Faith

Taking God At His Word

Ken

In 1940, Theodore Geisel, under the pen name of Dr. Seuss, published an illustrated children’s book, Horton Hatches the Egg. The nonsense of an elephant by the name of Horton being tricked into sitting on an egg in a nest in a tree to give Mayzie, the mother bird, a break, where she finds herself traveling down to Palm Beach, is the fanciful humor of the story. Horton must undergo ridicule, privation, and capture by humans to fulfill his promise to sit on the egg. Horton repeatedly asserts, “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful, one hundred percent!” Without the ridiculousness of the storyline, you can easily see this depicting God’s integrity.

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4 NKJV).

What does it mean to take God at His Word?

God means what He says.

This goes beyond a debate between a figurative versus literal interpretation of Scripture. Classic conservative Christianity is inclined to take Scripture more literally, while typical liberal theology is compelled to receive Scripture more figuratively, both firmly believing they promote obedience to God. “I could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more” (Numbers 22:18).

It is a question of God’s integrity.

Taking God at His Word emphasizes His integrity. Can God be trusted as seeking our highest good, while we seek His kingdom first? We tend to compare God to the people we know, but we sense the awkwardness of limiting the Almighty to such a low standard. Admitting the integrity of God keeping His Word compared to our difficulty of doing what we say, Does not the creation of man in His image guarantee the possibility of a similar integrity in humanity? “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19).

Taking God at His Word is our necessity.

Taking God at His Word is required by His Law, because it is our necessity and would demonstrate our integrity. God’s Law promotes the highest good of His being and the good of our neighbor as ourself. Our prosperity and success depend upon it. Meditating upon this day and night must be an integral part of our very existence. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

Our repeated failure to demonstrate the integrity of taking God at His Word is the very reason for the New Covenant.

“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31).

“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27).

Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but to further implement the plan which had been in place from the very beginning. An All Wise God knows our capabilities as well as our shortcomings, which we would manifest throughout the Garden, the Flood, the Tower, the Patriarchs, Egypt, the Wilderness, the Conquest, the Judges, the Kings, the Prophets, the Captivity, the Second Temple, the Silent Years, the Apostles, the Early Church, the Persecuted Church, the Institutional Church, the Missionary Church, the Lukewarm Church, the Tribulational Saints, and the Final Spiritual Rebirth of the Nation of Israel at His Second Coming. The history of the Saints is a carefully orchestrated program of an All Wise God marshaling His resources in the Unseen Realm against the Adversary and his hordes, while masterfully moving throughout time and space to produce a people, who will magnify Him throughout eternity.

“6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, Know the LORD, for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. 13 In that He says, A new covenant, He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away” (Hebrews 8:6-13 NKJV).

Taking God at His Word becomes Spirit-inspired obedience, when understood correctly, in this New Testament Age.

“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27).

“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

“He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19).

“Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16).

From the beginning, man was created with the ability to reflect and obey God, but we have been inconsistent at best. After the first sin, humanity experienced the continual death of the physical creation, both of our mortal body, as well as our physical environment, i.e., Second Law of Thermodynamics (Romans 8:22). We retain the ability and necessity of obedience, which is pointedly, taking God at His Word. God said, “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). Physically, they were still alive, though their bodies began to experience the degenerating effects of physical death, but they were already spiritually dead. Just as physical death is separation of the soul from the body, spiritual death is separation of the soul from God. They “hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8), separated from the life of God and “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Spiritual regeneration must be restoring our separation from God through Christ. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1Corinthians 15:22).

Taking God at His Word is a restoration to obedience.

How does God affect such a change in us?

The New Covenant or New Testament inspires us to walk in obedience.

Confirmation of His covenant with us is by the sealing of the Blood of Jesus. It shouldn’t surprise us, but we should advocate before the Courts of Heaven, which is prayer, that the shed Blood of Jesus from His sacrificial, substitutionary death, is the only foundation for restoring our obedience. And, we commemorate this when we take Communion. “This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20). The Blood of Jesus is God’s antidote for sin, and it is received by faith. “But 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 diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Ours is not a natural progression to obedience, but it is the response to the pervasive influence of God throughout our life and the whole of human history, not to force us to obedience, but by a gentle persuasion, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to cause us to walk in His statutes (Ezekiel 36:27), which means we are taking God at His Word. “I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, And not forsake them” (Isaiah 42:16). Whether referring to obedience under the Old Covenant or New, only the influence of the Spirit of Almighty God can secure our obedience. No formula, creed, or tradition is capable of breathing life into any people. Trust in no man. If God comforts us with His Word, we are saved. If God comforts us not, we are lost. “Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert” (43:19). Active faith alone is able to receive the promise of Scripture. If we cannot take God at His Word, how can we trust or obey Him?

