PUTTING ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD
by
Keith Hunt
During the Feast of Unleavened Bread it is important we look
at the fight we are in and the armor we need to be victorious.
The apostle Paul knew that Christians were in a fight, a
fight that was especially against Satan and the demons, powers of
the heavenly realm, who are literally physically much more
powerful than us humans. Why they can perform many acts that
would come under the term "miracle." The false prophet of
Revelation, THE greatest false prophet of all time will be able
to perform signs and wonders, miracles we would call them. Satan
and his helpers can come looking like they are "angels of light"
(2 Corinthians 11:13-15).
Then there is the fight we have with our own carnal nature
that wants to keep pulling us down, pulling us away from God and
Christ, pulling us into sin. The apostle Paul talked about that
fight, even getting very personal, opening up himself, telling us
he did at times feel very wretched. We find his description of
this battle in Romans 7.
Yes, Paul knew we were in a fight, a battle, a war so to
speak, and to win that war we needed the WHOLE armor of God. His
description of this armor is found in Ephesians 6.
"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil ... Wherefore take unto you the
whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil
day, and having done all, to stand" (Eph.6:11-13).
(1) WRAPPED ABOUT BY TRUTH
The first piece of armor Paul mentions is TRUTH. I have four
books in my library devoted to helping ministers with preparing
sermons. "Swindoll's Ultimate Book of Illustrations and Quotes"
(650 pages) - "Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes - the Ultimate
Contemporary Resource for Speakers" (833 pages). These two books
contain NOTHING about the subject of "truth."
The last two books of the four do contain remarks on "truth"
- I will give them to you.
Quotes:
He who begins by loving Christianity better than truth will
proceed by loving his own sect or church better than
Christianity, and end in loving himself better than all.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
(Devotion, Christianity)
The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.
Flannery O'Connor
(Courage, Relativity)
The very amount of information that computers make available
threatens us with cognitive overload: Overwhelmed with facts,
people tend to mistake data for truth, knowledge for wisdom. With
a mind-set fixed on information, our attention span shortens. We
collect fragments. We become mentally poorer in overall meaning.
Michiko Katkutani
(Significance, Information)
Hard are the ways of truth, and rough to walk.
John Milton (Courage, Honesty)
I never give 'em hell. I just tell the truth, and they think it's
hell.
Harry S. Truman
(Speech, Honesty)
Truth does not blush.
Tertullian
(Conviction, Honesty)
Western culture has made a fundamental change in its religious
base. We have exchanged that one who said, "I am the Truth" (John
14:6) for the incredibly expensive doctrine of Freud and the
words of all his various disciples. Our new religion says with
Pontius Pilate, "What is truth?" and teaches that our status is
one of "original victim" rather than "original sin."
Carol Tharp
(Religion, Blame)
A man can't be always defending the truth; there must be a time
to feed on it.
C. S. Lewis
(Spiritual Growth, Apologetics)
You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you mad.
Aldous Huxley
(Honesty, Anger)
Peace, if possible, but the truth at any rate.
Martin Luther (Peace, Honesty)
From "1001 Quotes, Illustrations and Humorous Stories - for
preachers, teachers, and writers" by Edward K. Rowell
Truth: From the book "750 Engaging Illustrations for preachers,
teachers, and writers" by Craig Brian Larson, we find this:
Sodium is an extremely active element found naturally only in
combined form; it always links itself to another element.
Chlorine, on the other hand, is the poisonous gas that gives
bleach its offensive odor. When sodium and chlorine are combined,
the result is sodium chloride--common table salt-the substance we
use to preserve meat and bring out its flavor.
Love and truth can be like sodium and chlorine. Love without
truth is flighty, sometimes blind, willing to combine with
various doctrines. On the other hand, truth by itself can be
offensive, sometimes even poisonous. Spoken without love, it can
turn people away from the gospel.
When truth and love are combined in an individual or a church,
however, then we have what Jesus called "the salt of the earth,"
and we're able to preserve and bring out the beauty of our faith.
Love, Saltiness
Truth:
The purple dinosaur named Barney is loved by millions of
children. According to Reuters, on July 15, 1997, Barney had an
accident. During filming of the Barney & Friends show, a cooling
fan inside the sixty-pound dinosaur suit short-circuited and
started to smoke. The actor playing Barney quickly got out of the
suit but suffered smoke inhalation. He was taken to the hospital
and soon released.
The story of the accident was carried on the news, and it upset
many children. Scores of parents called the television station to
say their children were afraid that Barney had been burned, or
worse, that he was a fake.
A spokeswoman for the producers of the program said, "It can be
really devastating to a three-year-old. They love Barney and they
think that something terrible has happened to him, or that he's
not real."
Fantasies like Barney can bring a person good feelings. But a
fantasy is a fantasy, and sooner or later the truth comes out.
There are all sorts of fantasies. Those hostile to the God of the
Bible must hold on to a great number of fantasies to justify
their thinking and behavior. Sooner or later those fantasies are
seen for what they really are.
Truth:
In Discipleship Journal author Mack Stiles tells the story of how
he led a young man from Sweden named Andreas to Christ. One part
of their conversation is especially instructive:
Andreas said, "I've been told if I decide to follow Jesus, He
will meet my needs and my life will get very good."
This seemed to Andreas to be a point in Christianity's favor. But
I faced a temptation - to make it sound better than it is. "No,
Andreas, no!" I said.
Andreas blinked his surprise.
"Actually, Andreas, you may accept Jesus and find that life goes
very badly for you."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Well, you may find that your friends reject you, you could lose
your job, your family might oppose your decision - there are a
lot of bad things that may happen to you if you decide to follow
Jesus. Andreas, when Jesus calls you, He calls you to go the way
of the cross."
Andreas stared at me and asked the obvious: "Then why would I
want to follow Jesus?"
Sadly, this is the question that stumps many Christians. For some
reason we feel that unless we're meeting people's needs they
won't follow Christ. Yet this is not the gospel.
I cocked my head and answered, "Andreas, because Jesus is true."
Those on the side of truth come to Jesus.
Truth:
When the new technology of high-definition television came on the
scene, it had an immediate effect on how things were done in the
studio. Low-tech television had such poor picture resolution that
the visual details of a studio did not show up on the screen.
Actors and newscasters wore thick pancake makeup to hide
wrinkles, moles, and blemishes, but the makeup was invisible to
the relatively crude camera. Fake books rested on shelves, and
cardboard backdrops with painted wood grain stood as walls.
Still, with low-tech television, the viewer was none the wiser.
Says Jim Fenhagen, a set designer who works for the major
networks, "With the old TV, you can get away with murder."
But high-definition television, using high-resolution digital
technology, changed all that. The studio camera picks up
everything from scratches on the desk to blemishes on the skin.
That has forced a change in how things are done.
Like television personalities facing an unforgiving
high-definition camera, when we come to God, we come to the one
who sees us as we really are. We must be completely truthful with
him.
..........
THE BIBLE AND TRUTH
The Bible has much to say regarding the topic of "truth."
