Faith in the Trenches

Faith in the Trenches

Luke 12: 29-32

29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.  32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 

   Hebrews 11 takes us on a walk through the Hall of Faith.  Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and more.  We hear how each excelled in a life of faith.  And we hear that there was not time to tell about all the heroes of faith from the Old Testament. 

32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 

33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 

34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 

35 Women received their dead raised to life again.

Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 

   Remember Jeremiah in the well and others who were tortured?  And Isaiah was sawn in two by King Manassas.  Some were called to stand up to unrighteousness and warn of impending judgment.  They did not want to betray their calling and so stayed faithful unto death.

39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 

40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

   Faith.  You would think the OT would reference this word a lot.  But you’d be wrong.  The word Faith is only found twice in the OT and not once in reference to any of these heroes of the faith. 

   So how does this relate to you and I?  They were living looking forward to the promise of the Messiah, but did not live to see the Messiah.  We live under a better covenant.  They only could ask for the Holy Spirit to come upon them to help them, we have the Holy Spirit living inside us!  We can talk to God through the Holy Spirit!  When we pray in the Spirit, we have the confidence our prayers are being heard.

   We are on the firing line every day.  We are in a war where the enemy is invisible and he has no mercy.  Our best plan of action is to stand on God’s Word because we know His Word is powerful.  But we need to know His Word to be able to stand on it. 

Psalm 119:11

Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

   Paul tells us to put on God’s Word like putting on armor and for the same reason.  We need to be ready for combat and protected from attack. 

Ephesians 6:10-18

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

   Stand firm and don’t let go.  They say a hero is someone who stood his ground a second longer than anyone else.  Stand against the devil and don’t run.  Be the hero today.

Stephen Cram                                                                   

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

The Danger of Doing Your Own Thing

The Danger of Doing Your Own Thing

You can read about Balaam in Numbers 22 through 25

   Israel had been condemned by God to wander through the wilderness until a whole generation died off.  And after 38 years the next generation gathered again at Kadesh and began to make plans to go into the land. They had traveled around the borders of Moab, the Moabites had thought that when the Israelites reached the plains of Moab the Amorites would defeat them. But that didn’t happen - the Israelites defeated the Amorites.  Now the Moabites knew they had to do something.  Balak, the king of Moab, formed an alliance with the king of Midian, and they sent emissaries off to Mesopotamia to hire a sorcerer to come and curse the nation of Israel for them.  So elders of Moab and elders of Midian departed with money to hire Balaam, and they repeated Balak's words to him. And he said to them, "Spend the night here, and I will bring back word to you as the Lord may speak to me."   

   And God came to Balaam and said, "Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people; for they are blessed." 

   There are at least two ways in Hebrew to negate an idea, and God, in his revelation to Balaam, uses the strongest possible term, the same term which are used in the Ten Commandments: "Thou shalt not go.  Thou shalt not curse." (The Hebrew words “lo halom” – “Not - You must go.” And “lo qalal” – Not - You must curse.”) 

   So Balaam knew exactly what God wanted. There was no question in his mind. God had clearly revealed his will to Balaam.  And Balaam knew that God's word was not in question, because later on, in one of his oracles, he says, "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent."  Simply put:  "God speaks the truth, He does not lie, and he does not change his mind."

   The reason that God speaks the truth is that he knows what is profitable to us in this world; what will make life worthwhile and what will destroy us.  He knows, and he reveals the truth, not to cramp our style, but because he wants us to avoid the things which ultimately are destructive in life. Therefore he cannot change his mind because He loves people, and to change his mind would mean that we would be exposed to things that would destroy us.

   God knew that if Balaam cursed Israel, Balaam would suffer. God wasn't concerned about Balaam's curse that somehow it would frustrate God's efforts with Israel and would destroy them, God was concerned for Balaam.

   Then Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more distinguished than the former. [The Hebrew says that he sent "heavier" leaders!]  And they came to Balaam and asked him again.  So Balaam told them to wait and he would ask God again.   God had already said no, don’t go and no, don’t curse them.  What more questions could Balaam have? 

   And God permits Balaam to go with them, not because he is a softie but because he will not control Balaam to the point that Balaam cannot act according to his own will if he insists upon it.  And that is the way that God deals with us.  If we insist upon going our own way, then God takes his hands off of us and he lets us go.  There is a passage in Psalm 106 in which David says with reference to Israel, "He [God] gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul."  And this is what he does with Balaam.  He says, "All right, Balaam, I know your heart, so I'll let you go."

   And in Numbers chapter 31 there is an account of the invasion of Midian and the destruction of the Midianites by the nation of Israel, and it says in verse 8 that "they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword."