Taking God at His Word is to rely upon the integrity of God to keep His law, Gospel, promises, and prophecies.

From the outset, ONLY Jesus can save us. Love alone can secure our heart, but a people without understanding knows not whom to trust or from whom to flee. Secure the promise. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). Understanding is built a little at a time until it is a refuge to which even others desire to flee.

God’s Moral Law: is and always will be: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Jesus repeated the essence of this irrevocable law: “Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). If taking God at His Word is not keeping the Moral Law, then of what value is it to take God at His Word? And remember, Jesus saves us from our not having kept that law, but the gift of His Spirit now is available “both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Now we will successfully take God at His Word by walking in obedience.

God’s Gospel: is the Good News of a Second Chance, which the devil never had. Remember, God never owed anyone a Second Chance, so rejoice in His mercy. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). The suffering, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is only significant, if we believe, repent, and obey the Gospel. Peter instructed his listeners at Pentecost: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Obeying the Gospel is doing whatever Jesus said you are supposed to do, which is consistent with your faith in Him. Because the rich young ruler had such an attachment to his wealth, Jesus told him he couldn’t go to heaven without giving up his wealth. “17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me” (Mark 10:17, 21).

God’s promises: “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (2Corinthians 1:20). If we take God at His Word, then we will believe His promises, “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2Peter 1:4). The sanctifying effect of God’s promises must be evident in our present hope of salvation, our conduct in this world, and in our hope of heaven. “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Thessalonians 5:23).

God’s prophecies: are part of His promise of imminent return. The Jews of Christ’s day acknowledged the idea of a coming Messiah, but they were not spiritually ready for Jesus, or they would have understood the prophecies that foretold His coming. This indictment of their lack of spiritual walk, as well as, their lack of Scriptural understanding of the OT prophecies should motivate us to balance both in light of His Second Coming and Rapture of the Church. Paul indicted the Thessalonians for their lack of employing themselves in the daily process of feeding themselves and their families through secular employment. “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (2Thessalonians 3:10). This same Paul had just instructed the same Thessalonians about the Antichrist. “5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he [Antichrist] may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He [Holy Spirit] who now restrains will do so until He [Holy Spirit] is taken out of the way [at the Rapture of the Church]” (2Thessalonians 2:5-7). Taking God at His Word is believing the prophecies of Jesus’ return. “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:28).

Father, we ask that You would make us to be a people, who take You at Your Word. May we not be those who claim to know You, but do not walk in obedience. Help us to build Your kingdom in the smallest act of faith to the largest ambition of taking the Kingdom of Heaven by force of Your Spirit. Cause us to magnify Your integrity. May we never tire of offering You praise for Your faithfulness. Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Your name, we pray. Amen and amen.

How to Walk in the Spirit

Ken

“Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16 KJV). If we are fulfilling the lust of the flesh, then we are NOT walking in the Spirit. What does it mean to “fulfil the lust [Greek, epithumia, desires, longings] of the flesh” (5:16)? To pursue the desires and longings of the flesh is to “fulfill the lust of the flesh” (5:16). There is no mystery about walking in the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit is simply conducting ourselves consistent with the supreme heart choice of continually choosing Christ Jesus. The goal we seek is also the means to attain it. This is a virtuous cycle of “I sought the LORD, because He sought me first, so I seek Him, because He continually chooses me to be conformed to the image of His Son.” This virtuous cycle is walking in the Spirit. A scriptural example. The Holy Spirit is “given to them that obey Him” (Acts 5:32), and God’s Spirit inspires us “to walk in [His] statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27). Think on these things.  

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1). Whenever we are actively seeking God’s Kingdom first, then we are walking in the Spirit. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). Since we cannot serve or seek two masters at the same time, then either we will walk in the Spirit or we will fulfill the lust of the flesh. “Ye cannot serve God and mammon [Greek, mammōnas, riches, wealth]” (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). 

