How Will God Provide For My Needs?

“And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things…your Father already knows your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.” – Luke 12:29-30

Sigh…if only it were that easy.  For many of us however, we see ourselves as exceptions to that – we deserve to worry, don’t we?!  After all, we’ve just been fired from our low-paying job, the rent hasn’t been paid yet, there is no food at the fridge, and our money is only enough for this week’s groceries.  How can we not worry?

^“Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds!” – Luke 12:24

But we’re not like birds, are we? We need gasoline for our cars, gas for the kitchen, insurance for our health, mortgage payments for the house, tuition for the kids, and a little extra money just in case something else goes wrong!

“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?” – Luke 12:25-26

Well, yeah.  You’ve got a point in there.  Worrying does lead us nowhere.  But what else can we do?

Good question, isn’t it? What ELSE can we do?  Well, it seems God has given us a lot of options in there.  We can do ANYTHING we can do to help solve the situation EXCEPT to WORRY!

That’s right.  No one ever said we should do nothing.  After all, we’re not like birds, are we?  We have a far more advanced mind that can think deeper and wider, that can explore various solutions available for us.  That’s the more practical thing we SHOULD be doing.

“But what if we couldn’t think of any solution?” we ask.  Well then, if we can’t think of any, why worry?  Worry isn’t ever going to be a part of the solution anyways.  But trust can.  Faith can.  Resting in God’s wisdom and providence can.  And I believe that’s the point Jesus wanted to make.  Let us try to do everything within our powers, and then leave the rest to God, a Higher Power that can definitely see us through!

But then we continue to ask, “We’ve only got enough for a week’s budget, or for a few days’ food.  What if no help arrives after that?”

God undestands our fears, and He knows that many times, we mistake those fears for a real need.  What’s the difference anyways?  A fear is something that may or may not happen.  A need is something we have to address at the very moment where we are.  So you’ve got a budget for a week’s groceries.  That means God has given you the means to survive today and for the rest of the week as well.  What’s bothering you is not that your current need could not be met, but a future need, a fear that may or may not come into reality.

Let’s take a look at the story of ELIJAH:

Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”

Then the Lord said to Elijah,  “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”

So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.

Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”

1 Kings 17:1-8

Since there was to be no rain for the next few years, God provided for Elijah’s needs by pointing him towards the Kerith Brook.  And when the brook dried up, God instructed him to go to Zarephath, where his needs shall continue to be provided for.

Notice that the brook dried up first!  There was no word beforehand from the Lord saying something like, “Elijah, you shouldn’t worry about your needs.  Look! I’ve found this brook for you.  Sometime soon, this will also dry up, but don’t you worry.  I will then send you to a widow who will feed you.”

There was no assurance like that. In fact, it was only after the brook dried up that God provided for him another way by which to survive.

This is very different from the way we want to be provided for.  We’ve been used to having a lot of surplus in our hands, or some kind of insurance that will see us through in case some unexpected things happen.  If we don’t have a big allowance like that, we become fearful because we don’t know where we’re going to find the things to address our needs.

It isn’t wrong to think logically.  God has indeed given us a mind to plan wisely and to take care of our finances.  What’s wrong is when we LIMIT ourselves to our plans.  And when our plans don’t work one way or the other, we PANIC!  We lose heart, and we forget from where all good things really come from – from GOD.

Our confidence and peace should not be anchored with the material things that can get stolen away from us.  It should be anchored in GOD alone.  That’s God’s point in wanting us to trust Him, to save us from unnecessary worries that give us so much stress and even affects our health.

Let us continue with ELIJAH’s STORY:

So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?” As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.”

But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”

But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”

So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her son continued to eat for many days. There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.

1 Kings 17:10-16

The widow only had enough for one last meal!  Note what she said: “I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”

The widow thought she and her son were already going to starve to death!  And why not?  All that she had was only enough for ONE LAST MEAL.  But even that doesn’t say that they weren’t being provided for.  They had enough for that meal.  And after using everything she had, it was time for God’s providence to manifest itself: “…she and Elijah and her son continued to eat for many days. There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.”

God provides JUST IN TIME, and not a minute late.  And He provides for ALL our NEEDS, not just for food, for our Father knows everything we lack.

One real concern God is well aware of is our concern for our health.  He knows how much money we need in case any of our loved ones get sick.  He knows how great our fear is, especially when we don’t have enough savings or insurance for it.

In the story of Elijah and the widow, one of our most dreadful fears happened, when a loved ones get sick and we have no money or any kind of means to help them in their sickness:

Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died. Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?”

But Elijah replied, “Give me your son.” And he took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was staying, and laid the body on his bed. Then Elijah cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?”

And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.” The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived! Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look!” he said. “Your son is alive!”

Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the Lord truly speaks through you.”

1 Kings 17:17-24

Indeed, our TRUE ASSURANCE is in GOD, not in material wealth, not even in the imperfect people we often depend upon!

Let’s take a look at what happens when we have all the material wealth we think we need but forget from whom all such gifts came from:

The Parable of the Rich Fool

Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops.  He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods.  And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

-Luke 12:16-21

“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.” – Luke 12:32

Things I Must Remember During Very Difficult Times

1. It is not God who willed sin and pain into this world. If He ever allowed evil, it is to be able to accomplish a greater good. Heroism, perseverance, courage, compassion, mercy, faith – these are the things that shine brighter in the darkness, such is the greater good that arises out of evil and pain. That greater good is what I must focus on. If God ever allows pain and misfortune or any kind of injustice to touch me, it is not with malice that He does so, nor with indifference. He is very much aware of my suffering. The kind of love that will not forget me even if a mother should forget her child is that same love that has willed a greater good for me to last for eternity.

“…because God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living. For he created all things that they might exist, and the generative forces of the world are wholesome, and there is no destructive poison in them; and the dominion of Hades is not on earth. For righteousness is immortal… but through the devil’s envy death entered the world…

2. The most important thing that God desires for me as a result of His love is to save my soul. This may or may not include providing me with material wealth. This may even include a lot of sorrow. But whatever His plans may be, it is to keep me from falling into sin. God loves me, and is not waiting for me to fall but to rise again. His goal is not to inflict me with pain but to heal me and give me life. I may not be aware of it, but He is there supporting me, defending me from evil and accomplishing my healing. He will never allow me to be tested beyond the capacity He gave me to bear it. And should I ever feel all is lost and hopeless, God will provide a way out still to save me.

“And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” – 1 Cor. 10:13
3. God blesses us all and provides for our needs differently. To some He gives material blessings, to others, spiritual strength. When we need some form of support, God sometimes sends us people who would be channels of His grace. Sometimes, it is God Himself who directly gives it to us. During such times, should I ever think I have received less? Or do I praise God for giving me Himself and personally taking care of me?

“The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need.” – Psalm 23

4. God loves me even in my imperfections, even when I’m weak in the midst of trials. His love for me is beyond all my mistakes for He has loved me even before I tried to be good, and even after I tried to be good and failed.

“For when I am weak, then I am strong.” – 2 Cor. 12:10

5. There comes a time when I must take a leap of faith when I can’t understand with my mind everything that is happening, especially all the unfairness and cruelties in this world. If I truly believe there is a God (which I have previously processed with my intellect, heart and spirit), then I must hold on to that belief.

The righteous call to the LORD, and he listens;
he rescues them from all their troubles.
The LORD is near to those who are discouraged;
he saves those who have lost all hope.
-Psalm 34:17-18

6. Everyone’s got a wound, a hurt and a deprivation of some sort, but I can’t continue to live life by always clinging to that hurt that holds me back. I’ve got to accept things as they are and just do the things that are still within my power to change.

