A man of perfect integrity
Was Job in the sight of God
With no equal
On the face of the earth
Blessed with wealth to share
Respected by all who cared
He lived his life shinning
The fear of God among men
Tag: Faith
Faith
Faith is the assurance, the proof and the conviction. (Hebrews 11, 12)
The assurance of things hoped for; the proof of things not seen; and the conviction of their reality.
Faith gives us understanding that the world was created by the Word of God and not by visible things; faith brings righteousness and causes obedience to act for the glory of God; perfect faith pleases God and moves Him to act on behalf of those who walk in it; faith is the tool necessary to approach God for one to believe that He exists.
Faith causes one to believe the unseen and faith brings salvation to those who embrace it; faith leads us to obedience to God’s commands and fixes our eyes on the hope, with expectation of our redemption; faith sets the hearts on the spiritual world and gives us the glimpse of the eternal world, where our home is; faith causes us to yearn for our heavenly home and puts us in remembrance that we are strangers here on earth.
Genuine faith goes through the tests believing to have received the promises from Him who is faithful to do what He says He would do and faith reasons God’s ability and faithfulness and believes in His promises.
Daniel Prayed
(Daniel 6: 1-22)
The story of Daniel in the lion’s den is much more than just a children’s story. In fact, this thought obscures the meaning of the events God allowed to happen to show what will be in the future for the nation of Israel. Many events in the Old Testament have happened with a purpose to point out to the near or far future. The Word of God is unsearchable; only those who desire to have the understanding of it, to them will be given revelation of its prophetic meanings. Much is missed because of that. The book of Daniel is clearly an example of it. When we read this book is like opening the future right before our eyes. From the four Jewish youths the Bible mentions in this book, Daniel stands out, because God chose him to be his end time messenger. Daniel’s experience in the lion’s den, like that of his friends in the furnace, has a prophetic meaning directed to his nation. Daniel and his friends well represent the faithful ones in the time of the tribulation and their deliverance.
When King Darius of Persia, who was the successor of Belshazzar, took over the kingdom of Babylon he set over the kingdom 120 governors in charge of all the kingdom. He also chose three presidents over them. Daniel was chosen to be one of them. The Bible tells us that he was distinguished above all the presidents and the satraps because an excellent spirit was in him. The king then set him over the whole realm (Dan. 6:2-3). Daniel, like Joseph, was favored and placed in the right position to fulfill God’s plan. But like Joseph, Daniel had to suffer in the hands of the Gentiles for the truth to be sufficed. Jealousy abounded in the hearts of all those who worked closely to him. They desire was to find something to accuse Daniel in order to disgrace him. But Daniel was faithful to the only true God. They had to create a situation where Daniel would not bend to it. So they came up with an idea that seemed good in the eyes of the king: the establishment of a royal statute to whom all people must pray and make their request to. Upon the signing of this decree Daniel went into his house, with its windows opened toward Jerusalem, there he knelt as usual three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God (vs.5-10).
No Weapon Formed Against You Shall Prosper
It is well known about weapons in the spiritual realm ready to be used against the believer. It is a reality we must realize every time we are struck by temptations. The armor of God is given us to put on and keep it on, for we are not wrestling with flesh and blood, but against the powers against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly sphere (Ephesians 6:12). That’s the only way we will be able to resist and stand our ground on the evil days. Wicked forces are real; and they are under the control of Satan. These are fallen angels called demons. Peter warns us to be well balanced, be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of ours the devil, roams around like a lion roaring, seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are appointed to our brotherhood throughout the world (I Peter 5:8-9). We can resist the weapon formed against us by prayer. Prayer is a very important part of God’s armor to fight Satan’s weapon coming against us. Praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (Ephesians 6:18). Praying constantly in the language of the Spirit, imploring God with enduring faith and persistence, with intercession for those of the God’s family, until our prayers reach the throne of our Lord.
Hanna, A Woman of Faith
A virtuous woman who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls (Proverbs 31).
Hanna was one of the wives of Elkanah from Ephraim; Peninnah, the other wife, had children, but Hanna was childless. This weighted heavily in her heart. Every year they would go up to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord at Shiloh. Hanna deeply in her sorrow would go pray to the Lord for a child. She made a vow to the Lord saying, Lord of Hosts if You will take notice of Your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give Your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut (I Sam. 1). So it was that the Lord heard her prayer and she became the mother of Samuel. As she vowed to the Lord, she gave him back to Him and Samuel grew in the temple serving the Lord all his life. He became a prophet and judge in Israel; the Lord let none of his words fall to the ground; and all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord (I Sa.3:19-21).
