The Faith Factor in Happiness

John 14: 1 – 7

Everybody has faith in something. What the object of faith is, is strategic. Without the right object of faith life is like the Sea of Galilee; night-bound and storm-tossed. With Him, His Word of peace prevails. Faith is submission of your reason to all He has revealed.

The disciple’s world is about to unsuspectingly going into eclipse at mid-day. Their world is about to fall apart. As like theirs, there is much in our world to cause distress, also.

Christ has always honestly told His followers of both the glory and the pain involved in following Him. Every believer should realize they should not expect to eat the honey unless you are willing to take the stings.

The atmosphere in the Upper Room must have been virtually overwhelming when Jesus exhorted His disciples saying, “Have faith in God, and in me have faith.” This statement is actually a double-plus imperative.

Faith, simply defined, is confidence in God’s character.

Employ this ageless axiom in your life. “All that I have seen of my Creator teaches me to trust Him for all I have not seen.”

Faith does not ignore facts; it introduces facts, the facts of revelation. Faith is not irrational; it is suprarational. There are basically two viewpoints: divine perspective and human viewpoint. Humans tend to depend on five basic senses to reach their view point. They are sight, hearing, smell, taste, and feeling. These are the means by which we come into contact with the human realm and draw our conclusions. Alone they are insufficient. There is a “sixth sense” called faith, or the eternal point of view. It elevates the human viewpoint to more nearly understand the divine viewpoint. Without it, life never takes on its full meaning.

Faith is confidence in God. Is there any area of your life in which Jesus is not trusted with absolute control? It is possible though always improper for Him to be present in your life without being president. Is He dormant in your life when He must be dominant? Do you want Him merely to be your Savior Lord while He wants to be Sovereign Lord.

Jesus was not only trying to prepare His disciples for the forthcoming physical challenges, but for life beyond, eternal life. That is what He is doing in our lives.

Dr. Kubler-Ross, Swiss born psychiatrist, who has dealt with many persons dying, and their afterlife sharing before their exodus says, “..beyond the shadow of any doubt, there is life after what we call death.” We act like we are in the land of living on our way to the land of the dying. Actually, we are in the land of the dying on our way to the land of the living.

It is by faith in Jesus we become prepared for abundant life here, and eternal life hereafter. For by grace are you saved through faith.

Simon the Zealot

Luke 6:15

“Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot” (Luke 6:15).

Jesus Christ called a cosmopolitan group to follow Him as apostles. Among them was a highly unlikely member of a fanatical fringe group of rebels known as Zealots.

Little is known about Simon the Zealot specifically. His political affiliation tells us a lot about him. The Zealots were zealous to overthrow the Roman army occupying their country. Members of the Zealot group were mostly a coalition of lower priests, Jerusalem insurgents, and refugee bandit groups from the countryside dedicated to the overthrowing of the Roman rule. These individuals would resort to any means whatsoever to assert themselves and try to drive the Romans from their land.

They set up their headquarters in the temple and established an alternative egalitarian government.

He was one of two Simons who were apostles. Simon Peter, the unofficial spokesman of the group, had a high profile. Simon the Zealot is highly obscure.

The miracle of what following Jesus does is seen by the diversity in the group. Matthew the tax collector, a publican, worked for the Romans. Tax collectors did all they could to appease and placate the Romans. Their lucrative profession was dependent upon satisfying the Romans. They would do anything to avoid disrupting the status quo.

Simon the Zealot was a member of the revolutionary group that took over Jerusalem and led to the revolt resulting in the Romans destroying Jerusalem. Zealots were fanatical idealists who led the guerilla warfare against the Romans.

There were these two extremes in the group. One dedicated to appeasing the Romans and the other zealous to overthrow them.

In Christ they mutually found a higher purpose in life. In Christ these two opposites became compatible. “Love one another,” was a mandate Christ doubtlessly shared frequently.

If Simon had met Matthew under different circumstances he would likely have killed him.

What attracted Simon to Christ? The Zealots having their headquarters would have observed Christ when He first cleansed the Temple. Perhaps Simon was there, or surely he heard about it. To have seen the dynamic Christ driving out the money changers and overthrowing their tables would have inspired Simon. Seeing such dynamic action he might well have said to himself, “Jesus, you de man!” He would have liked the fire in Christ’s nature as He dispossessed the money changers and shouted down His critics.