The saints are to worship God in truth - John 4:24, with
Ps.145:18.
We are to serve God in truth - Josh.24:14; 1 Sam.12:24.
We are to walk before God in truth - 1 Kin.2:4; 2 Kin.20:3.
We are to observe the Feasts of the Lord in truth - 1 Cor.5:8.
We are to esteem truth as inestimable - Prov.23:23.
We are to love truth - Zech.8:19.
We are to rejoice in truth - 1 Cor.13:6.
We are to speak to one another in truth - Zech.8:16; Eph.4:25.
We are to execute judgment with truth - Zech.8:16.
We are to meditate upon truth - Phil.4:8.
We are to bind about our neck what is truth - Prov.3:3.
We are to write truth upon the tables of our heart - Prov.3:3.
The fruit of the Spirit is in truth - Eph.5:9
Ministers of the Lord are to speak truth - 2 Cor.12:6; Gal.4:16.
Those who teach are to teach in truth - 1 Tim.2:7.
The servants of the Lord are to approve themselves by truth - 2
Cor.6:7,8.
Speaking truth is showing forth righteousness - Prov.12:17.
People with truth are the delight of God - Prov.12:22.
Truth came by Christ - John 1:17. It is in Christ - 1 Tim.2:7.
John bear witness of - John 5:33.
Truth will set us apart - John 17:17,19.
Truth is purifying - 1 Pet.1:22.
Truth is revealed abundantly to the saints - Jer.33:6.
Truth abides continually with the saints - 2 John 2.
Truth should be acknowledged - 2 Tim.2:25
Truth should be believed - 2 Thes.2:10
Truth should be manifested - 2 Cor.4:2.
Truth must be rightly put together from the Scriptures -
2 Tim.2:15.
Truth is a shield and buckler to the saints - Ps.91:4.
We should confide in truth - Ps.31:5; Tit.1:2.
We should pray that it will be manifested to us - 2 Chr.6:17.
We should pray truth will be exhibited to others - 2 Sam.2:6.
Pray that truth be made known to others - Isa.38:19.
Truth should be magnified and praised - Ps.71:22; 138:2.
TRUTH IS GOD
Truth is one of the attributes of God - Deut.32:4; Isa.65:16.
He keeps it forever - Ps.146:6. It is inviolable - Num.23:19;
Tit.1:2. It endures to all generations - Ps.100:5. Truth is
exhibited in God's ways - Rev.15:3; in His works - Ps.33:4;
111:17; Dan.4:37. Truth is God's judicial statutes - Ps.19:9. His
word is truth - Ps.119:160; John 17:17. It is the fulfilment of
promises in Christ - 2 Cor.1:20. It is the fulfilment of His
covenant - Mic.7:20. God deals with truth to those who keep his
covenant - Ps.25:10.
THE TRUTH IS NO PART OF THE WICKED
The wicked are destitute of truth - Hos.4:1. They speak not truth
-Jer.9:5. They uphold not truth - Isa.59:14,15. They do not plead
for truth - Isa.59:4. They are not valiant for truth - Jer.9:3.
They will be punished for want of truth - Jer.9:5,9; Hos.4:1,3; 2
Thes.2:7-12.
Truth is denied by the Devil - Gen.3:4,5.
Truth is denied by the self-righteous - 1 John 1:10.
Truth is denied by the unbelievers - 1 John 5:10
..........
UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES ON "TRUTH"
Psa. 40:10. I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth
from the great congregation.
Psa. 51:6. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts
Psa. 57:3 God shall send forth his mercy And his truth. 10. For
thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the
clouds.
Psa. 85:10. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and
peace have kissed each other. 11. Truth shall spring out of the
earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
Psa. 86:15. But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and
gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
Psa. 89:14. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy
throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
Psa. 96:13. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the
people with his truth.
Ps 98:3. He hath remembered his mercy an his truth toward the
house of Israel.
Psa. 100:5. For the Lord is good; his mercy as everlasting; and
his truth endureth to all generations.
Psa. 108:4. For thy mercy is great above the heavens and thy
truth reacheth unto the clouds.
Prov. 12:19. The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but
a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Prov. 16:13. Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they
love him that speaketh right.
Isa. 25:1. O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will
praise thy name; for thou halt done wonderful things; thy
counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
Isa. 59:14. Truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot
enter. 15. Yea, truth faileth.
Isa. 65:16. That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless
himself in the God of truth, and he that sweareth in the earth
shall swear by the God of truth.
Jer. 5:3. O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth?
Dan. 4:37. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the
King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment.
Dan. 10:21. But I will shew thee that which is noted in the
scripture of truth.
Mic. 7:20. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to
Abraham, which thou halt sworn unto our fathers from the days of
old.
John 1:14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and
we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 8:31. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him,
If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32.
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 14:6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the
life: 17. The Spirit of truth.
John 16:13. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will
guide you into all truth.
John 17:17. Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth.
19. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might
be sanctified through the truth.
John 18:37. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then?
Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I
born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should
bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth
heareth my voice. 38. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?
Rom. 2:2. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according
to truth against them which commit such things.
..........
YOU MAY LIKE TO DO A BIBLE STUDY ON ALL THE ABOVE PASSAGES -
READING THEM OUT LOUD - LET THEM SINK DEEP INTO YOUR HEART -
MEDITATE ON THEM!
..........
We know that Jesus said God's WORD was truth. We know Jesus
promised that when the Spirit came it would GUIDE His disciples
into ALL truth.
Truth is not given in a few minutes or a few hours. When
Paul was called and chosen to do the work of the Lord, he went
away into arabia for about 3 years before returning to start
preaching and teaching the Gospel (Gal.1). I'm sure he spent a
lot of time in prayer and he was a student of the Lord.
Truth is usually given to us over a period of time. As we
study and are willing to be led by the Spirit, then more truth
will be added, given to us. And God weighs the heart and mind and
our efforts. Sometimes, maybe most of the time, truth is given
after we have SEARCHED the Scriptures as those at Berea were
willing to do when Paul and Silas preached among them (Acts 17).
They are called "noble" - they were willing to spend much time in
searching the Scriptures. It is sad to say, but today most who go
under the name of "Christian" are spiritually LAZY Christians.
They will read books and watch DVDs by the dozens of people
saying they are the ministers of Christ. They will stand is
some "awe" of preachers with DR in front of their name or PhD
after their name, and read their books and watch their DVDS by
the hours, BUT they will not read their Bibles. They will not
SEARCH the Scriptures. They will not read the Bible from cover to
cover. They do not have a burning desire to ask God for the
truth, neither will they take the time to search for it.
Paul was inspired to give a VERY BLUNT AND POWERFUL WARNING
to those, especially in the end times when THE man of sin, THE
false prophet of Revelation appears on the world scene, coming in
the name of Christ, looking like a great shinning light of
righteousness, but who will actually be AGAINST Christ - teaching
and preaching false doctrines, that will lead tens of, nay,
hundreds of millions, into DECEPTION and SIN! Paul gives a
WARNING to those who will NOT love the truth, that they might be
saved. And so God will send STRONG DELUSION on the earth, that
they should believe a LIE. And so will be judged for not yearning
for the truth, but have pleasure in UN-righteousness (2 Thes.2:7-
12).
