Living By Faith

Living by Faith
I have been challenged lately with the concept of living by faith and trusting God to be in control and directing my steps. The Bible states in 2 Corinthians 5:7; “ we walk by faith and not by sight.” Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. God operates in the realm of faith. As we understand what it means to live by faith we will begin to see God move in miraculous and powerful ways in our life. The world operates on a system of seeing is believing while God operates on the system of believing is seeing. It is essential as believers to grasp what it means to live by faith, to act in agreement with our beliefs based on the Word of God. Faith was required of Adam and Eve and their faith was put to the test. They had to believe what God told them to be truth, they had to have faith in God and in the things he told them to be true. When God told them not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, there had to be faith on their part to believe God and trust Him to be telling them something that was to be for their good. Their disobedience to God came as a result of their lack of faith and trust in Him and His character. The devil brought doubt into their minds, doubting God’s character and his words. They lost faith in the character of God, that He was a God who spoke truth and really knew what was best for them. That he was good and would not withhold anything from them that was for their good. Lack of faith strikes at the core of our understanding of the true nature of God, that he is all wise, good, speaks truth, can never lie and knows what is best for us. Adam and Eve were able to be swayed in their beliefs, deceived by satan which caused them to not believe what God had told them to be true. The walk of faith that Adam and Eve first enjoyed in their relationship with God was forever changed when they acted on their doubts and disobeyed God’s command.
At the core of faith is our trust in the character and nature of God. As we come to understand God for who He truly is, we can begin to walk by faith in what He has said to be true and we can trust Him to fulfill his promises to us. Mark 11:21-24 20Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” 22So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.
Our faith is in God not in our ability or in the words we speak. We have to be so confident in his integrity and ability, that we do not question or doubt the Words he has spoken to us or the way in which he operates.
Our faith is base on the character and nature of God and his faithfulness to fulfill his word. Our faith must also be in alignment to the mission of God. We must have understanding of God’s mission and purposes and align or faith with God’s mission.
Jesus rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith and lack of understanding of the mission God had given to him. The disciples’ faith was challenged in the crossing of the lake during the storm. Jesus was exhausted and was asleep and they were in panic mode wondering when they would go down. 23Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
They did not understand that Jesus had not finished his mission and therefore nothing was going to stop him from fulfilling it, not a storm, not an angry crowd, not a political religious leader and no demon could prevent him from fulfilling his mission. The disciples lacked this revelation, lacked faith in God to be in control and thus they relied on their own understanding and experience to dictate how they should respond. When we are not in alignment with the purposes of God and lack understanding of the mission he is accomplishing we can lose faith quickly as the disciples did on the boat. When we are unsure of the mission, we can quickly let fear take control because we have lost confidence that God is in control.
Peter is an example of one who did not understand the mission of Jesus and consequently did not respond in faith and confidence that God was in control even of a situation that seemed totally opposed to what he thought should happen. When Jesus took the disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane after the Last Supper, Judas came with the religious leaders and soldiers to arrest Jesus. Peter did not understand what was happening, he did not have faith that everything was under control and going according to God’s plan so he responded in the only way he knew how and that was to draw the sword and defend Jesus by whacking off the ear of Malchus. When we lack knowledge and understanding we do not respond in faith but allow our fears to take control. Jesus knew exactly what was happening and he turned an ugly situation that could have resulted in a lot of lives lost by quickly putting Malchus’ ear back in place and healing him. It should have been obvious to everyone there who was really in control especially after the whole band fell over backwards when Jesus identified himself and then witnessing the miraculous healing of this man’s ear.
Lack of faith always produces fear and panic and reliance on self. Look at how the economy of the USA has been affected by lack of faith. Investors initially placed their faith in businesses that were doing well and had a great future. Some of these businesses were not telling the truth about the true value of the company and eventually this information became public or resulted in failure causing investors to lose millions of dollars. So many businesses have failed lately that investors are very cautious and hesitant about investing any money because they have lost faith in the companies to be able to do what they promise to do. This lack of faith has paralyzed the economy and until faith is restored we will not see much change. Many of the businesses caused this problem of lack of faith because they were not honest and mislead people. We will never have to worry about the truthfulness and integrity of God. God is not a man that he should lie or try to deceive us. He is 100% trustworthy, his words and actions are always in agreement. He cannot be anything other than who he is. We can base our lives upon this fact and that enables us to have faith and live by faith each day.
When we understand the character of God and His mission then we must respond in obedience to what He asks us to do. He calls us to live by faith that responds in obedience to him.
Abraham is an example of one who was called to live by faith and he responded in obedience to what God asked him to do. Hebrews 11:8-10 8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Abraham had faith that the very words and promises God spoke to him would come to pass. He was promised to be brought to a new land and be given innumerable descendents. It was a huge promise and I think most of us would have been overwhelmed by it. Yet Abraham responded in obedience and left his home to go to the land God would give him. Faith is demonstrated by our obedience to do what God has asked us to do in spite of our feelings, knowledge or our fears. Responding in faith is relying on God to direct our lives and create the future He has promised. Our lives are meant to be filled with “Faith stories” of how God directed us to do something and we responded in obedience to see God fulfill his promise to us. Each one of you has a faith story you can share that will be an encouragement to people and will help them see God for who He truly is and that he rewards those who operate in the realm of faith.
Our daily life as believers has to be lived by faith. We enter into a new realm of life when we are linked with God. We are no longer restricted to our 5 senses to give us information and help us make decisions. We now are in relationship with God who speaks to us and provides guidance for our lives. He reveals things to us in his word and asks us to believe them to be true and base our lives upon them. Jesus during his years on earth with the disciples was often disappointed in their lack of faith in Him and in God. The disciples were locked into their 5 senses, they believed what they saw in the flesh but struggled to believe what they could not see or understand. Even though they had seen Jesus do miraculous things they seemed to be very slow learners and had a difficult time applying what they had previously learned to new or similar situations.
Jesus was upset with the disciples lack of faith when they wondered how to feed the second multitude after they witnessed the multiplication of the loaves and fishes at the feeding of the 5000. Matthew 16:8 states, 8But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? 9“Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? Either the disciples had very short term memories or they truly did not understand the character and nature of Christ and His heavenly Father.
Our faith should be increasing in our relationship with the Lord. Our past experiences with God are meant to build our faith and help us face the new or similar challenges that we will or currently are facing.
