By Faith

                                     

Have you ever gone through a terrible situation but somehow had complete peace in the midst of it? If your answer is no, I hope by the end of this blog you can pick up some tools which will help you to experience this kind of peace that passes all understanding. If your answer is yes, we know that the reason we can have peace and joy in those kinds of times is because our faith is not in man, not in this world, or its deceitfulness of riches, but that our faith is in Jesus Christ. God of all. We know that our inheritance comes after this world is passed away. Heaven and earth will pass away, but his words will NEVER fail. We aren't promised that everything will be perfect here on earth, we're actually promised the exact opposite. We're promised that trials and tribulations will come, but thank God like Peter said, that I can count myself worthy to suffer shame for his name!

Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake! For theirs is the kingdom of heaven!

Though sometimes, faith can look really stupid to those who have no faith.

By faith, Noah made an ark. In spite of how crazy and ridiculous people thought he was, through faith he was obedient to God and he and his family were saved.
People mocked him until the day the flood came and consumed them in their mockery; but just because no one else can hear the voice of God, it doesn't mean you shouldn't listen.

By faith, Abraham dwelled in the land of promise which God gave unto him, in tabernacles as a stranger and a foreigner. He didn't make his home here on earth, but he looked for a city with foundations, whose builder and maker was God. He saw the heavenly promise.

By faith, Sarah conceived a son in her old age. In this case, she was the mocker. She laughed within herself when she heard the angel say that she would bare a son in her old age. Sometimes we laugh to ourselves when we hear a word from God that sounds completely impossible. We doubt God's word. The angel called Sarah out and asked her why she laughed, and she denied it. God will call us out when we mock his word. He chastises those that he loves. Through faith, Sarah received the strength to carry out the promise that she thought was impossible, because she judged him who promised to be faithful. Our faith comes from knowing that he is faithful to fulfill his word. He that cometh to God must believe that he is; and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Hebrews 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

When we begin to confess and embrace that we are merely strangers and pilgrims on this earth, it becomes much easier to see the true promise. Not the promise of riches, of bigger churches, or houses, or temporal things; we can begin to focus on the greatest promise of all, eternal life with our savior. So that when these storms come and we struggle with our finances and our families and our churches, we can look past and remember that we are merely pilgrims and strangers on this earth. These things will pass.

Verse 15 - And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
If they had been mindful of that country (if they had dwelled on it) there would have been opportunity for them to return to it. If they would have only focused on and remembered those promises on the earth they would not have sought after the heavenly country that God had prepared for them. If we only think about the riches and promises here on earth, if that's all we dwell on, we will lose sight and forget the promise of the heavenly city, the mansions, and rewards, that he has prepared for us. This is why God tells us to lay up our treasures in heaven, for where our treasure is, there will our hearts, our minds, our focus, be also. 

Hebrews 11:24-25    By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

Moses realized that it's better to suffer with the people of God for a lifetime than to enjoy sin for a season. A season can mean any amount of time, or temporarily. He would rather be persecuted for a life time than to enjoy sin for any period of time. He saw the heavenly promise. He was mocked even by his own people in the wilderness, they murmured against him. They regretted following him because they had lost their faith. They turned aside to other gods and lost vision of the promise. What they were doing began to look stupid to them because of their lack of faith. They were on their way to the promised land, free of bondage. Sometimes we can be out of bondage, God can speak a word and in the process of that word coming to pass we lose sight of the promise and we begin to murmur and lose faith, and the next thing you know we've turned aside from God. They were on their way to the promise and instead of having faith and trusting God to provide for them protection from the enemy, water, and food, they became lost in the circumstances that arose, they lost sight of where they were going and focused on the temporal problems. If we're not careful we can lose sight of where we're heading and begin to focus on our temporal problems. In Matthew 5 Jesus begins teaching the multitudes the foundation principles of the kingdom on a mountain. Knowing the mind of humanity and the vanity of the heathens or unbelievers, in chapter 6 he tells the people not to use vain repetitions as the unbelievers do because they speak foolishly, talking much without purpose. He then directs them not to pray for temporal things, but for his kingdom!

Matthew 6:9. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11. Give us this day our daily bread.
12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

When we begin to focus on his kingdom, all of these things will come. Our focus must stay on the heavenly promise! The kingdom of God!

Matthew 6: 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Jesus prophesied that after he would be crucified, he would rise again in 3 days. Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These [are] the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and [in] the prophets, and [in] the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
Matthew 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Matthew 20:17 And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,   18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,   19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify [him]: and the third day he shall rise again.

Mary and Martha lost sight of that promise. When they came to the tomb to anoint Jesus' dead body, the angel asked why do you seek the living among the dead? They were so focused on his death that they completely forgot about the promise of his resurrection. They focused on the temporal instead of what was promised in eternity. The word of God was spoken and on the way of it coming to pass they lost their faith. The only reason they mourned was because they lost sight of his promise. God wants us to wait on his promises. He told his disciples to tarry and wait for the promise that should be given to them in Jerusalem. What would have happened if they would have forgotten about the promise? If they would've been distracted or caught up in a situation that arose during the feast of Pentecost, or on the way to Jerusalem? They wouldn't have made it to the upper room and might have missed God's promise. They saw the promise. They anticipated it. They remembered it. They dwelled on it.

Hebrews 11:36-40     And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all(the prophets), having obtained a good report(testimony) through faith, received not the promise(message): God having provided(beforehand) some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect(fulfilled).
Rev 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11. And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

They became martyrs for Christ, and so must we.

They kept their eyes through faith on the heavenly promise!

This old world is not my home. I'm just passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels are beckoning me from heavens open door. And I can't, I just can't feel at home in this world anymore. I'm going to new Jerusalem!