God opens a window of Heaven, and pours out blessings that are beneficial and abundant. Faith in God eliminates all possibility of falling into temptation. This is certain, because with all your attention and hope centered on the Creator of all things, there’ll hardly be any room for doubt, fear, or temptation. Throughout history, many have overcome evil, sin, temptation, and hard times, by putting all their faith and trust in God. The same God that blessed Moses, Rahab, and king David for their unwavering faith, has an unlimited supply of resources to bless you, even today. Have faith in God!

Presumptuous Prophecy

Deuteronomy 18:15-22

Of all the spiritual gifts given by the Spirit of God, there are two of which men claim to operate in that easily manipulate others to believing it’s authentic. These include the gifts of speaking in tongues, and prophecy. The gift of tongues, or languages, was granted to the apostles on the day of Pentecost, and was used by them to make the Word of God plain and understandable to men who came speaking different languages. Speaking in tongues is sorely misused and misunderstood, as the Bible declares there should always be someone available to interpret what was being spoken. Doing things this way would eliminate all mystery and allow the church to remain on one accord.

Spiritual gifts are to be used for the edification of the body of Christ, so attempting to use a gift for selfish reasons is unacceptable to God. Aside from misrepresenting the gift of tongues, men also speak falsehoods, while proclaiming their words to be prophecy from God. Those who function this way have no fear or reverence for God, which allows for them to freely manipulate the body of Christ without conviction.

Our text teaches how to tell the difference between a true prophet and a false one. Verse 22 reads, “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously:” That verse continues to mention, “thou shalt not be afraid of him.” Have you noticed lately, how people literally fear and show great respect to men and women who claim to be a prophet or prophetess? It’s almost like religious services stop so that those “special” persons can take over and delivere false words to the church. God said He’ll raise up a Prophet, and put His words in his mouth, and he will speak what God commands him to. Millions around the world are being deceived daily by false prophets, and without the Spirit of God, they’ll possibly end up broke and ruined, because they are convinced that giving all their money and possessions to these phony messengers will make their lives better.

Wherever or whoever you receive your teaching of the Word from, be certain you’ve checked their words with God’s Word. Don’t allow these foolish and fake men and women to deceive you any longer. Your mind, body, and money belongs to God, so be sure that what a person speaks into your life is truly from God, to avoid wasting your time, energy, and possessions on false prophets. God never contradicts Himself, so if anyone speaks words that are contrary to the Bible, you can rest assured they were sent by satan, and not God.

Study God’s Word earnestly, so that you can grow in your understanding of the Scriptures, then dissecting the words that men speak won’t be so difficult.

Everlasting Salvation

Multiple Scripture References

Once a person receives salvation, by the grace of God, are they saved forever? Are there any situations that can cause a person to lose their salvation? Is salvation earned through works? Is being good and doing good the same thing? Are we justified to God by our works? These are a few questions that have caused major division in the modern church. Many religious leaders are too consumed in their own self righteousness, until they are unable to bring clarification, so that members of the body of Christ can have a better understanding of how amazing God’s free gift actually is. Salvation is a free gift offered by God, through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus, and all who confess their sins, and believe on the name of the Lord, are primed to accept God’s life-saving gift. Below are a few passages that help to dissolve some of the confusion many have encountered in reference to “once saved, always saved”:

*”And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.”
(John 10:28-30)

*”And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”
(1 John 5:11)

*”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
(John 3:16)

*”These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
(1 John 5:13)

*”He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
(John 3:36)

*”For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
(Romans 6:23)

There is a great divide amongst the church, where on the one hand some believe you can lose your salvation, while others hold fast to their understanding that salvation cannot be lost. Those who profess that salvation can be lost, attribute their beliefs to Scriptures like Matthew 7:21-23 which reads, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” When Jesus mentions, “I never knew you”, His words were accurate, as in those who claimed to be children of God, never truly accepted Him into their hearts. Instead, they only played a role in order to achieve selfish desires, or manipulate men to their liking. But, God is watching the lives of all men, and He knows who are His, and who are simply “faking the funk”.

