Tag: Faith

The Basis For Judgment

(John 3:19)

The Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light for their works were evil (John 3:19b).

We all have experienced some time in our life, one way or another, the effect of physical darkness. Voided of light, darkness grabs and handicaps us with fear, panic, and anxiety. We feel lost, not knowing where we are and how to get somewhere. People associate darkness with the presence of evil, as in Satan and his demons, rightly so. The feelings of fear, panic, anxiety attacks are feelings that express the presence of evil spirits in the environment. For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of love and a sound mind (I John 4:18). Darkness is blindness. When we are used to the darkness, we find difficulty adjusting to the light. The eyes water and hurt to some extent until we become accustomed to the light. In other ways, light exposes evil deeds. It hides nothing that seems invisible.

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A Fish and a Shekel

(Matthew 17:24-27)

When YAHSHUA arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the half shekel [the temple tax] went up to Peter and said, Does not your Teacher pay the half shekel? He answered, Yes. And when he came home, YAHSHUA spoke to him first, saying, What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly rulers collect duties or tribute from their own sons or from others, not of their own family? And Peter said, From other people not of their own family. YAHSHUA said to him, Then the sons are exempt. However, in order not to give offense and cause them to stumble, go down to the sea and throw in a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find there a shekel. Take it to them to pay the temple tax for Me and for yourself.

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The Law Served as a Guide to Lead Us to Christ (Part 1)

(Galatians 3)

The Israelites, while living in Egypt, were undefined as a nation. They were a family composed of twelve brothers, whose numbers grew greatly, as God was preparing them to make a nation out of them. The 430 years that they remained in Egypt, they grew to a staggering number, causing the Egyptians to kill their babies and force hard labor on them, bringing them to a slave’s status. Jacob, his wives, and sons were living in Canaan before they sojourned to Egypt until the famine took them to Egypt in search of food. These were days of uncertainties in the mind of Jacob, as he made decision to move to Egypt, a distance of 121 miles from Canaan, their Promised Land; they were already there, but not in fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham in the space of time ordained for it to happen. Many years had to pass, many things had to happen in their lives, including in Moses’ life.  A nation to be a nation is required for a good number of people to fill the spaces. A nation, out of seventy people is hardly enough to be formed into one. God’s plan was for them to grow and multiply before He took them out of Egypt for the purpose to form a nation unto Him- a royal race.

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Rahab, a Woman of Importance in History- Past and Future

The Bible gives us a short synopsis of Rahab’s life just enough for us to know whom that woman was. In the book of Joshua we find the accounts about her as a prostitute and one who saved the Israelite spies. In doing so, she exercised faith and belief in the God of Israel. Rahab acknowledged to the spies what they all had heard concerning God’s supernatural deliverance of Israel from Egypt. Although, she lived among pagans, she confessed her faith in the true God- the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,  by saying, “ The Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth beneath” (Jos.2: 9-11). Her faith expanded to action to protect the spies, as a gesture of fear and respect for Israel’s God. She was chosen for that time with God’s purpose not only to save Israel, but to display His plan far off into the future. Sometimes, in our feeble mind, we get lost in our understanding of how God fulfills His plans. In the case of Rahab we wonder why a prostitute. Remember YAHSHUA’S reaction toward the Pharisees when they brought a sinful woman to Him, condemning her?  He bent down and went on writing on the ground with His finger; when YAHSHUA raised Himself up, He said to her, Woman, where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you? She answered, No one, Lord! And YAHSHUA said, I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more (John 8: 8,10-11). No one is without sin, no matter the size of it. Rahab’s heart was right with God and when the opportunity presented itself, she chose to obey the Lord.

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In Tragedy Hope Arises

(Ruth 1-4)

A family of four fled the famine in the land in the time when the judges ruled the country. There were four of them: husband, wife and their two sons. Theirs was a life of tragedy and misfortune in the period of ten years while in the country of Moab, where they made it their home for a while. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem of Judah, a place linked to prophecy concerning the birth of the Savior of the world. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans or rulers of Judah, out of you will come for me One Who will be Ruler over Israel, whose coming forth from of old ( Micah 5:2).  Nothing in God’s calendar happens by mistake. Although circumstances pointed out tragedy, His plan of old, from eternity was firmly established through the lives of this family, although indirectly, for it was not going to be from them, but from a Moabitess woman and a kin of the husband, that Bethlehem was going to be exalted above the heavens.