God wants to teach us how to operate in faith. He wants us to press into him to receive a word or a promise from him, a word of direction or vision. He wants to give us something we can believe him to do and hold on to him until we see its fulfillment. Many believers today are not believing God for anything exceptional. They are being faithful in what they have been given but there is something lacking and that is the challenge of faith, of believing God for something they cannot see but know in their hearts that this is what God wants to do in them and through them. Our walk of faith should be progressive because our faith should be increasing. The older we get in the Lord the more we should be using the faith we have developed to ask God to do even greater things through us. Is your faith being challenged and are you being challenged to use your faith to believe for even greater things? It is easy to settle for status quo and just live your life as comfortable as you can without risks or challenges. Many people reach a certain point and then stay at that level or perhaps even decline in their level of faith as they get older. I am always encouraged by Caleb who had a different spirit. He and Joshua had faith to believe God to go into the Promised Land because they knew God had given it to them. It was what he had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and God was going to fulfill his promise. When the Israelites finally entered and conquered the Promised Land, Caleb came to Joshua one day and demanded that he be given the parcel of land he was promised (Joshua 14). Caleb was 85 years old, retirement age and I am sure he had been given plenty of land already but he was not content to settle for only what he had. There was more for him and he had faith to believe that he could take the land. May that be our heart attitude in our walk of faith, to pursue what we have been promised until we receive everything God has for us. Hold fast to your faith and continue to take action until it is fulfilled.
What are you believing God to do in your life and ministry? What has God spoken something to your heart that you are exercising your faith to see it become a reality? Real faith can make a statement, a confession that is in agreement with what God has spoken to you. If you cannot say with certainty that you have what God has promised even though it is not physically happening then you are acting in hope not in faith. Hope is good because it is the foundation of faith. Hebrews 11:1 states, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen.” Hope changes to faith when we can proclaim that we have what we are believing God for in spite of not having its physical evidence. Faith is assurance, certainty, not speculation or wishful thinking. Paul said there are three things that abide forever, faith, hope and love. Faith is before hope because it is derived from hope. Hope will say, “I hope I get the job.” Faith will say, “I got the job.” Hope says, “I hope the money will come.” Faith declares, “I have the money.” It seems like crazy talk because you are declaring things that are not as though you already have them.
Jesus taught this to his disciple regarding prayer. Mark 11:23, 24 23“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
God wants us to live at the level of faith where we know what he has said and we can boldly proclaim it to be done before it actually comes to pass. This requires us to seek the Lord and hear from him. We cannot just go around proclaiming things will happen if we have not spent time with the Lord to hear what he has to say and do not understand God’s mission or what He is doing. Some people believe that if they just confess something will happen it will happen. Oprah believes that when you confess things that you want to happen they set in motion actions that will draw those things to you. Your words will draw these things to you. She believes this to be a universal law. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. When God speaks to us in whatever manner he chooses then we can exercise faith to believe that what he has spoken will come to pass. Too often people believe that just by saying something it will come to pass. They have not heard from God, have not sought him, have not been given a word from him but they simply expect that through their confession they will force God to act and give them what they are asking for. God is like a personal genie, if I say the right things he is required to respond. Paul said, “My God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” I think God wants to develop and intimate relationship with us in which we communicate with him and he with us. He does not want to be our servant who does what we tell him to do. He is God and we are the ones who must come to him and seek him and find out what he desires to give us. We have to align ourselves with God not God with us.
We are called to live by faith, which means that we will be given everything needed to fulfill the mission God has given us. When God asks us to do something for him it will require faith on our part and we will need to respond in obedience to him. We must believe that He will make the provision for all that we need to accomplish his work. As we move forward in faith, God will be there each step of the way and he will fulfill his promise to us. He will provide the finances, equipment, people, training, and whatever else is necessary to carry out his will. He will give us the wisdom we need to make the decisions that we will face along the way as we seek him and rely upon him. As we walk by faith and obedience to the Lord our faith will grow and I believe God will give us greater things to accomplish as we are faithful to do what he has given us to do. Hudson Taylor who was a pioneer missionary to China and who founded the China Inland Mission which operated on faith for everything made this statement, "God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supplies." God’s provision may come through many different sources and in many different ways but it is still God who is providing and we must have faith to believe him to do what he said he will do.
At times God asks us to do things as a step of faith that seems contrary to our thinking. One of the principles of faith is that we sow our finances in obedience to God into ministries and people in order to reap a harvest. Jesus said in Luke 6:38 38“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
This requires faith and obedience on our part to do what God asks us to do. At times God will test our faith by asking us to give toward a need when we really do not have much to give and when we do give it may be the last of what we have. It is easier to give when you have a reserve in the bank but when you have nothing left or give all you have it can be a lot more challenging. But in reality, it is no different because we are trusting in the faithfulness of God and that he rewards those who operate in faith and obedience. Most believers never get to experience this level of faith because they are unwilling to give in obedience to God at this level. Their giving is calculated according to what they feel they can afford to give and not by what God asks them to give. They keep tight control because they have not given ownership of what they have to God.
God will at times ask us to go somewhere we have never gone before or do something that is completely new to us. It will require faith on our part to believe that we have heard from God and faith to believe him to get us where we need to be and do what he has asked us to do. We move forward in obedience to God and make our decisions based on what He has instructed us to do. We often do not have all the details of how this will all come to pass but we move in obedience to what we know to do and expect God to give us further direction and provision as we proceed. We have to stay connected to God, dependent upon Him daily. Faith enables us to trust Him to do His part as we do our part. Our faith in God allows us to move forward in confidence that we will see what we have believed will happen.
There is always a delay between the promise and its fulfillment. The word God has given us that we accept by faith and believe with all our heart will come to pass will have a time of incubation, a time of testing, a time of waiting until we see it fulfilled. It is during this time that we have to hold true to what we believe and be unwavering in our faith. Though we do not see the fulfillment and perhaps we see just the opposite happening we must continue to hold fast the confession of our faith and continue doing what we know to do. In the book of Hebrews chapter 11 we read of many faith stories of people who did great exploits by faith yet never saw the complete fulfillment of it. Their faith was commended because they did not waver and give up. During this time of waiting our faith matures, grows roots and is firmly established in our hearts.
Tonight I pray that your faith will continue to grow and that it will be marked by your obedience to what God has asked you to do. We are on a journey of faith and it must begin with faith in the character and nature of God. It must be based on our understanding of the mission of God so our faith is in alignment with God work. Our faith is meant to increase and grow from the experiences God gives us. God wants to give us new faith challenges to extend His Kingdom. He wants our faith to mature, he wants us to move beyond hope to true faith. This faith must be part of our prayer life in which we believe we have received what we pray for; this faith must also be evident in our obedience to go where God directs us, to do what he asks us to do and give what he asks us to give. Our faith will be tested. There will be delays in the fulfillment of what God has spoken to us but these delays are designed to mature our faith and we must hold onto the promises in spite of the circumstances, knowing that God is a rewarder and he will accomplish what he has said he will do.