7. God often closes the wrong doors for us so that we me enter the right one. Hence, rejections and opportunities that have seemingly been blocked may indeed be blessings in disguise that I should be thankful for.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” – Psalm 32:8

8. I should remember to detach myself from the outcome of my labors. We plant the seeds, but it is God who blesses the harvest.

9. In times when I really feel tired, I must rest.

“Be still, and know that I am God…” – Psalm 46:10

10. The greatest sufferings on earth could never match the joys God has prepared for us in heaven. Even if we be deprived of all the good things people see in this world, we can still be happy, we can still hope for an ending that far surpasses all our greatest imaginings and desires.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” – 1 Cor. 2:9

100 Ways to Say I LOVE YOU:

1. Whispering sweet nothings into her ear.
2. Massaging her tired feet.
3. Painting her portrait.
4. Gently caressing her cheek.
5. Playing her a song.
6. Composing her a song.
7. Making her a poem.
8. Holding her hand.
9. Kissing her forehead.
10. Offering your hand when she gets off the car.
11. Saying, “You’re wonderful, do you know that?”
12. Saying, “I missed you, please stay by my side.”
13. Washing the dishes.
14. Cooking for dinner.
15. Taking care of the kids so she could go out with her friends.
16. Buying her a book she’ll love.
17. Taking her out to eat at her favorite place.
18. Massaging her hand.
19. Lending your shoulder when she feels sleepy.
20. Carrying her when she’s too tired to walk.
21. Saying, “You’ve made me into a different person.”
22. Saying, “Thanks for believing in me.”
23. Praising a meal she cooked.
24. Not making her worry.
25. Never making her wait.
26. Not complaining when she makes you wait sometimes.
27. Being honest.
28. Being responsible.
29. Treating her friends well.
30. Treating her family as your very own.
31. Buying her non-fat ice cream.
32. Buying her movie tickets for the latest romantic film.
33. Listening to her woes without trying to be Mr. Know-It-All.
34. Not holding the tv remote all the time.
35. Taking care of her when she’s sick.
36. Saying, “You’re one of a kind.”
37. Accompanying her when she likes to go shopping.
38. Helping her clean the house.
39. Making a mix-cd of her favorite songs.
40. Giving her the dog she’s always wanted to have.
41. Stargazing with her at the backyard.
42. Travelling somewhere you’ve never been.
43. Saying, “You smell wonderful!”
44. Asking, “What did I do to deserve this happiness?”
45. Framing her favorite photo.
46. Making her laugh.
47. Brewing her favorite cup of coffee.
48. Just being there when she feels sad or moody.
49. Being dependable, being trustworthy.
50. Being her own bestfriend and more!
51. Saying, “Hey, thanks for being here.”
52. Taking his hand in trust when he offers it.
53. Smiling, being happy in his company.
54. Buying him a toycar he’s collecting.
55. Not minding when he’s late.
56. Not barging in when he feels like being alone.
57. Receiving delightfully his embrace.
58. Rejoicing over his gifts!
59. Not blaming him when things go wrong.
60. Preparing him breakfast.
61. Eating the breakfast he cooked.
62. Watching the sports channel with him.
63. Cheering him at his tennis match.
64. Resting your head upon his shoulder.
65. Letting him carry you and literally sweep you off your feet!
66. Saying, “It’s okay now that you’re here.”
67. Massaging his aching head when he’s had a bad day.
68. Being appreciative.
69. Getting to know his friends.
70. Loving his family.
71. Kissing his cheek when he least expects it.
72. Letting him take care of you when you’re not well.
73. Saying, “You can do it!”
74. Saying, “I’ve always believed you could!”
75. Keeping your cool when he couldn’t find his way.
76. Keeping your silence when so many things are rushing in his head.
77. Giving him your trust.
78. Giving him your faith.
79. Being the same woman he feel in love with.
80. Being the same friend who supported him all along.
81. Believing in his strength when he couldn’t.
82. Seeing his gifts and talents when all he could see are his flaws.
83. Kissing him some more.
84. Laughing at his jokes.
85. Not laughing at his blunders.
86. Buying him a new shirt.
87. Buying him a new tie.
88. Researching and cooking his favorite recipe.
89. Surprising him with a new gadget!
90. Surprising him with a new book.
91. Singing to him a song you composed.
92. Dancing with him even if he says he doesn’t know how to dance.
93. Exploring a new place with him.
94. Playing a sport you didn’t know.
95. Being as beautiful as you are.
96. Being the angel he adores.
97. Being open.
98. Being pure and true.
99. Staying beside him no matter what.
100. Telling him you’ve always loved him and you always will – NO MATTER WHAT!

ACHIEVING YOUR DREAMS

You can be who you want to be, you can have what you want, you can make your dreams a reality.
You can have your break-through in the situation your are in now only if you believe. In other to achieve, you have to believe. We all dream dreams but not all of us are able to accomplish, those who accomplish are not better or stronger than the ones who could not, but they do because they exercise what they have, which is 'believe'. The ability to believe in yourself rains supreme. That is a major key for achievers. Believing in yourself makes all the difference. In other to make your dream a reality you first have to believe in yourself, you have to be confident that you can achieve your set goals.


Always have it in mind that every big establishment had a small beginning. To have a breakthrough your believe will have to be as strong as a rock, you have to see your dreams becoming a reality. If you cannot see it then you cannot achieve. In the pursue of your dreams there will be a time when it feels like nothing is working and every effort you have put into it looks like a waste but I tell you it is not a waste, when you start having that feeling of nothing is working and you are in a tin line of pushing on and giving up, that moment you just want to break down because you are not able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I tell you this, hold fast because you are already at the end of the tunnel, your breakthrough is staring at your face and waiting for you to give it a big hug, at that point is when most people decide to turn back after they have worked so hard. why start the race when you cannot finish? why waste so much effort when almost getting to the end you just turn back? I tell you at that point you are close, keep pushing. You only have to push a little further with less strength this time unlike when you started. At that point your dreams are already a reality you only just need to walk out of the tunnel to see the light.

Always have in mind that since the beginning of time it has been so, so you cannot be different. the same principle governs success, the same principle leads every human to their goals. That doubt that nothing you have done till that very time you start to feel it shows that you are an achiever, that is when your dreams should become stronger, that is when you can make your dreams a reality or destroy what you have worked so hard for.Always believe till the very end.

You hold your destiny

You hold your dreams

You hold your reality

YOU ARE THE BEST THERE IS, YOU ARE YOU



JUST BELIEVE....

Who is a Christian?

Who is a Christian?

Does that question sound strange. But seriously, what does it mean when you say am a christian cause the truth is most people will get that answer wrong. People feel my parents are Christians, automatically am a christian, or my wife/husband is a christian which means am a christian. If you are part of these groups, am sorry you are wrong.
Before I go on, let me first explain what a christian is and what it is all about. Christian means Christian like, meaning nature and character of Jesus Christ. And you can't know something one's character, till you know the person, and you can't know Him till you accept Him. So, I asked again, what is a christian or better still are you a christian?

The truth of the matter is, most Christians don't even behave like Christians, I have even seen pastor's behaving worst than even the pagans.

In the bible Jesus said when some one slaps you on one chick turn the other, I know easier said than done, but that is the instruction giving to us by Christ Himself, the person we are meant to have His character.

How can I become more like Christ?

God's desire for all who know Him is for us to become more like Christ. We do this by first growing in our knowledge of Christ. It stands to reason that we cannot grow to be like someone we don’t know. The deeper our knowledge of Christ, the deeper our understanding of Him, and the more like Him we become. Among other reasons, we are to know and understand Christ so that we will be secure in the faith.

The Apostle Paul reiterates this truth inEphesians 4:14-16: "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." This fact is repeated once more in2 Peter 3:17-18: "Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." These passages show us that growing in the knowledge of Christ will preserve us from faith-destroying error.