How can anyone change their mind and their heart about the desirability of the Spirit and not the flesh to be the ultimate goal of their existence? Quite simply, 

Allow the Holy Spirit to Persuade and Teach You: 

First, crucifying the flesh spiritually is walking in the Spirit. “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:24). 

Second, the Spirit of God alone is capable of changing your heart and mind about sin (what is wrong), righteousness (what is right), and judgment (what God must judge, if we do not judge ourselves). “7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. 8 And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on Me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged” (John 16:7-11). 

Third, though God rightly holds you responsible for obeying  Him, since He created you with the capacity for obedience, we thoughtfully realize we will never obey Him without His Spirit working in us “to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). 

Fourth, when we do repent, for which we have no excuse for resisting Him, it is God granting us repentance. “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth” (2Timothy 2:25). 

Fifth, when we do believe, for which we have no good reason for not trusting Him, it is God’s gracious gift of faith, which makes our salvation possible. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

Sixth, God has always blessed us with obedience, when we wholeheartedly sought Him. “With my whole heart have I sought Thee: O let me not wander from Thy commandments” (Psalm 119:10).

Seventh, God’s Spirit, though always present among His people has been especially covenanted to dwell within the individual members of His Church, who have been grafted into the New Covenant promised to Israel. “And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27). “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). 

Father, cause us not to be in confusion about walking in the Spirit. Help us to realize and claim our promised condition of abiding in truth, love, and obedience. Grant us new understanding of You that we would not go to sleep in traditions. Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Your name, we pray. Amen.

Basic Christianity

Ken

“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:1-2 KJV). Elementary or Basic Christianity is built upon a foundation of: (1) turning away from self-righteous, dead works, i.e., “repentance from dead works” (6:1), (2) confidence or faith in the Living God, i.e., “faith toward God” (6:1), (3) pledging our loyalty to Christ through a public display of water baptism, and entering into communion with the Body of Christ through baptism, i.e., “doctrines of baptisms” (6:2), (4) reception of gifts of the Holy Spirit through the “laying on of hands” (6:2), (5) anticipation of our future physical resurrection from the dead or our reuniting with departed saints at the Rapture, i.e., “resurrection of the dead” (6:2), and (6) anticipation of our future reward, i.e., “eternal judgment” (6:2). Are these not already “principles of the doctrines of Christ” (6:1) or “elementary instructions” (6:1 NET) for us, so that we “may move on to maturity” (6:1 NET) or “perfection” (6:1 KJV)? First, since “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20), then dead works must be self-righteous works, which only justify us and not God, from which we are to turn away from in repentance. Second, to “have faith in God” (Mark 11:22) is fundamental to repentance. Third, willingness to pledge our loyalty to Christ in water baptism is fundamental to those whom “shall [not deny Christ] before men” (Matthew 10:33) and whom are “baptized into Jesus Christ” (Romans 6:3) and His communion. Fourth, recognition and preparation by others in the Body of Christ through the “laying on of hands” (Hebrews 6:2) is empowering disciples through the power of the Holy Spirit to make disciples, i.e., “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2Timothy 2:2 ). Fifth, preparing ourselves for the Resurrection or the Rapture — whether we are the “dead in Christ [who] shall rise first” (1Thessalonians 4:16) or “are alive and remain [who] shall be caught up together with them in the clouds” (4:17) at the “twinkling of an eye” (1Corinthians 15:52). And, sixth, the Bema Seat Judgment is the anticipation of those who have died in faith or were Raptured, to be rewarded and not punished, i.e., “For we must all appear before the judgment seat [Greek, bema] of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad [loss of reward, not punished]” (2Corinthians 5:10). Father, where we have poor understanding, strengthen us, because we desire to be those, who go on to maturity and perfection in the face of upcoming hardship. Number us among those, who seek to add to our understanding and who refuse to be at ease in Zion. Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Your name, we pray. Amen and amen.

Promises for Our Children

Ken

Parents, raising your children is not a democracy. Not even the secular humanists will allow an infant to crawl into a dangerous place without restraining the child. Car seats are not designed to be optional for the child’s safety. God is our Great Father, and He commands us, “Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you” (Jeremiah 7:23 KJV). We are His children, and our children are His. Our children’s future is largely in our hands, as we are in our Father’s hands. 