PERSEVERANCE

History is filled with examples of men and women who have accomplished great things while encountering great difficulties along the way. Through perseverance they achieved what they set out to accomplish in spite of everything and everyone who came against them. I think of the inspiring story of Gladys Aylward who was a missionary to China. She was rejected by the China Inland Mission because she had a severe learning disability. She was determined to obey the Lord’s call on her life and took on extra work so she could save money for her train ticket to China. The day came when this 28 year old single lady had saved enough money to purchase it and board the train. She carried with her two suitcases, a bedroll, pots and pans and a little portable stove to cook her food. The train she boarded was not able to pass through to China because of the war. She was told that she needed to get off the train as it would proceed to the next city and then stop. She stayed on the train and sure enough it came to stop and she had to get off and walk back to the previous stop in subzero weather. She persevered and walked all the way back and over the course of time, eventually found her way to China where she spent her life ministering to the people and leading hundreds of children to safety during the war. She could have quit many times but she persevered and accomplished a great work for the Lord.
David Brainerd was called to minister to Native Americans on the east coast. He was constantly fighting sickness and disease but he persevered because of his passion for God. “He pushed his fail dying body mile after mile, heaving and coughing and spitting up blood, drenched by the thunderstorms as he rode his horse by day, and soaked by his feverish sweat as he slept in the wild by night. But there were more American Indians to be reached. So onward and onward he went-bemoaning his lack of zeal all the way!(Brown, Power of God. P. 141) David Brainerd never saw his 30th birthday but he accomplished more than many people who live to 80.
John G. Lake was called by God to be a missionary to South Africa. God supernaturally supplied for his family to move there and provided other missionaries to work with him. At one point there was no financial support for the workers who were with him. He called all the workers together and informed them that there was no more money to support them and there was no promise that money would come in the future. One day after the workers met alone they called John Lake into their room to take communion with them. They had something important to say to him that exemplifies the perseverance they exhibited.
“Brother Lake, during your absence we have come to a conclusion; we have made our decision. We want you to serve the Lord’s Supper. We are going back to our fields. We are going back if we have to walk back. We are going back if we have to starve. We are going back if our wives die. We are going back if our children die. We are going back if we die ourselves. We have but one request. If we die, we want you to come and bury us.” The next year, Lake buried 12 men, 16 wives and children. Through their perseverance through tremendous difficulties a great move of God came to South Africa.
Perseverance is not a character trait found among many people today who have little patience and less fortitude to press through adversity. It is all too easy to let obstacle change our course and lead us down a pathway that does not lead to the original destination. We want instant relief from anything that is uncomfortable or inconvenient. We lack perseverance that will enable us to press through difficulties and be transformed in our character in the process. We all have faced times of difficulty in our lives and service to the Lord in which we came to the crossroads of choosing the path we should take. One of the pathways seems to be much easier and the other filled with difficulties. One will require perseverance and the other seems very easy and very inviting. In nature we witness what happens when a bird is being hatched and how important it is to struggle to escape the shell. It is during this struggle to leave the shell that the little bird develops parts of its body that would not develop if someone tried to rescue it by knocking away the shell to make it easier for it to be released. The bird has to struggle or it will not develop normally. Some parents make life too soft for their children. They come to their rescue too quickly and pamper their child to the point that the child does not develop perseverance and they grow up expecting someone else to always bail them out of a situation they created. The child can easily become a spoiled brat who never learns the value of hard work and perseverance. Married couples who are experiencing challenges often are faced with the decision to either persevere in the relationship and work through the hard times or call it quits and each go their own way. I know a married couple who recently was faced with this very same decision of persevering or bringing the relationship to an end. One partner wanted to persevere while the other wanted it to end. In American law only one party needs to call it quits to make divorce a reality. At their court hearing the judge before making his ruling asked the couple if they could not give 90 days to seek counseling and do their best to reconcile their differences especially after being married for more than 20 years. He was reluctant to see the marriage trashed and wanted to encourage them to persevere but one refused and the marriage was terminated. When we choose to not persevere we are also choosing to not let God work in us and through us to bring about the changes that He wants to make. I am not saying that in every situation we have to persevere because there are times when you have to bring things to an end to protect yourself from destruction. I am talking about the times when deep inside you know what you should do but you do not want to persevere so you make choices to quit. In these times I believe the devil can easily deceive us into thinking that life will be so much better for us and for everyone involved. The reality is that there will be a wake of destruction that will follow the decision to not persevere and you will not realize this until it is too late.
Perseverance is a response to obedience to the revealed will of God. When you know what God has called you to do and you are determined to do it at any cost then perseverance is what you will need to get you through the hard times. I believe that when we set our hearts on obeying the Lord, he will honor that and give us perseverance to face the adversity that is before us or will hit us in the future. If you are uncertain about what God has called you to do you will be more prone to leave a situation that you do not like but if you know with certainty what God has asked of you then you must respond in obedience and trust God to do a work in you to come to your aid in the time of questioning or adversity.
We persevere in obedience to God in spite of what we may have to go through. The outcome is in the hands of God and what he requires of us is to persevere and trust him even when things are going opposite to what you want them to be or thought they would be.

