A Different Faith

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for...."  Hebrews 11: 1

Different people. Different talents.  Different gifts. Different callings.  Every person is unique in what God has called them to do.  God calls people to different places and different ministries. One calling is not better than another, just different. Maybe God has called you to be a stay-at-home mother who will homeschool your children and raise them to be men and women of God. Maybe God has called you to be a teacher that shows love and compassion to your students each and every day.  Maybe God has called you to serve in the military and to share the Gospel with men and women who are scared and uncertain of their future.  You may be called to work in a local soup kitchen in your local community or take school supplies and clothing to kids in a poverty-stricken community. You may be called to be a preacher, pastor, evangelist, singer, song-writer, Christian rapper, politician (yes, them too!), principal, citizen volunteer, board member, or another calling.  You are called to share God's love in whatever it is you do. Don't feel bad because your calling looks different from another person's. The truth is that God knows what calling you will flourish most in and he's tailored a life especially for you. He knows that your particular calling will bring HIM the most glory.   As I read Hebrews 11, I began to look for a pattern or a common thread in how these people also known as the "ancients" demonstrated their faith---but I didn't find one!  The truth is that there is no one way to have faith.  Everyone's faith and calling is so different yet holds the same value in the kingdom of God.   You may be called to sing and I may be called to lead.  You may be called to save lives as a doctor and I may be called to give my life for the sake of the Gospel. In Hebrews 11, some had it easier and some had it harder, but nevertheless, they all pleased God.  Think about the following lessons of faith that the Hebrews 11 Tribe teaches us:

1. Offer God just a little bit more than your usual sacrifice will .  The only thing that distinguished Abel's sacrifice from Cain's was that Abel's sacrifice was a little "more excellent" (Abel)
2. Please God by walking with Him (Enoch)
3. Obey God's voice and do what He tells you even when you have no idea what God is doing (Noah)
4. Judge God to be faithful (Sarah)
5. Dedicate your children to the Lord and know that they really belong to God and He can do what He wants with them  (Abraham when he was asked to sacrifice Isaac)
6.  Speak faith and encouragement into the lives of others (Joseph when he spoke to the Israelites about God's future for them).
7. Fight for your children to ensure that they have a future (Moses's parents when they hid him so he wouldn't be killed by Pharoah).
8. Choose God above everyone else, even your own family (Moses when he refused to be called the son of Pharoah)
9.  Believe God for amazing miracles  (the Israelites when they crossed through the Red Sea).
10.  Help those who are doing God's work (Rahab when she hid the spies to protect them).

The end of Hebrews 11 goes on to say that others conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained  what was promised, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, escaped the edge of the sword, some had their weakness turned to strength and some became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.  Women received back their dead, raised to life again, others were imprisoned, persecuted, tortured, murdered for the name of God.  They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute.  They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. Basically, they had no permanent homes, they were poor and sometimes lacked their basic necessities. Each had a different calling and was asked to show their faith in a different way.  So I leave you with this question.  How is God asking you to demonstrate your faith?  Don't despise living out your faith in simple day-to-day ways and don't despair when God asks you to show your faith through enormous trials and tests.   Like someone once said, the will of God will not take you where the grace of God will not lead you. In the small things and in the great things, your faith will bring God glory. 

