No!
"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows" (Luke 12:6-7).
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Painful Test of Faith
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).
"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and the he rewards those who seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).
"By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named. He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back" (Hebrews 11:17-19).
The test of faith is painful. One of the most difficult aspects of this test is that we cannot see. What the test is asking of us does not make sense. We are unable to see the outcome, and, left to our own analysis, all outcomes seem to lead toward misery. During this test, and only by such a test, can faith be tested. We cry out alongside Abraham, "God, Abba, why are you asking me to sacrifice my 'Isaac,' my 'Isaac' through which You promised me descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky?" Nonetheless, we trust Him. It doesn't make sense; we don't understand why, but we trust Him. We put our Isaac on the altar and say, "Your will be done." For he is the only one who is worthy of all our trust - He is perfectly faithful, and He loves us with perfect love. This is our conviction of things not seen. All our hope is in Jesus alone, for he is the only one that we can see. Only He is able to work all things together for the good of those who love Him.
Faith in Jesus is proven most supremely when all other hopes are removed but Jesus.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23).
"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and the he rewards those who seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).
"By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named. He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back" (Hebrews 11:17-19).
The test of faith is painful. One of the most difficult aspects of this test is that we cannot see. What the test is asking of us does not make sense. We are unable to see the outcome, and, left to our own analysis, all outcomes seem to lead toward misery. During this test, and only by such a test, can faith be tested. We cry out alongside Abraham, "God, Abba, why are you asking me to sacrifice my 'Isaac,' my 'Isaac' through which You promised me descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky?" Nonetheless, we trust Him. It doesn't make sense; we don't understand why, but we trust Him. We put our Isaac on the altar and say, "Your will be done." For he is the only one who is worthy of all our trust - He is perfectly faithful, and He loves us with perfect love. This is our conviction of things not seen. All our hope is in Jesus alone, for he is the only one that we can see. Only He is able to work all things together for the good of those who love Him.
Faith in Jesus is proven most supremely when all other hopes are removed but Jesus.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23).
Friday, July 10, 2009
Trust
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6
All we have is today. No, all we have is this second. Will we, will I trust Him, or will I let the cares of this world, the lies of satan, my own emotions, my own cares and worries cause me, or rather tempt me to trust Him not. If I do not trust Perfection, who will I trust?
All we have is today. No, all we have is this second. Will we, will I trust Him, or will I let the cares of this world, the lies of satan, my own emotions, my own cares and worries cause me, or rather tempt me to trust Him not. If I do not trust Perfection, who will I trust?
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Beholding Christ Compels Us to Believe
It is sad to me when I see the unsaved maintain their reasons for not trusting in Christ based on what they see or don't see in Christians, rather than what they see or don't see in Christ Himself. Every man falls short - man cannot be God, though he is often worshiped as a god. Only as we see Jesus and fall in love with Him do we trust in Him. Looking at man's works for what they truly are, we see filthy rags. Looking at Christ's works we see righteousness. And when we do see man's works and give God glory, it is truly God's work in man, not man's work in himself.
"For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake" (2 Corinthians 4:5).
"For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake" (2 Corinthians 4:5).
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Your Purpose I Cannot See
O the pain and the deep sorrow,
the depths of this sadness;
the past it haunts me,
my dreams, even they confess.
My heart it wrenches,
the confusion is hard to bear;
years of not understanding this race,
my heart, it continues to tear.
What is my Father doing?
Why has He chosen this path for me?
Speak to me O Lord,
Your purpose I cannot see.
This life is but a vapor,
this world will pass away;
but O the pain that is here,
perhaps it will make sense one day.
the depths of this sadness;
the past it haunts me,
my dreams, even they confess.
My heart it wrenches,
the confusion is hard to bear;
years of not understanding this race,
my heart, it continues to tear.
What is my Father doing?
Why has He chosen this path for me?
Speak to me O Lord,
Your purpose I cannot see.
This life is but a vapor,
this world will pass away;
but O the pain that is here,
perhaps it will make sense one day.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The Hill Difficulty
The following quote is taken from John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, a 2007 edition published by Moody Publishers in Chicago, the General Editor being Rosalie De Rosset. Enjoy drinking from the deep waters of our brother's work, written almost 300 years ago. This is our journey...
"...they [the characters Christian, Formalist, and Hypocrisy] all went on till they came to the foot of the hill Difficulty, at the bottom of which was a spring. There were also in the same place two other ways, besides that which came straight from the gate: one turned to the left hand, and the other to the right, at the bottom of the hill; but the narrow way lay right up the hill, and the name of the going up the side of the hill is called Difficulty. Christian now went to the spring (Isaiah 49:10), and drank thereof to refresh himself, and then began to go up the hill, saying:
...I looked then after Christian, to see him go up the hill, where I perceived he fell from running to going, and from going to clambering upon his hands and knees, because of the steepness of the place."
"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed" (1 Peter 4:12-13).
"...they [the characters Christian, Formalist, and Hypocrisy] all went on till they came to the foot of the hill Difficulty, at the bottom of which was a spring. There were also in the same place two other ways, besides that which came straight from the gate: one turned to the left hand, and the other to the right, at the bottom of the hill; but the narrow way lay right up the hill, and the name of the going up the side of the hill is called Difficulty. Christian now went to the spring (Isaiah 49:10), and drank thereof to refresh himself, and then began to go up the hill, saying:
The hill, though high, I covet to ascend,
The difficulty will not me offend;
For I perceive the way to life lies here:
Come, pluck up, heart, let's neither faint nor fear.
Better, though difficult, the right way to go,
Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe.
...I looked then after Christian, to see him go up the hill, where I perceived he fell from running to going, and from going to clambering upon his hands and knees, because of the steepness of the place."
"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed" (1 Peter 4:12-13).
Monday, June 8, 2009
I Love the Gospel of Jesus Christ
The Gospel says that my righteousness is found in Christ (Philippians 3:9). The Gospel says that I am reconciled to God (Romans 5:10)! The Gospel says that God has redeemed me, ransomed me from the snare of Hell (Galatians 3:13-14, Matthew 20:28). The Gospel says that Jesus wins, and I am a member of his family (1 Corinthians 15:57, Ephesians 1:4-6). The Gospel says that God will finish the work He started in me (Philippians 1:6). The Gospel says that nothing - neither Satan nor man, nor anything else in all creation - can separate me from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38-39). The Gospel says that the God of the universe will never leave me, never forsake me (Psalm 94:14, Hebrews 13:5). The Gospel says that I have a Comforter and Teacher who leads me to Jesus (John 14:26, 16:13-15). I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ! If you are in Christ, yell this truth with me, yell it to your heart, for it is true for you as well!
"And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God...For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christs" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4, 6). May we yell it also to those who are perishing; perhaps God will allow them to enter His kingdom alongside us.
"And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God...For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christs" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4, 6). May we yell it also to those who are perishing; perhaps God will allow them to enter His kingdom alongside us.
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