Here Is Faith: "Abraham...Went Out, Not Knowing...."

"....By Faith...." (Hebrews 11:3)

The last phrase before Hebrews 11 is, "We...belong to those who...have faith and are saved."  Faith is the basis for receiving everything in Jesus Christ, and Biblical faith is nothing less than obedience, "Abraham... went out, not knowing where he was going."  Here we see, "Faith is..."the evidence," not some map.  What follows, "By faith," throughout Hebrews 11 is described in 1 Thess. 1:3 as, "the work of faith."

Hebrews 11 tells us:

1. "By faith Abel offered"

2. "By faith Enoch...was translated"

3. "By faith Noah...built"

4. "By faith Abraham obeyed....and offered"

5. "By faith Moses...choosing rather to suffer affliction,...forsook Egypt"

In Hebrews 11, "By faith," is always followed by verbs; they did something.  What, "work of faith," are you engaged in today?  Galatians 3:9 in the Amplified Bible says, "So then, those who are people of faith are blessed and made happy and favored by God [as partners in fellowship] with the believing and trusting Abraham."   

Walk in, "the faith of Jesus," today, knowing you are, "blessed and...happy and favored by God [as partners in fellowship]" with all those who obey our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Father, in Jesus' Name, Thank You for such a partner.  Amen.

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Three New Articles at:   www.apf327.blogspot.com 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

"He Who Is Coming WILL Come and NOT Delay"

"For in just a little while, He Who is coming will come and will not delay.  And, 'But my righteous one will live by faith.  And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.'  But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved." (Heb. 10:37-39, NIV)

Look at this:

1. Jesus is coming, "in just a little while"

2. You and I who love and obey Jesus Christ, "will live by faith."

3. You and I, "do not belong to those who shrink back"

4. You and I are of, "those who have faith and are saved."

Do not fall victim to the present cynical age, "For in just a little while, He Who is coming will come and not delay."  Let this reality, this truth be reflected in the way we live, keeping ourselves, "unspotted from the world," and no shrinking back.  Jude tells us what company we find ourselves in, "Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, 'Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints....'"  Oh, how "I want to be in that number, when the saints go marching in!"-- when, "He Who is coming will come."

All the exhortation from 10:19 through the end of the Epistle is based upon the, "so great a salvation," laid out for us from 1:1-10:19.  Who, in their right mind could ever, "shrink back," from, "so great a salvation," from, "so great a [Savior, 'Great High Priest']," as our Lord Jesus Christ?  What a day, and it will be a day, no gradual "unfolding" or other liberal garbage which dominates so much of today's church, What a day,

"When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more

And the morning breaks eternal, bright and fair;

When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore

When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there."

You have come too far now, my friend, to turn back.  Let us not be proud or self sufficient in thinking that the warnings of Scripture are not for us also; they are. "Fight the good fight of faith," because it is a fight, but what a, "good fight," it is.  I say with utmost confidence in the keeping power of Father, Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit, "But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved"!

Father, in Jesus' Name, I can only affirm such because I am, "kept by the power of [You]."  Amen.

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Israel Mission, December 1-9

Daniel Pipes Interview at:  www.apf327.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

"Remembert....It Will Be Richly Rewarded"

"Remember those earlier days....Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.  You suffered along with those in prison.., because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.  So don't throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded." (From Hebrews 10:32-35, NIV)

The Amplified Bible says of this last phrase, "it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward."  In short, our text seems to be saying, "You've been through too much to give up now." 

The reason people have endure public, "insult and persecution," and, "stood side by side with those who were so treated," and, "suffered along with those in prison," is that they know they have, "better and lasting possessions," literally, "goods."  Not only is what and Whom we have in Jesus Christ now, here, in this life, "better," in Jesus Christ we have, "lasting possessions;" they are of the Eternal.  If you and I live as Jesus called us to live, "If any man serves Me, let him follow me; and where I am, there My servant will be also-------It will be richly rewarded." 