As in the case of the workers of John G. Lake several of them died as they persevered in their obedience. Just because we persevere does not mean that we will be delivered from every adversity but it does mean that we will leave behind us a testimony and a legacy to others who will follow in our footsteps that will be an encouragement to them. Your obedience will pave the way for others to go beyond the point where you ended. We do not see this from our limited perspective, but God can and he knows what will result from your willingness to persevere. Hebrews 11 is filled with examples of men and women who persevered but never obtained what was promised to them. Persecution of the church is another example of believers who persevere yet die for their faith. We will not always be delivered, we may die in the process but we must never give up or give in to the enemy or lose sight of God during the ordeal. Some of you may know Carol who was our “Baker for the Maker” at the coffee house. She is back in Texas and is facing a real battle with her son-in-law who has terminal cancer. He has persevered in the battle and has been willing to let the doctors do whatever is necessary to fight the cancer because he wants to live. It would be easy to simply give up at the first mention of terminal cancer but he has put up a fight against it that will be a testimony to his family whatever happens. I received an email today from Carol which indicated that the doctors have tried everything they could to save his life and defeat the cancer. There is nothing more they can do so they have sent him home.
Peseverance also comes when we have faith that something will be accomplished or will be changed because we have stayed on course. We can keep moving forward or keep enduring hardship when we have faith that in spite of what we are experiencing God is at work and He is in control and will work all things for his purposes. Abraham had this kind of hope that enabled him to persevere. When he was called to sacrifice his only son Isaac, he had faith that God would raise him up from the dead if he died. He persevered through his doubts and fears because he had hope in God that what was promised to him would come to pass. When we have faith that what we believe will come to pass then we can persevere until it comes to pass. Great men and women of faith were also great men and women of perseverance. Noah persevered for 120 years building an ark because he had faith that God had spoken to him and that what God said would come to pass. Joseph had faith that the dream given to him by God would come to pass if he would persevere through the hardships he experienced. Moses had faith that helped him persevere for 40 years in the wilderness because he knew God was going to fulfill his promise to bring the Israelites to the Promised Land. David had faith that he would one day be King of Israel and he persevered all the trials and attacks against him by King Saul. We read in the New Testament the story of the Syro Phoenician woman who had faith to believe for the healing of her daughter. She persevered and set aside all the doubts of other people to seek out Jesus. She persevered even though she was called a “dog” because she had faith that Jesus would heal. When we have faith that is unshakeable we can persevere and we will be rewarded.
We can persevere when we believe that we are on the right track and in spite of our failures we press on. The inventors of WD 40 named their product that is widely used today as a lubricant based on two things. The WD stands for what the product can do, water displacement; it can minimize the effect of water and 40 stands for the number of formulations it took before they were successful. According to Snopes.com, “The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a “Water displacement” compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Corvair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.” They were able to persevere because with each failure they were really getting closer to finding the right formula. Like Thomas Edison who tried 6,000 vegetable growths to find the most suitable filament material for a light, they saw their failures in a different light; they had discovered 39 formulas that did not work. We can persevere when we know we are getting closer to finding a solution. Perseverance pushes us closer to our goal. Sometimes we do not know how close we really are and we can give up just before our breakthrough. I think of the story in the Bible of the lady who constantly appealed to a judge for help. He finally gave in and helped her but what would have happened if she would have chose to not go through with her final appeal to him? She would have never received the help she was requesting and the judge would have been happy to not have her bother him anymore.
We persevere because we want to be obedient to what God has called us to do. We persevere in spite of the outcomes being different than what we want or expect because we trust God to be in control and accomplishing his purposes. We persevere because we know that we will never receive what is promised if we quit. We persevere because in the process we are getting closer to our goal, closer to a breakthrough or discovery that will bring about changes that may be beyond our dreams.
In our relationship with the Lord there are specific areas that we are challenged to persevere. One area is that of prayer. We should never give up and stop praying for situations to change or people’s hearts to soften toward the Lord. We may spend years praying for a person and not see much if any change. It would be easy to not persevere and think that they are beyond reach. The hardness of a person’s heart and unwillingness to change must become a motivator for us to continue and persevere in prayer for them because we know that God hears our prayers and that he responds to them in his timing and purposes. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7:7-9; 7 “Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.
Each of these requires a little more effort on our part but perseverance is the key to obtaining what you are praying for.
Paul was an example of one who persevered in prayer. In his letter to the Thessalonians he stated, 9 How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy in the presence of God. 10 Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill up anything that may still be missing in your faith. (1 Thes. 3:9-10)
In reformed theology they speak of the “perseverance of the saints” regarding working out our salvation. In Phil 2:12 Paul states, 12Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
We are to persevere in working out our salvation because God is at work within us to will and do of his good pleasure. When we work, God works with us as a synergistic effect. When we persevere, God will be working with us, partnering with us to bring about the changes that are needed. God will finish the work he starts, he will not quit on us so we must also be willing to continue and persevere in working out our salvation. God has committed himself until the end, how can we do any less than persevere until the end. God calls us into partnership, he works with us as we persevere in the work he has given us.
Jesus when teaching about the end times said in Matthew 24:9-13 9 “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because of your allegiance to me. 10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will lead many people astray. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But those who endure to the end will be saved. Those who persevere unto the end will be saved.
We are to persevere until the end being faithful and we will be rewarded. Hebrews 3:14 states, 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. Revelation 2:26, Jesus says to the church, 26 “To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, I will give authority over all the nations. Our future reward and responsibilities will be determined by our perseverance to be faithful to the end.
Perseverance is being persistent in the process of pursing a goal. We may not reach that goal on earth but God will reward us and grant us what we have pursued in obedience to him when we are with him eternally.
Through perseverance in difficult times, God builds his character in us.
Through perseverance we overcome obstacles that stand between us and our destiny.
Through perseverance we obey what God has called us to do in spite of its difficulties and hardships.
Through perseverance we leave a legacy upon which others will receive inspiration and build upon to advance God’s Kingdom.
Through perseverance we learn from our mistakes and move closer to achieving our goal.
Through perseverance we keep praying and believing for the salvation and spiritual progress of others.
Through perseverance we work out our salvation with God’s help. As we endure and are faithful to the end and we will be rewarded.
Maybe you are here tonight and you are weary in the battle, maybe a little tired and discouraged by what has happened or not happened in your walk of faith. I believe God wants to encourage you tonight to persevere and carry out your assignment in obedience to him and allow him to work his divine nature into each us. God is a work in you through the circumstances you are facing. As you persevere he is forming his character in you, he is bringing about changes that are necessary for you to move forward and develop in the areas he wants you to develop. We can choose to persevere or quit and retreat or retire.
There have been many times in my life when I wanted to give up and change the course of my life. It has been a challenge to be here and the road has not been completely smooth. There have been obstacles along the way, personal failures and mistakes, people have come and gone for a variety of reasons, financial challenges have been a threat and there is always a voice calling from the other side of the fence. Perseverance has been required and I believe it will always be required as we walk in obedience to the Lord. The fruit of our labors is not always apparent but one day we will see with perfect vision and understanding and we will see the results of our perseverance. We have much to lose if we do not persevere but we will be rewarded greatly by the Lord when we choose to persist in our pursuit to progress toward the goal God has for each one of us.

An audio file of this message can be downloaded at: http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=191229356.wma

