A Lost Car Key

Hebrews 11-Part 5
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.  Hebrews 11:6


LET IT GLOW

One morning I had everything I was taking with me to work in my hands when the phone rang. So I put them down in a kitchen chair and answered the phone. After finishing the phone conversation, I picked up everything, so I thought, and quickly headed out the door, locking it. When I reached the car, I looked for my key in my purse, but could not find it. I  checked my pockets, looked around on the ground, but found no keys. The house key was on the same keychain, so I couldn't unlock the house and search for the lost car key inside. At least I had my cell phone in my purse, so I called my husband. He was already at work some 15 miles away. It just so happened that his cousin was finished at the same shop and voluntered to drop of the extra set of keys by on his way home (only 1/2 mile out of his way). In the meantime, I waited inside an old storage building, which had a door that wouldn't close, and shivered in the cold while I waited. Finally, the cousin arrived with the key and I was able to go into the house. I was diligently seeking for those keys when I found them on the same chair that I had dropped my handful of stuff whenever the phone rang.  What a way to start a day! As I sat in the car, waiting for it to warm up before driving off, it dawned on me-I had another keychain in my purse the whole time-it had the back door key on it. Oh man, did I feel foolish. Have you diligently searched for something you misplaced or lost?

The Lord gave us a promise in the key verse-He would reward those who diligently seek Him.
Diligently means to seek the favor of God, worship Him. (Thayer's Lexicon)
To diligently seek means to "seek out" God, in the Greek. Not only "ask" and "seek" but "knock," "strive" as in agony of contest. (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary)

Diligent means stedy in application; industrious; persevering; prosecuted with care and constant effort. (Webster Dictionary)

We must have both the desire to please God and the diligence to seek Him. Prayer, meditating on the Word, worship, discipline-all of these help use in our walk with God. (Wiersbe)
Rewarder means a giver of wages. (Young's Concordance)
A person must believe that God will reward people's faith in Him with forgiveness and righteousness because He has promised to do so. (MacArthur)
Deuteronomy 4:29 says But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou shalt seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Matthew 6:33 says But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 7:7 states: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; know, and it shall be opened unto you.

Faith expects great things from God and attempts great things for Him. (Shepherd's Notes)
Just how committed am I to constantly seeking the Lord? Does He get my leftovers in my schedule or the first thing in the morning? Am I walking with Him throughout the day?


LET IT GROW


Now that I know I am going to be rewarded when I diligently seek God, what else can I learn from verse 6?

Without faith it is impossible to please God. Period. End of discussion. No, not yet. What does it take to please God, I mean really please Him, Creator of the universe, owner of everything? Is there anything I can do, be, or have that would make God pleased with me?

Accoding to Young's Concordance, please, used in this verse, in Greek is the word euaresteo, which means "to please well."

1. So in order for me to "please God well," I need faith.
2. Faith requires that I come to God. I must possess an attitude of total dependence on God, and availability to God. I come to His throne, His grace, to pray unto him, to implore His mercy, help, assistance. I come into the house of God  to worship Him, serve Him, enjoy His presence, have communion with Him; doing so with all my heart; going through Christ, and by faith.
3. Faith requires that I believe God is there. It means I must have unswerving confidence in His presence, which I can't see, and in His concern, which I may not always feel. I must believe that God exists. I must believe in the three Persons in the Godhead-God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. I must believe that God is omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omnipresent (everywhere all the time). I must believe He is all sufficient; His grace is sufficient for me; He is the God of grace, love, and mercy; He is the God of nature and providence; He is the covenant God and Father of Christ.
4. Faith requires that I trust God to keep His Word. There was a time when God spoke audibly, inscribed His truths on stone tablets, and spoke through prophets. Now He speaks throughHis Word, the Bible, and His Holy Spirit.

[Resources: The John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible, a Bible study guide on Hebrews by Charles Swindoll]

Your relationship with God is largely determined by your faith. Faith keeps you in a trusting relationship with God in the midst of your problems. Faith has to do with  your relationship with God, not your circumstances. (Blackaby)

Do I trust God by faith with everything in  my life, with all my needs, and with my eternal life?


LET IT GO

Have faith that pleases my God.

I believe that God exists.

I believe that God will reward me as I diligently, seek Him.

Trust God to keep His Word, promises.

Trust Him with everything.

What a Promotion!

