Meshach
December 4th, 2008, 1:19 PM
Mark 11:22, "And Jesus answering saith unto them, have faith in God"
Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him"
__________
Concerning faith, bible teacher Stuart Briscoe put it this way, “Faith is only as valid as its object. You could have tremendous faith in very thin ice and drown.” Evangelist D. L. Moody said this, “Trust in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment; trust in your friends, and they will die and leave you; but trust in God, and you will never be confounded in time or eternity.” Webster's Dictionary defines faith as … a belief and trust in and loyalty to God; a firm belief in something for which there is no proof. Thus, faith is something we wish we had more of, especially when facing overwhelming problems. Yet, most of us are well practiced in faith, simply because we sit down in chairs without checking them out or we use microwave ovens without analyzing how they work. We don't go around saying, “If only I had more faith in chairs or in microwaves.” Jesus didn’t say to His disciples, “Have more faith in God.” He simply said, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22).
Chapter eleven of the book of Hebrews describes and illustrates the concept of faith in the lives of so many Old Testament heroes who demonstrated their faith in times of great persecution and challenge. The book of Hebrews defines faith as confidence in what cannot be proven by direct observation. In other words, faith is trusting God for what we cannot see. Faith isn't just a wish; it's a conviction about the things that cannot be physically seen. Old stories are fun to hear because you can tell them as if they really happened, and no one would know the difference. Take for example the story regarding the tightrope walker who asked his audience if they thought he could walk across a rope over Niagara Falls carrying someone in a chair. The crowd applauded and cheered loudly as they indicated that they thought he could do it. However, a hush fell over the crowd when he asked, "Any volunteers?” Whether that really happened or not, it makes an excellent point. It is easy to say you have faith in something, but it's another story to demonstrate it. Everyone has faith in something, whether it's in themselves, other people, or objects. As an illustration I put forward to you the following:
(1) Calmly and self-assuredly, the scientist explains that the universe is billions and billions of years old and that it all started with a Big Bang. As he shows pictures of faraway galaxies and planets, he gives many interesting facts. However, when he assures his listeners that it all began by mere chance, he expresses a belief for which he has no scientific proof. He has faith in his ASSUMPTIONS; (2) The advocate passionately campaigns for man to put his trust in man. He calls for an end to the restrictive forces of religion and God. He pleads his case for freedom from absolute morals and from the promise of eternal consequences for sin. He says that man and man alone brings progress into this world. He has faith in MAN;
(3) Dressed only in a robe, a young woman stands patiently beside the road. She is trying to sell roses to uninterested drivers as they stop for a red light. She smiles, and without complaint, she goes about her simple life of peddling flowers. She gives up yet another day of her life to a cultic leader who claims that God told him he is the Messiah. She has faith in her LEADER; (4) Suppose a friend ask you to take a ride in his single-engine plane. You politely decline because you have heard that his type of plane has a history of mechanical problems and you don’t have confidence in its safety. The pilot assures you that he entrusts his life to it whenever he flies. You still decline and a few weeks later the plane crashes, and he is killed. An investigation shows that the engine was faulty. The pilot had a strong faith, but it was faith in a FAULTY OBJECT.
(5) The most important faith one can have is faith in GOD our Creator. However, many times, we believe our problem is too big for God to solve, thereby limiting Him, while others are sure God is all-powerful, but are not confident He will do what is best for them. There are still others who affirm, "I know what God can do, and I will trust Him to do what He has promised." These various thoughts range from a weak and tentative faith to a firm and confident faith taking God at His word. In studying the ministry of Jesus, you would see varying degrees of faith in those who came to Him. In Mark 1:40-45, He healed a leper who knew He could but was not sure He would. In Mark 9:1 7-24, He cast out a mute spirit from a son whose father wavered between faith and doubt. In Luke 7:1-10, He healed the servant of a centurion who was so sure of the outcome that he asked Jesus merely to speak the word from afar.
__________
Further thoughts:
My friend, God wants you to trust Him completely by faith regardless of your circumstances, so that you may know the fullness of His fellowship. Faith is learning to depend absolutely on God and trusting Him when you can't see things for yourself. A living faith is exemplified in the many characters mentioned throughout God’s Word … especially that of Abraham. He evidenced faith by living in the light of what God said, not based on what he could see (Hebrews 11:8-12). One of God’s promises that especially tested Abraham’s faith was the promise of descendants. Abraham and Sarah, his wife, kept waiting for a son, even after Sarah’s childbearing years were over. God, however, worked miraculously and gave them Isaac (Hebrews 11:11-12). God rewarded their faith in the face of what seemed an impossible situation. Thus, with God nothing is impossible!
So, what's your faith in today … (1) Assumptions? … (2) Man? … (3) Leader? … (4) Objects? … or is it in … (5) God our Creator.
FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST CAN MAKE EXTRAORDINARY HEROES OUT OF ORDINARY PEOPLE
Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him"
__________
Concerning faith, bible teacher Stuart Briscoe put it this way, “Faith is only as valid as its object. You could have tremendous faith in very thin ice and drown.” Evangelist D. L. Moody said this, “Trust in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment; trust in your friends, and they will die and leave you; but trust in God, and you will never be confounded in time or eternity.” Webster's Dictionary defines faith as … a belief and trust in and loyalty to God; a firm belief in something for which there is no proof. Thus, faith is something we wish we had more of, especially when facing overwhelming problems. Yet, most of us are well practiced in faith, simply because we sit down in chairs without checking them out or we use microwave ovens without analyzing how they work. We don't go around saying, “If only I had more faith in chairs or in microwaves.” Jesus didn’t say to His disciples, “Have more faith in God.” He simply said, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22).
Chapter eleven of the book of Hebrews describes and illustrates the concept of faith in the lives of so many Old Testament heroes who demonstrated their faith in times of great persecution and challenge. The book of Hebrews defines faith as confidence in what cannot be proven by direct observation. In other words, faith is trusting God for what we cannot see. Faith isn't just a wish; it's a conviction about the things that cannot be physically seen. Old stories are fun to hear because you can tell them as if they really happened, and no one would know the difference. Take for example the story regarding the tightrope walker who asked his audience if they thought he could walk across a rope over Niagara Falls carrying someone in a chair. The crowd applauded and cheered loudly as they indicated that they thought he could do it. However, a hush fell over the crowd when he asked, "Any volunteers?” Whether that really happened or not, it makes an excellent point. It is easy to say you have faith in something, but it's another story to demonstrate it. Everyone has faith in something, whether it's in themselves, other people, or objects. As an illustration I put forward to you the following:
(1) Calmly and self-assuredly, the scientist explains that the universe is billions and billions of years old and that it all started with a Big Bang. As he shows pictures of faraway galaxies and planets, he gives many interesting facts. However, when he assures his listeners that it all began by mere chance, he expresses a belief for which he has no scientific proof. He has faith in his ASSUMPTIONS; (2) The advocate passionately campaigns for man to put his trust in man. He calls for an end to the restrictive forces of religion and God. He pleads his case for freedom from absolute morals and from the promise of eternal consequences for sin. He says that man and man alone brings progress into this world. He has faith in MAN;
(3) Dressed only in a robe, a young woman stands patiently beside the road. She is trying to sell roses to uninterested drivers as they stop for a red light. She smiles, and without complaint, she goes about her simple life of peddling flowers. She gives up yet another day of her life to a cultic leader who claims that God told him he is the Messiah. She has faith in her LEADER; (4) Suppose a friend ask you to take a ride in his single-engine plane. You politely decline because you have heard that his type of plane has a history of mechanical problems and you don’t have confidence in its safety. The pilot assures you that he entrusts his life to it whenever he flies. You still decline and a few weeks later the plane crashes, and he is killed. An investigation shows that the engine was faulty. The pilot had a strong faith, but it was faith in a FAULTY OBJECT.
(5) The most important faith one can have is faith in GOD our Creator. However, many times, we believe our problem is too big for God to solve, thereby limiting Him, while others are sure God is all-powerful, but are not confident He will do what is best for them. There are still others who affirm, "I know what God can do, and I will trust Him to do what He has promised." These various thoughts range from a weak and tentative faith to a firm and confident faith taking God at His word. In studying the ministry of Jesus, you would see varying degrees of faith in those who came to Him. In Mark 1:40-45, He healed a leper who knew He could but was not sure He would. In Mark 9:1 7-24, He cast out a mute spirit from a son whose father wavered between faith and doubt. In Luke 7:1-10, He healed the servant of a centurion who was so sure of the outcome that he asked Jesus merely to speak the word from afar.
__________
Further thoughts:
My friend, God wants you to trust Him completely by faith regardless of your circumstances, so that you may know the fullness of His fellowship. Faith is learning to depend absolutely on God and trusting Him when you can't see things for yourself. A living faith is exemplified in the many characters mentioned throughout God’s Word … especially that of Abraham. He evidenced faith by living in the light of what God said, not based on what he could see (Hebrews 11:8-12). One of God’s promises that especially tested Abraham’s faith was the promise of descendants. Abraham and Sarah, his wife, kept waiting for a son, even after Sarah’s childbearing years were over. God, however, worked miraculously and gave them Isaac (Hebrews 11:11-12). God rewarded their faith in the face of what seemed an impossible situation. Thus, with God nothing is impossible!
So, what's your faith in today … (1) Assumptions? … (2) Man? … (3) Leader? … (4) Objects? … or is it in … (5) God our Creator.
FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST CAN MAKE EXTRAORDINARY HEROES OUT OF ORDINARY PEOPLE