The Road Less Traveled...January 2009

Happy New Year! I hope that 2009 will be filled with many new experiences for each one of us as we continue to serve God’s purposes.
The New Year is off to an amazing start. A group of DTS Students from Chico, California is ministering with one of our staff members in San Pablo La Laguna at Pastor Antonio’s church. On Sunday night Pastor Antonio was called out of the service to visit a family with a critical need, their baby was not breathing and its skin was cold. He prayed for the baby but nothing happened so he returned to the church and got 2 of the DTS students to go with him to pray. After praying the baby came back to life!!! It was a faith building experience for the students, the family, the church and the community.
Christmas was a new experience for me as I went to a homeless shelter in Antigua with the DTS students. They put on a Christmas program that was greatly appreciated and enjoyed by the people. They sang along with the Christmas carols and were thankful that they could celebrate Christmas with us. Each night 80-90 people come to the shelter for a meal and they are given a thin mattress and blanket so they can sleep inside and not have to find shelter on the street. I thought about Jesus being born in a shelter and how humbling it must have been for his parents. I am grateful to God for his love for us that was demonstrated by his humble birth.
I will be going to San Pablo La Laguna the first week of February to help construct a health clinic with a group from Canada. The clinic will be constructed at the home of Pastor Efrain. The primary work will be pouring the concrete roof which will require 75 people as it will all be done by hand. Work will begin at 3 a.m. and they hope to have the roof completed by 9 a.m. The group will also be constructing a home for a family in San Pablo and we will have a clothing distribution. One Christmas Eve a man from the USA came to the coffee house for breakfast. He happened to be riding a motorcycle so I struck up a conversation and found out that he owned a factory that made T shirts. When I told him about the clothing distribution he said I could have as many “seconds” t shirts as I wanted as he had thousands of them he could not sell! I will make a trip to his factory and bring a load with me to San Pablo.
After this group we have a group from the USA coming to Antigua to help build a church and set up a feeding program with the organization that works with the homeless. Last summer the leader of this group came to the coffee house while I was working and talked to me about bringing a group to minister. He had seen young children eating from the garbage area near the market place and wanted to do something to help them. His organization is making a one year commitment to provide lunch for the children. I am hoping that we will be able to work with the children after they eat as many of them do not go to school. It will be a great opportunity to impact their lives. Pray that everything will go smoothly as the two organizations work together for the benefit of the children.
Higher Grounds Coffee House continues to be a connecting point for students who are in Antigua to study Spanish or are here on a short term missions trip. We also have had people from many countries stopping by the shop and many of them do not know the Lord. I am grateful to the Lord for the coffee house and the lives it has touched this past year. The last 5 months have been very difficult for us financially as tourism has been affected by the economic crisis in the USA. We are renting space from a Pastor who has a church behind the coffee house. He informed us that he will not be renewing the contract to rent the property when the present contract expires in October. The owner of the property wants to raise the rent substantially and he is not able to afford the proposed rent. Please pray that God will give us guidance as to what we should do regarding the coffee house ministry.
On January 17th we will be hosting a Men’s Seminar at the coffee house. We have one group of men who will be leaving their homes at 4:30 a.m. to be able to attend the seminar. Some of these men came to a conference we hosted for Pastors a year and a half ago. God touched their lives and their marriages and we are blessed that they will be coming back. Pray that the conference will truly touch the hearts of the men who come. I read an article recently in a local paper that stated Guatemala has the highest percentage of drinkers in the world. 66% of the people drink alcoholic beverages. Many families are suffering because of this and there is a great need for men to be the leaders of their families and be examples to other men who struggle with problems with alcohol.
We have had several groups contact us about coming to Guatemala this summer for ministry. If you are interested in bringing a group please contact me as soon as possible as our calendar of available dates will fill up quickly.
We have also had several students contact us regarding our fall DTS which will be held September 6, 2009 to January 22, 2010. Some of them are from Guatemala and will need financial assistance. I would like to raise several thousand dollars to assist them. Our goal is to have at least 10 students in the class. Please pray that God will supply everything we need to make the school happen this fall.
Thank you for your prayers and support of the ministry during the past year. I have been and continue to be grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to be here. I am especially grateful for many of you who have given sacrificially to help fund the construction projects and send children to school. Your gifts and prayers have made a difference in many people lives.
May the Lord continue to bless your lives and provide for all of your needs during these trying times.
For Him,
Bruce

Correspondence address:
Bruce Ahlberg
6ta Avenida Norte #33
Antigua, Guatemala
Contribution address:
YWAM Antigua
15850 Richardson Springs Rd.
Chico, CA 95973
(Please attach a note to indicate your designation)

I press on..

I press on…
Happy New Year to everyone! I pray that 2009 will be a year of great ministry for each of us and that God will help each one of us achieve everything He has placed in our hearts to do. The beginning of a new year is usually marked by some type of resolutions to make changes in our lives in areas that we have not experienced change to the degree that we desire. I recently ordered a book from a Christian company. The book was on sale because it was not considered first quality. I found the title and description very interesting and it really spoke a message to me as well. It said, “The Heavenly Man (slightly imperfect)”. I think this is an accurate description of a believer in Christ. We are seated with Christ at the right hand of glory yet we also live on the earth and experience an imperfect life marked by sin. We are all slightly imperfect. None of us can make a claim to have arrived and become everything God has destined for our lives. We are on a journey that is often marked with success and failure. We all have areas of our life that we want to focus on and see improvements. Our imperfections can be found in many areas of our lives: physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, social or financial. God is a God who can bring about changes in our lives in the areas that we struggle with our imperfections. We can look at our imperfections and despair and simply accept things as they are without any hope of seeing change or we can seek God and with his help follow a course that will bring about the changes we desire. We don’t have to accept things as permanent that we know can change in spite of how many times you may have tried and failed.
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippian church reflected on his spiritual progress (3:12-14) and give us some principle we can put into practice to bring about change in our lives.
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be,* but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.*