469.  "What a Promotion!"                   March 2, 2012
Hebrews 11-Part 4
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.  
Hebrews 11:5 KJV

Because of faith Enoch was caught up and transferred to heaven, so that he did not have a glimpse of death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For even before he was taken to heaven, he received testimony [still on record] that he had pleased and been satisfactory to God.
Amplified

It was because of his faith that Enoch was promoted to the eternal world without experiencing death. He disappeared from this world because God promoted him, and before that happened his reputation was that "he pleased God". And without faith it is impossible to please him. The man who approaches God must have faith in two things, first that God exists and secondly that it is worth a man's while to try to find God.   J.B.Phillips New Testament

LET IT GLOW

Who was Enoch? What made Enoch different from others and so special to God that he did not die physically, but was taken up directly to heaven? How did he please God?

• Enoch is first spoken of in Genesis 5:21-24. We can trace his geneology from this fifth chapter. He was the seventh in descent from Adam in the line of Seth (Jude 14). He was the son of Jared (5th generation from Adam), the father of Methuselah, the great-grandfather of Noah, the great-great-grandfather of Shem (whose 9th descendent became  Abraham). Enoch was a patrioch who lived 365 years. It was before the time of judgment of the flood. He walked with God 300 of those years. ( International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) 
• Enoch was a preacher who proclaimed a message of judgment which his generation resented and resisted. It is found in Jude 14-15.
• Enoch and God must have had a special relationship since he and Elijah were the only two translated, not experiencing death; he and Noah were the only two who "walked with God" while others walked before God.

According to Thayer's Lexicon, translated means to transfer, without mention of the place, it being well known to the readers. Faussett's Dictionary says it is a sudden removal from mortality to immortality with out death; the passover of living saints at Christ's coming (1Cor.15:51-52).

 Enoch did not die. God took him to a state of blessedness without obliging him to pass through death. (Adam Clarke)

What made Enoch so special or different that this occurred to him? I think the Phillips Translation 
answers my question:  It was because of his faith that Enoch was promoted to the eternal world without experiencing death. He disappeared from this world because God promoted him...

New Living Translation says he disappeared because God took him.

NAS says he was not found because God took him up.  

So it was because of Enoch's faith that he was promoted to heaven without the sting of death. What a promotion! What a way to go!

Jerry Vines says, "Faith is trusting what God says and acting upon it regardless of circumstances or consequences."

David Guzik describes faith as being the "sense" that gives us evidence of the invisible spiritual world."

So was Enoch's faith different from mine? from the other "Heroes of Faith"?
I counted 24 different times faith is used in chapter 11, with 5 different Greek words. My conclusion is: faith is faith. Either we believe and trust God or we don't. The uniqueness of our "Heroes" is in the way they demonstrated their faith in God, obeying what God asked them to do.
After all, the just shall live by faith (Hebrews 10:38).


LET IT GROW

What was Enoch's testimony before the fight of his life? He pleased God. Plain and simple isn't it? Or is it? How did Enoch please God? What did he do? How can I please God? I dug a little deeper to find out.

The verb pleased (euaresteo in Greek) is the Septuagint rendering of the Hebrew phrase "to walk with." Enoch pleased God in that he walked with God. Thus, our author concludes that without faith it is impossible to please God. (verse 6) One cannot please God without walking in the light of truth and in righteousness before God (1John 1:5-7). Liberty Bible Commentary

Genesis 5:24 says And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Here's my conclusion of how Enoch pleased God/walked with God:

• He obeyed God by prophesying and preaching God's warning, the Truth, without tickling their ears. His message is found in Jude 14-15. To obey is better than sacrifice 1Sam.15:22).
• He lived by faith. (Heb.10:38)
• He repented and asked for forgiveness of sins-he said that God was bringing judgment on the ungodly's deeds and words.
• He loved God and others. Why else would he have preached such a hard message?
• He worshipped God.
• He prayed and talked to God (received the message) as they walked together.
• He surrendered to God's will.

I can add to the list what pleases God:

• the sacrifice of praise (Jer.17:26),
• surrender (Luke 1:38),
• thanksgiving (Ps.100:4; Ps.107:22),
• rejoicing,
• singing His praises,
• salvation found in Jesus,
• prayer,
• glorifying Him, etc.

Which of these do I need to work on so I please God in all things?