Righteousness is DEFINED by God, the Bible INTERPRETS
itself! Righteousness is ALL OF GOD'S COMMANDMENTS - Psalm
119:172!!
We shall in future studies come to the armor of
righteousness - the breastplate of righteousness that goes around
and over the heart.
For now our attention must be "truth" - and God's WORD is
truth. Make sure you are reading it, studying it, searching the
Scriptures. Only by doing so will you be able to KNOW the truth
and find who are the true servants of the Almighty God - who is
by His very nature - TRUTH!
.......................
Written during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, April 2009
WHEN I CAME TO CANADA AT AGE 18, IN 1961, I IMMEDIATELY RAN INTO RADIO PREACHERS, AND SO-CALLED "FUNDAMENTAL PROTESTANTS"--- I WAS SOON HEARING ALL KINDS OF THEOLOGY I HAD NEVER HEARD BEFORE, GROWING UP IN A "CHURCH OF ENGLAND" [ANGLICAN] SCHOOL. FOR TWO YEARS I WAS DOING BIBLE READING EVERY SPARE MINUTE OF MY LIFE. SOMETIMES ALL DAY LONG. I SEARCHED AND SEARCHED THE BIBLE; USING BACK THEN TO BIBLE HELP BOOKS--- STRONG'S CONCORDANCE, AND NAVE'S TOPICAL BIBLE. I FOUND IN THE LOCAL LIBRARY A BOOK CALLED "CHRISTIAN FEASTS AND CUSTOMS" BY A ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP [NOW ON MY WEBSITE] ---- JUST BLEW MY MIND! I BEGAN TO SEE CHRISTIANITY I GREW UP WITH WAS FULL OF MANY FALSE TEACHINGS AND TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS. IT WAS NOT EASY FOR ME TO ACCEPT WHAT I WAS NOW FINDING, WAS THE TRUTH. IT WAS A CHALLENGE AND A MIGHTY HUGE ONE. WOULD I NOW CHANGE MY WAY OF THINKING AND THE THE CUSTOMS I WAS OBSERVING. THOSE WHO HAVE HAD TO FACE SUCH A CROSS-ROAD IN RELIGIOUS LIFE KNOW, IT IS A MASSIVE CHANGE--- BUT I SEARCHED FOR TRUTH, AND IT WAS GIVEN TO ME; NOT ALL AT ONCE. FOR THE ETERNAL GIVES MORE TRUTH AS HE SEES HOW YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS TRUTH DEVELOPES. SOME TRUTHS I RECEIVED AS A KID, AND AS A TEENAGER. AND MANY POINTS OF TRUTH ALL OF MY ADULT LIFE. IN THE LAST 40 YEARS GOD HAS GIVEN ME MORE TRUTH THAN IN MY FIRST 40 YEARS. IF YOU LOVE TRUTH; IT YOU DESIRE IT WITH ALL YOUR BEING, JESUS PROMISED THE HOLY SPIRIT WOULD LEAD US INTO TRUTH.
To be continued
The Armor of God to Battle Satan #2The great Breastplate of Righteousness!
In fighting the battle over Satan and the demons, the apostle
Paul told us in Ephesians 6 to put on the whole armor of God. The
second piece of armor he mentions is the "breastplate of
righteousness." It is that which covers the heart, to protect the
heart, to keep the heart safe. The "heart" is used in Scripture
for the DEEP TRUE EMOTIONS that lead to LOVING God in spirit and in
truth. We talk about the "heart strings" as like an instrument of
strings played in a way that brings harmony and true love towards
a person. Love songs are heart songs moving outwards in the right
wave length towards whom we have a heart felt love for; could be
boy-friend, girl-friend, wife, husband, mother, father, brother,
sister, or a friend.
It is the heart strings being plucked in the manner that
produces real quality and real "daily action" of works towards
the one that the heart has a deep love for.
Paul calls this piece of armor that we need to fight Satan
and evil, the "breastplate of righteousness."
Most of us instinctively know that righteousness means
"doing that which is right." But what is "right?" For some this
may be right in their eyes, while to another person the same
thing is "wrong." Humans on their own can make their own list of
what is right and what is wrong. And of course many do, living to
their own standard, and the attitude of "Well I see it this way"
philosophy.
But what does God say is His righteousness? Can we find
"righteousness" for how a person should conduct their lives, in
the Word of God. Yes we can! The Word of the Eternal is not
interpreted by the ideas of men or women. The Word of the Lord,
the holy Bible, INTERPRETS ITSELF!
So here is just ONE clear teaching from God as to what is
righteousness. Mark it in your bible, maybe put it in a yellow
high-lighter.
PSALM 119:172 says: "...For ALL THEY COMMANDMENTS ARE
RIGHTEOUSNESS!"
Now isn't that simple? No fancy theological degree needed
here. It is explained is simple words that a child can
understand.
ALL of the commandments of the Lord are righteousness! Look
at Psalm 111.
"His work is honorable and glorious: and His RIGHTEOUSNESS
ENDURETH FOREVER ... The works of His hands are verity and
judgment; ALL His COMMANDMENTS are SURE. They stand FAST FOR EVER
AND EVER, and are done in TRUTH and uprightness" (verses 3-8).
More on all this later but for now some human examples of
"righteousness."
Quote:
(1) In the Antarctic summer of 1908-9, Sir Ernest Shackleton and
three companions attempted to travel to the South Pole from their
winter quarters. They set off with four ponies to help carry the
load. Weeks later, their ponies dead, rations all but exhausted,
they turned back toward their base, their goal not accomplished.
Altogether, they trekked 127 days.
On the return journey, as Shackleton records in The Heart of the
Antarctic, the time was spent talking about food-elaborate
feasts, gourmet delights, sumptuous menus. As they staggered
along, suf-
fering from dysentery, not knowing whether they would survive,
every waking hour was occupied with thoughts of eating. Jesus,
who also knew the ravages of food deprivation, said, "Blessed are
those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." We can understand
Shackleton's obsession with food, which offers a glimpse of the
passion Jesus intends for our quest for righteousness.
(2) Good posture contributes to good health. That is what several
studies and physicians suggest, says writer Brenda Kearns. "Poor
posture can cause headaches," says back specialist Laura Fleck,
M.D. "The problem is your head," says Kearns. "It weighs 20
pounds, and when it's hanging forward, it strains the muscle's
that hold the neck vertebrae together."
Dr.Fleck also says that "many patients with low back pain have it
because of poor posture." A spine out of proper alignment
adversely affects the spinal disks and overworks back muscles.
Posture may have something to do with carpal tunnel syndrome. One
study found that "women who practice good posture for most of
their work day are four times less likely to get CTS.