Paul gives us some principles to follow to bring about change in our lives. The first thing he notes is that he recognized and admitted his imperfections. Paul had many successes in his ministry and to many people in his day and even in our day he was considered a spiritual giant. Paul had an accurate assessment of himself. He knew that in spite of his successes and growth he was not all that he should or could be. There were still areas of growth and change that were needed in his life. Change can only happen when we are willing to see ourselves accurately and indentify our imperfections. Most of us do not have a lot of trouble with this first step. But if you do have trouble just ask your spouse or a friend and I am sure they can help you identify several areas that are in need of improvement. When we are willing to admit our faults it opens us up to receiving help from God and his people. The person who hides their weakness and is not transparent with people will find it difficult to overcome their imperfections. Paul confessed to the whole church that he was not at the place he should or could be. He had not achieved everything God had for him. What area of your life do you want to see God work a change? Identify it, admit it, be open to God and a trusted friend to take it out of hiding so you can begin to make changes.
The second thing Paul mentioned in these verses was he was focused on a goal. Paul had a determination to not let his past failings or successes keep him from moving forward toward the goal. It seems in life there are two kinds of people, the floaters and the focused. The floaters just go with the flow, they let other people and circumstances determine their destiny. They have no plans, no real solid goals or ambition. They live from day to day, doing the same things over and over and that becomes their life. The other type of people are those who have a focus, those who set goals and live with a purpose and do not let their past determine their future. When we want to see change in our lives we must set aside the past, forget it, no matter how horrible or difficult it has been and focus on the goal that you have set for yourself. You may have tripped, fallen, been pushed aside, treated unfairly, dealt a bad hand, etc. and you can use that as an excuse to keep you from pursuing the goal that is before you. Sometimes we simply need to forgive ourselves for the failures we have experienced. Maybe you have had a relationship with another person go bad and you have been the one at fault or at least have been responsible for some of the destruction and you are now having a hard time moving forward with your life because you are constantly looking back at the failures you made. Our focus and our energies have to be directed toward the goal that we have set. Don’t waste your time or energy looking back, look toward the goal you have set.
I remember in Boy Scouts we had a class called orienteering. It was a class about using a map and compass to go from one destination to another. We had contests using our compasses to complete a course that was laid out for us. The goal was to get as close as possible to the final destination point that was unknown to us. We would typically be given a direction such as 279 degrees and a distance that we were to go such as 100 feet. Two things were very important. One, you had to plot a line to walk in the direction that you were given. To do this you had to use the compass and sight in on an object in the distance that was in line with the direction you were going to walk. Once you had your object marked you fixed your eyes on it and began to walk toward it. The second critical element was you had to know the distance covered with each of your steps. Each step had to be the same and you calculated exactly how many steps you would take to go the distance you were given. When you reached the destination, you were given another direction and distance. The people who set up the course knew exactly where you were to finish and the winner was determined by how close they came to the final destination. Goals in life will only be achieved when we keep our focus on them and take calculated steps to achieve them. Goal setting is important when you are serious about making changes in your life. A goal is really not a goal until you write it down and share it with someone. Putting it in writing usually means you have thought it through and know exactly what you want to achieve. By writing it down and sharing your goal with another person, you are taking the first steps toward achieving it. When you give it to someone else it becomes even more established because you are holding yourself accountable to that person.
Once the goal is set you will have to make changes in your life to achieve it. To achieve your goal means you will have to make changes in your priorities of how you use your time and resources so you can carry out the plan you have formulated or the steps you will need to take to realize your goal. Someone said that insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting the results to be different. The goal you have set must be worth the sacrifices you will need to make in order to achieve it. You will have to give up something in order to gain something more valuable than the thing you are giving up. You will have to discipline yourself to say no to many things that only serve to draw you away and steal your time. You have to form new habits to replace the habits that will rob you from accomplishing your goal. Old habits tend to die hard and we will struggle with them until we replace them with new habits. I remember working on an advanced degree in a distance learning program and the struggles I had at times with making sacrifices of my time and interests in order to complete the classes and write the papers for each class. To get my work done I simply had to say no to other activities, no matter how appealing they seemed. The things that I gave up were not things that I would never have the opportunity to do at another time, it was not like if you don’t go now you will never be able to do this. There were times when I gave in to the desire but you know you really don’t enjoy the activity to the degree you normally would because there is the little voice called your conscience that seems to constantly remind you that you are not doing the right thing. It really takes the joy out of the experience and the times when I made the sacrifice and spent the hours of reading, researching and writing always left me with a feeling of satisfaction and reward because I was moving closer to my goal of completing the degree. I think one of the rewards of having a goal and working toward it is the sense of accomplishment you feel each time you carry out the disciplines and complete the steps you have established to work toward the goal. If you are a floater or an undisciplined person you will probably never experience this type of satisfaction that is built in with progressing toward a goal. If you are a construction worker you understand the satisfaction one feels at the end of the day when you can look at the work you have planned and accomplished that day and feel good about it. As each day passes and the work continues toward the goal you gain momentum because you can see the end in sight and there is a great sense of accomplishment provided that the quality of your work is at the standard it should be. Set your goal, share your goal, set your priorities and make the sacrifices necessary to achieve the steps you have planned to reach the goal, these are the initial steps you will have to take.

The next principle that Paul mentioned is the amount of effort that will be needed to achieve your goal. Paul said “I strain to reach the end of the race.” In other words give it all you have until you reach the finish line. Most races are won at the very end when the competitors give everything they have as they reach the finish line. It is not the time to go into cruise control but it is the time to push yourself to the limit to make sure no one else gets the prize. The husband of my boss when I worked for the motorcycle program made a statement to me that he had read in a book which said that the last 10 percent of the work in achieving the goal will require 90 percent of the energy. I never really understood the statement when he made it because I thought that most of the energy is needed to get things started. But the truth of the statement has become more evident as I observe how things change and how people achieve their goals in spite of the most difficult obstacles that seem to always appear as you get closer to the goal. The last part of the race is usually the most difficult and if you want to finish in first place you have to strain at the finish line. If your goal has been to lose weight the first pounds come off a lot easier than the last pounds. Running the first mile of a marathon is a whole lot different than the 26th mile.
Survey of Gifted People
In 1962, Victor and Mildred Goertzel published a revealing study of 413 “famous and exceptionally gifted people” called Cradles of Eminence. They spent years attempting to understand what produced such greatness, what common thread might run through all of these outstanding people’s lives.
Surprisingly, the most outstanding fact was that virtually all of them, 392, had to overcome very difficult obstacles in order to become who they were.
Holy Sweat, Tim Hansel, 1987, Word Books Publisher, p. 134

Straining also implies that there is opposition or forces working against you. If you are involved in ministry you know very well that there are spiritual forces of darkness and demonic powers that are working hard against you. As you set out to fulfill a God given goal you have to also expect that these enemies will be working hard against you because they understand how accomplishing your goal will make you stronger in God and a stronger force against them. They do not want you to succeed and they will come against you to try to discourage and stop your progress. I believe the enemy has assignments against us and he uses demons as well as people to try to stop us. We have to recognize the attack, resist the devil and command him to leave us alone. He cannot usurp the authority God has given us as believers. We have been given power over the enemy. The devil is definitely an enemy who opposes us but sometimes we can also become our own enemy by making choices that go against our goal. We can become lazy or we can get our lives out of balance and push too hard to achieve our goal and cause damage to our physical body as well as damage to relationships we have ignored in the process.

The final thing Paul mentions is that a reward will be given to those who finish the race and have run by the rules. The reward will be based on the quality of your effort and your performance. God is concerned with how we have run the race not just that we have finished it. He wants us to finish strong and finish with a clean conscience. Our works will be tested by fire to determine their quality: wood, hay, stubble or precious metals and stones. Some people when they are given or take on an assignment or project never put their best effort into it. They complete the job but will not receive much of a reward. It is usually done late and the quality is not what they could have made it with more effort. If you set your goals you may as well put your best effort into it so that it will be something you will be proud of doing. When you take short cuts or use inferior materials or do not do quality work, it will show. You may have saved time, money and energy but the reputation that you will gain from poor workmanship will be remembered and will be a hindrance to you.
One problem that seems to come up in some marathon races is runners who start the race but take a short cut so they can be near the front when they finish the race. They wanted the thrill of victory without the agony of de feet! Many races now use devices that are laced to the shoe and when the runner passes checkpoints the device is recognized by a machine which verifies the runner has stayed the course. It is important that you give your best effort in achieving your goal so that you can celebrate with a clean conscience and establish a good reputation among those who are supporting or observing you. I think about Barry Bonds who set the record for homeruns but his record will always be marked with an asterisk because he used steroids to enhance his performance. He will never be able to fully enjoy the record because he failed to play by the rules.