The simplest way to tell whether or not a person is truly a child of God, and have received God’s gift of salvation is, to compare their lives to 1 John 2:3-4 which reads, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” When a man or woman truly gives their heart to God, their old nature is put off, and they take on a new nature. The “new man” in Christ Jesus has different desires, thoughts, and goals. No longer does selfishness and pride take precedence in the hearts of the new creature, because old things are passed away, and “ALL” things are become new. The true believer will have no internal desire to do anything to disrespect, nor dishonor the name of the Lord God. While there are times when Christians may fall, their error doesn’t consume them, nor will it become habitual. The Holy Spirit of God keeps the Saints rooted in the Father’s love, and grounded in the teachings of the Son Jesus Christ.

So, can a person lose their salvation? If true confession is made, and belief in Jesus Christ is sincere from the heart, God will never separate Himself from anyone with true intentions to change, and motivation to be better. If losing salvation was a possibility, then we would lose it everytime we made a mistake, but thanks to Jesus, our eternal salvation has been signed, sealed, and secured forever!

Lighted Path

Proverbs 4

One of the hardest things for people to do is, find their way around in the dark. Whether someone wakes up in a dark room in hopes of reaching the rest room, or driving on a dark road with dim headlights, it’s very difficult to see the path to a destination without proper lighting to show the way. How many times have you stumped your toe while maneuvering to find a light switch, or veered off the the road until it eventually became more visible? Light does many things, but one of it’s most important functions is, to make things visible. Our text mentions two very profound verses concerning light and darkness, in reference to the way of the believer, contrasted with the unbeliever. “The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble” (vs. 19). “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (vs. 18). Those who disregard the importance of the Gospel, and the necessity of God’s gift of salvation, are literally traversing the earth in darkness, or lacking the wisdom and knowledge of God’s written Word. All who refuse to accept Jesus as their Savior and the Son of God, allow their own thoughts and judgment to lead them. In fact, walking along the path of darkness only leads to an unpleasant end, and the lifestyle that precedes such an end is always unpleasant to God. Jesus is the light of the world, and the Word of God opens the eyes of those who lacked wisdom and understanding, then begins to shine a bright light on the righteous path, that all the children of God should follow. Evil men stumble over things in their darkness, but the righteous can avoid falling short of God’s glory, because the light that shines before them will reveal every ditch, trap, and stumbling block set before them.

Glory To God

Acts 16:11-15, 40; 1 Corinthians 1:26-30

Without God, there’s nothing man can do while he yet lives in the earth. Without the breath of life God breathes into men, their very existence would be a mere afterthought. Without the strength and ability granted by God, being productive in this life would be impossible. Without intellect, wisdom and common sense, it would be hard for anyone to grow in stature or status in society. Man has developed a bad habit of giving glory to themselves, honoring the fact that their might, nobility, or stature is what causes them to do great things in the earth. While it seems that many actually do prosper, none of their supposed prosperity would be possible without God allowing it.

King David set the ideal example of how to conduct oneself on all levels of life. David walked in humility, even when multiple opportunities to boast were set before him. Even the apostle Paul recognized that giving glory to God over all else was priority when he wrote, “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” (Phil. 4:12).

God doesn’t often call those who walk after the flesh, are mighty in the earth, or are held in high esteem in society, instead, the Bible mentions, “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and the things which are not, to bring to nought things that are.” (vs. 27-28). God allows this so that “NO FLESH SHOULD GLORY IN HIS PRESENCE”. Flesh is a mess, and always competes for God’s glory. This attitude stems from the same pride harbored by Lucifer, when he desired to be above God in Heaven.

Men today, as in the past, can become so full of pride and haughtiness, until they’ll seek to bring attention to themselves, rather than boast in the Lord, who alone causes men to rise and fall. Give it your best effort to walk diligently in humility, and avoid taking any credit for all the wonderful things God does for you, on a daily basis.