Adrian Rogers said,"If we please God, it doesn't matter who we displease; if we displease God, it doesn't matter whom we please."

"Heredity, ritual, ceeremony, charity, nor any other good work apart from faith pleases God," said Nelson Price.

"Anybody can walk with God, but not everybody does," said James Merritt.

God doesn't want us to have an ordinary walk. He wants us to have a supernatural walk. Our walk is the way we live our life, our lifestyle. What begins as a step of faith soon becomes a walk of faith.
 (Ed Young)

LET IT GO

Let go of what I need to in order to walk closely with my God and please Him.

Ask God what is in my life that displeases Him.

Ordinary People with Extraordinary Faith

Hebrews 11-Part 3
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
Hebrews 11:4

LET IT GLOW

If you have been following my writings for any length of time, you know that I am just a country gal, walking by faith through this journey of life. I grew up on a broiler, chicken and cattle farm. My parents were not highly educated, only Mom had a high school degree. However, Dad had a lot of good common sense.  I share examples of my childhood and how the Word of God applies to my life in hopes that  you can relate and it will encourage you.
As I look at the "Heroes of Faith" in this chapter, I see plain and simple, common folks, ordinary people with extraordinary faith. However, they had uncommon faith and obeyed the Lord and were blessed by it. Hopefully, their example of faith and obedience has something to teach me and you.
This chapter actually begins, not with a list of names, but with a brief and simple analysis of faith: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (NAS)

In his study guide for Hebrews, Charles Swindoll has this to say:

It's easy to trust God in theory when a circumstance is yet distant from us, but when a situation is upon us, doubt competes for first place. God has graciously given us the following three examples of common, real people who had nothing incredible in their makeup, yet who, when under pressure, believed God. They allowed faith to dethrone doubt. Let them be our models!

The first three men mentioned are a shepherd (Abel), a preacher (Enoch), and a builder (Noah). Do I want my faith, or lack of faith recorded? Do I want it said that I offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice and thus obtained witness that I was righteous? Yes indeed, but how can it happen? Let's look closer at Abel's life for the answer.

LET IT GROW

Did you notice that Adam and Eve were not mentioned in this chapter? They had seen God, fellowshiped with Him, and talked with Him. Their children were the first to exercise faith in the unseen God. (MacArthur)
I had not considered that before now. Another thing, I don't know why, but I thought Abel was the first born, not Cain. Not so. Cain was the first child of Adam and Eve.
In Genesis 4,  we can see the contrast of the two brothers:

• Abel was the second born son; Cain was the firstborn son.
• Abel was a shepherd, a keeper of sheep; Cain was a farmer, a tiller of the ground, raised vegetables.
• Abel brought the best of his firstborn lambs and the fat as a sacrifice; Cain presented some of his crops, fruit of the ground as an offering.
• The Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering; He did not with Cain.
• Abel obeyed God; Cain disobeyed God.
• Abel acted in faith; Cain acted in unbelief.
• Abel's sacrifice was acccounted as righteousness by God; Cain's was not. (Rom. 4)
• Abel's sacrifice was evidence of authentic faith; Cain's sacrifice was evidence that he was just going through the motions of ritual through a disobedient manner
• Abel's heart was right with God before the sacrifice; Cain's was not.

What a contrast of these two brothers. They were like day and night.

Both brothers knew what God required (concerning sacrifices), says MacArthur.

It wasn't the offering that made one acceptable or unacceptable, since God accepted both grain and annimal offerings according to their purposes. It was the character of the person that made one offering acceptable and the other not. (Falwell)

A person comes to God by faith to receive righteousness.
Jeremiah 23:5-6 calls Jesus, The LORD of Righteousness (Jehovah Tsidkenu in Hebrew). Righteousness isn't good conduct, excellent morals, uprightness, nor the avoidance of evil. It was Jesus' shedding of His blood on the cross that provided us with a way to be right with God. I can't do it on my own because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Only Jesus provides us with His robe of righteousness, which is blood stained, so we can enter God's throne room.

Do you know the rest of the story? Cain got angry and jealous of his brother's sacrifice being acceptable to God. The Lord even talked to Cain about in Genesis 4:7 NLT: You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.

Cain didn't have a change of heart. His anger and jealousy grew into bitterness and hatred, resulting in the sin of murder. What can I learn from this? I can't come to God on my own terms, but on His terms. I can't earn God's favor by works.