I want to challenge each of us tonight to identify at least one area of your life that you can say that you want to change. Perhaps you want to increase your understanding of the Bible by reading through it in one year. Write it down as your goal: I will read through the Bible in one year. Share your goal with another person and ask them to help you by holding you accountable. You could do this by asking them to check on your progress each week via some form of communication. Break your goal into measurable steps. Maybe you will read three chapters a day or you can follow a plan that someone has already devised. Some people have a chart in which they check off the chapters read each day to help keep track of what they have done and what is yet to be done. A visual aid can help motivate you as you see the chart being filled in. I knew a married couple that set a goal to lose weight. To help motivate them they put a picture on the refrigerator of “the way we were.” Every time they went to get food out of the refrigerator there was a visual reminder of the goal they had set. Motivational speakers encourage people to reward themselves for achieving certain landmarks along the way. If you are working with someone to hold them accountable maybe you could be the one who sets the rewards for achieving goals along the way. A gift, a meal, public recognition among peers etc. are all things that can be incorporated into the program to help motivate people to press on. External rewards can be powerful motivators but the internal rewards and the satisfaction you gain by seeing the goals being accomplished will be the strongest motivational factors that will bring permanent change. Determine what you will need to give up or sacrifice in order to meet your goal. If your goal is reading through the Bible you may need to get up a half hour earlier than normal or give up a tv program or use part of your lunch time etc. Give up activities that steal your time and block off the time you need to dedicate to working on your goal. Establish the disciplines and make them become a habit. After awhile you will feel badly if you miss doing the disciplines and that is a good sign. Make your goal a priority in your life, keeping it in the proper perspective of your responsibilities so that when you complete your goal there are loved ones with you to celebrate with you. Give your best effort, don’t take short cuts or short change yourself from being able to celebrate with a clear conscience and a good reputation.
Paul’s words to us bear repetition and I would like to close with them.

12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.

An audio file can be downloaded at:http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=946150260.wma

Christmas Eve Celebration

Christmas Eve was spent with the DTS teams from Sacramento and Chico California who are here in Antigua on their outreach phase. We went to a homeless shelter that is run by God's Child project in Antigua. Each night the shelter provides a hot meal to 80-90 people and gives them a mattress and blanket so they can sleep in a warm and secure place. They also have showers and bathrooms that are available for their use. Christmas Eve is special to everyone in one way or another. I am sure many of them had memories of years past when they had a home or were with their family to celebrate with tamales and ponche. Our group was prepared with several Christmas songs that many of the people knew and joined in with us. It brought a smile to their faces as they sang the familiar tunes. The group also did a couple of dramas and a short message on the love of God for each one of them. We also prayed with people to receive Christ as Savior and also prayed for any who had special requests. A couple of the men asked for prayer to help them overcome their drug addiction problems. Many of the men present deal with sniffing glue as it is a cheaper way to get high. It was a wonderful night for all of us and for me it reminded me of Jesus being born in a shelter not made for humans but for animals. As hard as it is for people to accept help from a homeless shelter I think of how hard it was for Mary and Joseph to accept a lowly manger filled with smells of animals as the birth place of the Savior. Christ came in humility, lived in humility and died in humility a model for each of us to follow as we live in such a hostile pride filled world that rejects Christ as Savior. I pray that each day we will walk out our faith among people in need who truly desire to see Christ bring changes to their lives that only he can do.