   So Balaam died the death of the wicked, and he died separated from God.   Had he listened to God and stayed home, he might have lived to an old age.  But he went and did his own thing and it cost him everything. 

   The fate of Balaam should serve as a warning to us to listen and let God’s Spirit guide us and not ignore His warnings and do whatever we want.  God knows best.

Stephen Cram                                                           May 18, 2014                         

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

Like A Mothers Love

Like A Mothers Love

1 Thessalonians 2:7

But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.

   Writing to the Thessalonians about his commitment to teach them about Christ and about life Paul tells them he was like a mother to them.  He gave them an example that wove words with love and truth with a loving touch.  There is more to teaching and more to discipline than just telling and teaching.  There is the loving touch.  There is a listening ear.  There is a concerned heart. 

   My grandmother had the touch that said, without words, that I was special to her and comforted me no matter what.  We would walk together and she would answer the questions of a curious child that never shut up. 

   She knew about every Sunday school song I ever heard and we would sing them and she taught me to learn the lesson the song had for me.  

   Her soft touch would make boo-boos go away and tears dry right on my cheeks.  Her touch could take the pain out of a skinned knee. 

   Sunday afternoons with her were special times that only happen between a grandmother and grandchild.

   My mother had a different touch that taught me that I was able to do things for myself if I would just try.  A steady hand on mine the first time I took a hot pan out of the oven, or threaded a needle or any of the zillions of little things she taught me over the years.  In my years growing up I never heard her say to me, “You’ll never be able to do that.”  Her words were full of encouragement and she wanted me to give everything my best effort.

   She had the same touch and the same encouragement with everyone else I saw her working with, as well.

   Both of these magnificent women were teachers about life who taught from love and gave the impression that they knew what to do and, in time, I would learn, too.  I hope that when I am teaching, that I am as loving and as patient and as confident as they were. 

   We need to have this touch when teaching our children and when we are with others who are learning about life.  We need this with a co-worker when we’re helping them.  And we need this touch in our churches.  There will be people who are various levels of growth and many in the church will need to be taught and nurtured and will need someone there to help them when they stumble and fall. 

   Take a moment this week and reach out a loving hand to them to help them learn.

Stephen Cram                         Mothers Day                     May 11th, 2014

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

The Power of the Word

The Power of the Word

   There is Power in the Word of God.  The Words that came from God Himself contain within them the power to save you, heal you, cleanses you, transform you, and give you life abundantly.  Too many Christians live some sort of freakish half-life in Christ, stumbling through life barely alive.  We need to realize the power in the Word of God and unleash it in our lives.

What do I mean about the power of the Word?

First, the Word is powerful and the Word will prevail.

There is nothing that can resist the power of God’s Word when it is found in the heart and mouth of a new creation believer!

Isaiah 55:10&11 

10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

God's Word is not returning to God void, without producing any effect, empty, or useless.  God's Word is going to accomplish, produce, succeed, and make effect in what God pleases.

God's Word is going to prosper, advance, and make progress everywhere God sends it.

One Hebrew lexicon describes the word prosper as to "go over or through as a river."  Picture a river in flood stage.  Nothing can stand in its way.  It will overflow its banks and take over the land around it.  Let the Word fill you until you find it overflowing you and it will flow onto the land around you.

Too many Christians think they are lakes.  The water flows in and pools up and there it sits.  You need to stop damming the Word up in your life and stop acting like a lake.  Become a river and let the Word flow through you.  Only then can you minister to others.

God's Word is Living and Powerful.  To really understand the inherent power in the Word of God, we need to understand what the scripture says about itself.

2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

The word inspiration in this text is the Greek word Theopneustos.

This Greek word is a combination word from Theos "God" + Pepneustai "to breathe".

It means literally God breathed. All scripture is the product of God-breathed-ness.

God himself spoke (or breathed) the scripture.

God’s Word has Creative Power.  God's breath produces life.  God's Word also produces life.  God's Word is a living powerful force.  God's Word contains the power to do what it says.

Healing scriptures contain within them the capacity to produce healing.  

Deliverance scriptures have the inherent ability to produce deliverance.

God's Word is forever settled in Heaven.

We need to rest in the knowledge that the Word is established and God Himself empowers it.

Psalms 119:89

For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

God’s Word can keep you in times of trouble.

Psalms 119:11

Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

God’s Word was powerful even from a distance.  The Roman Centurion in Matthew 8 didn’t feel Jesus had to make a trip to his house.  He asked Jesus to say a word and his servant would be healed. 

Matthew 8:13

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

What can the Word do in your life? 

Stephen Cram                                                  May 4, 2014                 

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.