The Evidence is Already in the Bag

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony."  Hebrews 11:1

I don't know about you, but I've always enjoyed those shows such as CSI or Criminal Minds.  I love seeing law enforcement or the Crime Scene Investigation team try to solve cases that seem impossibly difficult.  Time and time again, in order to solve the crime and prove that the suspect has committed the crime, they must have evidence.  Evidence, according to Webster's dictionary is an "outward sign". It's something you can see, feel, touch.  It's something physical.  It's something that can't be argued with.  Usually, the evidence takes the form of fingerprints, DNA collection, a weapon, a video recording, or a letter. At some point, the evidence is carried to the police station in a clear little bag.  Its contents are crucial for they will determine the outcomes of the many lives involved. Without evidence, the efforts of the investigators are useless.  They may know who committed the crime and the suspect might even confess it, but if there is no evidence, they don't have a case.   In  Hebrews 11:1, we are essentially told that faith is evidence of things unseen. Another way of putting it is that faith is made up of something you can feel, touch, or see. This seems to be a contradiction because as Christians, we know that faith is believing in something even though you can't see it or feel it.  Yet, as I thought about this more, I realized that when one truly has faith in God and in his promises, the believer is so convinced of what he/she believes that he/she might as well see it physically because he or she is that sure that it already exists. They are convinced without a shadow of a doubt that the evidence is already in the bag. Their prayer is ALREADY answered.  You may not currently be healed from cancer, but with your eyes of faith, you can already feel the evidence of your healing. You can already feel the healing virtue going through you. You may not have children, but with your eyes of faith, you can already feel the sweet and tender touch of your precious baby.  You may not have that degree that seems so far off, but the evidence of it is the feeling that you feel right now of the breeze hitting your face as you walk up on the stage to accept it.  You may be far off from opening that orphanage or school, but you can almost taste the success of it in your present moment. You already hear the hundreds of children running around and their loud voices playing as they playon the grass. The joy is already in you because the evidence is already there.  When you possess the kind of conviction that God's already got your prayer covered and has already done it,  your attitude will change.  You won't walk around with your head down low,  because you already see it done. Period.  From now on,  when you pray, don't ask God for your request.  Instead, thank him for what he already has done by faith.   Just remember, the evidence is already in the bag.

Blessed in the Waiting Room of Life

"Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed"  John 20:29

I have written quite a few posts on the topic of waiting on God.  Actually, the theme of my entire blog is about waiting on God.   I write so much about it because in your lifetime and in my lifetime, we will probably experience waiting on God more than anything else.  I know many people that are in the waiting room of life at this very moment.  I have friends who are waiting on God to bless them with children and they've waited a VERY long time.  I know other people who are waiting on God to open the door for them to own their very own home.   Some are waiting on God to give them a job.  Some are waiting for Mr. Right or Ms. Right. Some are waiting for God to open the doors to open their own business. Some are waiting for God to deliver their children from drugs and other addictions, while others are waiting on God to allow the seeds they've planted to grow.  I know quite a few families who have started a new church or mission and are waiting to see God bring the increase as they water the spiritual seeds in the lives of people they minister to.   Its a natural desire to see the end of our waiting or to see the outcome, yet, we see from the account of Thomas in John 20, that there is something powerful to be gained in the waiting room of life.  We see from the scripture that we are the most blessed when we cannot see something, yet we still believe it.   When Jesus Christ rose from the dead, Thomas could not believe it.  He immediately requested the  "evidence" that his Lord was alive. He asked to see the nail scars and to touch them with his very own hands. He would believe once he did this.  We read that Jesus allowed Thomas to do so which obviously caused Thomas to believe.  Jesus then told Thomas some of the most powerful words, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”   Reading this portion of scripture, I have come to realize that when we are at a place in our lives where we cannot see God in a situation, or when we cannot see an answered prayer, we are truly positioned to be blessed.  The longer you wait, the longer you are blessed.  I am starting to think back to all the waiting periods I have experienced so far in my own life and can clearly see how blessed by God I truly was while in that waiting period.  It was when I was waiting on God for a job after being laid-off  that God blessed me with the opportunity to take a short-term missions trip to Santo Domingo and Haiti which was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.  It was while I was waiting on God for a specific answer to something I was going through that I came to know God in such a powerful way.  I have never been the same since.  I could give many more examples, but I'm sure you have your own when you think about it.  So if you are in the waiting room of life  and are serving God like never before, know that right now, where you are at, in this very moment, YOU ARE BLESSED!  Stop looking at the answered prayer that you don't have yet, but start looking at the ways that God IS blessing you in this present time. You may not have children yet, but God is using you to impact the lives of others in your community.  You may not have that house you want, but what about that promotion you received at work.  You may not have a job, but God is raining financial blessings on you.  You may not have church growth at this very moment, but you are being blessed with opportunities to travel and minister to people from other nations.  Remember,  you are favored!  Keep trusting in God.  Don't be nervous, don't be angry, don't be frustrated, don't be disappointed, don't be hurt, don't be doubtful, but BE BLESSED!

