The Way of Faith

Read | Hebrews 11:23-28

"By faith Moses, when he was born was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child and they were not afraid of the king’s command.  By faith Moses , when he became of age , refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater than the treasures in Egypt, for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.  By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them."

Many people consider Moses a biblical “pillar” of Old Testament days—a man without equal in godliness. And certainly, he encountered the presence of the Almighty in a most unusual way and was called to do mighty things with the Lord’s help. But, like us, he was a normal, sinful human being. What the New Testament commends him for is something we all can have: belief.

Today’s verses come from the passage known as the Bible’s “Hall of Faith.” Those honored with inclusion in this chapter were chosen because they acted obediently, and God achieved great things through them.

We, too, can watch His hand in our lives as we act on faith. When we trust Him and obey, God demonstrates His power and shows that He truly is Lord. By operating out of His strength and through our weakness, He teaches us to rely upon Him.

That’s not to say the path is easy; Jesus warned that the way of faith includes suffering. Indeed, many early Christians were beaten or killed for His sake, and faith is still met with harsh persecution in various places around the world. While that may not be our experience, each of us has encountered ridicule, misunderstanding, or lost friendships because we follow Christ.

Even mild persecution can cause us to question whether living out our faith is worth the sacrifice. The truth is, it’s the best way to live. God responds to faith by enabling His children to endure difficulty, demonstrating His power in their circumstances, and providing joy.

In our weakness God displays His power.  When we can’t, He can.  As children of God, we too suffer as everyone else.  But it is through these times that God builds us up.  Like the bible says, “Count it all joy!”  Through suffering, we learn to endure, and when we endure we achieve victory, when we are victorious, we receive joy..joy unspeakable.

How is your faith lately?

Jesus Is Lord

Read | Philippians 2:5-11

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation , taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. After being found, in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name , which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of those  in heaven , and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

What does it mean when we say that Jesus is Lord? We hear the word used so frequently that we are in danger of losing the significance of its sheer power and magnitude.

Lord is far more than a mere title that Scripture bestows on Jesus. The second chapter of Philippians emphasizes this fact by repeatedly mentioning the word name. We see that God gave Jesus the “name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus,” all of heaven and earth will bow down and “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (vv. 9-11).

In that passage, the name given to Jesus is none other than “Lord.” You see, that word is not used to describe what Jesus does; it’s simply who Jesus is. He is, and will always be, the sovereign ruler of everything in heaven and on the earth.

Therefore, if we echo the confession, “Jesus is Lord,” then our lives must reflect that confidence. Is there anything in your life that you attempt to hide from Christ? Have you refused to do something that He has called you to do? These are acts of rebellion, and they simply demonstrate our lack of faith in Jesus as Lord of our lives.

One day everyone will recognize that Christ is Lord of lords (1 Tim. 6:15). We who are His children should show our faith by inviting Him into any dark areas of our life and allowing Him to conform us to His image. We can begin with the simple yet profound confession: “Jesus is Lord.” And when we confess those words, we should be mindful of their meaning.

No one is called “Jesus.”  Others may have the same spelling, but never called “Jesus” as He is called in every language and tongue.  His name is above all names, for at the mention of His name, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess..that Jesus Christ is Lord, lord of all.  The only name by which one can be saved.

Do you marvel at the mention His name..Jesus?

The Resurrection: Does It Matter?

Read | Acts 2:22-24

“Men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know – Him being delivered by the determined purpose and fore-knowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”

Believing that the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead is essential for Christians. Merely recognizing that He died for our sins is not enough; we must accept His resurrection in order to receive eternal life. Christ paid our debt, but His sacrifice on the cross means nothing unless He possesses power over the grave. In vanquishing evil and death, the Lord made our salvation possible.

Jesus’ resurrection proved He was able to remove sin and its penalty. Assuming Christ remained dead would mean accepting the opposite—that believers are still in sin. And the inevitable end of a sinful life is death. Consequently, a person who denies Christ’s eternal nature looks toward a void future. Bertrand Russell, a famous atheist philosopher, offered this sad description of such hopelessness: “Brief and powerless is Man’s life; on him and all his race, the slow, sure doom falls pitiless and dark.”

Instead of enjoying Christian liberty and anticipating a home in heaven, those who reject resurrection are slaves to the present, with no real hope or meaning in life. Career, family, and good works can offer brief pleasure but not the kind of joy that comes from knowing we are right with the Lord and working in His will.

Resurrection is not a denominational issue or a point for theological debate. Either we believe Christ rose from the dead and ascended to heaven or we do not. If we reject His victory over the grave, we deny ourselves a place in eternity. But if we accept the truth, we will be saved.

The Resurrection – if there was no resurrection, then we really don’t have a future and a hope.  Then Jesus would have suffered and died in vain.  But Jesus did rise up, He did conquer sin and death. He is sitting at the right hand of God interceding for us, waiting for us to join Him in His kingdom for all eternity.  This hope erases all fears, even death itself for we know what awaits us!  Thank You Jesus for Resurrection!!!