Is my faith pleasing to God? Hebrews 11:6 says Without faith it is impossible to please God.
Do my sacrifices please God? (Rom.12:1-2)



LET IT GO

Present my body as a living sacrifice unto God.

Keep my heart right with God. Recognize sin in my life and confess it.

Walk by faith.

Can God Handle my Little World?

Hebrews 11-Part 2
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.   Hebrews 11:3

LET IT GLOW

Can God handle my little world? My little world consists of ten mile radius. It includes our home, son's family, business, and church. (Of course, I have to trust him with my daughter's family, they're in Rhode Island.) I'm talking about, do I think God is big enough to solve my problems of finances, health, relationships, physical needs? Do I trust Him with my life, family, church, future and present? How big is my faith? I still have the mustard seeds in a jar on my kitchen window sill as a reminder that my faith can be small and can still please God.
My conclusion is that God can handle my little world; after all, He created this vast world, universe, galaxy, and beyond. What's a little thing like that to Him? In Genesis 18:14, the Lord asked Abraham the question, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" I conclude-Nothing is too difficult for Him. So why is my faith so small?
I need to trust  God with my little world more and more. How about you? The God who made the earth, sun, moon, and stars just by speaking them into being, can surely handle our little worlds, can't He? I want to zoom in on this verse.
The word translated worlds (aionas in Greek) refers to "the vast eons of time and all that fills them." Though the word has mainly a temporal idea, it involves the physical world that is united with time. God is the framer of time and space. His word (rhema in Greek) was the creative fiat; He spoke, and it came into being. He created ex nihilo, "out of nothing." (Liberty Bible Commentary)

David Wilkerson, in his book, Knowing God By Name, says:

El Elyon means God Most High, creator and possessor of all things. Are you persuaded that God is in absolute control over all things in your own life? Are we convinced that He holds our entire lives and well-being in His hands? Are you able to face the storms, test and trial in your life, calmly testifying, "My God, El Elyon, has everything under control"?  God is boss of everything. That means there are no accidents in my life-no such things as fate, happen-stance or luck, either good or bad. Every step I take is ordered by the Lord. Everything in my life-in fact, everthing in this universe-is under His control.

According to Thayer's Lexicon, faith used in this verse is of means or mode by faith or by believing, prompted, actuated, by faith; worlds refers to universe; things contained in time; framed means to fit, equip, put in order, arrange, adjust: the worlds.

Were framed is a verb phrase involved in equipping so that something might be made ready to fulfill its purpose. Word of God refers to God's utterance. (Mac Arthur Bible Commentary)

The Amplified Bible says By faith we understand that the worlds[during the succcessive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible.

Do we believe, by faith, that God made, equipt, arranged everything in the universe and beyond just by His speaking it to be, and it happened? He made it ready to fulfill its purpose. No man was there to see things created, so we have to take God at His Word, believe that it is true. What a powerful and awesome God we serve!
I applying the verse to me, can I say that "by faith I understand that Linda's little world was fashioned, put in order, and equipped for its purpose by God speaking it to be so"? Do I believe that God has prearranged my world, life, to be as such for His purpose? Do I have trouble believing that He can handle my little world on this country road. Hummmm

LET IT GROW

The rest of the verse says, in NLT: that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
NIV says so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

The book of Genesis explains for us the events of creation, but it must be accepted through faith. God created the universe out of something which can't be seen.
MacArthur says "There is the possibility that the invisible something was God's own energy or power."
It is hard for my mind to understand this since I live in the physical. There once was a time when there was nothing physical-only God the Father, His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit existed. The Word says how it happened, and I believe it. That's faith.

A verse came to me in other reading-Romans 1:20-21NLT says For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.

Matthew Henry says the "they" mentioned above were Gentiles. They didn't recognize nor worship God, but made idols, images, and other dieties to worship. They didn't give thanks to the Creator for all He created and provided for them. Has mankind changed? Don't we set up idols of our our making, not visible ones, but ones that take our time, allegiance, worship, and thankfulness away from God?
Ouch! Does our straying begin with neglecting to give thanks to God for everything, thus pride sets in.We may subconsciously think we provided something.

LET IT GO

Daily let go of the control of my little world and give God control it all. (easier said than done)

Trust my creator, El Elyon, with everything. Believe that He doesn't make mistakes, so all He does is for my good and His glory.