Again, most of Christendom today does not speak of such things.  Modern religionists believe it is too "retro" to speak of Heaven, the rewards of the Believer in Jesus Christ.  Yet the Bible is full of such references, and while walking The Land in the first century, Jesus spoke of the rewards of following Him.  Just for starters, "whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  That, my friend, is, "better and lasting possessions.  So don't throw away your confidence; it shall be richly rewarded."

Father, in Jesus' Name, keep me ever mindful of this text.  Amen.
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www.apf327.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

Warning For Those Who Say, "I'm Mad At God"

"How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?  For we know Him who said, 'It is Mine to avenge; I will repay,' and again, 'The Lord will judge His people.'  It is a dreadful ('frightful, terrible') thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:29-31, NIV)

Our text is a further warning of the passage in chapter 2, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?"  Such "preaching" was quite common during the "Great Awakening" of the 18th Century, preaching of men such as Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, and George Whitefield.  And that "The Great Awakening" was a foundation stone of what was to become the United States of America. 

Our text, along with many other New Testament passages, confirms that judgment on sin at the Cross of Jesus Christ did not end judgment.  It only ended judgement for those who do not, "trample[] the Son of God underfoot," and for those who have not, "treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them," and those who do not insult, "the Spirit of grace."  We could accurately say, "It is a fearful thing to,"---------- get "mad at God," to backslide, to treat, "as unholy," to, "insult[] the Spirit of grace," by giving up on what the Bible refers to as, "the faith of Jesus."  Nothing which may come upon anyone is worth such a fatal decision. 

Father loves Son Jesus; and Father does not take lightly the rejection of the Son.  The Son Jesus, all He has done and is doing, is not an option for humanity.  Someone once said, "If there is no Hell, then the Cross is the greatest miscarriage of justice the world has ever known."  Son Jesus is Father's, "I am the way and the truth and the life."  Son Jesus is, "[Father's] Son, Whom I love; with You I am well pleased."  The Son Jesus is The One of Whom Father has spoken, "This is My Son (literally, "the Son of Me") Whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.  Listen to Him!"  No one, "trample[s] the Son of God under foot," and escapes judgment, no matter who or "when" they are.  "It is a fearful thing to fall in the hands of the Living God."  
So, I pray,

  "Jesus keep me near the cross; 

There a precious fountain,

Free to all a healing stream,

Flows from Calvary's mountain.

"In the cross, in the cross,

Be my glory ever,

Til my raptured soul shall find

Rest beyond the river."  Amen. 
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Please remember in prayer the mission to Israel, December 1-9, 2011
News, Commentary:   www.apf327.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

Contrary To What Moderns May Think, This Text Is In the Bible

"If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God." (Hebrews 10:26, 27-NIV)

Okay, I know most people would just as soon bypass our text, but it is in Hebrews, and we are going through this most Blessed Book.  Anyway, only those who desire to build "ministries" ignore such passages.

The main reason modern day Christendom ignores such passages is they don't fill seats.  Last evening I watched a popular preacher for about 5 minutes.  The place was pact with thousands upon thousands of smiling, seemingly very happy people, and why not?  The message was, well, very comforting to any life which wanted affirmation.  This philosophy dominates much of the church today, because that is what people are looking for, affirmation of who they are, what they are about, their dreams, "ministry," self esteem, etc.  Christ following them has replaced them following Jesus Christ.  The Lord once spoke to my heart, "Son, when you preach topically, you set the agenda.  When you preach through the Bible, I set the agenda."

After reading today's text, some might be tempted to go to their pastors and saying, "Pastor, you know what?  That terrible Woody just left me all condemned today.  What do you say about Hebrews 10:26, 27?"  Well, I have decided to just allow the text to speak to your heart.  So, without comment today, I simply include our text in the devotionals, because it is included in the Book of Hebrews.  Ask the Holy Spirit to, "teach you all things."  He will.  May you and I just have, "ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches." 

Father, in Jesus' help me to know Your Word as Your Word knows me.  Amen.
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It's Official:  Libya Embraces Sharia Law-- www.apf327.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2