Chiropractors have long claimed that poor posture affects a
person's blood pressure and heart rate by adversely affecting the
nerves that run from the spine to the rest of the body.
One of the visual words the Bible uses to describe a person of
character is uprightness. Just as good physical posture
contributes to health, so good spiritual posture - a righteous
lifestyle - brings health to our spirit, soul, and body.
From "750 Engaging Illustrations" by Craig Brian Larson.
God gives us clear instruction on how to live UPRIGHT! It is
all contained in His word, the laws and commandments of God are
uprightness and righteousness!
On the subject of self-righteousness, here is a classic:
Quote:
YEARS AGO Joe Bayly, the late Eternity magazine columnist,
visited some German Christians who had been devoted soldiers in
the German army during World War 11. Two of them had been put up
for promotion to become second lieutenants in the Nazi army. The
commandant told them he would approve the promotion on one
condition: that they join the Officers' Club. Being a member of
the club would require them to attend some weekend dances. These
young men believed that dancing was wrong because it could lead
to immorality. Because of their convictions, they turned down the
promotion.
Later in their military careers these same men were assigned to
the death camps where thousands of Jews were stuffed into ovens
and killed. Even though they did not directly participate in the
slaughter, they knew what was going on. Yet they never voiced any
protest.
When Joe Bayly talked to them many years after the war, they
looked back on their experiences with no regret, convinced that
they had made right decisions. For them, not conforming to social
pressure and refusing to dance was an act of righteousness. And
conforming to patriotic mass murder and remaining silent while
thousands of Jews burned in ovens left them with no feelings of
unrighteousness.
When we set our own standard of external righteousness, we are
capable of any evil. When we are filled with His righteousness,
no good is too great. - Haddon Robinson, "What Jesus Said about
Successful Living"
From the book "Swindoll's Ultimate Book of Illustrations and
Quotes."
..........
The study of God's righteousness and commandments would be a
study over many many hours, and really it is a life time study.
But it is worth taking the time to use, say Strong's Concordance
of the Bible and look up the passages where the word "righteous"
or "righteousness" and "commandments" are used. Nave's Topical
Bible has page after page after page, on the subject of
"righteous/righteousness."
FOLLOWING IS JUST A SAMPLE
Ps.24:3-5. "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who
shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a
pure heart; who has not lifted up his life to vanity, nor sworn
deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and
righteousness from the God of our salvation."
Ps.106:3. "Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth
righteousness at all times."
Prov.2:7. "He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: He is a
buckler to them that walk uprightly."
Prov.10:2. "Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but
righteousness delivereth from death."
Prov.11:19. "As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursues
evil pursues to his own death."
Prov.12:28. "In the way of righteousness is life; and in the
pathway thereof there is no death."
Prov.13:6. "Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the
way.: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner."
Dan.12:3. "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of
the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the
stars for ever and ever."
Mat.5:20. "For I say unto you, that except your righteousness
shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you
shall in no case enter the Kingdom of heaven."
Mat.19:17. "....but if you will enter into life, keep the
commandments."
John 14:21. "He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it
is that loves Me: and he that loves Me shall be loved of the
Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him."
Rom.8:4. "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in
us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
Rom.14:17. "For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but
righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Eph.5:9. "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and
righteousness and truth."
Phil.1:11. "Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which
are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God."
Phil.2:13. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and
to do of His good pleasure."
2 Tim.2:22. "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness,
faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a
pure heart."
James 3:18. "And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of
them that make peace."
1 Peter 3:14. "But if you suffer for righteousness' safe, happy
are you."
1 John 2:3-6. "And hereby we do know that we known Him, if we
keep His commandments. He that sayeth he knows Him and keep not
His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But
whosoever keeps His word, in him truly is the love of God
perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him. He that says he
abides in Him so ought himself to walk."
1 John 3:7. "He that does righteousness is righteous, even as He
is righteous."
1 John 5:3. "For this is the love of God: that we keep His
commandments; and His commandments are not grievous."
..........
For those who are reading their Bible from cover to cover,
they cannot but see that the COMMANDMENTS of God are RIGHTEOUSNESS.
And that the TEN COMMANDMENTS have NEVER been "done away with"
as false prophets like to claim. Yes, NOT ONE of the Ten
Commandments have EVER been abolished or changed. The FOURTH
commandment is still part of the ten. It is there, every word of
it, as found in Exodus 20.
The Sabbath Day command is STILL a command of the Lord! And
that command is still the SEVENTH day of the week, not the first,
or the fifth, or any day you like to choose. The holy Sabbath day
is still the 7th day of the week.
My past co-worker in the Lord's work - Jesse - has written
about the value of the Ten Commandments. Her Website can be found
on my Website.
My co-worker - Tara - is presently writing about the Ten
Commandments. It will be very in-depth, and right up in line with
today's world. It may not be finished and published on her
Website for another year, but when finished I will certainly let
you know.
The question is: Does YOUR heart love, play the tune of, the
melody of the song that sings the praises of the righteousness
and commandments of God? Then, just as important, does your LIFE
follow the footsteps of our Lord and Savior. You have the four
Gospels to read about and see the life of Christ Jesus.
Does your heart ever see that the righteousness of man-made
religions, even with the banner of "Christian" over them, is
today FAR from the Christianity of Jesus and the apostles?
Does your heart earnestly seek for the faith once delivered
to the saints. Does it cry out for the righteousness of God, not
some "Jewish" roots righteousness, that is the righteousness of
the scribes and Pharisees. Not some Roman Catholic rites
righteousness that has twisted and perverted the true Gospel of
Christ. Not some various forms of Pro-testant churches, which
carry many of their mother church doctrines and practices.
Do you hunger and thirst after the righteousness which is
from God, pure and clean, right from His Word the Bible.
Do not think that I teach a salvation by works. Nothing
could be further from the truth. You need to fully and truly come
to understand what being saved by grace means. You need to make
sure you study my study called "Saved by Grace" on this Website.
But with that said, your Bible teaches in no uncertain way,
that you are to love and follow, with the help of the Holy
Spirit, the commandments and righteousness of God. If your heart
is covered by the breastplate of righteousness, the fiery darts
of the wicked one will never cut through to stop your heart-
strings beating the love melody towards your God and His son
Christ Jesus.
.......................
To be continued
The Armor of God to Battle Satan #3Feet and Life shod with Peace
"And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace"
(Eph.6:15).
There is a two fold aspect of the peace of God. One is for
the here and now, the inner peace of the Christian heart, being
at-one with the Father and Christ. The peace that comes from
knowing you are a child of the Father, that you are reconciled to
the Father through the blood and life of Christ, who came that we
might have saving peace from sin and death, and new life in Him.
Then there is the peace that is promised in the Gospel of
the coming Kingdom of God on earth, where peace will reign
supreme, where there will be no more war, where nations will not
even learn war any more, when even the nature of animals will be
changed, so the lion can dwell with the lamb and a little child
will play with them. It is the peace foretold by all the
prophets, for the whole world, when the Messiah will come in
glory to be King of kings and Lord of Lords. All of that peace is
expounded in full detail in the studies of the Old Testament
prophets, on this Website.
