The Devotional – Faith; when trouble arises it Triumphs (Part 2)

The Devotional – Faith; when trouble arises it Triumphs (Part 2)

Comment: Yesterday we got through verse 6, but I would like to go back and take another look at this sixth verse, which is the writers thoughts of Psalm 27:1 and Psalm 118:6. As said yesterday the Word of the Living God is UNCHANGABLE, thus we can have boldness to proclaim it. The Psalm writers, the Prophets and the New Testament writers did not stumble proclaiming the unchangeable attributes of God. Even Jesus who is God stated clearly that the Law, which is the totality of God’s Living Word is fulfilled in Him. Matthew 5:18 “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and the earth pass away, one jot (smallest letter) or one tittle (smallest stroke) will by no means pass from the Law until all is fulfilled.” In this I say “shame on the church leaders of today who are swayed by sin in the congregation to think and believe that the Word of the Living God is flexible to include lies and doctrines of demons.

Devotional: Hebrews 13:7-8 – We are to follow leadership, solid biblical men who have spoken the Word of God to us. These men are to be followed because they are men of faith, meaning that these men are not promotional or promise keepers, and I say it again “they are men of faith”. These leaders do not “rule over the congregation” as some texts (KJV and NKJV) read, yet we are to consider the outworking of Christ in their lives and follow the results of their faith. 

We see this clearly in verse 8 which is often taken out of context, if a leader is “Christ like” then and only then can we see that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. We are to be occupied with Christ and established by GRACE. We are not to be occupied with programs, promises or things that do not profit the Church of Jesus Christ in our local communities. Christ DOES NOT FAIL, failure comes to those who return to a sacrificial system of works.

What than is the right sacrificial system, JESUS, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, He suffered outside the gate. Let us therefore, through HIM offer the sacrifice of praise to GOD, that is, the FRUIT of our lips, CONFESSING THANKS to HIS NAME. “His Name is WONDERFUL, COUNSELLOR, MIGHTY GOD, PRINCE OF PEACE, HIS NAME IS JESUS. And do not forget that we are called of God to DO GOOD and with such sacrifice God is well pleased.

Obey those leaders who lead us in CHRIST and be submissive because these leaders are concerned for your SOULS as they must give an account to CHRIST on your behalf. Let them do this with JOY and not GRIEF, for that would be unprofitable for you.

The Devotional – Unchangeable Truth

The Devotional – Unchangeable Truth

Comment: All of the Living Word of God is UNCHANGEABLE. As easy as it is to agree with God on this immutable attribute of His, it is just as easy humanly to forget it when we allow ourselves to be influenced by the false teaching of altered doctrines in the spiritual battles of each day. The writer of Hebrews brings this point to the surface when he speaks of our moral obligations in daily living; Hebrews 13:1-17. We may not get through this section today, but it is interesting to me how we in Christendom have fallen away from our daily obligations. Many churches today are carried away from God by various and strange doctrines. These churches modify faith by mixing it with prosperity, or by including human effort. As one reads the epistle of Hebrews there is the under lying subject that the writer is seeking his readers to understand that the daily outworking of our conduct (faith) is founded on the grace of God as we respond to God.

Devotional: Hebrews 13:1-3 – Let brotherly love continue. A thought comes to mind; “could brotherly love cease in our congregational gatherings?” I think that most of us can answer this question very quickly with a resounding YES. There is no need to go into detail as each of us would be judged guilty before God and our fellow brother. Why because we humanly interfere with the spiritual command of the four words of verse 1. Now we look at leadership and call them responsible for bending truth, yet if you and I are not allowing brotherly love to continue I ask another question. “are we not resisting, even bending the authority of sound teaching and the ordinances God?” (Hebrews 12:3-4).

Our desire as saints of God is that God would protect us from false teaching, is this desire active while we are resisting the ordinances of God our self? (Romans 13) Only you and I know the answer! So we see a principle here of where all of this bending of truth begins. Rulers are not positioned in church or in government to bring terror. Yet if we willing fail to entertain God’s angels as reported (in context) by the apostle Peter in 1 Peter 1:3-12, then we are failing and we are falling into the spiritual imprisonment of doctrines of demons.

We might say, this can never happen in our church, Bah humbug! We are still in the flesh are we not? One of the first indicators of failure in the congregation of any church is that the marriage bed between one man and one woman becomes defiled. This does not happen on the spur of the moment, nor does it happen to anyone without first, agreeing to it. God will not judge the church in this matter, but He does judge those who have dishonored the sanctity of marriage. This is not a congregational sin, it is personal.

So I see a responsibility here for the children of God within a local assembly. We are mandated by God to have a conduct before God and our godly brother or sister. It is Do not covet, be content with what you have. God will NEVER leave us or FORSAKE us, so we can always say BOLDLY “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” It is by the grace of God that we are kept spiritually free from the dangers of false teaching, but it is also required of God’s children to walk responsibly and obediently by faith.

The Devotional – Faith Triumphs

The Devotional – Faith Triumphs

Comment: Some things in life are routine and to accomplish these require little faith. These require little faith because we have done the task, or something similar before. With each reoccurring event, faith becomes routine, even dangerous or non-existent. Some folks, for whatever reason will tell you they have faith in objects or people when it is obvious that they do not. So even though we may have a good definition of faith, most of us do not know it, practice it or believe it. Therefore, this human attribute of faith that we all have is the most abused attribute in us, yet faith ought to be the motivation of life and liberty in all of us.

Devotional: Yet faith is the only “substance” of human life that God is pleased with in each individual who is alive. Hebrews 11:6 From the dawn of life FAITH; The faith of man is the only character trait that pleases God. Therein, if we intend to come to God in our personal life we must be willing to come to Him FIRST, believing that He is God, only then will God reward our humble response by faith.

In the epistle to the Romans, the apostle Paul brings clear thought to faith. Romans 5:1-8 reveals several responses of God in our life as a result of having faith in Him.

(1)   When we show faith in God (Jesus is God) we become JUSTIFIED by God

(2)   When we are justified by God (Jesus is God) we have PEACE with God

(3)   When our faith is in God we have access to the GRACE of God

(4)   When our faith is standing properly in God’s grace we have HOPE and we rejoice in the glory of God.

(5)   When our personal faith is exercised in tribulations, it is the HOPE (confidence or knowing) that produces proven character in us and this glorifies God in us.

(6)   Faith working with HOPE never disappoints because the love of God is being poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom God, in Christ gives to us.

In Romans 5:1-5 we can clearly see that, personal faith in God is rewarded with confident hope. Romans 1:6-11 – People who say that they love God, but have no faith in God are without this STRENGTH. When in this condition the right time of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has yet to be realized and even though they may say they love God, they are ungodly and remain unjustified. Scarcely would a righteous man die for the ungodly, but for an upright good person someone might dare to die.

BUT God who is RICH in MERCY, demonstrates (reveals) His LOVE toward all (the moral and the immoral) to me and to you in that while we are STILL sinners, Christ died for US. Being justified by HIS blood (death) we shall be saved (delivered) from His wrath (John 3:36) on those who have not placed their personal faith in God through Christ death and resurrection.