What Does God Require of Us Parents? 

A worldly sense of altruism may motivate us to give our children the opportunity to make up their own mind, as they invariably will, and decide to come to the Lord or reject Him. But, does the LORD have that same opinion? No, not remotely! For He commands us (with promise), “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). The Tempter seeks to convince our children of the unfairness of not being able to reject God, which of course they always can. If our First Parents did not originally sense Yahweh’s love, then they never would have consented to obey Him. “And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments” (Exodus 20:6). 

The LORD fairly warned us of the deadly consequences of disobedience (Genesis 2:16), but He also lavishes upon us all the benefits of obedience (2:17). We are to follow the LORD’s example. “And thou shalt teach them [God’s commandments] diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deuteronomy 6:7). This was the same pattern of teaching followed by Timothy’s grandmother Lois and mother Eunice (2Timothy 1:4). “And that from a child [Greek, brephos, infant, baby, young child] thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (3:15). Could we not raise Christian prodigies?

Parents Need Promises to Successfully Raise Their Children 

  1. Bedrock promise of success for our children. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). 
  2. Reclaiming our children after the LORD has reclaimed us, if we did not raise our kids with Proverbs 22:6. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31). 
  3. Refusal to let go of God until He converts our obstinate children. “And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except Thou bless me” (Genesis 32:26). 
  4. Spirit-filled intercessions for our children will be answered, for it brings out righteous emotion. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27). 
  5. Avoid anger in raising your children, for it brings out unrighteous emotion. Wrath means you are not raising your children in the nurture and admonition of the LORD. “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
  6. Discipline your children, just as God disciplines you, for that is how He shows, you are His children. “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” (Hebrews 12:7). 
  7. The least understood promise of our New Covenant Age, is how the Indwelling Holy Spirit’s purpose is to inspire us to obey God, in much the same way He inspired the Scriptures to be written. “And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27). Father, inspire our children to obey You!

Children Need Promises to Successfully Follow the LORD 

  1. Children will find their greatest success following God, by first obeying their parents. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth” (Ephesians 6:1-3). 
  2. Jesus is actively seeking parents to let their little children come to Him because they are then most like those who live in Heaven. “But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14). 
  3. Submission to Jesus as the Lord of their life keeps the devil from overcoming them. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). 
  4. Faith that comes from God’s Word in their life causes them to overcome the devil and his demons. “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He [the Spirit of Jesus] that is in you, than he [the devil] that is in the world” (1John 4:4). 
  5. God’s angels are supernatural, invisible, but real because their job is to camp around your children and deliver them, when the angels know they are needed most. “The angel of the LORD [especially Jesus] encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them” (Psalm 34:7). 
  6. Your children do not need to be afraid of all the wicked things that they might not be able to see, because Jesus the Good Shepherd shed His blood and laid down His life for the sheep, which are your children. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). 
  7. When your children are old enough to understand, tell them they are no longer just a kid, but are serving with the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Captain of the LORD’s Host. “10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Father, You are God Over All. There is none greater. You have delivered all power to the Son. Blessed be Your Name. May we be empowered by Your Spirit to lay hold of these exceeding great and precious promises that we may be more like You and participate in all things to bring about Your Kingdom. Overcome that wicked usurper who seeks to destroy us and claim Your throne. Cause Your Son to overcome him through those who loved not their lives unto death. Rapture Your Church. Save Israel. Set up Your Kingdom on earth. Help us, Jesus, in our time of need! Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.

Blind Faith

Ken

If faith can see an invisible God or can trust God to deliver in spite of invincible odds, then faith is blind to the natural world. “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27 KJV). Faith is not the denial of what the natural eyes see, but it is the refusal to be limited by the natural, when God commands or calls us to act contrary to the natural. “And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus” (Matthew 14:29). “And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray Thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (2Kings 6:17). 

Before ignoring the danger signs placed by humans to prevent harm and death, of course, we had better consult God on the necessity of any action. We call it miraculous, when the natural is overruled by the supernatural. God is for the miraculous, but not if it is simply a shortcut from disciplined work. Miracles are to magnify God, not to remove the discipline of work and faith from the disciple. Let us not promote Blind Faith as acting contrary to what our natural eyes see, unless we have command or authorization from God. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2Corinthians 5:7). 

