Good Morning, My Friends. It is 0-dark-30! I have my coffee in hand and Cliff and Glenn beside me, so I am ready to get started. As I have told you before in previous postings, I often think I am going to write about one subject, but when I get to my office and have some quiet time with God, I am often led in another direction. Such was the case again today. So I will use what I am saying now as an example of what I am going to write about. I always begin with quiet time with God and ask him to illuminate the subject he wants me to write about. I have experienced his prompting numerous times and when I follow His path, the writing just flows. In other words, I trust (or have faith) in the guidance of the Holy Spirit because he doesn’t fail me. So I am willing to step-out in faith.
Yesterday I was reading in Gospel of Mark the story of Jairus asking Jesus to heal his daughter. He said, “She is about to die. Please come and place your hands on her; heal her so she can live.” (5:23) Notice that Jairus came to Jesus because he already believed (had faith) that Jesus could heal her. But on the way to Jairus’ house, messengers arrived with this news: “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now. But Jesus ignored their comments and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just trust me.” (5:35-36) They continued on to the house and Jesus did raise Jairus’ daughter to life. Jesus’ statement to Jairus is our message for life! “Don’t be afraid. Just trust me.”
On that journey to Jairus’ house, a crowd thronged behind to follow Jesus. This is when the incident of the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years pushed her way to the front of the crowd to touch the fringe of Jesus’ robe because she believed she would be healed. And what did Jesus say to the woman? “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. You have been healed.”
Needless to say, this message today is about four incredible words that can be expressed in a simple formula: Truth = faith, belief and trust. In actuality, faith, belief and trust have the same meaning. And when we use those terms, it means we rely on a certain principle because it has been proven to be immersed in truth. But how do we get “it”? And how do we develop “it” to a point where we can actually stake our lives on that foundation? After a life-long search for “the truth”, I found in only one source what I believe I can stake my life on. The Word of God!
In this crazy culture in which we live today, few people are familiar with the Word of God. Oh yes, they’ve heard of the Bible; they have opinions about its contents; but few have actually read it. That’s why so many have become cynical about the whole concept of “truth”. And that statement should certainly not come as a surprise if you look at pillar institutions or leadership positions that have become engrossed in scandals wrapped in lies and deception. The unfortunate result of that scenario is a culture that is becoming numbed by such behavior and accepts it as “just the way it is today.” How pathetic is that!
But we are living in a society that attempts to marginalize the Word of God at every turn. Sometimes it takes the form of mockery, as shamefully displayed by our President last week at the National Prayer breakfast. Or it can take the form of attempts to convolute the truth of God’s Word to make it more user-friendly and up-to-date with the latest social mores. Consequently this trend has led to a culture that is on the fast track to spiritually bankruptcy, but yet tries to find the source of happiness, value and purpose in all the wrong places. How do I know this? Because I was one of those people.
The Bible, because of what it claims to be The Word of God, has been the subject of scrutiny and contempt from its inception. Throughout the ages it has been challenged by the most brilliant minds in history: philosophers, scientists, academics, atheists, agnostics, world religions, yet to my knowledge no one has disproven the content of the Bible. And if they had, I believe everyone would certainly know about it. Think of what would happen today if someone could disprove any part of the Bible. Every news outlet would gladly interrupt the current program with the latest earth-shaking message; every magazine or newspaper would proclaim “THE BIBLE IS A FRAUD!” There might even be a ticker-tape parade on both coasts celebrating the welcomed news. But I haven’t seen it yet.
When one uses the term, The Word of God, the term “Word” comes from the Greek word “logos” meaning the divine reason implicit in the cosmos, ordering it and giving it form and meaning; rational thinking, logic and truth. In other words The Word of God is God’s thinking; God’s truth. But the only problem with the truth is…many people don’t want to hear it because it is inconvenient to the way they have chosen to live. So they turn away from this His truth and search for something more to their liking.
I have stated this many times, and firmly believe, there are two fundamental principles from which everything else in the Bible springs up: 1.God is love and 2. God wants a relationship with each of us – an eternal relationship. Because he is a Spirit and we are flesh and blood, God chose to reveal himself to us through the Bible so we could come to know him; who He is; what he says; what he says about us; what his standards are; what his promises are and how we can attain those promises. And we are told in 2Peter 1:20-21 that “no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophets themselves or because they wanted to prophesy. It was the Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God.” And again in 2Timothy 16-17: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.”
We have to know all of this so we can enter into a relationship Him. And as that relationship develops through knowledge of His Word and revelation of the truths contained therein, we become keenly aware that God’s will for us is to accept his Gift of Grace. This is the ransom He paid with the blood of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. He did this so we can enter into that eternal relationship with Him, Jesus and all Christ-followers. But we must be in Christ in order to inherit all of the promises in the Bible and “all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm.” (Ephesians 1:3)
But we are still living in this fallen world with all of its temptations and strife, and yet we are called to rise above this world and live in a way that brings honor and glory to God. This is the challenge of all Christ-followers. But God’s salvation plan is perfect. He has taken this into account and we now have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to empower us to grow in the truth of God’s Word. Our role is to “abide (stay) in him so his Word will abide in us.” (John 15:7) This is how our faith develops.
Now we can begin stepping out in faith because we absolutely believe we have seen the truth of His Word coming alive in us. For instance, John 15:5,7-8 tells us, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing. But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted. My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father.” These verses from the Gospel of John stop being “just” scriptures, but become the “living word” when they start directing how we live. And with this comes a confidence and a peace and serenity never before known. As Christ-followers, “He must become greater and I must become less.” (John 3:30)
Jesus is the Truth; He is the Word Incarnate. He wants us to build our life on him. When speaking to a crowd at his first ministry, Jesus said, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on a solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse, because it is built on rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25) When we build our life on the rock that is Jesus and his teachings, we too will remain standing through adversity and challenges.
The Scriptural truths found in this message today are only a fraction of life-changing truths contained in the Bible. That book is literally God’s handbook for life. Everything we need to know about living the abundant life Jesus promised can be found in those pages. Therefore I would like to close with a very simple message with life-changing power. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.” (Romans 12:2)
On a scale of 1-10, where are you in developing your faith?
May God Bless Ya, and please feel free respond to this posting, and please do share this with social media friends.
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
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