Of course, knowledge alone will not produce a Christlike character. The knowledge we gain from God’s Word must impact our hearts and convict us of the need to obey what we have learned.Romans 12:1-2tells us emphatically that the process of filling our minds with the knowledge of God not only brings us closer to Christlikeness, but obedience to that knowledge aligns us with the perfect will of God: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

The natural consequence of knowing and obeying God is that He becomes greater and greater, while we become less and less as we yield control of our lives to Him. Just as John the Baptist knew that “[Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30), so the Christian grows to reflect more of Christ and less of his own nature. Luke sums it up best when he describes what Jesus told His disciples: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it" (Luke 9:23-24). The cross was an instrument of death, and Jesus encourages us to take up our cross in order to put to death our old sin nature upon it. God wants us to forget about this world and all its temporary pleasures and be obedient to His Word. Jesus is the living Word (John 1:1), and the Bible is God's written Word. Therefore, conforming to the Word of God is conforming to Christ.

It is important to realize that becoming more like Christ starts by receiving Him as Savior from our sins. Then we grow in our knowledge of God by reading the Bible daily, studying it, and being obedient to what it says. This process causes us to grow and occurs over an entire lifetime in Christ. Only when we have entered Heaven for eternity with God does this process reach its culmination.

What does the Bible say about drinking alcohol / wine? Is it a sin for a Christian to drink alcohol / wine?

Scripture has much to say regarding the drinking of alcohol (Leviticus 10:9; Numbers 6:3; Deuteronomy 29:6; Judges 13:4, 7, 14; Proverbs 20:1; 31:4; Isaiah 5:11, 22; 24:9; 28:7; 29:9; 56:12). However, Scripture does not necessarily forbid a Christian from drinking beer, wine, or any other drink containing alcohol. In fact, some Scriptures discuss alcohol in positive terms. Ecclesiastes 9:7 instructs, “Drink your wine with a merry heart.” Psalm 104:14-15 states that God gives wine “that makes glad the heart of men.” Amos 9:14 discusses drinking wine from your own vineyard as a sign of God’s blessing. Isaiah 55:1 encourages, “Yes, come buy wine and milk…”

 
What God commands Christians regarding alcohol is to avoid drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18). The Bible condemns drunkenness and its effects (Proverbs 23:29-35). Christians are also commanded to not allow their bodies to be “mastered” by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12; 2 Peter 2:19). Drinking alcohol in excess is undeniably addictive. Scripture also forbids a Christian from doing anything that might offend other Christians or encourage them to sin against their conscience (1 Corinthians 8:9-13). In light of these principles, it would be extremely difficult for any Christian to say he is drinking alcohol in excess to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Jesus changed water into wine. It even seems that Jesus drank wine on occasion (John 2:1-11; Matthew 26:29). In New Testament times, the water was not very clean. Without modern sanitation, the water was often filled with bacteria, viruses, and all kinds of contaminants. The same is true in many third-world countries today. As a result, people often drank wine (or grape juice) because it was far less likely to be contaminated. In 1 Timothy 5:23, Paul was instructing Timothy to stop drinking the water (which was probably causing his stomach problems) and instead drink wine. In that day, wine was fermented (containing alcohol), but not necessarily to the degree it is today. It is incorrect to say that it was grape juice, but it is also incorrect to say that it was the same thing as the wine commonly used today. Again, Scripture does not forbid Christians from drinking beer, wine, or any other drink containing alcohol. Alcohol is not, in and of itself, tainted by sin. It is drunkenness and addiction to alcohol that a Christian must absolutely refrain from (Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 6:12).

Alcohol, consumed in small quantities, is neither harmful nor addictive. In fact, some doctors advocate drinking small amounts of red wine for its health benefits, especially for the heart. Consumption of small quantities of alcohol is a matter of Christian freedom. Drunkenness and addiction are sin. However, due to the biblical concerns regarding alcohol and its effects, due to the easy temptation to consume alcohol in excess, and due to the possibility of causing offense and/or stumbling of others, it is often best for a Christian to abstain from drinking alcohol.
 from:  http://www.gotquestions.org

Giving Thanks for Thanksgiving - 1 Chronicles 16

Scriptures: 1 Chronicles 16:34-36
In 1 Chronicles 16:34-36 we find David's psalm of thanks. This song tells us that we are to give thanks for thanksgiving.

I. Give (v. 34)

Two of God's primary characteristics are celebrated in this verse: His goodness and His love. David said that God is good. What does that mean? It means God's essence and character are the epitome of goodness and righteousness. Because God is so good, we are to give thanks.

Why should we give thanks? Simply because we are God's creation, we should do nothing else and nothing less. We rejoice in God's goodness. We do this by giving thanks and by our worship. In the New Testament, the word for "thanks" gives us our words grace and eucharist. When we celebrate the Lord's Supper in remembrance of Jesus' shed blood and battered body, we give thanks. All of our existence and worship should revolve around giving thanks.

In addition, God's love endures forever. We experience His goodness because of His love that

• Caused Him to create humanity
• Involved Him in the affairs of His chosen people
• Caused Him to provide redemption for us through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son
• Compelled Him to extend His presence to all His people through the Holy Spirit
• Enables us to give thanks

The central response of God's people is to give thanks through prayer, worship, and daily living.
John 4 records the story of the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well. In response to her question about the proper place to worship, Jesus replied, "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24, NIV).

Thanksgiving, like just about every other religious holiday, has been commercialized, secularized, and watered-down by segments of society that have little or no concern for the real meaning of the holidays. Isn't it interesting that what used to be "holy days" have become "holidays"?

Feasting and football sells well in a secular world order, but are a far cry from the biblical intention of focusing on God as the recipient of our thanks. David helps us understand and recover the meaning of Thanksgiving by focusing our attention on the true purpose of the day - to remember and rejoice in the goodness and love of God.

II. Gather (v. 35)

The focus of our concern is different from that of verse 35. In that verse, the people feared other nations from without; we have more to fear from within.
We need our Savior to do three things:

1. Save us
2. Gather us
3. Deliver us

The Israelites celebrated significant experiences and victories. They did this because they saw and understood that everything came from God. If the experience was negative and harsh, it caused them to consider how they might have sinned against the Lord. If it was positive, they praised God and celebrated for joy.

The Israelites gave thanks for God's deliverance. This elevated Him above all neighboring people's gods. It served as a testimony of God's greatness to those people who would see and understand the significance of such thanksgiving. That further enhanced God's name and brought fear, awe, and respect on their neighbors who observed such celebrations in honor of a mighty, deliverer God.

A hen will gather her chicks and will cover them with her body when bad weather threatens. After the storm passes, the chicks will come out from under the protective wings of their mother and will get on with whatever chicks do all day.

We must be careful not to relegate Thanksgiving to a once-a-year celebration. Everyday ought to be a day for thanksgiving. Surely, even in the harshest and most worrisome days, we can find something to be thankful for.
As someone has said, "If you cannot be thankful for what has happened, be thankful for what has not happened." "God is our provider: be thankful to Him. Turn your table into an altar."

III. Glory (v. 36)

Things come full circle. Here God's people magnified and praised Him. They gathered together and directed all their praise, honor, and thanks toward Him for His grace that He had bestowed on them.

How did the Israelites praise God? Through worship, certainly! All that makes up a religious celebration - singing, feasting, sacrifice, speaking, rejoicing - these people did to glorify God. Just as we do what we do in worship to praise God, so did these people in David's time. What they did, what we do, is to celebrate and to glorify Him.