Father, we desire to see Your glory. Teach us the discipline of a faith that worketh by love, so we can discern when You are commanding us to act contrary to the evidence of the natural. Preserve Your people from self-delusion. Take away the ammunition from the mockers, who do not know how to respond to the Elijahs. Raise up men and women of faith to inspire confidence in You. Awaken Your Church. Deliver and convert Israel. Support the Persecuted Christians of India, China, and North Korea, who view Christianity as subversive. Cause Your people to stand, thrive, and set the example for the rest of the world for faithfulness to Your name. Lord Jesus, return quickly. Amen.

What to Do When No One Knows What to Do

Ken

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV). We need to be trusting God now, whether or not it ever becomes popular later! The difference between trusting God now and when everything is an emergency is the reason we are to always be ready for the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ and our being caught up to Him. You cannot counterfeit confidence to God. He knows when you are trusting Him. Either you trust Him or you don’t. Pretend you are going into battle, and you want to be right with God for whatever happens in the conflict. Trust is an instantaneous thing. Only the Spirit of God can give you that. “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). Trusting God means we do not hold back on confessing known sin to God. Even the thief on the cross acknowledged his worthiness of condemnation. “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss” (Luke 23:40-41). 

Readiness to meet God in eternity took place for that thief, when “he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43 ). Let us “commit the keeping of [our] souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (1Peter 4:19). When this is done, all is well done! Father, alert Your Professed Church to the need of fully trusting in You now, like eternity depended on it. Lord Jesus, return quickly, and may our departure have the desired effect to fulfill all righteousness. Cause our lives to be a testimony to those who will be immediately wrestling with the one who will be the Antichrist. “9 Even him [Antichrist], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2Thessalonians 2:9-10). LORD, prepare us, as we lift up our heads for our redemptions draws near. Amen and amen. 

According to Your Faith

Ken

“Then touched He their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you” (Matthew 9:29 KJV). Why did Jesus have to say anything? Because His purpose is to encourage our faith, since our relationship is based on trusting Him. It is not ours to object why we are so limited, but to believe He is not. Jesus does not mind our questions, so long as we ask them in faith. Willingness to obey Christ is to be a Christian, so obedience comes from a willing heart, doing what we know to do, until He shows us differently. Faith is trusting in the Living God to do as He said. OT Jōb was reduced to the barest, meanest circumstances, so low, even his friends had to conclude, Jōb had to have done something wrong to be treated so badly. Even Jōb finally broke under the strain, but God knew He was not putting Jōb under more stress than he could handle. Proof? “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1Corinthians 10:13). That was true when Paul penned it, and it was true earlier with Jōb. Why’d God treat Jōb so? Because God is sovereign and can do as He knows is best for Himself and His Kingdom. Job actually had it right, when he said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him” (Job 13:15); but, then he broke, when he thought he was pushed too far. Of course, he finally repented.

We see ourselves and all around us examples of people everywhere objecting to what God has dealt to them. We know we should trust God, but for any number of reasons, we can’t see how we can possibly do or be what God is requiring of us. What to do? Trust God and see where that takes us. Trust Him, even if it looks difficult or grim. Ask Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, if the Burning Fiery Furnace was fair of God to expect them to endure. Ask Daniel, if the Lion’s Den was fair of God to expect him to endure. “And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2Corinthians 12:9). God will give us the grace according to our faith for whatever circumstance we face. If we believe there is no such thing as a situation in which God places us that we cannot endure, then our faith would do well in Jōb’s situation. Father, grant to us the grace to accompany our trust in You. It is not our place to tell You what is best for You or Your Kingdom. Only help us to be faithful. Magnify Yourself by what You accomplish through us. Lord Jesus, return quickly. Amen.

Because You Believe

Ken

We cannot but speak what we believe. In other words, what we do not speak (where there is opportunity) — we do not believe. “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20 KJV).

First, faith is only saving faith, if it is accompanied by works, where there is opportunity. “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?” (James 2:14).  

Second, faith is dead, if not accompanied by works, where there is opportunity. “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17). 