Both themes of peace are to be the Christian's walking
shoes. We wear those shoes each day, we long to proclaim that two
sided coin of peace to the whole world. It is a wonderful peace
to share with others. It should be a part of our joy, each day,
each week, each month, each year, to do what we can to teach and
preach this peace. We do it in the calling we are given, and for
most Christians that is in LIVING peace, PRAYING for peace, and
SUPPORTING the efforts of the proclamation of peace by the Church
of God and its ministry.
Here are some "nuggets" on the topic of peace:
The Age of Anxiety
A wife called the doctor one morning, saying, "Doctor, come
quick! It's my husband!"
"What's the matter?" he calmly replied.
"Well, he got up this morning and took his vitamin pill. Then he
took his appetite suppressant, his anti-depressant, and his
tranquilizer. He also took an antihistamine and some Benzedrine.
Then he lit a cigarette, and there was this explosion!"
......
A ship was wrecked in a furious storm and the only survivor was a
little boy who was swept by the waves onto a rock. He sat there
all night long until, the next morning, he was spotted and
rescued.
"Did you tremble while you were on the rock during the night?"
someone later asked him.
"Yes," said the boy. "I trembled all night-but the rock didn't."
.......
Thomas Watson
The Puritan Thomas Watson put it this way: God the Son was called
the Prince of Peace. He came into the world with a song of peace:
"On earth peace...... He went out of the world with a legacy of
peace, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you."
Christ's earnest prayer was for peace; He prayed that His people
might be one. Christ not only prayed for peace, but bled for
peace: "Having made peace through the blood of His cross." He
died not only to make peace between God and man, but between man
and man. Christ suffered on the cross, that He might cement
Christians together with His blood, as He prayed for peace, so He
PAID for peace.
......
(You may like to study my study on Ephesians 2:14 and Colossians
2:14, which expounds the context of these two often misunderstood
and twisted passages to the destruction of many. They will make
plain to you the peace which Christ brought to those called and
chosen to be the children of God. The study of those two section
of New Testament Scripture is on this Website - Keith Hunt)
......
Like a Cyclone
F.B.Meyer describes the Christ-life as: A rest which is full of
work, but like the cyclone, all the atoms of which revolve in
turbulent motion around the central cavity of rest, so do all the
activities of God revolve around His deepest heart which is
tranquil and serene. And so it is possible, if you and I learn
the lesson amid anxiety and sorrow and trial and pressure of
work, always to carry a heart so peaceful, so still, so serene as
to be like the depth of the Atlantic which is not disturbed by
the turbulent winds that sweep its surface.
......
An Old Poem
In the center of the whirlpool, while the waters rush around,
There's a space of perfect stillness, though with turmoil it is
bound; All is calm, and all is quiet, scarcely e'en a sense of
sound. So with us - despite the conflict - when in Christ His
peace is found.
......
In Acceptance Lieth Peace
He said, "I will forget the dying faces;
The empty places,
They shall be filled again.
O voices moaning deep within me, cease."
But vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in forgetting lieth peace.
He said, "I will crowd action upon action,
The strife of faction
Shall stir me and sustain;
O tears that drown the fire of manhood cease."
But vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in endeavor lieth peace.
He said, "I will withdraw me and be quiet,
Why meddle in life's riot?
Shut be my door to pain.
Desire, thou dost befool me, thou shalt cease."
But vain the word; vain, vain:"
Not in aloofness lieth peace.
He said, "I will submit; I am defeated.
God hath depleted
My life of its rich gain.
O futile murmurings, why will ye not cease?"
But vain the word; vain, vain:"
Not in submission lieth peace.
He said, "I will accept the breaking sorrow
Which God to-morrow
Will to His son explain."
Then did the turmoil deep within him cease.
Not vain the word, not vain;
For in Acceptance lieth peace.
Amy Carmichael, "Toward Jerusalem"
......
Spiritual Retreat
This was my calculated plan:
I would set aside my usual schedule -
The menial tasks that wedge in routinely.
In the peace and quiet of my living room
I would relax in Your glorious presence.
How joyfully I envisioned the hours -
My personal spiritual retreat!
With Bible and notebook beside me
I would study and meditate -
I would intercede for the needy world.
But how differently it happened, Lord:
Never has the phone rung so persistently.
Sudden emergencies kept pouring in
Like summer cloudbursts.
My husband came home ill.
There were appointments to cancel
Plans to rearrange.
The mailman brought two disturbing letters
A cousin whose name I couldn't remember
Stopped by on her way through town.
My morning elation became drooping deflation.
And yet, dear Lord,
You were with me in it all!
I sense Your vital presence
Your sure and steady guidance.
Not once did you leave me stranded.
Perhaps, in Your great wisdom
You longed to teach me a practical truth:
When You are my Spiritual Retreat
I need not be a spiritual recluse.
Ruth Harms Calkin, "Lord, You Love to Say Yes"
......
PEACE IS THE BRIEF GLORIOUS MOMENT in history when everybody
stands around reloading.
Lloyd Cory, "Quote Unquote"
......
Lord, keep me still,
Though stormy waves may blow
And waves my little bark may overflow,
Or even if in darkness I must go;
Lord, keep me still.
The waves are in Thy hand,
The roughest seas subside at Thy command.
Steer Thou my bark in safety to the land
And keep me still,
Keep me still.
Author unknown, quoted in Al Bryant, "Sourcebook of Poetry"
......
PEACE is that calm of mind that is not ruffled by adversity,
overclouded by a remorseful conscience, or disturbed by fear.
......
HORATIO SPAFFORD, a businessman in Chicago, sent his wife and
three daughters to Europe by ship while he remained back in the
States, intending to join them later. En route there was a
terrible storm and a shipwreck during which their three daughters
drowned. Mrs. Spafford made it to safety and wired back saying,
"All of our daughters have been lost. Only I have been saved."
He took the next vessel. As they came near the place where his
daughters drowned, the skipper of the ship pointed to the place
where the other ship had gone down. It was there on the deck of
the ship he wrote these stirring words:
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
"It is well, it is well, with my soul."
John Haggai, "How to Win over Worry"
......
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace!
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
Oh, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life!
Francis of Assisi
......
THE TIME HAS COME for me to reorganize my life, my peace - I cry
out. I cannot adjust my life to secure any fruitful peace. Here I
am at sixty-four, still seeking peace. It is a hopeless dream.
H.G.Wells
......
WASHINGTON has a large assortments of peace monuments. We build
one after every war.
Don MacLean in Lloyd Cory, "Quote Unquote"
......
......
The above nuggets on peace were taken from "Swindoll's Ultimate
Book of Illustrations" and "Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes"
by Robert J. Morgan.
......
YOU MAY LIKE TO STUDY MY ARTICLE CALLED "BEING A PEACEMAKER" -
IT'S ON THIS WEBSITE - Keith Hunt
......