"Then all the people said 'Amen' and 'Praise the Lord.'" The word amen is "not simply approval but a solemn, formal assertion that the people accept and agree to [God's] covenant and its curses and blessings." (source: Kenneth Barker, ed. The NIV Study Bible, Zondervan, 1985) Thanksgiving is more and more squeezed between Halloween and Christmas, where it loses its identity and purpose. Nowadays, the entire season, including Halloween and Christmas, is referred to as the holiday season. Your Christmas tree now is a holiday tree. Your kids don't take Christmas break; they take winter holidays.

What's happening? We are allowing the sacredness of the Thanksgiving season to be sacrificed on the altar of profit, where it has been turned into a folksy, warm, fuzzy, secular holiday.

Conclusion

We need to recapture the specialness and sacredness of Thanksgiving and Christmas. We must be especially concerned that our time of thanksgiving not slip the moorings of its spiritual heritage.
Over and over again, we are encouraged in Scripture never to cease giving thanks and praise for:

• Who God is
• What God does
• God's very "Godness" from everlasting to everlasting

We need to conclude this Thanksgiving message as the children of Israel declared in verse 36 with their twofold: "Amen" and "Praise the Lord!"

by James R. Looby 

Do You Really Desire Wisdom - Proverbs 1, James 2

Scriptures: Proverbs 1:7, James 2:22-25
Connection with unit theme: Wisdom is found in knowing Christ and following Him.

There's a story about a proud young man who came to Socrates asking for knowledge. He walked up to the philosopher and said, "O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge." In response Socrates led the young man through the streets, to the sea, and chest deep into the water. The he asked the young man, "Now tell me, what is it that you want?"

"Knowledge, O wise Socrates," said the young man with a smile.
Socrates put his hands on the man's shoulders and pushed him under the water. Thirty seconds later the wise philosopher lifted his pupil out of the water. "What is it again that you want?" he asked. "Wisdom, O great and wise Socrates" the young man said under labored breathing.

Socrates again took the man and held him under water, this time longer. Thirty seconds passed, thirty-five, forty, forty-five. Finally, Socrates let him up. The man gasped for air as Socrates asked him, "What do you want, young man?"

He labored to answer. "Knowledge, O wise and wonderful . . ." To this response Socrates then plunged the man under water, this time holding him for close to a minute. As the young man came up panting for oxygen, Socrates asked him, "What do you want?"
"Air!" the young man screamed. "I need air!"

"When you desire wisdom as you have just desired air, then you will have it".

Most people would probably say that they desire wisdom. Yet not many actually desire wisdom as that young man desired air. Wisdom something you identify when you see it but may have difficulty defining it. I would define wisdom as the ability to live in right relation to how things actually are. The Scriptures proclaim that such ability begins with fearing the Lord, but it does not end there.

I. Wisdom comes from fearing the LORD (Proverbs 1:7)

Undoubtedly, you know someone that trusts his own internal compass better than his GPS unit. Perhaps you are that guy. This is the person who ends up in Idaho instead of Arizona because he thought he knew a shortcut. He trusts his own direction instead of his sure guide. Proverbs 1:7 tells us that "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge". Fear of the LORD is like trusting in your GPS unit instead of your own shortcut.

When you hear the word "fear," what do you think of? For many people the idea of fear evokes thoughts of distressing emotions and terror. Fear is what happens when you sense danger. While such a fear might be a proper response for those that do not trust Christ, it does not capture what is meant in this text. Fear of the Lord means having an accurate view of God and ourselves in relation to Him.

The one who fears the Lord will say with Isaiah 55:8-9 that "His ways are higher than our ways." The fool will have too low a view of God and too high a view of self. You cannot live in right relationship to how things are if you miss on this fundamental point. You will think too highly of yourself. Your own heart will be the compass that guides you through life in a broken and rebellious world. God declares that the human heart is like a broken compass. It is not a sure guide. Only the LORD is a sure guide that will never fail.

Application: Do you trust in your own "wisdom" or the Lord's wisdom? What is your compass? The Wisdom literature of the Bible calls us to consider the LORD as our source of wisdom.

II. Wisdom continues by following the LORD (James 1:22-25)

It seems that every few years Christendom is rocked by a scandal. One of her leaders is exposed when hidden sin becomes public. Frequently these are men and women that proclaim a biblical worldview. They appear to possess great wisdom. Yet, when the truth comes out it is evident that these leaders were living a double life. These sad tales serve as a constant reminder that wisdom extends beyond merely knowing the truth but in actually living it out.

The epistle of James serves as a wisdom book in the New Testament. In 1:22-25 James echoes the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament. It is never enough for the people of God to merely hear the Word of God. They must also be doers of the Word. Knowing that God is our source of wisdom is only part of our responsibility. We must also trust Him. The man that rejects the mirror of God's Word by not living accordingly decides to act upon a reality he knows is untrue.

Application: Are you a doer of the Word? It is one thing to know the truth about God, ourselves, and our world. It is quite another to act on that truth.

Conclusion

The sad story of humanity is that God created us with a proper knowledge of Him. Yet we humans trust our own moral compass rather than the one the LORD provides. We daily suffer the consequences of our lack of true wisdom. None of us has full knowledge of how things actually are. Even in areas where we do have knowledge of reality we frequently act contrary to it. Our only hope for wisdom is found in the embodiment of Wisdom - namely, Jesus the Christ. First Corinthians 1:30 proclaims that Christ Jesus "became to us wisdom from God." Unbelievers must stop trusting their own compass and replace it with the sure foundation of Christ. Believers must trust in Him as our sole source of wisdom. To really desire wisdom means that I fully trust in Christ as my compass.
Mike Leake

Living By Faith in God - Hebrews 11

"It's the faith, Brother."
That's what Tim Russert said to Jon Meacham when he invited him to appear on Meet the Press to debate noted atheist Christopher Hitchens. "You gotta come down and defend the faith, Brother." He wanted Meacham, an Episcopalian, to defend the Christian faith against the sulfuric criticism of Christopher Hitchens. Even though he was a devout Catholic (a fact he never tried to hide), Russert as moderator couldn't take sides so he wanted Meacham to take up the cause.

"It's the faith, Brother."
That's a good statement any way you look at it, and it gains new poignancy after the sudden death of Tim Russert. Later in the day that Russert died Howard Fineman of Newsweek magazine made this observation during a television interview: "Tim Russert Did Not Pursue False Gods, He Pursued the Real One."
That's as fine a tribute as you are likely to find, and not just about a public figure.

When Meacham wrote about Russert's invitation, and the phrase, "It's the faith, Brother," he drew this conclusion: "In that brief chat the many sides of Russert were on display: he was cajoling and charming, playing it straight, pushing others to be braver and bolder, all in the service of creating an interesting conversation about the things that matter most."

Tim Russert was 100-percent right. It's the faith. It's what we believe about the things that matter most. Take that faith away and we have nothing left.

The writer of Hebrews 11 would surely say agree to that. If what we believe makes any difference, then it has to change the way we live. That's what the phrase "by faith" (repeated over and over again in this chapter) is all about. To go back to Howard Fineman's quote, it's all about pursuing (a great biblical concept) the one true God.

However, do we take faith as seriously as we ought?
In 1860 the motto "In God We Trust" was added to our currency. In 1954 the phrase "under God" was added to our pledge of allegiance. Are we a nation "under God" can we really say, "In God We Trust"? We are not a very trusting people. We don't trust our government officials, we don't trust our bosses, we don't trust our neighbors, we don't trust our doctors, we don't trust our pastors. We don't even trust God.

For George Carlin, the comedian, religion and God weren't high on his list. He said the following about God: "Something is wrong here: War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed. Results like these do not belong on the resume of a supreme being. This is the kinda (expletive) you'd expect from an office temp with a bad attitude."

The truth is that God is not responsible for many of those things, fallen man is. Yet a lot of people feel that way? They just aren't brave enough to say it.