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They Took The First Step

When Moses and the Israelites left Egypt, they faced two walls of great magnitude- the Red Sea in front of them and the Egyptians army behind them. How were they to flee in that predicament? Easy. Fear not; stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. The Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest (Exodus 14:13-14). These were Moses’ words to the Israelites. Then the Lord told Moses, Tell the people to go forward. Lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the Israelites shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea (vs. 15b-16). Moses had to lift up his rod, stretch out his hand over the sea, and divide it. These three things Moses had to do for the Israelites to go forward on dry ground. It all depended on him for things to happen and salvation to come to the young nation of Israel. Moses was a doer of the command of YAHWEH. At His command, Moses took the first step and YAHWEH’S power was visible for all to experience their salvation. The Egyptians, as he had said, you see today, you shall never see them again. Israel was saved and the Egyptians came to know and realize that YAHWEH was the Lord, throughout the land, for all those who pursued Israel drowned.

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In Addition To All, Take Up The Shield Of Faith

(Ephesians 6: 10-19)

The writer of the book of Hebrews gives the most definite and solid meanings of faith: the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Heb. 11:1). Who can understand faith, when never gone through difficulties? The measure of faith in one’s life is seen through hard times. Everyone has  certain applied degree of faith outside the spiritual. It is an important ingredient essential to life. Faith removes the doom and gloom of today’s when one has faith for a better tomorrow. Faith is a lifter upper brightening hope in whatever we hope for. But faith is much more than that when its shield is taken up in the spiritual battle field. The Bible says that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. That is, not against humans. It is against the devil and his forces. Paul uses the Roman armor example to symbolize the armor of God’s proficiency in its use in every spiritual battle.

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The Upper Room

(II Kings 4)

The upper room was a chamber built above the houses to serve as guest rooms and a place for activities and privacy for families.

Chapter four of II Kings offers a woman’s beautiful story of faith and courage. She displayed her faith and courage after the loss of her son to death. That was the only son she had, for her husband was an old man and a very special child; he was the son the Prophet Elisha promised her in return for her kindness shown to him. This Shunammite woman never realized that that upper room she had built for the Prophet, was one day a refuge in her time of trouble. It is said that “What goes around, comes around.” An act or a word of kindness finds their way back to the one who blesses others. Even though her emotional pain was great, her faith was greater. It compelled her to seek life from the one who had promised her a son. At his death she knew exactly what to do: The upper room where she had received the promise of a son, was to be the place where he would receive his life back. It was the place where God was going to manifest Himself through resurrection power. She carried her son up there and left him lying on the prophet’s bed and left in a hurry to see the prophet. He lived about twenty miles away. She pressed on seeking life for her son, redeeming her time by not stopping to greet anyone. She kept her pain to herself until she met Elisha, the prophet. In anguish of soul, she started by asking him a question, Did I desire a son of my lord? Did I not say, Do not deceive me? As the Lord lives and as my soul lives, I will not leave you. And Elisha arose and followed her (vs.28,30).

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Only Faith Activated Through Love

(Galatians 5:6; I John 4:7-9; James 2: 14-18)

What is the use, my brethren, for anyone to profess to have faith if he has no works? Can [such] faith save him? (James 2:14)  The Word of God describes faith as the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Heb. 11:1).  Faith is the pillar of hope. They exist hand in hand. But faith without the activation of love, which compels one to reach out, is according to James, dead. James asked Can faith without work save a person? Paul said, if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing (I Cor. 13:2b). YAHSHUA told the disciples, If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you (Matt. 17: 20). “Faith like a grain of mustard” is enough to move mountains when empowered by love. It is not the size that matters, but the completion of faith in love.

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But Peter Got Up

(Luke 24: 9-12)

YAHSHUA’S last Passover was the most memorable Passover ever observed in the frame of time. Although not recognized and acknowledged by men, it was the most important Passover in God’s purpose of redemption of mankind. That Passover came bringing the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God. No other animals that were being slaughtered that day as a sacrifice for the atonement of sin mattered at that time, for God had brought out His only Son to the altar to sacrifice Him and through His death, purchase men for Himself. The shedding of His blood through the nails piercing through His hands and feet, the spear piercing through His side, and the thorns in a shape of a crown piercing His head, were the manner in which He paid the price to redeem men to His Father. YAHSHUA warned His disciples several times about His ultimate sacrifice; however they were deaf to the fact- deaf to the point of betraying and denying Him. Why would they believe His resurrection, when they did not believe His death could happen? Peter tried to stop him from going to the cross more than one time; however, when the time arrived, he denied to have known Him. YAHSHUA called them the incredulous generation; the word incredulous means unwilling, or unable to believe; doubt and skepticism according to Webster’s dictionary. That was the position of the disciples all along even when YAHSHUA warned them of His death and His resurrection.

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