EXAMPLES OF PEACE
By
Abraham - Gen.13:8,9
Abimelech - Gen.26:29
Mordecai - Esth.10:13
David - Ps.120:7
MANY SCRIPTURES PROCLAIM AND ADMONISH PEACE
Here are some of the PERSONAL ones:
Ps.34:14 "seek peace, and pursue it."
Psa.37:37. "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the
end of that man is peace."
Psa.85:8. "I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will
speak peace unto his people, and to his saints."
Psa.119:165. "Great peace have they which love thy law: and
nothing shall offend them."
Prov.12:20 "To the counsellors of peace is joy."
Prov.15:17 "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a
stalled ox and hatred therewith."
Prov.16:7 "When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his
enemies to be at peace with him."
Prov.17:1. "Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than
an house full of sacrifices with strife. 14. The beginning of
strife is as when one letteth out water therefore leave off
contention, before it be meddled with."
Prov.20:3. "It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but
every fool will be meddling."
Eccl.4:6. "Better is an handful with quietness, than both the
hands full with travail and vexation of spirit."
Isa.26:3. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is
stayed on thee. "
Isa. 27:5. "Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make
peace with me; and he shall make peace with me."
Isa.32:17. "The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the
effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever, 18. And
my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure
dwellings, and in quiet resting places."
Isa.48:18. "O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then
had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves
of the sea."
Isa.53:5. "The chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with
his stripes we are healed."
Zech.8:19. "Love the truth and peace."
Matt.5:9. "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called
the children of God."
Matt.10:21. "And the brother shall deliver up the brother to
death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up
against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22. And
ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that
endureth to the end shall be saved. 34. Think not that I am come
to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father,
and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law
against her mother in law. 36. And a man's foes shall be they
of his own household."
Mark 9:50. "Have peace one with another."
Luke 1:79. "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the
shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
John 14:27. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:
not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid."
John 16:33. "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye
might have peace."
John 20:19. "Then the same day at evening, came Jesus and stood
in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you."
Acts 10:36. "The word which God sent unto the children of Israel,
preaching peace by Jesus Christ."
Rom.2:10. "Glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh
good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile."
Rom.5:1. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Rom.8:6. "To be spiritually minded is life and peace."
Rom.10:15. "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it
is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the
gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!'"
Rom.12:18. "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live
peaceably with all men."
Rom.14:17. "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but
righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."
Rom.14:19. "Let us therefore follow after the things which make
for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."
1 Cor.14:33. "For God is not the author of confusion, but of
peace, as in all churches of the saints."
2 Cor.13:11. "Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind,
live in peace."
Gal.5:22 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace."
Eh.2:14. "For he is our peace, who bath made both one, and hath
broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15. Having
abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new
man, so making peace, 16. and that he might reconcile both unto
God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17. And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and
to them that were nigh.
Eph.4:3. "Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace."
Col.1:20. "And having made peace through the blood of his cross,
by him to reconcile all things unto himself."
1 Thess.5:13. "Be at peace among yourselves."
1 Tim.2:2. "That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all
godliness and honesty.
2 Tim.2:22. Follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with
them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart."
Heb.12:14. "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without
which no man shall see the Lord."
Jas.3:17. "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and
good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18. The
fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."
1 Pet.3:10. "For he that will love life, and see good days, let
him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no
guile: 11. Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace,
and ensue it."
......
IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO, MAKE SURE YOU STUDY MY STUDIES ON THIS
WEBSITE CALLED "BEING A PEACEMAKER" AND "EPH.2:15 - COL.2:14."
.......................
Keith Hunt (written during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, April,
2009)
To be continued
The Armor of God to Battle Satan #4The Shield of Faith!
The subject of "faith" is given a huge amount of time and
space in the Bible. It would take many hours to look up and read
all the verses on the words "faith" and "faithful" and "trust" (a
twin word for faith).
It is not the object of this study to look at all the
passages where the above words can be found in the Bible.
Strong's Concordance of the Bible will give you every verse in
the Bible where those words can be found. You, your family,
friends, your group Bible study could make that a project one day
- reading the context of each passage where the above three words
are used from Genesis to Revelation. It would take many a Bible
study.
Here, first, I will present some "nuggets" on what people
have said and given examples as to what constitutes FAITH.
YOUR FAITH OUGHT TO GET YOU IN TROUBLE AT TIMES. If everybody
thinks you are nuts, you may be. It's OK if some think you are.
You're probably in trouble if no one thinks you are.
Author unknown
......
Faith is resting in the fact that God has an object in leaving me
on the scene when I feel useless to Him and a burden to others.
Pamela Reeves, "Faith Is"
......
Tradition is the living faith of those now dead. Traditionalism
is the dead faith of those still living.
Jaroslav Pelikan, "The Vindication of Tradition"
......
FAITH is speaking truth in love at the cost of position of
relationships.
......
Faith like Job's cannot be shaken because it is the result of
having been shaken.
Abraham Heschel "Certainty, Difficulty"
......
A weak faith is weakened by predicaments and catastrophes whereas
a strong faith is strengthened by them.
Victor Frankl "Trials, Strengths"
......
Faith means trusting in advance what will only make sense in
reverse."
Philip Yancey "Vision, Trust"
......
That you are sitting before me in this church is a fact. That I
am standing and speaking to you from this pulpit is a fact. But
it is only faith that makes me believe anyone is listening.
Anonymous preacher "Fact, Belief"
......
True faith goes into operation when there is no answers.
Elizabeth Elliot "Difficulty, Doubt"
......
Faith does not operate in the realm of possible. There is no
glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins
where man's power ends.
George Muller "Power, glory"
......
Our faith becomes practical when it is expressed in two books:
the date book and the checkbook.
Elton Trueblood "Time, Money"
......
Hope is hearing the melody of the future. Faith is to dance to
it.
Ruben Alves "Hope, Future"
......
DEAD FAITH
What you gonna do when the river overflows?! Faith answers, I'm
gonna sit on the porch and watch her go.
What you gonna do when the hogs all drown? I'm gonna wish I lived
on higher ground.
What you gonna do when the cow floats away?
I'm gonna throw in after her a bale of hay.
What you gonna do with the water in the room? I'm gonna sweep her
out with a sedge-straw broom.
What you gonna do when the cabin leaves?
I'm gonna climb on the roof and straddle the eaves.
What you gonna do when your hold gives way? I'm gonna say,
"Howdy, Lord! It's judgment day."
Ben Patterson, "Waiting"
......
A BUCKET FULL
If I Had Only Known You
Lord,
I crawled
across the barrenness to You
with my empty cup uncertain
in asking
any small drop of refreshment. If only
I had known You better
I'd have come Running With a bucket.
Nancy Spiegelberg and Dorothy Purdy, "Fanfare: A Celebration of
Belief"
......
ARE YOU THIRSTY?