He may have heard Christ’s fiery gripping prophetic preaching and liked His fervor.

He may have seen in Jesus one who would lead him into an adventure far greater than the Zealots could hope to offer.

Initially, he may well have thought Christ to be the Messiah who would lead a militant political revolution.

There was some confusion regarding Christ’s role even after His resurrection. It may have been Simon who asked Him: “Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1: 6).

An even more challenging question is why did Jesus choose Simon. It was a risky choice. Detractors would have queried of Jesus, “Isn’t this the prophet who has a hot-blooded rebel as a member of His party?”

Jesus chose Simon because he liked the fire in his personality and he wanted him among the twelve. He wanted the dynamism and energy he infused into a group. When Jesus called Simon, like when He called each of us, He never calls us to mute our personality, but He wants us to take all of our attributes and assets and use them, not destroy them. So, Christ wanted this fire in Simon’s personality. However, He didn’t want it vented against the Romans, He wanted it vented toward evil in general.

Christ wanted diversity among His followers. Each added to the mix needed to motivate each other. They had different gifts.

Christ had in His ranks a publican, Matthew, a friend of Rome, and Simon, a zealot, who detested Rome. Yet, they grew to love one another.

It must have been shocking at first for Simon to hear Christ speak of “loving” your enemies. He must have been amazed to hear Christ speak of rendering “unto Caesar that which was Caesar’s…”

It was a personal challenge to hear Christ say, “They that take up the sword shall perish by the sword” (Matt. 26: 52).

That is what conversion is all about. The Zealot’s heart needed to be changed without dampening the fire burning in it.

Simon never ceased being called the Zealot. This Jewish patriot who chafed under the foreign yoke and longed for emancipation found a new freedom in Christ when he voluntarily took upon himself the yoke of Christ. He never lost his zeal. He merely redirected it.

Christ said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).

The word translated “easy” means “well fitted.” Christ is saying the task He has for individuals is well suited for them and enables a person to be productive.

Christ chose Simon because He wanted an enthusiastic, devoted, catalyst in the group. He chose him because he had the capacity for a deep seated devotion to a cause.

Obviously Simon never lost his zeal, his enthusiasm. It was merely redirected by Christ. Christ needs enthusiastic followers. Former Justice of the Supreme Court, Oliver Wendell Holmes, noted, “It is faith in something, enthusiasm for something, that makes life worth living.”

From John Robert Seeley’s “Ecce Homo” comes this line: “no virtue is safe that is not enthusiastic.”

About what are you enthusiastic? No virtue is safe unless it is an enthusiastic virtue. Make certain that your virtues are.

From Ephesians 5, “Jesus Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it.” That is a summary of Christ’s life.

We learn from tradition that Simon was later crucified. His zeal for the cross of Christ resulted in a devotion unto death for Christ.

He had heard Christ say, “He that takes not up his own cross and follows Me is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10: 38). He was worthy.

Simon the Zealot was among the nameless legion that has faithfully been described thusly: “who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens” (Hebrews 11:33-34).

Great zeal is depicted in that statement.

Tradition records the zeal of the followers of Christ that was kept alive as long as they lived.

Judas, the defector, committed suicide.

Matthew, author of the first gospel, was slain by the sword in Ethiopia.

Peter was crucified upside down.

James, the oldest son of Zebedee, was beheaded in Jerusalem.

James the Lesser was thrown from the pinnacle of the Temple and then beaten to death.

Andrew as crucified in the Greek city of Patrae, and Simon the Zealot in Persia.

Nathanael was flayed alive in Armenia.

Judas, not Iscariot, died of an arrow wound.

Philip was hanged in Asia Minor.

Thomas was run through by a lance while praying in India.

Simon the Zealot in Persia was crucified for our Lord.

Only one died a natural death and that was John. All the rest were martyred for the cause of Christ.

Now suppose Jesus had not called Simon and he had not become a follower of Christ, into what stream would he have flown into naturally as a zealot? Here is the end result of the Zealots.

In 68 AD the Roman general Vespesian laid a bloody siege to Jerusalem. Jesus had told His followers, “when you see the city surrounded flee to the mountains.” But, with the city surrounded how could you possibly flee to the mountains.