Continue to give thanks to God throughout the day.

What is Faith?

Hebrews 11-Part 1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Hebrews 11:1-2 KJV

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  For by it the men of old gained approval.  NAS

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it give us assurance about things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.  NLT
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.  NIV

Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. For by it our ancestors were approved.  CSB

Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things[we] hope for, being the proof of things[we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed in the senses]. For by [faith-trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report.  Amplified

Faith in What We Don't See
The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.  The Message (MSG)

LET IT GLOW

In chapter 11, we move from doctrinal themes-Jesus is better than the prophets, angels, Moses and Joshua, the Levitical priests; the New Covenant is better than the old (salvation by faith), His heavenly tabernacle is better than the tent,  and once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus is better than the animal sacrifices which had to be repeated; Jesus interceeds for us as our High Priest at the right hand of God. We move to practical examples, faith practiced by others.

This chapter has several names: "The Roll Call of Faith,"  "The Hall of Faith," "Heroes of Faith," "The Saints' Hall of Fame," "The Honor Roll of Old Testament Saints." These are the "cloud of witnesses" mentioned in 12:1 who attest to the value of living by faith, testify that all should come to faith in God's truth in Christ.

What is faith? How do I describe or explain what faith is? How do you know that I have faith?
An example just happened to me this morning as I sit at my computer reading and typing:
I have faith, confidence, assurance, and believe that a skunk is walking around my house right now. Oh, I am not going to open the door, look outside, or even step out on the porch to see if I my statement is true.  Why do I say that? The evidence, proof, conviction, is the stinky ordor it leaves behind. I can't see the skunk or it's odor, but my nose detects the evidence.  Nothing compares to the unique scent of a skunk! Besides, my past experiences tell me that my nose is right this time. So I don't need to see the skunk to believe it is real and here.

All right, my word search in Thayer's Lexicon defines substance as confidence, firm trust, assurance and evidence as proof, conviction.

Liberty Bible Commentary says this about the first two verses:

Verse 1 is not so  much a definition of what faith is as it is a descriiption of what faith does.Two truths concerning its activity are stated here. First faith provides substance, which is hypostasis in the Greek. It occurs 20 times in the Septuagint and translates 12 different Hebrew words. It is used 5 times in the New Testament. (Falwell gives 4 if you want to read about them.) His conclusion is that substance used here means assurance. Second, faith provides evidence, which is the Greek word elegchos.It is evidence in the sense of proof which results in conviction. Of things hoped involves future hopes-the resurrection, the return of Christ, and the glorification of the saints.  Of things not seen involves present realities, unseen realitites, such as the forgiveness of sin through Christ's sacrifice and the present intercession of Christ in heaven. Hope is faith relating to the future; conviction is faith relating to the present. Faith is the affirmative response to God's will and Word. Man possesses faith when he takes God at His Word. One does not need to see something to believe it.

In John 20:29b, Jesus told Thomas Blessed are they that have not seen, yet have believed. 
Hebrews 12:2a describes Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith.

Is faith the foundation of my life? Do I depend on Jesus to provide my faith, hope for my future?

Here are some quotes from others that I felt were important to mention:
"True Bible faith is confident obedience to God's Word in spite of circumstances and consequences. The circumsstances may abe impossible, and the consequences frightening and unknown; but we obey God's Word just the same and believe Him to do what is right and what is best." (Waren Wiersbe)

"Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen." (J.Oswald Sanders)

"Faith is a sort of substitute for sight and possession. Faith gives to invisible things a substance. spiritual concepts that previously had no form, suddenly become embodied through faith. That which was once invisible becomes concrete and tangible." (Joni Eareckson Tada)

"Faith transcends the time-space framework in which we live this present life. It reaches to the high places where eternity can be seen beyond all present boundaries and barriers. Faith is the gift of seeing through all haze of doubt and the pollution of sin to the distant city of God set on the mountain of eternity. (Shepherd's Notes)


LET IT GROW

Men of old refers to all saints, both men and women, under the older covenant, a select few of whom are described in verses 4-40. They obtained a good testimony, report, which literally says "were testified to" or "had witness given about them." God bears witness on the behalf of these saints that they lived by faith and divine approval is granted to them. (MacArthur)

God has taken care that a record shall be kept and report made of the excellent things they did in the sstrength of this grace. the genuine actings of faith will bear to be reported, deserve to be reported, and will, when reported, redound to the honor of true believers.  (Matthew Henry)

How does faith grow? First, we come to God. Second, we believe He's there. Third, we count on Him to keep His word. (Swindoll)

Faith is like a muscle. As we exercise it, it grows and develops. God wants us to check out His Word. He wants us to commit ourselves to HIm and see if He will not do what He has pormised. (Shepherd's Notes)

If I were to go on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict me?