Third, faith is always looking to express itself with works. “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works” (James 2:18). 

Fourth, faith understands the vanity or emptiness of claiming, “I believe,” without accompanied works. “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:20). 

Fifth, faith is not destroyed but perfected by works. “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (James 2:22). 

Sixth, faith is not the sole condition of justification, unless we can remove the necessity of: 

(a) Repentance and baptism, i.e., “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38), 

(b) Forsaking all for Christ, i.e., “26 If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple. 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26-27, 33), and 

(c) Confession from the heart and the mouth of Jesus as Lord, Master, and Boss, i.e., “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9 KJV). 

Accordingly, “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2:24).

Seventh, faith does not allow for a spiritless body, any more than we would allow the deadness of a demonic spirit to qualify in inhabiting the body. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26). 

Father, grant us the courage and understanding to see the Foundation of Salvation and Justification as coming from Christ only, but not to be confused by the Terms and Conditions for Salvation, that we would engage in a fruitless and groundless attempt to establish salvation as only a claim of faith in Christ. Grant us fuller instruction, and preserve us from any form of self-trust as the foundation of our hope for eternal life. Give Your people understanding of the Salvation in Christ Jesus, as able to save them to the uttermost “that come unto God by Him [Christ]” (Hebrews 7:25). Lord Jesus, return quickly and deliver us. Amen.

Love or Obey?

Ken

“My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways” (Proverbs 23:26 KJV). God is dealing with His created beings, who have the capacity to choose or reject Him. That has always been the significance of being human. Embryos that grow two heads or children who turn into angry screaming grievance collectors, what’s worse? Jesus reminded us, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” and “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37, 39). Both love and obedience are equally important. What is more significant, faith or works? “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works” (James 2:18). Both faith and works are equally important. Let us not turn life or the study of God into impossible choices. Instead, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Father, form us into the image of Christ. Magnify Yourself by how well we reflect You. Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

What is Faith?

Ken

For both the atheist and the Christian, “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV). Atheists have confidence in what they hope for. Only they hope not for God. Atheists have assurance about what they do not see. Only they do not see God. Does that mean atheists have faith? Atheists believe something. They just say no to God. 

Christians see God, “as seeing Him who is invisible” (11:27 KJV), because the Spirit of God has given them a foundation of reasons to believe, see, and choose God. In Hebrews 11:1 NIV, “confidence” is the Greek word hupostasis, which is a compound of hupo, meaning under, and stasis, meaning to stand. Hupostasis is to stand under, support, give substance, foundation, or confidence. Faith is the foundation of reasons to have confidence in God. God is a choice, otherwise God would not have given us a choice. We can only see, whom we choose to see, until God takes away our choice. 

Seven Reasons to Believe 

First, God is, not because I allow Him to exist, but because He could not do or be otherwise. “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 KJV). 

Second, God is, because He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. God is not an inanimate force, but a person, who rewards, calls, and does, when we diligently seek Him. “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it” (1Thessalonians 5:24). 

Third, even the devils believe God is, only they have not chosen Him. “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19). 

Fourth, our sense of moral rightness and judgment is that “He shall reward every man according to his works” (Matthew 16:27). 

Fifth, even the demons know God is the Judge, who will judge them at the appointed time. “And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God? art Thou come hither to torment us before the time?” (Matthew 8:29). 

Sixth, our sense that things can’t go on indefinitely without resolution, otherwise it is hopeless, unless Someone says, “It is done” (Revelation 16:17; 21:6), and initiates judgment and completion. “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment” (2Peter 2:4). 

Seventh, our sense of incompleteness, emptiness, or “all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) argues for a completeness only found in God. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). 

In conclusion, Godly Faith is confidence in God, whom we choose to believe, before we have no more choice whether to believe. According to prophecy, at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, everyone will see Him. Then, there will be no more choice. Somewhere between the gnashing of teeth at the end of the apocalyptic judgments poured out upon humanity and His actual appearing in the clouds, descending to earth, all of humanity that has chosen to see God, will have been born into His kingdom. “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen” (Revelation 1:7). Choose God before you cannot. Once Jesus returns, no more debate. He is no longer Savior, but Judge. “But those Mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before Me” (Luke 19:27).

Faith is a choice. Believe God.