Vespesian had built an earthen rampart all around Jerusalem and he put guards all along the top of the perimeter so that if any individual tried to slip out they could be found. Every morning as the Jews looked from the walls of Jerusalem they could see new crosses on those ramparts where their friends who had tried to escape under the cover of night had been caught and crucified. Then, mysteriously Vespesian’s army withdrew. They had just received the news that Nero had been assassinated in Rome. The law of that day stated that when an emperor’s reign ended all his military commanders were immediately discharged that a new emperor might appoint his own generals. So Vespesian withdrew to Rome and many of the Christians in Jerusalem remembered the words of Christ, “when you see Jerusalem encompassed about flee to the mountains,” and they left and their lives were spared. That nucleus of Christians now outside that realm of destruction were later to become the disciples and evangels to the world itself.

This was a moment for Jerusalem. A grand opportunity for them to lay in food and prepare for the inevitable siege that would come from the Romans. The two years that followed were a time of in fighting. The Zealots came into Jerusalem from the north from Judea. They called their allies from the south and they began to fight with the priestly generals who ruled in the temple, and instead of making this a time of fortifying the city they engaged in infighting. The Zealots and their allies otherthew the priestly generals and then they themselves were over run. Soon the Romans returned. Titus, the son of Vespesian, commanding the Roman legion in 70 AD, laid siege to Jerusalem. Josephus the historian tells of how the people ran threw the streets screaming for their lives as they heard the thud of the battering ram against the walls of Jerusalem. They knew the inevitable had come. Their warring against themselves had depleted their resources so much that Josephus writes and tells us of young mothers actually eating their own infants because starvation was so prevalent, and Jerusalem was destroyed. The Zealots who had lived by the sword now died by the sword.

What was the option for Simon the Zealot? Follow Christ and end up crucified or become one of the ones slaughtered in Jerusalem. Jesus did not want Simon to fight the Romans, He wanted Simon to fight for the cause of righteousness and salvation.

READ: II Timothy 4:7.

None of the faithful lacked zeal. Christ was the object of and fire for that zeal. It may have been Simon the Zealot whose response signaled to the others a proper response. You can do the same today for others.

There Is a Mop Needed in Aisle One

Have you ever thought of what it takes for most miracles to occur? A mess! No mess, no miracle. However, most often when things around us are in a mess it is not a miracle of which we instantly think. A sense of frustration often consumes us. Faith in the Lord stabilizes us.

When things are a mess there is no need to wave a white flag and declare, “OK, Satan, you win, we give up.”

There is no give up in the make up of one who realizes God’s potential when there is a mess. Determination is the first chapter of the book on success.

The world throws everything imaginable at us. If reality isn’t enough to depress us conspiracy theorists pile on. Remember Skylab’s falling and the theories regarding what it would cause.Y2K kept people up all night with their shotguns on their laps to protect their bottled water. The Mayan calendar  supposedly foretelling the end of time fostered fear. The blood moon theory incited panic among many. Trump theories caused a big ongoing mess.

When one theory fades the theorists pause and then hit the reset button to start another, never pausing to acknowledge their error.

There will always be messes that give us opportunities to show the faith we have in our God, not the fright fostered by fallacious fabrications. Life is too short and hell too hot to waste time on theories when we should be showing our trust. Live so that your talk of faith won’t prove to be a mere cliche. Talk the talk and walk the walk.

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.”

(I Corinthians 10:13) The God who knows your load limit limits your load.

Don’t tremble at tomorrow’s potential problems. If you are walking with the Lord you won’t face them with today’s faith. Our Lord will stimulate the cause for faith on time. Resilience allows us to respond by God’s grace.

John D. Rockefeller said, “I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of persistence. It overcomes almost everything.” God opens the door to opportunity, but we must be persistent in going through it. Messes are going to happen. Faith can clean them up. Yes, sometimes the way God does it is miraculous.

Do you know yourself? Aristotle said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of knowledge.” You will never know yourself until you prove yourself by how you respond to messes.                     

When was the last time you focused on the fundamentals of your faith? How successful do you want to be in the exercise of your faith? The answer to that will be revealed by you responses to messes.

You can help others in their faith venture. It has been said a single word of encouragement in tough times is worth a dictionary of words during good times.

There is no mess so big you and God together can’t handle it.