LET IT GO

Put my faith and hope in Jesus.

Live like I am one of those on the Roll Call of Faith.

Keep my faith growing.










   

Gettin' Together

465.  "Gettin' Together"              Feb. 27, 2012
Hebrews 10-Part 8
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.   Hebrews 10:25 KJV

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  NIV

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another; especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.  NLT

LET IT GLOW
When I was in elementary school, we would have assemblies every so often.  We would say our pledge to the flag, sing patriotic songs, have a speaker or a program by one of the classes. Anyway, all of the classes were together in one place, doing the same thing, with a purpose. Now that was forty-something years ago and they may not even do that nowadays. We are told in scripture to not forsake the assembing of ourselves. Shall we look deeper into this matter?
First, the author warns his readers to not forsake, give up, neglect assembling together, meeting together.

Assembling  means a gathering together in one place; the religious assembly of Christians. (Thayer's Lexicon)
Collective and corporate worship is a vital part of spiritual life. The warning here is against apostasy in an eschatological context (1 Thess. 5:4). (MacArthur Bible Commentary)

Wiersbe says, in his book, Be Confident:

Fellowship with God must never become selfish. We must also fellowship with other Christians in the local assembly. Apparently, some of the wavering believers had been absenting themselves from the church fellowship. It is interesting to note that the emphasis heer is not on what a believer  gets from the assembly, but rather what he can contribute  to the assembly. Faithfulness in church attendance encourages others and provokes them to love and good works. One of the strong motives for faithfulness is the soon coming of Jesus Christ. The only other place the word translated "assembling" is used in the New Testament is in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, where it's translated "gathering" and deals with the coming of Christ.

The assembling of the believers is often an outward indication of the inner condition. If a man's faith will not get him to church, it is doubtful if it will get him to heaven. ( Liberty Bible Commentary)
Why do I miss worship services? It is either due to illness or serving in children's church. It leaves a void in my life and seems to mess up my week so I don't do it intentionally.

"Forsaking fellowshlp is a sure way to give place to discouragement. Discouragement makes us avoid the community of God's people at the very time we need it most. Many people go to church if they feel they "need it" at the time. But our motivation for felowship must be to obey God and to give to others." states David Guzik.

Where do I go when I get discouraged?

LET IT GROW

Second, he says to exhort one another. Exhort means to urge to a course of action; admonish. (Webster's Dictionary)
MacArthur states, "Exhortation takes the form of encouragement, comfort, warning, or strengthening."
John Gill says we should exhort one another to:

• prayer,
• public worship,
• regard all duties of religion,
• adhere to Christ, profession in Him,
• walk in Christ,
• comforting of others,
• the promises of God, doctrines of grace,
• sharing experiences.

Am I encouraging other believers in those things? Do I share my experiences of God's working in my life with others?
Third, the writer is reminding his readers that the Second Coming of Christ, His return, is drawing near, approaching. Why wouldn't anyone want to be their best spiritually, strongest in faith, and  found faithful in worship and serving the Lord upon His return?

LET IT GO

Stay faithful to worship services, Bible studies, and fellowships of my church.

Look for ways to share the faithfulness of Christ in my life.

Encourage others to love and good works.




     

Living Just by Faith

Hebrews 10-Part 7
Now the just shall live by faith:But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.    Hebrews 10:38-39 KJV

But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
NIV

LET IT GLOW

Looking back over the last 32 years of ministry, I can see where we lived "by faith" more often than not. Our journey of faith began when we left our families, packed up everything, and moved six hours away to attend college, preparing for the ministry. We only knew one couple, who were from our home church, that lived in the same town, attending the same college. That helped to have special friends. Those were precious years as our faith in God grew, watching Him provide daily for our little family's needs. (We had 2 children.)  Another big move of faith occurred when we moved to another part of the state so my husband could atttend siminary. That time we knew no one before moving. God provided jobs and a church, friends for a lifetime. A giant move happened when we moved to West Virginia, 12 hours from home. We had to die to our wants and follow the Lord, but He blessed in so many ways. Lastly, our final move was back to our hometown area, to a church with people we had attended high school together, and older folks that were aquaintances. God is still blessing and providing for us as we walk by faith, living on this country road.
Isn't it faith that pleases God? Hebrews 11:6 says so. Isn't that what our life is about- pleasing, serving, and glorifying God? Let's did a little deeper into the key verses, shall we?

