Tag: Authentic Faith

Authentic Faith- Day 4

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional7 Comments

authentic faith
Devotions for Sunday, August 7, 2011
Matthew 8:1-13

When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth  his  hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this  man , Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth  it .  When Jesus heard  it , he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
(Matthew 8:1-13)

Pastor Ben’s Commentary:
There are two different people in this passage that Jesus interacted with.  Both of them had needs, and both of them had their needs met by Jesus.

The first man was a leper who had probably heard of Jesus’  healing of other lepers, and came to be healed himself.  Leprosy is an incredibly painful disease, and in that time came with a lot of cultural and social consequences.  People who were lepers were seen as unclean, judged by God, and could not be touched.  That is part of what makes Jesus’ interaction with him incredible.  Jesus healed the man by touching him.  Jesus responded to this man’s faith.

The second man that Jesus interacted with was a Roman, and not just any Roman.  This man was a Roman centurion.  He was a ranking soldier in the Roman army.  The Roman army was the enforcing force behind the roman rule of Israel, and so many Jewish people hated these people.  But this man had a problem.  A servant he loved was near death.  He came to Jesus and asked for help, and Jesus responded with a “let’s go” answer.  The centurion is so humble, and has an incredible faith.  He tells Jesus (my summary)- “I’m not worthy for you to come to my house, and I believe that you can heal my servant without coming, because I understand authority.  I tell people to go and come and they do what I say because of the authority that I represent, the Roman state, that I am under.  Jesus, you have authority because of who You are, and the authority that you’ve been given.  You can help my servant right from where you are because of your authority.”

Jesus makes an incredible statement when he hears the Roman Centurions response, which I’m sure would have shocked the Jews around Him.  He says, (again my summary)- “I have yet to find this kind of faith in even someone who is of the nation of Israel, and I’ll tell you this- There will be people who think they are right with God because they are Jewish/because of their birth who end up spending eternity separated from God in hell.  There will also be people from every nation and corner of the earth who will be made right with God and spend eternity with the patriarchs/fathers of the Jewish nation because of their faith in God.”  He then told the Centurion that He healed his servant “according to his belief.”  Again, it was faith that God responded to.

Application:
1. Someone else’s faith can’t be credited to your account. What do I mean?  You’re not accepted by God based on your parents relationship with God, or the good things you do, or your church attendance, or your performance, or your denomination, or your pedigree.  God responds to and is pleased by your faith.  I’m not saying that works do not please God, I’m saying your works without faith will not please God.

  1. God, through His Word, should be your ultimate authority. When we take in God’s Word and respond to it in faith, believing that God’s will should be above our own desires, that leads us to obeying what He has said.  It is then that our faith is expressed through that obedience.

Does your faith lead you to obeying God?

Authentic Faith- Day 3

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional28 Comments

authentic faith
Devotions for Saturday, August 5, 2011
Daniel 3:13-30

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego. Then they brought these men before the king.14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?s15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?s16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.s20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.s21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.ss22 Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego.ss23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.s25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.s

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, came forth of the midst of the fire.s27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, in the province of Babylon.

Pastor Ben’s Commentary:
–The 3 Hebrew boys put the issue of the whole circumstance into their statement in verses 16-18.  “God is able to deliver us from what you can do to us.  Even if He doesn’t we will obey him.”

-The king got mad and threw the boys into the furnace.  It was so hot that it killed the men who threw them in.

-God delivered them from the furnace.  They didn’t even smell like smoke when they got out.  When they were in there were 4 of them rather than three.  The fourth was a “Christophanie”- an old testament appearance of Christ.

-When the boys got out of the fiery furnace the king gave glory to God because of their testimony.  He promoted them and their God.

Application:
1. God blessed those who stand up for Him and for what is right. Standing up for what’s right has its costs, but the Bible teaches that God will bless those who stand up for Him.  Even though these young men saw the effects right away, you may not, but this doesn’t mean that God won’t reward you.  He will in His time!  Stay faithful to stand up for Him.

  1. When we take a stand, people notice. You will be an encouragement to those who know that they should do what’s right and stand up for God.  Those who are against you when you stand may end up promoting you when they see God work in your life.  You never know!  Your witness can count.  Your testimony can make a difference.

Are you being intentional about your faith in God? Go against the flow!

Authentic Faith- Day 2

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional18 Comments

authentic faith
Devotions for Friday, August 4, 2011
Daniel 3:1-13

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.9 They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Pastor Ben’s Commentary:
Today’s story is pretty incredible. We’ll finish the story tomorrow, but today starts it out.
Backgound Info:
-Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were three Jewish young men, probably teenagers, who were chosen by the king of Babylon to be trained by the best of the best of Babylon. Babylon was the super-power in the world at this point in history, and had invaded Israel and brought the best young men back to Babylon.
-These three boys had to go to a land that was hostile to the way that God had called them to live.
-This became intense in today’s passage, when these guys had to bow to an idol/statue of a king and swear allegiance to this man over God.
-In the passage we find out that these guys are rightly accused of not bowing to the statue when everyone else did.

Application:
1. Living by faith must be intentional. These 3 guys have something in common with us. We live in a culture that is more and more hostile to those who want to follow God. If we are going to live the way God wants us to, we have to make a conscious decision not to allow anything to come before God.
2. We have to be aware of the fact that there are people who want our allegiance over God. There are people who are intentional about trying to destroy your faith in God. Not everyone in the media, in the education system, in government, and in your life are, but many in these arenas are in highly influential way.

We’ll read about what happened to these boys tomorrow!
Are you being intentional about your faith in God? Go against the flow!

Real Faith- Day 1

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional10 Comments

Devotions for Thursday, August 4, 2011authentic faith

Over the next couple of weeks we are going to look at some passages of scripture that explore some biblical examples of authentic faith. We will see people who trusted in God and be inspired by what He did through them and around them.

God wants to grow your faith…so let’s get going!

Genesis 22:1-14

1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah–jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.

Pastor Ben’s Commentary:
This is an incredibly moving story when read deliberately, and thought about seriously.
Here is some background information you need to know:
Who was Abraham? Abraham was a man who God had called to be the father of the nation of Israel. God chose Abraham to go to a land that God would show him. So Abraham believed God, and left where he was to settle in Canaan- the land that God had showed him. Abraham had been promised to be the father of this great nation whose number of people would be like the stars in the sky. But it took Abraham a long time to have a son. Finally, after a lot of trouble, time and heartache, God finally gave Abraham the son he had been promised- Isaac. Now that Isaac was here, God comes to Abraham again and asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac for him.

Essentially the question is this- Abraham, do you love my blessings more than you love me? Are you willing to obey me no matter what the cost?

Abraham showed extraordinary faith in his actions. This faith was expressed verbally in verse 8 when he said, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb.” Abraham believed that He should obey God, no matter the cost, but most of all He believed that God knew what He was doing.

God ended up stopping Abraham from killing His son. He provided a lamb to be sacrificed in place of Isaac.

Application:
1. Faith in God means obeying Him.
You can’t say you have faith or trust in God, and not do what He says to do. God has called you and I to obedience, and if we trust Him then we will obey Him, no matter the cost.
2. God can be trusted.
God knows what He is doing. He has a plan for you. It may not look like it now, but He does.
3. Whatever you are willing to disobey God for is your idol.
Whether it is the approval of a friend, a particular possession, a buzz, a high, popularity, sex, or yourself (it really can be anything), if it comes before God it’s gnawing away at your ability to trust Him. You need to get rid of it.

Are you willing to sacrifice anything for God?