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The Faith Factor in Life – Part One
Read John 14: 1 – 7
Jesus gathered with the disciples in the upper room the night before His execution. The world of the disciples is about to go into eclipse at midday. Their world is about to fall apart. They were understandably distressed.
Jesus has always told His followers of the glory and the pain involved in following Him. Every believer must realize you can’t expect to eat the honey unless you are willing to take the stings.
In comforting His disciples that night He shared principles that can give us stability in our crisis.
Jesus’ time of sharing in the upper room on His last night had been repetitiously interrupted by Peter. Peter blurted out a question all of us who follow Christ want to ask at times: “Lord, where are you going?” (John 13: 36). In His answer Christ revealed the supernatural antihistamine for the sting of life. It is distress that can be doverted if we realize He is reliable. At our best we often aren’t. At His worst He always is.
Jesus said, “”…you believe in God, believe also in Me.” Jesus’ statement is actually a double-plus imperative: “Have faith in God, and in Me have faith.”
That is the point at which sin entered the world. Adam and Eve didn’t have enough faith to believe God’s Word. They wanted to do things their way.
Faith is merely confidence in God’s character.
Hear this: “Faith is the submission of our reasoning and worry to all that is revealed (in God’s Word).”
Faith does not ignore facts, it introduces facts, the facts of revelation.
Faith is not irrational; it is supernatural.
The Greek word for faith, “pistis,” comes from the word, “pisteuo,” meaning to obey. When you say you have faith in God you are saying I am willing to obey God.
The old western movie star, Dale Evans, observed: “I sought the pot of gold at the foot of the rainbow. It eluded me. By simple faith, I found it at the foot of the cross.”
Perhaps you have been looking for your “pot of gold” without success. All that the heart longs for can be found in Jesus.
When we look at things through our natural eyes they may well appear to be foreboding and frightening. When we look at them through the eyes of faith they are seen differently. Check your optics. What lens are you using?
The Devil Made Me Do It
I have been reading a fantastic book by Bill O’Reilly entitled “Killing the Witches” which primarily deals with the killing of the witches in Salem. The part I found most interesting dealt with the framing of our Constitution and what was going on in churches of all faiths at the time. Pulpits were regularly dealing with the Devil versus God. Both were openly spoken of and the influence of each believed in. The Devil and demon possession had advocates. The Founders were aware of this. Most of the Founders were religious and well aware of the conflict. Even after a rowdy night in a pub most of them were in church the next morning.
Today, as then, the Devil and demons, in our community and across America have advocates. Though I have studied the subjects and written two books on it I will not pretend to describe how covens today most often operate. That is not the purpose of this writing. This is not about Satanism as an organization, but as an influence about and beyond the coven.
One of the Devil’s most popular ploys is to lead people to believe he doesn’t exist and that those who do believe he does are extremists. I risk that appellation.
My purpose is to say the Devil is real, alive, and well, but rarely openly acknowledged and even more rarely spoken of in pulpits. All the while the Devil goes on carrying out his devious deeds. Primarily among his deeds is the destruction of America. Why?
Consider what is happening in our country now. Do you see things that are contributing to the potential destruction of America? Are some of the issues that are contrary to Constitutional government at play chipping away at our foundation? Most agree they are. They are passed off as being political, and they are, but there are spiritual issues at play.
The following is so out of sync with the public climate today it sounds like hierarchy itself. The cause is not politics. That is the effect. The cause is the Devil.
Consider, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6: 12).
If America along with its constitutional form of government is destroyed that will open the door for the fulfillment of a Bible prophecy. Scripture reveals a time when there is to be a one world government. As long as there is a strong America that will never happen. Destroy America and its Constitution and the world is ripe for a one world government. It won’t be a good one.
A strong Constitution and its Bill of Rights contain principles that came out of the open acknowledgment of the Devil and his influence on society. The few pulpits that acknowledge this are occupied by ministers who are often considered fringe extremists. However, if more do not join the fray as opponents the Devil has an advantage.
If ministers are reluctant to join the debate they can still have a positive influence by calling for and creating an atmosphere conducive for a great spiritual awakening. That, after all, is what followed our national founding and resulted in God blessing America. Pray for it.
A Question Deserving an Answer
Follow this intriguing story and the question is posed.
The artist, Alexander Sternburg, who lived in Dusseldorf in Prussia, was commissioned to paint the crucifixion. He knew the story of the crucifixion by heart, but did not believe in Christ. One day he was walking in the forest near his city when he met a gypsy girl making straw baskets. She was lovely. He enlisted her to be a model for another painting he was doing of a dancing girl. She was enlisted to come three times a week. As she posed, her searching eyes found the painting of the crucifixion. “Who is that?” she asked. Sternburg: “The Christ.” “What is being done to Him?” Sternburg, “They are crucifying Him.” “Who are those people with angry faces?” Sternburg, “Now look here! I cannot talk. You have nothing to do but stand as I tell you.” Days later she asked, “Why did they crucify Him? Was he bad, very bad?” Sternburg, “Listen, and I will tell you once and for all. Then no more questions.” He told her the story of the cross. It moved her to tears.
Finally, her last day came. She stood motionless, but emotionally, before the painting and said to Sternburg, “You must love Him very much when He has done all that for you?” “All that for you,” rang through his mind for days. He knew he did not love Christ. Sometime later he was saved. Out of gratitude he sought to express his love through finishing the painting of the crucifixion. It was soon hung in the great museum in Dusseldorf. Underneath the inscription: “All this I did for thee; What hast thou done for Me?”