K. I. S. S. (Keep It Simple Saints)

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Preaching and proclaiming the Gospel of Christ is one of the most important mandates of the church. Christ’s death and resurrection brought sanctification, justification, and redemption to all who would freely receive it, so the world (and the church) should always be reminded of the unprecedented sacrifice responsible for providing them the opportunity to spend eternity in peace and tranquility with God the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit.

As of late, the more I hear sermons being preached from different platforms, the less I hear the potency of the truth of the Gospel. Men have devised creative and manipulative ways to try and deliver the Gospel in a “fresh” or new way, but most of what’s being brought forth is mostly washed up and watered down teaching (to say the least). The Gospel is simple, and the Word of God is capable of defending itself, so introducing unnecessary and irrelevant means of preaching the Gospel, that has already endured many generations, is futile. Keep it simple Saints. When bringing forth God’s Word to others, try not to bring attention to self, by using “excellency of speech or of wisdom, or enticing words of man’s wisdom”, instead preach in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. In other words, let the words of the Bible do the work, not your elegant or rehearsed verbiage. The apostle Paul was a brilliant scholar, and could have easily enticed his audiences with persuasive language, but he was wise and humble enough to allow the Gospel to teach, reach, and change men’s hearts God’s way.

To those who minister the Word, be mindful during your preparation of how you plan to deliver the Gospel. If your intentions are to woo the people with honeyed and enticing words, then you should reconsider bringing that message forth. Place your confidence in God, knowing that His Word is still as powerful today, as it was in the beginning, and keep it simple, so that your obedience can be honored by God, men can easily understand the depth of the Scriptures, and the Word can have free reign to penetrate the hearts of all who hear it.

A Church United

1 Corinthians 1:8-25

The moment you begin to put your faith and trust in a man or woman, is the very moment you will begin to have divisions among you: You, meaning, the church. The faith of those who are the church, should be directed toward our Lord Jesus Christ, and the faithful God who made it possible for mankind to enjoy the privilege of fellowshipping with His Son. Unity among believers is where the foundation of their influence resides. When all members of the body of Christ speak the same thing, and operate in their function wholeheartedly, there will be no room for division or discord to take up space.

The church at Corinth had found themselves in contention among the members, thus causing the apostle Paul to reach out to them with strong words of correction and restoration. Paul heard how the church had become divided concerning whom they supposedly joined allegiance to. Some claimed to be of Paul and Apollos, while others took sides with Peter and Christ. I’m uncertain how these people allowed themselves to fall into such an ignorant state, but the Corinthians were known for jumping from fad to fad, so they were undoubtedly influenced by some unhealthy social thing going on during their era.

The apostle Paul wisely distinguished himself from Christ, then proceeded to educate the confused church on the importance of the Gospel, and Christ crucified. When you find yourself among those who give more relevance to a man than God, pray for them, then ask God to open their eyes to see that only through Him, can their lives have meaning, purpose, and reach its full potential. Man can only do so much for you, but God can take your life and make it worthwhile, through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Missionary Journey

Acts 16:35-40

The apostle Paul and those who accompanied him, had finally prepared to take the Gospel to Europe; more specifically, to Philippi in Macedonia. History records that Philippi is the place of the decisive battle which ended the Roman republic in 42 B.C., and Paul desired to establish a church here also.

As the men of God began to explore the city, they noticed a place where prayer was being made near a river side. As they approached the place of prayer, they sat down and ministered to the women who were gathered there. One woman, in particular, who worshipped God, had her heart opened while hearing the words being spoken of the missionaries. Lydia, a seller of purple, attended to, or took great delight in the words spoken of the men, and was baptized, along with her entire household. She then constrained the men to stay in her house for a while, so that she could show them hospitality. God always provides a place of refuge and provision for those who seek to do His will, no matter how far they venture.