Resolve, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God I have put my trust.” (Psalm 56: 3, 4)

Predestination (Election)

John Calvin (1509-1564) is best known for his “Institutes of the Christian Religion” in which he advocated a church state, imprisonment of heretics, infant baptism, and that the lost were created to go to hell. Not all Calvinists believe all these tenets. Many don’t even know he advocated them. He postulated what has become known as “Calvinism,” the doctrine of predestination. The central thesis of his teaching is that God has elected certain individuals who will be saved and go to heaven and predetermined certain ones not selected by Him shall go to hell. Limited space does not allow for fuller explanation of the pro-election concept.  

Conversely, Scripture reminds us of our “election of God.” (I Thes. 1: 4 – 8)

Election is elsewhere translated “chosen.” (Ephesians 1: 4 – 5) These two English words are synonyms of the same Greek word “exelexato,” meaning picked out for Himself.

We, with our free will, may freely respond positively to God’s love offering to us, or reject His love. However, if God had not chosen the “whosoever” referenced in John 3: 16 we could never have chosen Him. God did not choose us because we are good, but because He is good. He did not choose us because we are good, but so that through us He could do good.

People are not lost because they are not chosen by God, but because they have willfully chosen to reject Jesus. They have chosen not to choose His will.

God has taken the initiative in His sovereign will to make salvation available to “whosoever will” in faith responds positively to Jesus. Apart from His initiative no one could be saved. This does not mean fatalism. It does not mean God has chosen to save as few as possible, but as many as possible. It does not indicate God chose to save some and reject others. It must be understood in light of “whosoever will.” (Romans 10: 13)

A review of the meaning of the associated word, predestined which translates the Greek word “proorisas,” helps explain election. It was used as a surveyor’s term which meant “to horizon off beforehand,” or to “mark off a boundary in advance.” Thus, God the Father marked off the boundary before the dawning of creation. He predetermined that those who of their own free will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ would be in the boundary and share His destiny. The Father determined this boundary would be the Son. All in the boundary, that is in Jesus, are the elect.

The Father in His sovereign will decreed “in Jesus” to be that standard. Individuals in their free will decide whether or not to be “in Jesus.”

Confidence in Commitment

A clear concept of what is involved in being saved gives peace of mind resulting in great joy. Consider these human facilities and be sure they are balanced in your life..

God can tell who has said “no” and who has said “yes” at the point of God-consciousness.  We can’t. Don’t assume all have said, “Yes, I want to know more.” Therefore, we must evangelistically reach out to them. That means we are to export the gospel.  Have you said “Yes” to Jesus?

For any person to be saved, they must “accept Jesus Christ.”  What does this involve? It involves an attachment to Jesus which is intellectual, emotional and willful.

It is as though three little people are sitting on a bench under the dome of your cranium. One is named Mr. Intellect, one Mr. Emotions, and the third Mr. Will.  Each is to give a testimony.

Mr. Intellect stands to say, “I believe the Bible to be the sole authority for faith and practice. I believe Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God, was born of a virgin to be the Savior who died for the sins of the world.” This intellectual ascent is wonderful, but at this point the person isn’t saved.

Some have come to Jesus with the most elemental knowledge of insight. A native American who had just failed a seminary exam said to his wife, “I don’t know nothing but Jesus,” and he didn’t, but he later learned much more.

Mr. Emotion speaks with great depth of feelings. Emotion is evident in his every word as he shares how deeply he feels about Jesus Christ. Poignantly with passion he tells of his sensitive regard for Jesus.  He speaks in terms of chill bumps, thrills, a tingling spine, and tears of joy.

Others testify of coming to Jesus with little or no emotional involvement. They are devoid of the facts with which Mr. Intellect spoke. Facts, not feelings, have led to the salvation of many.

Now Mr. Emotion and Mr. Intellect have joined in testifying of their regard for Jesus, but the person still isn’t saved.  The devil believes and trembles. Satan has intellectual knowledge with which he agrees about Jesus as the Son of God and is emotional about it, but he certainly isn’t saved.

Next, Mr. Will stands to testify saying, “I ‘Will’ will  that my will be your will Jesus. Not my will, but your will be done. Knowing the will of the Father to be to trust Jesus Christ as Savior I join with Mr. Intellect and Mr. Emotion in declaring my will is for Jesus to forgive and give me new life.”

When the three join as one then the person is saved. The degree with which Mr. Intellect and Mr. Emotion are involved may vary from person to person. They alone do not save. It is when they are under the control of Mr. Will a person is saved.