A View of Jesus Christ's Love Through the Story of Abigail

We all sin.  We all mess up.  We may love God and strive to please Him, but at some time or another, we will mess up.  When we do fail God and fall short, the enemy enjoys sending condemnation to flood our hearts and minds and make us feel like God doesn't love us anymore.  Even after we've sincerely repented, we sometimes still carry the weight of guilt, feeling that any moment, God might send his wrath upon us.  Yet, God's thoughts, as the Bible says, are not so.  The Old Testament of the Bible contains many types and figures of Jesus Christ starting with Adam to Moses and so on.  These Old Testament types and figures come in the form of men, and rightly so because Jesus was a man.  Yet, recently, I stumbled upon another example of a type and figure of Christ in the form of a woman. The story of this woman allows us to see just how merciful God really is and how he handles our failures, weaknesses, and sins.

In the first book of Samuel, chapter 25, we read about a woman named Abigail.  The bible describes Abigail as, "a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance..." (v.3).   Abigail was married to a man by the name of Nabal who the Bible says was "harsh and evil in his doing" (v.3).  The story goes on to say that David and his men were in the wilderness and heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep.  Most likely he and his men were tired and hungry.  David sent ten men to greet Nabal and ask him for food. Nabal, drunk at the time, refused to acquiesce their request and then went on to insult David.  At the time, David had been anointed King, but was experiencing the power struggle between him and Saul. Nabal, knowing this, used it to insult David by saying, "Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master.  Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?"(v. 10-11).  David's men returned to David and told him what Nabal had said.  As you might imagine, David was furious. How dare this man insult him in such a way, especially when he had come to him in peace!  Immediately, David has his men prepared their swords as he planned his revenge on Nabal and his household, saying, "Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good. May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light.”  We see clearly that the wrath of David was about to fall upon this evil and foolish man Nabal, and rightly so.  They began marching towards Nabal's house to execute their plan. Meanwhile, Nabal's servants went back and told Nabal's wife Abigail of all that had happened and how her husband had treated the future king.  Being the wise woman that she was, the Bible says that she "made haste and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys" (v. 18-19).  She then ran out to meet David.  We are told that she threw herself before David and asked him for mercy and to overlook her husband's actions for he was foolish, just as his name meant (v. 25).  She went on to take the blame upon herself for not being there to greet David's men when they came the first time.  She asked David to receive the offering of food that she had brought him and went on to acknowledge David as the rightful ruler of Israel (v. 30).  David, realizing that he was about to make a big mistake, said this, 

^"Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand.  For indeed, as the Lord God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely by morning light no males would have been left to Nabal!' So David received from her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, “Go up in peace to your house. See, I have heeded your voice and respected your person.”

This story goes on to say that Nabal died shortly after the incident due to a stroke and David took Abigail as his bride.  This story is not only a beautiful story about a woman's virtue and character, but also a story about how powerful God's love is towards us and how precious the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was and still is.  Nabal represents who we are- wretched and foolish sinners who offend God with the insult of sin.  As sinners, we offend God by not acknowledging his authority and kingship just as Nabal did not acknowledge David's.   David represents God who is ready to pour out his wrath on us and our offspring because of our sin.  Abigail who represents our Savior Jesus Christ because she stood in the gap, taking the blame upon herself even though the sin was not hers.  She brought her offering which pleased the King and turned away his wrath.  Jesus Christ did the same for us.  He took our sin upon himself like it was his own.  He didn't have to take the blame, but He did anyways.  Like Abigail, He brought a precious offering to the King, offering of his own blood.  This offering pleased God and turned his wrath away from us.  Isaiah 53:5 says," But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities;The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed."  Jesus stood in the gap and became the propitiation for our sins.   Once we've given our lives to Christ and fall short, we still deserve the wrath of Christ, but there is Jesus once again, shielding us from the wrath, covering us in His blood. Don't ever say that you're not forgiven. Don't ever say that you've gone too far that God can't love you anymore.   Jesus paid the price by becoming the ultimate sacrifice.  Yes, we deserve punishment, but Christ took the punishment for you.  It doesn't stop there. Once the sacrifice was made, David took Abigail as his bride after her husband's death. We too have become part of the bride that God will come back for. Isn't God's love amazing?  I pray this thought will allow you to appreciate just how wonderful God has been to you and allow you to see that no matter what you do, God already has you covered. 