I often wonder if I would be a Christian if I hadn't been born in a Christina home, reared by Christian parents, lived next to a Christian church, surrounded by Christian people. Would you?
I think we take faith for granted. We think it's easy to believe and easy to keep believing, but it's not - not for most of us. I am sure there are some people to whom God has given such grace that believing is never a challenge, even in the midst of extreme circumstances. But the rest of us struggle to believe at least part of the time. Robert Rayburn expresses this very directly:

Think of what must be believed in order to become a Christian. That you are God's creature, that you have rebelled, that he is holy and you are guilty as a sinner before him, that he sent Jesus Christ into the world to atone for sin, that by believing in Jesus his righteousness and the virtue of his death are imputed to you so that your guilt is swept away and you are accounted righteous in God's sight, that, if you believe in Jesus, you have been made a new creature in Christ, have been given a summons to live a new life and the power to live it, that when you die and your body is laid in the ground, your soul will be immediately and gloriously in the presence of God in heaven, and Jesus Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead and to vindicate those who have trusted in him, and that endless bliss and perfect satisfaction of human life, body and soul, awaits, at the resurrection, those who have trusted Jesus Christ.

You can't see any of this. You can't prove it in a laboratory. No one ever comes back from the other world to tell us of how things are there. The evidence of our eyes is against all of this. We can't see sins forgiven, we have to believe it. We can't see the soul in heaven. We have to believe it. We have to believe it all on the strength of God's promise. Christ said he would return, but it has been 2,000 years! We must believe that he will keep his promise.

Then he adds, "That's a lot to believe." He's right! And without God's help, we would never believe all of that. We couldn't. It's just not in us to believe those things. Faith comes down to us as a gift from God. And we must exercise the faith we have or it will begin to wither and die on the vine.

"It's the faith, Brother."
So it is. And that's why we've got to take it seriously. It has to make a difference. It has to change the way we live.

It did for three men: Abel, Enoch, and Noah. For them it was all about the faith. We learn from them that:

I. Without faith you cannot be accepted by God (v. 4)

The story of Cain and Abel, recorded in Genesis 4, is a tale that is so well known that many people who never read the Bible know that Cain killed Abel. It has even entered our language as a synonym for troublemaking - Raising Cain. The phrase is appropriate because this story is dark and tragic from beginning to end.

It is the first murder in human history. One brother kills another in an outburst of rage and envy. Obviously sibling rivalry was present from the beginning. Cain farmed the soil while Abel raised livestock. Cain brought an offering from his crops while Abel brought a sacrifice of the best of his herd. God accepted Abel's offering because it was brought in faith.

There are many mysteries about this story. There is much we don't know that we wish we knew. What is the age difference between Cain and Abel? What were their growing-up years like? Why did one choose to be a farmer and the other a shepherd? How did they know to bring an offering to God? How did Cain know Abel's sacrifice had been accepted and his had not? What exactly had Adam taught his sons about the proper way to approach God? I suspect that Adam had explained that God required a sacrifice. Certainly Cain represents all those people in the world who believe they can make up their own religion.

In The Greenville (SC) News, (June 24, 2008) a story about a recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life portrays our nation as one of "free-flowing spirituality" with a declining adherence to dogma "stunning." Pew Forum director Luis Lugo says, "You no longer have an alignment of affiliation, belief and behavior. Instead we find complexity, and diversity not only between religious communities but within it as well." In other words, people are believing what they want and doing what they want and thinking what they want.

They are making up their own religion. I dare say many people in our churches have made up their own religion. It is reflected in their giving, their truth-telling, their church attendance, their integrity.

Let me remind you that you may believe what you want, think what you want, act like you want, but there is only one way to God and that is through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ. It is about the faith and that faith must be in Jesus. His standard for living is clearly laid out in scripture.

Whatever we may say about the two offering of Cain and Abel, the real difference was in the heart. Abel had faith; Cain did not. Abel trusted in God and offered the best that he had; Cain lacked faith and apparently just went through the motions. Genesis 4:4 says that God looked with favor on Abel and his offering. The order is crucial: first the man, then the offering. Ditto for Cain. Man looks on the outward and makes his judgments that way. God always looks to the heart first and foremost. When he looked at Abel's heart, he found faith there, and it was faith that he rewarded.

II. Without faith you cannot please God (vv. 5-6)

If the story of Cain and Abel seems short, the story of Enoch is minuscule by comparison. In just four brief verses (Genesis 5:21-24), we have his entire life history. For 65 years he lived for himself, but when his son Methuselah was born, he began to walk with God. And for 300 more years he walked with God until "he was no more, because God took him away" (v. 24). If the story of Abel is about our quest for acceptance, then the story of Enoch is the familiar metaphor of the journey. All of us are on a journey going somewhere. We are looking for something - meaning, purpose, identity, fulfillment, satisfaction - and many people spend a lifetime engaged in a literal journey from one place to another, and sometimes from one relationship to another, seeking something that seems just out of our reach.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God has put eternity inside every human heart. That is, God has placed in us a hunger to know who we are and where we fit in the universe. And all our striving after career goals, worldly success, financial independence, and even our jumping from one relationship to another, those things are but symptoms of our deeper need to find our place in the universe.

The French philosopher Pascal said that there is a "God-shaped vacuum" inside every human heart. Since nature abhors a vacuum, if we don't fill it with God, we will fill it with something else. So many of us have filled our hearts with the junk food of the world. No wonder we are so unhappy. No wonder we jump from one job to another and from one relationship to another. Augustine said, "O Lord, you have made us for yourself. Our hearts are restless until they find rest in you." How true that is.

Enoch's journey led him to God, and when he found God, he walked with him. He began walking with God after the birth of his son Methuselah. Perhaps he was like many men who don't get serious until they look into the face of their firstborn son or daughter. Suddenly they realize the heavy weight of responsibility that is upon them. Perhaps that's what happened to Enoch. In any case he walked with God for 300 years.

One day Enoch and God had walked so far that God said, "Why don't you come home with me?" And Enoch walked beyond space and time into eternity. He "was not" because God took him off the earth and allowed him to enter heaven without experiencing death. He is one of only two people in the Bible who did not die - the other being Elijah. Enoch's story teaches us that death for the believer is not a traumatic event - though on earth it often seems traumatic. For the believer in Jesus, death is a transition from this life to the next. As John Stott remarked, death is a "trivial episode" to the believer. It is the doorway through which we enter the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

III. Without faith you cannot stand against the world (v. 7)

Finally we have the story of Noah (Gen. 6-9). All of us know about the great flood, the massive ark, and the gathering of the animals. And we know how Noah saved his family while the world around him perished. Here we see another side of the life of faith.

1. Abel pictures the quest for acceptance.
2. Enoch pictures the journey to find God.
3. Noah pictures the power of courage.

The Bible calls Noah a preacher of righteousness but he didn't have much to show for his efforts. For 120 years he preached the truth and called the society around him to repentance. When the flood finally came, only eight people were saved: Noah and his wife, his three sons and their wives. He managed to save his own family - and no one else.

By faith he preached when no one would listen.
By faith he built when people ridiculed.
By faith he continued year after year.
By faith he believed God regarding things he had not yet seen.

Here is a message especially for all the men. Fathers, listen up. Sons and brothers, pay attention. Husbands, observe this carefully. Single men, take notice. All men and all boys, heed this word. Noah was a righteous man who had great faith in God. His faith saved his entire family. But note this. Not one word is ever said about the faith of his wife or the faith of Shem, Ham or Japheth or their wives. But they must have had some faith. How do I know that?

When Noah entered the ark, his wife went with him.
When Noah and Mrs. Noah entered the ark, their boys went with them.
When the boys entered the ark, their wives went with them.

