Tag: Authentic Faith

Authentic Faith- Day 12

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional15 Comments

authentic faith Devotions for Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Hebrews 11:3

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

Pastor Ben’s Commentary:
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

No one saw the origin of life- the beginning of our planet.  We know what happened because God revealed what happened to Moses who wrote it down in the first chapter of Genesis.  According to this verse, creation came by the word of God.  This is of course correlates with  Genesis 1.  In fact, go back and read the first chapter of the entire Bible.  Over and over the Bible states, “And God said, …” and then creation came from the Word that he spoke.

Check out this video:

Application:
1. We serve an enormous God, who intelligently designed an incredible universe. This place isn’t about us, it’s about Him. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament (land)showeth His handiwork.” “The things that are seen (this physical earth) were not made of things which do appear” (natural processes, or people) but by the invisible, all powerful-Creator God.

2. Even though we are small in stature, God loves us and wants us to know Him. The incredible Designer-God who formed this planet, galaxy and universe loved you and I enough to send His Son to pay for our sins.

2. God’s Word is incredible. The Word of God created the world, and is available to us today. It is infintely valuable, and we should treat it that way.

Take a few minutes today to think about our Creator God, and to thank Him for what He has made.

Authentic Faith- Day 11

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional8 Comments

authentic faith Devotions for Monday, August 15, 2011

Hebrews 11:1-2

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

Pastor Ben’s Commentary:
Over the next few days we are going to examine this chapter of the Bible. It is one of my favorites!

In vs. 1 the author says that faith is…
Substance- hoped for
Evidence- not seen

When we treat what is hoped for and unseen as substance and evidence we are practicing faith. This doesn’t mean we should be ignorant, unwise and silly. What it does mean is that while we aren’t able to see everything, we trust the One who can.
In vs. 2 the author then explains that those who went before us (specifically the Old Testament figures he is about to mention) gained a “good report” by “it”- it referring to faith.

Application:

1. When we exercise or demonstrate our faith in what is unseen, it doesn’t mean we “check-out our brains at the door.” Being human means that there is a lot that we don’t know about, don’t have evidence for, and can’t see. We must look to the evidence that God has given of Himself and respond to that.

2. We can move in faith knowing the example and end of very real people who have gone before us. The men and women who the author is about to mention from the Old Testament weren’t mindless faith-robots. They were real people, with real problems, who made real mistakes, but had a good report with God because they responded in trust and obedience when the evidence/communication from God showed up.

If you were judged on your faith in God would you have a good report or a bad report?

Authentic Faith- Day 10

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional18 Comments

authentic faith Devotions for Saturday, August 13, 2011

2 Corinthians 5:6-10

6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Pastor Ben’s Commentary:
This may sound like kind of a morbid question, but have you ever had someone close to you die?  I have a couple of times.  What happens to us when we die?  It’s an important question.

The Bible says in this passage that those who have faith in God in life need to know what is going to happen to them.  To be “absent from the body” (physical death) means that we are present with the Lord.  There is no in-between place. (v.6-8).

The author then goes on to explain that because we believe that one day we will be with God, we want to be ready to see Him. (v.9-10) Let me explain:  My parents used to leave Shad and I at home by ourselves from time to time.  Many times when they left us they would give us a list of chores to get done.

Now if I knew that my parents would be back soon, we wouldn’t mess around too much and would get right to work on the list because I knew I’d see them soon and answer to them for what I did.

But sometimes when I knew they’d be gone all day I would procrastinate.  I’d play video games, or watch tv and waste time.  Then I’d look up at the clock and realize-“Oh No-they’ll be back in 20 minutes and I still have to do all this stuff!”  Of course when I messed around they always came back early.  I’d hear the garage door come up and I knew I was in trouble.

What’s my point?  When I was realistic about the fact that my parents would come home and hold me accountable for what I did it would impact how I behaved.

The author is telling us-One day you will stand before God and give an account for what you did right and what you did wrong.  The believer won’t have to pay for their sins, Jesus already did that.  But you will give an account to God for what you did and did not do.

Application:

1.  When people die they will either be with the Lord or separated from Him.  You are not your body.  Everyone lives forever somewhere.  This gives hope to people of faith, and should also be a sobering thought for us as well.

2. Even believers, who will spend eternity with God, are still accountable for the way we live.  We will face Jesus one day.  That will be really cool, but it is also really serious too.  We want to meet him knowing that we did a good job with what was given to us.

If you had to stand before God today, would you know that you are ready?  Would you be ashamed of how you lived, or excited to meet Him?

Authentic Faith- Day 9

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional11 Comments

authentic faith Devotions for Friday, August 12, 2011

Romans 10:12-17

12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?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!16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Pastor Ben’s Commentary:
-God did not just come for one particular race of people, but for everyone. v.12
-The way that you are made right with God is by faith. v.13
-You can’t put your faith into something you don’t know about.  How can people call on Jesus to save them, if they haven’t believed in Jesus in the first place? v.14
-How can they believe on Jesus if they’ve never heard of Him and that He came to die for their sins? v.14
-How can they hear about Jesus if someone doesn’t proclaim that message to them? v. 14-15
-So faith in Jesus happens when people share and declare the Word of God.   v.16-17

Application:

1.  To be saved, people must have heard and believed in Jesus.  In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.  No man comes to the Father, but by Me.”  There is no “Plan B”, because Plan A has already happened.

2. God’s plan is for people who have heard and believed to proclaim the “good news” to those who have not heard or believed.  It’s not an option, or a recommendation.  It’s God’s plan for your life to share Him with other people.  Who is the last person you told about Jesus?

3.  What we are to be sharing is God’s Word.  That is what produces faith.  We don’t have to make up something.  We already have it.  And to share God’s Word, we must know, believe and trust God’s Word.  Could you lead someone to Christ with just your Bible?

Faith comes when people hear the good news of Jesus Christ because we were obedient to proclaim it!