LEGEND HAS IT that a man was lost in the desert, just dying for a
drink of water. He stumbled upon an old shack-a ramshackled,
windowless, roofless, weatherbeaten old shack. He looked about
this place and found a little shade from the heat of the desert
sun. As he glanced around he saw a pump about fifteen feet
away-an old, rusty water pump. He stumbled over to it, grabbed
the handle, and began to pump up and down, up and down. Nothing
came out.
Disappointed, he staggered back. He noticed off to the side an
old jug. He looked at it, wiped away the dirt and dust, and read
a message that said, "You have to prime the pump with all the
water in this jug, my friend. P.S.: Be sure you fill the jug
again before you leave."
He popped the cork out of the jug and sure enough, it was almost
full of water! Suddenly, he was faced with a decision. If he
drank the water, he could live. Ah, but if he poured all the
water in the old rusty pump, maybe it would yield fresh, cool
water from down deep in the well, all the water he wanted.
He studied the possibility of both options. What should he do,
pour it into the old pump and take a chance on fresh, cool water
or drink what was in the old jug and ignore its message? Should
he waste all the water on the hopes of those flimsy instructions
written, no telling how long ago?
Reluctantly he poured all the water into the pump. Then he
grabbed the handle and began to pump, squeak, squeak, squeak.
Still nothing came out! Squeak, squeak, squeak. A little bit
began to dribble out, then a small stream, and finally it gushed!
To his relief fresh, cool water poured out of the rusty pump.
Eagerly, he filled the jug and drank from it. He filled it
another time and once again drank its refreshing contents.
Then he filled the jug for the next traveller. He filled it to
the top, popped the cork back on, and added this little note:
"Believe me, it really works. You have to give it all away before
you can get anything back."
Charles R. Swindell, "Living Above the Level of Mediocrity"
......
FAITH is engaging in the deepest joy of heaven, knowing His
unfathomable love for me as I walk through the thorny desolate
now.
Pamela Reeve, "Faith Is"
......
Faith
Someone Once Said ...
* Faith is like muscle which grows stronger and stronger with
use, rather than rubber, which weakens when it is stretched.
J. O. Fraser
* Faith is the Samsonian lock of the Christian; cut it off, and
you may put out his eyes and he can do nothing.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
* Not a great faith we need, but faith in a great God.
J. Hudson Taylor
......
DEFINITIONS of Faith
* The art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted,
in spite of your changing moods.
C.S.Lewis
* Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this
faith is to see what you believe.
St.Augustine
* Faith is voluntary anticipation.
Clement of Alexandria
......
FAITH
Biblical Definitions of Faith
* Believing there will be a fulfilment of those things that are
told us by the Lord
Luke 1:45
* Believing that it will be just as was told us
Acts 27:25
* Not wavering at the promise of God, but being fully convinced
that what He has promised He is able to perform
Romans 4:20-21
* Judging Him faithful who has promised
Hebrews 11:11
* The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen
Hebrews 11:1
......
WHY God Responds to FAITH
Houston pastor John Bisango describes a time when his daughter
Melodye Jan, age five, came to him and asked for a doll house.
John promptly nodded and promised to build her one, then he went
back to reading his book. Soon he glanced out the study window
and saw her arms filled with dishes, toys, and dolls, making trip
after trip until she had a great pile of playthings in the yard.
He asked his wife what Melodye Jan was doing.
"Oh, you promised to build her a doll house, and she believes
you. She's just getting ready for it."
"You would have thought I'd been hit by an atom bomb," John later
said. "I threw aside that book, raced to the lumber yard for
supplies, and quickly built that little girl a doll house. Now
why did I respond? Because I wanted to? No. Because she deserved
it? No. Her daddy had given his word, and she believed it and
acted upon it. When I saw her faith, nothing could keep me from
carrying out my word."
FAITH AS A LIGHT TO OTHERS
Not long after the first Moravian missionaries had left for the
West Indies, John Wesley, unconverted at the time, found himself
aboard ship alongside another group of them. It was January 25,
1736, and the weather was rough. Three storms had already
battered the boat, and a fourth was brewing. Wesley scribbled in
his journal, "Storm greater: afraid!" But the Moravians were
trusting God so simply and so completely that they evidenced no
signs of fear, and they even persevered in their plans for a
worship service. In the middle of their singing, a gigantic wave
rose over the side of the vessel, splitting the main-sail,
covering the ship, pouring water like Niagara Falls between decks
"as if the great deep had already swallowed us up:"
The English passengers screamed as the ship lurched and pitched
between towering waves. A terrified Wesley clung on for dear
life. But the German missionaries didn't miss a note. Wesley,
awestruck by their composure, later went to the leader and asked,
"Weren't you afraid?"
"I thank God, no."
"Were not your women and children afraid?"
"No," replied the man. "Our women and children are not afraid."
Back in London, Wesley was so struck by their sturdy faith that
he attended a Moravian meeting on Aldersgate Street on May 24,
1738. He later said, "I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I
did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance
was given to me that He had taken away my sins, even mine."
Wesley became a famous evangelist and social reformer, with the
world as his parish. But he himself was won to Christ by the
power of a small group whose faith in Christ was strong enough to
keep them unflappable in a storm.
......
An Old Story
One of our oldest sermon illustrations still provides a powerful
illustration of the personal nature of faith. A far-famed
tightrope walker came to Niagara Falls and stretched his rope
across the thunderous currents from Canada to the United States.
Before the breathless multitudes, he walked, then ran, across the
falls. He did the same blindfolded, with drums rolling. Then,
still blindfolded, he pushed a wheelbarrow across the falls.
The crowds went wild, and the aerialist shouted to them, "Who
believes I can push a man in this wheelbarrow across these
falls?"
A gentleman in the front waved his hands, shouting, "I do! I
believe!" "Then," said the walker, "come and get in the
wheelbarrow."
To no surprise, the man's intellectual assent failed to translate
into personal belief.
......
Anyone Else?
A man slipped and fell off a cliff while hiking on a mountaintop.
Luckily he was able to grab a branch on his way down. Holding on
for dear life, he looked down only to see a rock valley some
fifteen hundred feet below. When he looked up it was twenty feet
to the cliff where he had fallen.
panicked, he yelled, "Help! Help! Is anybody there? Help!"
A booming voice spoke up. "I am here, and I will save you if you
believe in me." "I believe! I believe!" yelled back the man.
"If you believe me, let go of the branch and then I will save
you:"
The young man, hearing what the voice said, looked down again.
Seeing the rock valley below, he quickly looked back up and
shouted, "Is there anybody else up there!"'
......
FAITHFULNESS
Someone Once Said ...
* Faithfulness to principle is only proved by faithfulness in
detail.
Frances Ridley Havergal
* My dear Senator, I am not called to be successful, but
faithful.
Mother Teresa, to Senator Mark Hatfield who, while touring her
work in Calcutta, asked, "How can you bear the load without being
crushed by it?"
* Dependability: Fulfilling what I agreed to do even though it
requires unexpected sacrifices. (Proverbs 15:4)
Bill Gothard
......