Faith Regulates the Believer’s Walk
For we walk by faith not by sight (II Cor. 5:7). These words from the apostle Paul denote a strong demand on the way we live. Since faith is the assurance of the things we hope for, being the proof of things we do not see and the conviction of their reality (Heb. 11:1), we must stand firmly holding faith’s banner for all to see. It is easy to walk by faith when all seems to be going fine, when faith is not challenged. But that is not faith at all, since faith requires hope for the reality of some things we expect to happen. When faith regulates the believers’ life, circumstances cannot alter the way we feel in times of trials, for it elevates the believer upward where our Lord YAHSHUA is sitting at the right hand of God. Faith is much needed while we are in our temporary tent for our existence on earth. As Paul said, In this tent we groan and sigh. Our spirit groans to be clothed with the non-corrupted body, for it does not belong in this temporary tent, since it was made a true life in Christ and regulated by faith. It is a gift we all should desire to live a life pleasing to the Lord. Faith conquers our fears and anxiety; it stands stronger than the enemy’s strength. Confident courage is the result of active faith and in it there is victory; the enemy is subdued under the power of faith. Only by faith we can believe in God, in His promises and be established in Him. The Lord told Israel, If you will not believe, you surely will not last (Isaiah 7: 9b), because it is faith that will sustain and uphold us with victory.
The Man Called Joseph of Arimathea
Very little is said in the Bible about this man. But Joseph of Arimathea was a remarkable man. The writers of the Gospels had these to say about him: Matthews 27:57, 58: When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of YAHSHUA. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of YAHSHUA and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Mark 15:43: Joseph of Arimathea, noble and honorable in rank and a respected member of the council (Sanhedrin), who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, daring the consequences, took courage and ventured to go to Pilate and asked for the body of YAHSHUA… And when he (Pilate) learned from the centurion [that He was indeed dead], he gave the body to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen cloth and taking Him (YAHSHUA) down from the cross, he rolled Him up in the linen cloth and placed Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of a rock. Then he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Luke 23:50-52: Now notice, there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council (the Sanhedrin), and a good man, and righteous, who had not agreed with or assented to the purpose and action of the others; and he was expecting and waiting for the kingdom of God. John 19:38: And after this, Joseph of Arimathea- a disciple of YAHSHUA, but secretly for fear of the Jews- asked Pilate to let him take away the body of YAHSHUA. And Pilate granted him permission. So he came and took away His body. Arimathea, where Joseph was born was according to Fausset’s dictionary possibly identical with Ramah, Samuel’s place, otherwise known as Ramah. It was situated NW of Jerusalem in the hill country of Ephraim.
Keep On
All Is Well
In II Kings chapter four the Bible registers the story of a Shunammite woman. No name was given, just the place where she lived. Shunem was located in the tribe of Issachar, to the north of Jezreel and north of Mount Gilboa. The Bible views the Shunammite as wealthy, influential and respected, a woman with kind heart, and compassionate. We see that in her good deeds toward the Prophet Elisha. As she watched him often passing by, she perceived him to be a man of God. Her perception led her to provide Elisha a furnished chamber to rest while in his journey. She not only had good perception, but she was also an initiator of action. She was willing to receive the Prophet Elisha in her house because he was “a man of God.” Her good deed toward Elisha was for love of God. Although they were wealthy and had everything they wanted, they did not have children. Children in those days were not inconvenience, but considered a blessing from God. They were not aborted, but they were given their place on earth to fulfill God’s plan for them. Elisha was most grateful to her and wanted to reward her. Knowing this detail, he promised her a child. Knowing her husband to be old, she pleaded the prophet with these words: “No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your handmaid.” Nevertheless the Shunammite woman conceived and bore a son at that season the following year, as Elisha said to her. A true Abrahamic miracle!
Look At Things That Are Unseen
(II Corinthians 4:18; Titus 2:13)
For our light, momentary affliction is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory, since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal, but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting (II Cor. 4:17-18).
Visible and invisible things are ever being introduced to us by means of circumstances (visible) and faith that sprouts from the reading the Word of God. Those whose hope depends solely on things seen are the most miserable of men. They are as the illustration YAHSHUA gave concerning the man who built his house on sand. Its foundation lasts only as long as there is no change in the environment or weather. But soon as they change, the foundation disappears with them. The foundation of things is the most important part of any plan to be successfully substantiated. YAHSHUA said that life did not consist in and is not derived from possessions; life is more than things, as food; and the body more than clothes (Luke 12: 15,23). These are temporal and seen things available to us as part of life, but they are not to control and dictate our state of mind.
Light from the Word 