I don't know how much faith they had, but they had enough to follow the head of the family. And Noah had enough faith to inspire all of them to follow his example. That's the power of a godly leader. Noah's faith saved his entire family. He believed so deeply and obeyed so completely and walked so intimately with God that it was natural for his entire family to do what he did. They believed because he believed.

This is the power of a godly example. It is also the power of a godly husband and father. Men, God holds you accountable to set the pace for your entire family. And if you live out your faith every day, it's natural and normal to expect your family to follow in your steps.

And for all of us, men and women alike, take heart from Noah's example. You can be godly in a very ungodly world. Let's stop complaining about the evil of the present day. As bad as things are, they were worse in Noah's day. Back then, there were only eight true believers in the whole world. We have far more spiritual advantages than Noah had. All we need is the courage to do what Noah did and to believe what God has said.

So what do we have when we stand back and look at these three men who lived before the flood?
Abel found the righteousness that comes by faith. He trusted in God.
Enoch walked with God and went straight to heaven. He trusted in God.
Noah had the courage to stand against the unbelieving world. He trusted in God.
From Abel to Enoch to Noah - what joins these men together? What they did, they did by faith. And God honored them because of their faith.

I need not try to convince you of anything. Without faith you will not believe it anyway. But true faith, faith that rests on God and his Word and believes all that he has said, true faith sees the unseen and say, "Yes, it is true."

"It's the faith, Brother."
Yes, it is. Faith taken seriously makes a difference in our world and changes the way we live.

Conclusion

In November of 1994, Scott and Janet Willis, along with their six children, were traveling in their minivan from their home on the south side of Chicago to Milwaukee on Interstate 94. The minivan ran over a large chunk of metal that had broken off the back of a truck. It punctured the van's gas tank and set off an explosion that ripped a hole through the backseat floor. Scot and Janet escaped the blaze with burns, but they couldn't save their children: Ben, 13, Joe, 11, Sam, 9, Hank, 6, Elizabeth, 3, and Peter, six weeks old.
Seen through the eyes of a public that gasped at the enormity of their tragedy, Scott and Janet Willis faced unendurable grief. Today their grief is wrenching and unremitting, yet they continue on by faith. It is their faith that gets them out of bed in the morning and lets them enjoy the memories of their children rather than be haunted by their memories of them.

"It is the faith, Brother."
Taken seriously, makes a difference, changes the way we live.
This leads me to ask two questions: Do you have it? Will you live it?
Rick Ezell

Assuring Your Knowledge of God - Hebrews 6

Knowing God in an intimate personal way will change our minds and our lives. But how do we know for certain that we know God. What about those lingering doubts and questions. This sermon lays to bed the uncertainty of one's salvation so they can know for certain of their eternal destiny.

A twenty-seven year old girl came to me and said, "I have been going to church all of my life, but I'm not sure I am a Christian."

A missionary's wife approached the president of a major Christian organization and said, "During the past thirty years, my husband and I have introduced thousands of people to Christ, but I have never been sure of my own salvation. I have never before shared this concern with anyone, but now I am so desperate that I have come to seek your help."

A college student who had prayed to receive Christ stood to his feet with a puzzled look on his face. He said, "I don't feel any different. I guess God didn't hear my prayer. How can I be sure that Christ has come into my life?"

Have you ever felt like one of these people? Do you wonder if you are a Christian? Do you ask, "Am I really saved?" Do you have the certainty that you will go to heaven when you die?

The truth is that we can be 100-percent certain about where we will spend eternity. We can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that no matter what happens to us in the future, we are going to heaven when we die.
Jack Wyrtzen, founder of the Word of Life ministry, used to say, "I'm as sure of heaven as if I'd already been there 10,000 years." Can you say that?

The underlying question is: Can I lose my salvation? In my mind the answer is simple: It depends on who saved you:

If God saved you, you can't lose it because it depends on God.
If you saved yourself, you can lose it because it depends on you.
Your salvation is eternally secure if God did the saving. But if you think that salvation is a cooperative venture between yourself and God - where you do a part and he does a part - then you're in big trouble because anything you start, you could mess up somewhere along the way. But if God started it, he'll also finish it. Anything you can do for yourself, you can lose for yourself. But if God saves you, you are saved forever because it depends on him and not on you. What God does, he does forever.

In Baptist churches we refer to this doctrine as the doctrine of eternal security. People often ask do you believe "once saved, always saved"? I say it depends on where you put the emphasis. Are you putting the emphasis on the word once or on the word saved? The answer is "Yes" if you put the emphasis on the word saved. I believe that if one has truly repented of their sins and by faith entered into a personal relationship with God through his son, Jesus Christ, then they are eternally secure and can never lose your salvation. On the other hand, if someone once merely walked an aisle or said a prayer when there was a tragedy in their life or got a quiver in their liver at camp then my answer is "No." These people, in my opinion, were never saved to begin with.

Let me be forthright, regarding this doctrine, it is not clear cut. Some denominations, such as, Methodists, Wesleyans, Pentecostals, Church of Christ, teach that under some circumstances a Christian may lose their salvation and be denied entrance into heaven. Some biblical passages seem to offer a conflicting view. Jesus said that no one can snatch his followers out of his hand (John 10:28). But, he also warned against people who work miracles in his name yet on the Day of Judgment he will say, "'I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers" (Matt. 7:23). The text we will look at more closely in just a minute in Hebrews 6 talks about "falling away" in verse 5 and a "sure hope" in verse 11. Which is it?

Here's what I believe: If a person truly repents of their sins, trusts in Christ alone for their salvation, and seeks to walk in a life of obedience they are saved. Furthermore, the nature of God is not to bring you to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, then to make you wonder for the rest of your life whether or not you have a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. God does not say "Trust me," then for the rest of your life make you wonder if you really trusted him. It is his business and his desire for us to have assurance of salvation.
We can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are going to heaven when we die. We can be sure of our salvation. We can know that we know God? Here's how.

I. The four pillars of assurance

The Bible teaches that the assurance of salvation rests securely upon four unshakeable pillars:

A. Assurance is based on the absolute trustworthiness of Scripture

Throughout the New Testament, we read God's promises to save all who will believe upon his Son. The Bible says, "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Rom. 10:13). This is God's promise to us. If you come to Jesus with genuine repentance of sin and trust in he promises that he will save you. We have the confidence of salvation based on the infallibility of God's Word.

B. Assurance rests on the finished work of Jesus Christ

When Jesus died on the cross, he bore our sin, enduring God's wrath, and cried out, "It is finished" (John 19:30). By this, he meant that the full atonement for all our sins - past, present, and future - has been made. His work of redemption now completed, our entire sin debt is paid in full. Just as salvation comes from believing in Christ alone, so does assurance. As we trust in Christ's perfect sacrifice for our sins, the certainty of eternal life floods our hearts. No matter how great your sin, God's grace is greater still.

C. Assurance is confirmed through the inward witness of the Holy Spirit

It is the Holy Spirit's ministry to convince our hearts of our salvation. In reality, no preacher, evangelist, parent, or friend can give us assurance. Neither can we work it up within ourselves. Only the Holy Spirit himself can give us the absolute certainty of our eternal life. The Bible says, "And the way we know that He remains in us is from the Spirit He has given us." (1 John 3:24). The Holy Spirit who convicted, called, and converted us also convinces us that we belong to Christ.

D. Assurance comes through the evidence of a changed life

Ultimately, assurance is confirmed within us as we see God conforming us into the image of Jesus Christ. All who have been born again will see clear evidences of a new life in Christ. While we will never become perfect in this life, we will, nevertheless, experience a changed life. It is this inward transformation that provides strong confirmation of our salvation.