Warren Wiersbe, in his book Be Confident, says: 

The just shall live by faith is a quote from Habakkuk 2:4, and is used in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11. Romans emphasizes "the just," Galatians deals with "shall live," and Hebrews centers on "by faith." We are not just saved from our sin by faith; we also must live by faith. This is the theme of Hebrews 11-13. To walk by faith means to obey God's Word and live for Jesus Christ. We lose our lives for His sake-but we save them (Matt.16:25-27). But we can be confident! As we walk by faith, our Great High Priest will guide us and perfect us!

Who are the just? Thayer's Lexicon defines just in this verse as the approved of God, what's acceptable to God by faith.

So living as a just person refers to my life pleasing God, right? If I have trusted Jesus as my Savior, which I have done, then live obediently to His Spirit's leading, am I living as a just person? It isn't the keeping of the law and rituals that if to be a priority

Faith is confidence in God, the firm conviction that He is at work and will come through on our behalf. (Swindoll)

After I wrote the above on my laptop, it didn't look like it was saved, because it notified me of such. I expected to have to retype the whole thing when I got on my home computer, but didn't. To my surprise, it was all saved. So I wonder, can't people look like, act, as though they aren't saved, but really are saved? I think that is a lesson I learned today.
Back to the Word...

It was this verse that got Martin Luther to thinking about salvation being "by faith" instead of the works. Thus the Reformation began.
How am I living? Am I living just by faith? Or do I get caught up in traditions, rules, preferences, works, trying to keep the letter of the law? Is my salvation based on works I do or faith in Jesus and the works He did, dying on the cross in my place, rising from the dead?

Matthew Henry's Commentary says:

It is the honorable character of just men that in times of the greatest affliction they can live by faith; they can live upon the assured persuasion they have of the truth of God's promises.
Faith:
-puts life and vigor into believers,
-results in trusting God,
-waits for His time,
-maintains their spiritual life now,
-shall crown believers  with eternal life hereafter.

Am I just living by faith and not by sight, what I can see?


LET IT GROW

And if he shrinks back, I will have not be pleased with him, says verse 38b.

What does it take for me to loose my faith in Jesus? That's a question I would often ask teens and adults as I taught the Word. Is there anything that can happen to me, that would result in my faith shrinking? How do I handle my stress tests?

Charles Swindoll wrote in a study guide for Hebrews:
Shrinking is contagious. It begins to happen when we get around people who are easily discouraged, or when we face situations that seemingly have no solution. Shrinking is the antithesis of standing firm, of enduring. It is marked by doubt, panic, pessimism, and great insecurity. If we believe that Hebrews 10:38 means what it says-namely, that God "has no pleasure" in the one who "shrinks back"-then we need to know how to cure this problem. No help will assist us until we put it (the Word) to use. Biblical instruction must be transferred from the printed page to flesh-and-blood daily living or it will merely be knowledge riveted to the sterile world of theory.
Nobody wants to shrink in their spiritual life, but sometimes we do just that. Shrinking is a biblical term synonymous with "retreating." Can we measure our spiritual lives? Yes! How? By watching our response to testing. Spiritually speaking, every time a test comes into our lives we step onto the scales and God's measuring rod is placed alongside our lives. We are able to see whether or not we are maturing, whether we are expanding or shrinking. It boils down to how well we respond to testing. James counsels us to allow the process or test to go on so that we may grow up and not shrink. In every Christian there is a muscle called "faith" that has great potential. It can easily become soft and flabby unless it is put under the stress test, which James calls "various trials" and "testing."

How's my walk of faith during the stress test? Is faith a constant struggle for me? Do I have some unresolved conflicts? Does bitterness linger instead of releasing it to the Lord?


LET IT GO

Live by faith, not by sight.

Make sure my faith is growing and not shrinking.