Old Faithful
Old Faithful is not the largest geyser in Yellowstone National
Park, nor does it reach the greatest height. But it is by far the
most popular one. Why? It is regular and dependable, hence its
name, "Old Faithful."
......
FAITHFUL WITH WORKS
Two frogs fell into a tub of cream. The one looked at the high
sides of the tub which were too difficult to crawl over and said,
"It is hopeless." So he resigned himself to death, relaxed, and
sank to the bottom. The other one determined to keep swimming as
long as he could. "Something might happen," he said. And it did.
He kept kicking and churning, and finally he found himself on a
solid platform of butter, and jumped to safety.
(Ah, that reminds me of the "faith" chapter of the book of James
- chapter two. Though Martin Luther of the reformation called the
book of James "an epistle of straw" he could not have been more
wrong; James gives the other side of the coin of true Biblical
faith - Keith Hunt)
......
An illustration of the balance between faith and works lies
hidden within any tree. Leaves use up nutrients in the process of
photosynthesis. As the leaves consume nutrients in the sap, a
suction is formed, which draws more sap from the roots. Without
the sap, the leaves and branches would die. But the continual
flow of this sap comes only as it is used up by the work of the
leaf.
Likewise, through faith we draw life from Christ. But a continual
supply of fresh spiritual nutrients depends on our willingness to
"consume" the old supply through our acts of obedience, through
our works.
......
FAITH TESTED
This piece was heard on National Public Radio's Morning Edition
on November 2,1988:
In 1958, America's first commercial jet air service began with
the flight of the Boeing 707. A month after that first flight, a
traveller on a piston-engine, propeller-driven DC-6 airliner
struck up a conversation with a fellow passenger. The passenger
happened to be a Boeing engineer. The traveller asked the
engineer about the new jet aircraft, whereupon the engineer began
speaking at length about the extensive testing Boeing had done on
the jet engine before bringing it into commercial service. He
recounted Boeing's experience with engines, from the B-17 to the
B-52.
When his travelling companion asked him if he himself had yet
flown on the new 707 jet airliner, the engineer replied, "I think
I'll wait until it's been in service awhile."
......
Even enthusiastic talking about our faith doesn't mean much if we
aren't also willing to put our lives where our mouth is.
Donner Atwood, in "Reformed Review," writes:
During the terrible days of the Blitz, a father, holding his
small son by the hand, ran from a building that had been struck
by a bomb. In the front yard was a shell hole. Seeking shelter as
soon as possible, the father jumped into the hole and held up his
arms for his son to follow.
Terrified, yet hearing his father's voice telling him to jump,
the boy replied, "I can't see you!"
The father, looking up against the sky tinted red by the burning
buildings, called to the silhouette of his son, "But I can see
you. Jump!"
The boy jumped, because he trusted his father.
The Christian faith enables us to face life or meet death, not
because we can see, but with the certainty that we are seen, not
that we know all the answers, but that we are known.
......
ALL THE ABOVE were taken from four books:
"1001 Quotes, Illustrations, and Humorous Stories" by Edward
Rowell
"750 Engaging Illustrations" by Craig Larson
"Stories, Illustrations and Quotes" by Robert Morgan
"Swindoll's Ultimate Book of Illustrations and Quotes" by Charles
Swindoll
......
The Bible is full of quotes about "trust" and "faith" and
"faithfulness." The Bible is full of examples of faith, as you
read the Bible from cover to cover, you will find many stories of
faith, real faith, not blind faith. As you read the Bible you
will find over and over again the truth of LIVING faith as
contrasted to DEATH faith. All of this covers much of what is
written in the Bible. It is a large and expounded truth, which
cannot be covered in this relatively short study, but I will give
you some pertinent verses from the Bible and truths on faith from
Jesus Christ - Keith Hunt
......
Ps.32:10 "He that trusts in the Lord, mercy shall compass him
about."
Ps.34:8 "O taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the
man that trusts in Him."
Ps.64:10 "The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall
trust in Him."
Ps.78:7 "That they might set their hope in God, and not forget
the works of God, but keep His commandments."
Ps.118:8,9 "It is better to put trust in the Lord than to put
confidence in man. It is better to put trust in the Lord, than to
put confidence in princes."
Ps.125:1 "They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion,
which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever."
Ps.147:11 "The Lord taketh pleasure in then that fear Him, in
those that hope in his mercy."
Prov.3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not
unto thine own understanding."
Prov.29:25 "He that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe."
Isa.26:3 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is
stayed on thee: because he trusts in Thee."
Nah.1:7 "The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble;
and He knoweth them that trust in Him."
There is the book of Romans that expounds for you how we are
justified, made at-one with the Father through faith in the
sacrifice of Christ Jesus. This book I have fully opened to you
under "The New Testament Bible Story."
We are saved by grace through FAITH, as it is written "By
grace are you saved through faith; and not of yourselves, it is
the gift of God" - Eph.2:8.
Being saved by grace through faith I have in-depth revealed
to you in my study "Saved by Grace."
You have also two chapters (Hebrews 11 and James 2) in the
New Testament dealing with faith.
SOME OF THE WORDS OF JESUS ON FAITH, BELIEF, TRUST
Please read the contexts
Mat.7:24,25 "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth
them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house
upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the
winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was
founded upon a rock."
Mark 9:23 "Jesus said unto him, If you can believe, all things
are possible to him that believes."
Luke 7:9 "When Jesus heard these things, He marvelled at him, and
turned about himself, and said unto the people that followed him,
I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in
Israel."
Luke 17:6 "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you might
say unto this sycamine tree, Be you plucked up by the roots, and
be you cast in the sea; and it should obey you."
John 5:24 "Truly, truly, I say unto you, he that heareth my word,
and believeth on Him that sent me, has everlasting life, and
shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto
life."
John 7:38 "He that believes on me, as the Scripture has said, out
of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
John 11:25 "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the
life; he that believes on me, though he were dead, yet shall he
live."
John 12:36,44,46 "While you have light, believe in the light,
that you may be the children of light. Jesus cried and said, he
that believes on me, believes not just on me, but on Him that
sent me. I am come as a light into the world, that whosoever
believes on me should not abide in darkness."
John 18:37 "Every one that is of the truth hears my voice."
......
Faith is hearing what Jesus taught. It is reading and
listening to God through His written word, the Bible. Faith is
believing that word, that it is truth, and then putting that
faith truth into LIVING ACTION by trusting and obeying the will
and commandments of God. Faith is "trust and obey" just as the
popular hymn says, "Trust and obey, for there is no other way, to
be happy in Jesus, than to TRUST and OBEY."
WITH THE SHIELD OF FAITH IN FRONT OF US AS WE GO OUT TO
BATTLE THE FIERY DARTS OF THE WICKED ONE, WE SHALL CONQUER HIM;
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR SATAN'S DARTS TO KILL US WHEN WE FIGHT WITH
THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
...................
Keith Hunt (this study written on the last holy day of the Feast
of Unleavened Bread, April 2009)
To be continued
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