II. The four evidences of assurance

What are the evidences? What are some signs of salvation?
Let's turn to the book of Hebrews. It was written to discouraged Christians who were in spiritual danger. They were being persecuted by Nero for their religious beliefs; they had many questions about their new found faith that the Old Testament did not answer; they were in danger of reverting back to Judaism. For many, believing in Christ was a life or death proposition. Now, they were second-guessing their conversion to Christ and their very salvation.

In chapter 6, the unknown author discusses "things connected with salvation" (Heb. 6:9). These things, as he calls them are evidences of salvation or the fruit in the Christian life. That's a good analogy. How do you know an apple tree from an orange tree or pear tree? Well, the easiest way is to look at their fruit. How do you know a Christian from a non Christian? By their fruit. Jesus said, "You'll recognize them by their fruit" (Matt. 7:16). It is that same fruit of Christian behavior and action that assures one of salvation. So, if you are looking for assurance, check out:

A. Your labor for the Savior

"For God is not unjust; He will not forget your work" (Heb. 6:10a). In other words, God is fair; he is watching. Your good works is evidence of your salvation. Our works do not save us; but they do give witness to our salvation.

The priest and Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan had religious training, but neither of them paused to assist the dying man at the side of the road (Luke 10:25-37). While each would defend his faith, neither demonstrated that faith in loving works. Their example indicates that some religious people are not believers.
James, the brother of Jesus, deals with this issue forcefully. "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but does not have works? Can his faith [a] save him?" (James 2:14). What such faith is he referring to? The kind of faith that is never seen in practical works. Can such a faith save him? The answer is no. Any declaration of faith that does not result in a changed life and good works is a false declaration. That kind of faith is dead faith. "In the same way faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead by itself" (James 2:17). The great theologian, John Calvin, wrote, "It is faith alone that justifies, but faith that justifies can never be alone." True saving faith is a faith that works.

If you are laboring for the Lord, that is a good indication of your salvation.

B. Your love for the saints

"God . . . will not forget . . . your work and the love you showed for His name when you served the saints - and you continue to serve them" (Heb. 6:10b). The writer of Hebrews is not talking about a tingle up your spine or a wonderful love song. He is talking about love in action, the kind of love you show to the saints, for his sake. The kind of love that springs from true faith in Christ.

We used to sing a folk song with the lyrics, "And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yes, they will know we are Christians by our love." That is not only a song, but a Scriptural truth. Jesus said, "I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35). Jesus is giving the right to the world to judge whether you and I are Christians on the basis of our observable love toward fellow Christians.

If you are expressing love toward your brothers and sisters in Christ, you are demonstrating one of the most distinguishing marks of salvation.

C. Your level of service

"God will not forget . . . when you served the saints - and you continue to serve them" (Heb. 6:10c). When you and I became Christians, we gave up every right. We became servants. And servanthood is one of the greatest indications of being a follower of Christ. While it is still unpopular and unrecognized, it, nevertheless, is one of the most distinguishing marks of a Christian.

Do you remember the story of when James and John came to Jesus wanting to sit in a place of authority beside him? Do you remember what happened? The other ten disciples became angry because they to wanted those places. Then Jesus said, "‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and the men of high position exercise power over them. It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life - a ransom for many'" (Matt. 20:25-28).

God did not save you to be a sensation he saved you to be servant. If you doubt your salvation, check out your service to others. One of the great misfortunes in American churches today is the emphasis on getting, but when a person comes to Christ that emphasis changes from getting to giving. Just as Christ gave himself for us, the true Christian desires to give themselves to others.
A willingness to serve is an evidence of salvation.

D. Your lingering thoughts of salvation

If you are struggling with assurance of salvation, then the very fact that you thought about it is a good sign that you belong to him. When people asked Charles Spurgeon, the great British pastor, how they could know if they were of the elect, he would answer, "If you are worried about it, then you are." In other words, if you are concerned about your relationship with Christ, that is an indication that you are saved.

Here are four pillars and four evidences of the assurance of salvation. Upon this foundation our salvation rests. The writer of Hebrews said, "Now we want each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the final realization of your hope" (Heb. 6:11). These facts give "full assurance of hope" (NASB) regarding our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, these pillars provide unshakable confidence of eternal life.
In our eternal destination we must be sure. Assurance of salvation is God's blessed gift for all who believe. The apostle John said, "I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13).

In 1994 Northwest Airlines offered some unusual round-trip passages aboard one of their planes. Fifty-nine dollars bought a "Mystery Fare" ticket that provided a one-day trip to an unknown American city. Buyers didn't find out where they were heading until they arrived at the airport the day of the flight. Still, the airline had plenty of takers. In Indianapolis fifteen hundred people crowded the airline counter to buy the Mystery Fare tickets that were sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

Mystery Fare tickets may be a fun surprise for a weekend vacation, but normally the last thing you want is a ticket to a mystery destination. And one time you never want a Mystery ticket is on the day of your death. You don't want to face eternity uncertain about whether you will go to heaven or hell.

Somebody once said it this way. There will be three surprises when we get to heaven. Number one, we're going to be surprised that some people are there that we didn't expect to see there. Number two, we're going to be surprised that some people aren't there that we were sure were going to be there. Number three, the greatest surprise of all will be that we ourselves are there.

That leads me to this question. Are you going to be there? If you died tonight, would you go to heaven? Are you sure? Perhaps you've been running from God and now at last he has found you. If you are not sure about your salvation, and if you would like to be sure, make sure today. I want you to be sure that if you die today or tomorrow or in 50 years, you're going to go to heaven.
Rick Ezell

He is Worthy of Our Worship

Illustration: Imagine for a moment that you've just spotted Osama bin Laden. Wow! How would the danger . . . or the opportunity . . . of that situation strike you? You'd probably be in a foreign land, most likely in a very dangerous place. Would you take a nap, right at that moment? I don't think so! The adrenalin would race through your body, and every thing you touched would be super sensitive. You'd smell the air, look for the slightest movement, and hear the faintest of sounds. Your senses would be on edge, at their sharpest points.

Perhaps, when the threat of overwhelming danger wore off just a bit, you'd remember the bounty that's on bin Laden's head. That's $50 million out there for grabs, and $50 million goes a long ways, these days. It would change your life, in an instant, if you could simply survive long enough to report the world's most wanted man to the right authorities.

No, you wouldn't take a nap. You'd stay focused on your prize. And no, you wouldn't walk away from such a situation saying, "Well, I'm glad I saw that, but it won't affect the rest of my life." Of course it would affect the rest of your life! The danger would never be forgotten. The thrill of the action that followed would mean you wouldn't sleep soundly for weeks. And your checking account would be significantly changed, too. Such a moment would not be a casual moment. You'd be fixed upon that moment, and all that it meant.

Here's the Bible's message when it tells us to "fix our eyes upon Jesus." Following Jesus is not a careless, casual part of life. The way a spy spots his target, we're to put everything into following Christ. Frankly, if the Bible's message is true, it is worth that kind of effort. If it is not true, it is not worth any effort at all. Perhaps that's the challenge of this passage. Make up your mind to really fix your mind on Christ. And then, start to enjoy the rewards that come from living with that fixation.

I. The Bible tells us Jesus is worthy of worship

(Read Hebrews 1:1-4)
A teaching opportunity: Print this passage in your sermon outline, and have people circle, underline or highlight the key phrases. Then, list the following attributes of Christ.

• He owns it all.
• He made it all.
• He reflects the complete radiance of God's glory.
• He is the exact representation of God's being.
• He continues to sustain all things.
• He paid the price for our sin.
• He rules it all.