Jesus, My Teacher

"The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned."  Isaiah 50:4

As my alarm went off this morning, I did my usual grumbles and argued with myself on whether or not I should hit the snooze button or stay underneath the warm blankets.  I finally dragged myself out of bed and onto my feet, even if I was still half asleep. I began to set my mind upon the Author of my day and ask for His guidance.  Immediately, my mind was taken to Isaiah 50:4 and the words began to recapitulate themselves in my head, morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. These words began to saturate themselves in my heart as I realized that God had something to teach me today if I was willing to open my spirit to His still small voice. Thinking about it further, I realize that every morning that I am ushered into a new day, God has something to teach me and words to pour into me.   I am his student and He is my teacher. His still small voice offers me guidance when I'm not sure in which direction to walk, confidence to be what He has called me to be, the power to be a witness, and wisdom to make the right decisions that the day calls for.  If we rise each day ready to be taught,  God will pour into us words, dreams, visions, and most of all, valuable instruction that will empower us to do His will. When God has poured into us, we can then pour into others. Tomorrow morning, when God wakes you up, come before Him like a student ready to learn from the Teacher of Teachers.  Who knows what you will learn for the day!

Paul Washer on the Virtuous Woman

I found an excerpt from a sermon given by Paul Washer on the Virtuous Woman.  Single men, are you attracted to a woman's virtue or her personality?  A personality can be misleading, but virtue is evidence that Christ that is manifested in her life.  Enjoy!

The Desire of a Pharisee

For the most part, we Christians desire to know Jesus in a more intimate way.  We desire to seek his face, know His will, and hear that precious still small voice speaking into our lives on a daily basis.  Desire is a good thing especially when it pertains to our walk with Jesus, but desire, just like potential is dormant until expressed in action. We have our busy lives with work, family, and even church activities that can sometimes leave us tired with little time for prayer.  Due to our hectic lives, so many times it's our relationship with Jesus that sometimes gets pushed to the back of our lives. Jesus so often gets our scraps or leftovers when what he desires is the first-fruits of our time and energy.   It's not so much that we are living sinful lives, but it more about what we're not doing and the special intimacy with him that we are missing out on.    In Luke chapter 7, many have focused on the woman who brought an alabaster box of ointment to the home of the pharisee where Jesus was at. She stood at the feet of Jesus, and weeping, began to wash his feet with her tears, wipe them with her hair, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the oil. Her story is one of worship and forgiveness that will be remembered for all generations, but today, I would like to focus on another character in the story- Simon the Pharisee who Jesus was visiting.  Luke 7:36 says that "one of the pharisees desired him [Jesus] that he would eat with him."  The story goes on to say that Jesus accepted the invitation and came to eat with this man. At this point, the woman with the alabaster box came in and ministered to Jesus as we just described. Simon, the Pharisee saw this and spoke within himself about how Jesus could allow such a sinful woman to minister to him.  Jesus, knowing Simon's thoughts, spoke to him with these words,

"Simon, seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet; but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.  Thou gavest me no kiss, but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.  My head with oil thou didst not anoint, but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment...for she loved much..."  (Luke 7:44-47). 

I can imagine Simon's heart dropping to the ground as the words cut into his very core.  Simon had the desire to meet Jesus.  We know this because he invited Jesus to his house, but unfortunately, his desire did not meet with his action that day.  It was a middle eastern tradition that whenever a guest came to your home, a servant of the host's house would take the guest to an area of the home and wash his feet.  As you can imagine, feet were pretty dirty due to the sandals that were the norm in many middle eastern cultures. Washing one's feet showed a sign of respect, hospitality, and graciousness. Simon offered none of this for his special guest of guests- Jesus Christ. Simon may have had good intentions, but when it came down to it, He did not make Jesus a priority.  Sometimes, we too, do not make Jesus a priority as we should.  We tell him we want Him in our lives, but our daily schedule omits our time with Him.  We slowly find ourselves in a dry spiritual state and even death because of the lack of connection with Jesus. We can't live a joyful life without His presence.  We can't know what He wants from us without being in His presence.  We need Him like oxygen,  taking every bit of our strength and life from him.  Maybe you have felt His special nudges and call to you, Why didn't you meet me this morning? I miss you.  I want to talk to you.  I know you ministered to your family and church, but when are you going to minister to me, the Lover of your soul? Won't we answer Him? God takes pleasure when we minister to him. Won't we give him the time he wants?  Today, let us touch Jesus with not only our desire, but with a commitment to prayer that is birthed out of that desire.