One day Sternburg visited the gallery and saw a lovely girl standing before the painting weeping. It was Pepita. They greeted and she said, “O Master! If he had but loved me so!” The new Sternburg told her of Christ’s love for her. In near unbelief and with deep gratitude she accepted Christ as Savior.
Some years later the painting was visited by the wealthy young nobleman, Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf. This young aristocrat was trained for a diplomatic career in the Court of Dresden. On a trip to Paris he stopped in Dusseldorf to rest his horses. While there he visited the art gallery. He noted the painting of Sternburg and was struck by it. He stood paused to read the inscription: “All this I did for thee; What has thou done for me?” His eyes met those of the thorn-crowned Christ. He could find no answer to that question that satisfied his mind. Hours passed, the light faded; time came for the gallery to close. It was night when he left the gallery, but a new day had dawned in his experience. From that day all that he had was placed at the cross of Christ – his wealth, fame, heart and life. He declared, “I have but one passion. It is Jesus, Jesus only.” He became a major figure in 18th Century Protestantism.
Now, consider the question as posed for you by Jesus: “All this I did for thee; What has thou done for me?”
Mary and Thomas
Does it seem strange that the resurrected Jesus told Mary not to touch Him and a short time later He invited Thomas to touch Him? Through our western eyes it does hint of some sort of prejudice. It isn’t, and when understood in light of circumstances in the time it is logical.
The Jewish High Priest’s duties in the time required ritualistic purity on the Day of Atonement. It was essential for the High Priest to be ceremonially pure for him to enter into the presence of God the Father. When He encountered Mary Jesus, the ultimate high priest, was preparing to minister in the heavenly tabernacle (Hebrews 9: 11). His caution regarding Mary was to insure He remained undefiled. For any one of several reasons Mary was obviously temporarily ceremonially unclean. Being touched by her at that moment would have defiled Him. It was the custom of the day.
By the time He encountered Thomas He had temporarily ascended to the Father and thus fulfilled the ultimate duties of the High Priest. His heavenly priestly duties would have been completed, making defilement no longer an issue. He was then set aside to fulfill His final roles as prophet and king. Being touched by Thomas at that time would not have been an issue.
Scripture instructs us to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” II Timothy 2: 15. That charge is directed to every Christian. What is shared now is without ego but rather to show the relative degree of study. Every believer should do it to the optimum of their ability. As a result of being called to be a minister I was blessed to have the time and resources to do it. I had 30 sets of commentaries, some with more than 20 volumes. My library had more than 10,000 volumes. I spent more than 20 hours a week on them. If I had not I would have been derelict and failed my God and hence my congregation.
Only recently did I resolve to my satisfaction the relationship of Mary and Thomas touching. The ocean of knowledge is so vast and my intellectual boat is so small there is still a sea for study I will never manage to sail. But I will keep rowing as long as possible.
People with occupations, families, and other responsibilities don’t have the resources or time to devote themselves to such discipline. All have some time and are accountable for showing themselves to God as “a workman rightly dividing the word of God” to the extent they can.
In addition to studying the Word of God, memorize helpful verses. Knowing it in advance of a need enables one to apply it at the time of need. Needing to know it and not knowing it leads to spiritual defeat.
Find a pulpit where it is not only taught, but appropriately applied to life situations. This will aid you in growing in grace and in knowledge. It will enable you to do as biblically instructed to “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…” I Peter 3: 15.
What Happens to the Person Who Never Hears the Name of Jesus?
It is God “…who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth” I Timothy 2: 4.
God “…is not willing that any should perish…” II Peter 3: 9.
Still there remains the question of what happens to the person who never hears the name of Jesus Christ?
First, there is God’s part. God has done His part as shown in the following.
“…one died for all…” II Corinthians 5: 14, 15.
Jesus is said to be one “…who gave Himself for all…” I Timothy 4: 10.
Every person anywhere is included in the expression “God will pour out His spirit on all… Matthew 2: 17.
“If anyone wants to do His will He shall know it” John 7: 17.
It is God “which gives light to every man who comes into the world” John 1:9.
Then there is man’s part.
All of this means that in every person’s life, the Laplander, Ineu, or Hottentot, at some point the Holy Spirit makes them God conscious. That doesn’t mean at that point they are saved, but rather that in response to this they send up spiritual signals they do or they don’t want to know more about Him.
God has obligated Himself to send someone to the person who wants to know more to tell them of Jesus. At that point they either accept Him as savior or deny Him.
After speaking on this subject a native of India, a noted scientist, rushed up to me and said, “For years I sat on the bank of the Ganges River praying that if there really was a God He would send someone to tell me about Him. Then one day an unknown man came and sat down beside me and told me of Jesus. I know what you are saying is true because it happened to me.”
Consider those in spiritual darkness.
It is not the spiritual darkness that causes the heathen-ness,
it is the heathen-ness that causes the darkness.
Every person reading this is God conscious. Unfortunately some likely have been sending up mental spiritual signals indicating they don’t want to know more about Him. May this prompt a change of mind leading to not only knowing about Him, but knowing Him personally as Savior.
The following does not save a person, however it is the logical response. Get involved in a church where you can grow in your faith. Make public your faith and follow Him in baptism as He instructed.