Because Jesus is worthy of worship, no external circumstances ever change that fact.
Illustration: I once preached a sermon that offered a challenge to give God praise during some very difficult moments. That gift of praise, at that moment, is a gift you cannot give during most of your days, since most of our days are not terribly difficult. But when it is given during tough times, it is a precious gift to the Lord.
Not long after that message, an older woman in our church family was involved in a terrible car accident. She suffered several injuries, including a cut across her head that caused a good deal of blood loss at the scene of the accident. I found her in the emergency room, almost overwhelmed with pain. In a moment, I was almost overwhelmed with her gift of praise to God.

"A woman came to me in the road," she told me in short breaths. "She prayed with me. She sang with me. And I sang with her. You were right . . . it makes all the difference to sing in that moment!"
She recovered from her injuries, but neither one of us recovered from the great truth: Jesus Christ is worthy of our worship, in every situation.

II. Jesus said he was worthy of worship

When Jesus claimed to be worthy of worship, it infuriated the religious leaders who heard his claims. His claim of being the Messiah, of being "equal to God," was the root of their efforts to have him executed. (John 5:18)

During his last night with the disciples, Jesus pointed to the countless miracles his followers had seen, and then spoke very plainly to them.

Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:9-14 (HCSB)

III. Faith moves us to worship Jesus

There may be nothing that will move a man to action faster than seeing his child in danger. There may be nothing that strips away prejudice or pride faster from a man than the desperation he feels when his child is sick.

His name was Jairus, and he was a dad. He was also a synagogue ruler, which meant he was immersed in the things of God. He knew the scripture perhaps better than anyone else in his community. He must have seen or heard of many who claimed to be important - rabbis who traveled the land with their followers, just like Jesus.

He must have heard the stories that circulated around Jesus. People claimed to have been healed by Jesus of a variety of diseases. Some who hadn't walked in years were dancing with new joy. Some who hadn't been able to see were telling everyone of their new sight. Others who'd been sick for weeks were back at work. The stories were everywhere, but Jairus kept a wary eye on the rabbi called Jesus.

But then his daughter fell sick. She was really sick. The usual medicines, the usual treatments, weren't working. She was failing fast, and already he could see people starting to give up on his daughter.
And just then, he heard that Jesus was back.

Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. Luke 8:40-42

Jairus fell at the feet of another man, submitting not to God, but to his daughter's only hope. This wasn't a profession of faith in Jesus as the Son of God . . . it was just a daddy trying anything to save his daughter's life.

The entire encounter turned into a slow-moving nightmare. No one would move out of the way. The could-be miracle worker didn't run. The crowds didn't give. People didn't understand. A woman touched Jesus, and was healed. The crowd had to hear every detail. Jesus stopped to teach, and the last few seconds of hope ticked away.

She died.
Time stood still. It was over. All hope was gone.
Then there was a hand on his shoulder. It was Jesus. And the words spoken must have seemed incomprehensible. "Don't be afraid, Jairus. Just believe. She will be healed." (Luke 8:50)
And at this moment, faith enters the picture. Was Jairus a committed follower of Jesus at this moment? No, not just yet. But he clung to Jesus as if Jesus was his only hope, the only thread of the rope still keeping him from falling, and he kept moving. He would at least give Jesus a chance. He was trying his best to answer the command Jesus had given him: "Just believe!"

That bit of faith to keep walking turned out to be the bridge that carried Jarius to a miracle of life-changing proportions.
After He came to the house, He let no one enter with Him except Peter, John, James, and the child's father and mother. Everyone was crying and mourning for her. But He said, "Stop crying, for she is not dead but asleep." They started laughing at Him, because they knew she was dead. So He took her by the hand and called out, "Child, get up!" Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then He gave orders that she be given something to eat. Her parents were astounded, but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened. Luke 8:51-56 (HCSB)

"Astonished." "Astonished?" Is there a word to describe what happened in that home? A dead child suddenly stirring, moving, opening her eyes? A man at the center of the healing who acted as if he actually knew this would happen? A man so confident that he announced to the early arrivers at the funeral that they might as well go home? A man so in control of the situation that he actually asked them not to tell?
Only God could orchestrate such a miracle. Only God has control of life, and Jairus knew that. He was convinced of it. And yet here, just here, he was faced with something that couldn't be true. A man walked into his home and exercised complete control over life and death.
Only God could do that.

Had Jarius only read some religious words from an ancient document, Jarius likely would have never believed. But the beautiful young woman growing up in his home was an every-day testimony, an every-day witness, that Jesus was exactly who he said he was, and that Jesus was worthy of worship.
So who was Jesus? Jarius decided Jesus was worthy of his worship.

However, people all around Jarius, and all around us, would and do struggle with that answer for the rest of his ministry. Once, some of Jarius' co-workers grilled him. They hammered him. They pestered him. Finally they said, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly!" (John 10:24)
Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." John 10:25 (HCSB)

Jarius knew that Jesus was worthy of worship, that Jesus and the Father were indeed one, because Jarius had encountered Jesus in a personal, desperate way. When he had no hope, Jesus had become his hope, and his salvation. There was life in his home because of Jesus. Despair had been avoided because of Jesus. Everything in the Scripture he loved was different now, interpreted in the light of what God was doing right in the middle of Jarius' life.

Because of what had happened, could Jarius have possibly denied that Jesus was the exact representation of God, "sustaining all things by his powerful word?" (Hebrews 1:3)
Jarius knew this about Jesus:

• Jesus owns it all.
• Jesus made it all.
• Jesus reflects the complete radiance of God's glory.
• Jesus is the exact representation of God's being.
• Jesus continues to sustain all things.
• Jesus paid the price for our sin.
• Jesus rules it all.
• Jesus was worthy of his worship.

IV. Jesus is worthy of your personal confession of worship

This series of messages is about the phrase, "fix your eyes upon Jesus," or "fix your thoughts on Jesus."
If you find one of the two places this phrase appears in the New Testament, you'll find it directly in the context of confessing Jesus.

Hebrews 3:1 Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.

Before there can ever be a move toward discipleship, or bearing fruit, or all the purpose-driven goals we would desire, there has to be a simple confession of faith.

Jesus asked for it from all who followed him. Surrounded by a carnal climate in Caesarea Philippi, Jesus would turn to the disciples and ask: "Who do you say that I am?" (Matt. 16:15) Peter would make the bold confession that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. (Matthew 16:16)

For blind men who desperately wanted to see, Jesus first asked if they could see a spiritual truth.
When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord," they replied. Matt. 9:28 (HCSB)

When a woman was nearly overwhelmed with her grief, Jesus wouldn't move toward a miracle until he heard Martha's answer: "Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." John 11:26-27 (HCSB)
In a moment, Martha's brother was alive again, and Martha's deep friendship for Jesus turned into worship.
Sheer, unapologetic worship.

What else would you do in the presence of God?
Did she understand all the nuances of what God was up to? No more than you or I would. But she saw what she saw, and she knew only God could exercise such incredible contr
ol over life and death.

She worshipped him. She confessed Jesus as all he said he was.
Illustration: Kevin Martin, from St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Seattle, told a story about two comments he heard one Sunday after services. The first was from a new member, who enthusiastically said, "This is one of the greatest worship experiences I've ever had!" Moments later, another member approached him and snapped, "The organ absolutely ruined worship for me this morning!" He said it was hard to believe both people were in the same worship service.

It's not about the music. It's not about the speaker. It's not about the great friendships. It's about Jesus. Every moment, every effort, every breath. It's all about him.

The most important element in any worship service is the heart of the person attending the service. If your heart is bent toward God when you walk in the door - it will be full of God when you walk out. Worship can be defined as "getting drenched with God." It can happen anytime you want it to; it's simply a matter of preparing yourself, and simply a matter of coming face to face, heart to heart, with Jesus Christ.
Andy Cook