Paul’s journey into Philippi may have started out well, but would soon become rather troublesome. The apostle Paul and those who were joined with him, had made a routine of attending prayer during their stay in Europe, but as they went, there was a young girl possessed with a spirit of divination, who followed them daily saying, “These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew us the way of salvation.” Although what the woman said was true, the purpose of satan was to discredit the message of the apostles by making the people think they were in cahoots with demon spirits who were making this announcement through a demonic medium. In other words, this woman worked deviously to bring profits to her masters, and the people would think the same was being done with Paul.

After Paul perceived the purpose of the demon then cast it out, the men immediately took the apostles and brought them unto the rulers to be judged. In these lands, it was known that Romans were very zealous for their national worship, and weren’t keen on introducing new religions, so without being given a fair trial, the apostles were beaten, then thrown into the inner prison, or dungeon. Spreading the Gospel of Jesus was indeed the will of God for the apostles, but inevitable opposition was a byproduct of doing so.

While in jail, Paul and Silas began to pray and sing praises at midnight, and immediately, there was a great earthquake. When life comes at you hard, do you find yourself singing and praying, or crying and moaning? In any case, the earthquake shook the foundations of the prison so much, until all the doors were opened. This was the perfect opportunity for the men of God to escape, since they were unjustly thrown in prison. The keeper of the prison had awaken from his sleep, and assumed the men had escaped, so he decided to take his own life, knowing that he would eventually die at the hands of his leaders. Before the man could take his life, Paul cried out with a loud voice saying, “Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.” (vs. 28). Can you imagine how the keeper of the prison must have felt after hearing those words? The man was so humbled by this experience, until he literally ran to where the apostles were and asked, “what must I do to be saved?”.

We never know how things will turn out, or who we will reach on our journey to spread the Gospel, but if we stay true to God’s Word, abstain from evil, and walk in humility, God will make ways for us, no matter how bad the opposition is that comes against us.

Contrasting Standards

Romans 12:9-19

  The Church:                                     The World:
Genuine love                               Hypocritical love
Abhors evil                                  Embraces evil
Clings to good                            Shuns good
Cares for others                        Despises others
Sound in business                     Lazy in business
Excited in righteousness          Excited in selfishness
Hopeful                                        Hopeless
Patient in hard times                 Frantic in hard times
Prayerful                                      Wishful
Gives generously                       Gives sparingly
Hospitable                                   Unfriendly
Bless enemies                            Curse enemies
Empathetic and sympathetic    Cold and heartless
Of the same mind                      Divisive
Humble                                        Arrogant
Godly wisdom                            Worldly wisdom
Recompense good for evil  Recompense evil for evil
Honest                                         Insincere
Peaceful                                     Unruly
Forgiving                                     Vengeful

In life, we honor our employees so they will perform better, our bosses so they’ll pay us consistently, and those with the power of influence, so they’ll work for us and not against us, but we must also honor people, because they have been created in the image of the same God we live to please. Living to please others isn’t always an easy thing to do, but loving for real involves effort and concentration. God not only takes note of how we treat our brothers and sisters, but more so how we treat those who have yet to surrender their hearts to Him.

Gifted!

1 Peter 4:7-11

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, but all have also been given the opportunity to be forgiven, redeemed, and brought into right standing with the Father, through the Son. Without Jesus, our lives would remain jacked up forever, but because of His love and grace, we have been adopted into God’s royal family.

Being in the family of God comes with amazing perks that are impossible to obtain otherwise. God gave the church His Spirit, to guide them in all truth, along with a unique gift, that is to be used to edify and build up the church. Gifts come without repentance, and all who operate in them, must do so with earnest, zealous, and abundant love.

The grace of God is diverse, and has distributed all types of gifts, by which the children of God function. The apostle Paul mentioned these gifts among the Corinthians, “For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit. To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” (1 Corinthians 12:8-11). Paul also mentioned, that despite our different gifts and operations, God works in them all. It’s not our place to use God’s gifts for vain glory, instead, all glory belongs to the Lord.

If you’re uncertain what your gift is, pray and ask God to reveal it to you, because everyone was created wonderfully, and has something special to contribute in the earth. So, use your gift to bring glory and honor to God, and do your best to work hand-in-hand with those expressing their gifts as well.