Jesus: God's Indescribable Gift

Jesus: God’s Indescribable Gift
Christmas will be celebrated all over the world next Thursday. For some people it will just be another gathering of family and friends to eat a good meal with no reflection at all about Jesus. Other families will meet to eat and exchange gifts among each other with little thought or no thought about God’s most awesome gift to the world his Son Jesus the Messiah. Many of the gifts that will be given will be returned to the store for a variety of reasons, other gifts will be accepted but not really appreciated because they were not what the people really wanted. I remember when I was in Junior High and I received a gift from my parents that I did not want and I was so disappointed. My parents did not have a lot of money to buy lots of gifts and I am sure it was disappointing for them to see my disappointment in what they thought was something I would want and enjoy. I wonder how disappointed God will be this year when so many people reject the gift that he has given to them because they are looking for something else? I wonder how many people will celebrate Christmas and not even open up the gift God has given to them because they either have rejected him or are not even aware that the gift has been given to them?
For those of us who are Christ followers this time of year is precious to us because we understand how important and valuable the gift of Jesus is to each one of us. Paul the apostle lived many years of his life in opposition to Christ, a persecutor of believers in Christ because he had rejected Jesus as the Messiah and was waiting for another messiah to come to rule on the earth. His ignorance and doubt kept him from receiving God’s gift. But one day his life was changed when he heard Jesus speak to him and he understood that he truly was the Messiah and that the years he had spent in doubt, unbelief and rebellion against Christ were all a waste. As Paul embarked on his new life as a Christ follower he began to discover all the riches that God had given him in Christ. He was constantly overwhelmed by Christ to the point that he wrote, “thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” Paul could not even put into words the supreme value of this gift. Christ was everything to Paul and as you read his testimony in Acts and any of his letters you will see how much Paul loved Christ and how grateful he was to know Christ and how much he realized Christ had done for him.
In Acts 26 Paul in his testimony to King Agrippa recounted how Jesus spoke to him on the Damascus road.
15“So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 16‘But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17‘I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18‘to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.
Paul had a revelation of Jesus. For the first time in his life he understood who Jesus was and that he was working against God’s will. Paul received the gift of revelation of Christ and this is the cry of God today for the world that they will receive the gift he has given to them that they will have a revelation of Jesus and know that he was and is God’s gift to mankind. Jesus is revealing himself to the world through the preaching of the gospel message yet 1/3 of the worlds 6 billion people have yet to have the message clearly presented to them. Paul had it right in Romans 10:13-15
13For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
14How 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? 15And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
It is in the preaching of the gospel that the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of the people to understand who Jesus is and what he has done for them. Paul had a direct revelation and there are numerous testimonies today of how Jesus is revealing himself to people in their dreams. I listened to a testimony from Larry Poland who is the founder of Mastermedia International which reaches out to decision makers in Hollywood. He reaches out to all kinds of people with all kinds of problems that are prevalent in Hollywood. One Jewish man was investing in global pornography industry heard a voice in the night directing him to 4 different Messanic Scriptures that revealed Jesus as the Messiah. He gave his life to Christ and thirty days later he met with Larry and withdrew his support of the investment in pornography. God wants the world to know of his gift to them and he is actively involved in revealing himself to a lost world. He is also calling each of us to be heralds like the angels who announced the birth of the Messiah to the shepherds. God’s passion is saving human beings from sin and its consequent death. This passion must also be our passion if we want to truly reveal God’s heart for people.
Mark Canada works with youth and young adults in Colombia, S.C. He has a passion for souls and boldly witnesses to the lost. He related one incident that I found very inspiring. He drove into his driveway and he saw two guys going door to door and he thought they were Mormons. He went into his house and prayed on his knees at his door that God would send them to his house so he could talk to them and share the gospel. The two men passed his house and when he finally looked out the door he saw them driving away in their vehicle. He took off running after them as they began to drive away. They stopped in the middle of the street and he approached them and asked them if they were Mormons. They said no we are selling vacuum cleaners! It was an awkward moment but he said, “I was wondering if I could tell you about Jesus.” They said okay and he shared the gospel message with them. How passionate are you about sharing God’s most precious gift with the lost?
Paul received his mission and purpose and that was to reveal Christ to a world lost in darkness. The revelation of Christ was going to increase in his life and Paul’s ministry was to impart this revelation of Christ to others. This is our ministry as well, to impart the revelation of Christ to others. This revelation should be increasing in our life just as it did with Paul. There is so much more of Christ that we can receive as we pursue him. Our relationship with Christ must become more intimate as we receive more revelation from Him. Is your relationship with Christ marked by increased revelation of him and from him or are you at a point of plateau or decline in your relationship with him? It is the revelation of Christ that will bring vibrancy to your relationship and motivate you to preach the gospel message that will turn people from darkness to light. Only Christ can liberate the lost from the darkness that they live in every day. Many of you here tonight can testify what God has done in your life to set you free from darkness. Physical darkness is a frightening thing but spiritual darkness is even worse. Have you ever been in a place that was totally dark? I was in a cave one day with a group of young people and our tour guide warned us that he was going to shut the lights off for a little while so we could experience complete darkness. I will never forget the sensation when the lights went out. You could not see your hand in front of your face. The guide said that after 15minutes in total darkness you will lose your sense of direction and you would fall to the ground because of the disorientation. This is the darkness that the world is in today; it has lost its way and is in complete disorientation. People are literally groping in darkness but many of them do not even realize it, they think it is normal. I remember when the lights came back on in the cave and what a welcome sight it was to all of us. We could see our way and walk without stumbling toward the exit of the cave. Jesus is the light of the world, he is the one who lights our way and helps us arrive at our destination. What an awesome gift God has given us in Christ.
This gift of Christ also turned people from the power of Satan to God. The whole world lies under the power of the evil one. All men are either under the control of Christ or the control of the devil. While in India I witnessed people possessed by demonic power. The demons took control of their bodies and their voices. They threw the people to the ground, caused them to writhe in pain and crawl on their stomach like a snake. One person said, “Do not say the name of Jesus.” The demons knew the power of the name of Jesus and they did not want to submit to him. I witnessed the power of the name of Jesus turning people from the power of Satan to the God. Only Jesus can set people free from demonic power. He has destroyed the work of Satan and rendered him powerless. Only Jesus can set men from the power of Satan and the power of sin. Only Jesus can liberate the soul of man from serving Satan. We live in a time when many deny the reality of a devil and demonic powers. Yet this is one of the main strategies of Satan is to make people think that he does not exist so he can continue to control and influence their lives. He is as real as gravity and everyone who is not under the power of Christ is under his power whether they acknowledge it or not. God has given us power over Satan and we must continue the mission He has given us of destroying the work of Satan in people’s lives.
The gift of Christ also brought forgiveness to mankind. God has built within all people a moral code. Everyone knows what others “ought” to do yet everyone violates this moral code. Consequently mankind has a huge problem of dealing with guilt. Guilt is probably the leading cause of many illnesses both physical and mental. Guilt is linked to sin, violating God’s laws and all of mankind has done this. All of mankind is born with a sin nature, it is part of our DNA we inherited from Adam. Only in Christ can we receive true forgiveness from sin. Christ is the only acceptable sacrifice that met the requirements of a righteous God that would appease him. Sin required a sacrifice. Virtually every culture recognizes that whatever god they worship must be appeased by some type of sacrifice. The Mayan Indians have a history of human sacrifices given to appease their gods. These sacrifices did not remove the guilt of the people. The only sacrifice that meets God’s requirements was Jesus who lived a sinless life and freely gave himself as the sacrifice to God for our sins. Only Christ can set us free from the guilt and penalty of sin which is eternal death and separation from God.
The final aspect of the gift of Christ Paul recorded in his conversation with Christ is the gift of the inheritance for those who believe in Christ. Part of the inheritance we have in Christ is given to us while we are living on the earth and part of our inheritance will be given when we get to heaven. While we are on this earth we are given the indwelling presence of Christ in the form of the Holy Spirit. This is the transforming power that is at work in each of us daily to conform us to the image of Christ. God is daily at work in us to impart His nature in us. Peter stated that God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.
3as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
In Christ we have everything we need, we lack nothing, God is not withholding anything from us to enable us to become like Christ. This is an exciting part of our inheritance as we witness God changing us from glory to glory. At times the process seems slow but God has promised that he will finish the work he has started in each one of us. God is with us, in us and for us! The other part of our inheritance will be received when we arrive in heaven. God is preparing a special mansion for each of us. In the Jewish wedding process after the official betrothal the bride and groom where not to see each other for a year. During this year the bride made her dress and prepared herself for the wedding day. She kept herself pure. Meanwhile the groom worked and prepared a house for his bride. When the father of the groom said the home was ready, the groom went to get his bride and the wedding ceremony took place. Jesus is preparing a place of his bride right now and he is eagerly waiting until his Father tells him it is time for his bride to join him. This is the inheritance we all anticipate, being united forever with Christ, ruling and reigning with him throughout eternity. When you think about other religious beliefs and what they promise they cannot compare too what Christians have waiting for them. The Muslim men if they make it into heaven will receive 70 virgins as their reward. If you are a Hindu you may be reincarnated as a cow or an insect when you die depending on how you lived on earth. I don’t know about you but these things do not motivate me to look forward to life after death. For the many people the life they are living right now is as good as it will ever be for them. Paul said that eye has not seen nor ear heard neither has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for us. Our inheritance will be greater than we could have ever imagined.
As we celebrate Christmas this year I pray we will remember the indescribable gift we have in Christ.
We have been given the gift of the revelation of Christ as our Messiah and Savior.
We have been given the gift of a mission and purpose to declare this revelation to others.
We have been given the gift of power over Satan.
We have received the gift of forgiveness of our sin.
We have received the gift of an inheritance now in the gift of the Holy Spirit and an inheritance as the bride of Christ and the eternal union we will enjoy with him.
We of all people have something to be celebrating this Christmas.

An audio file of this message can be downloaded at the following link:
http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=1096356668.wma

Joseph:A model for men today

Imagine that you are the recipient of this letter.
Dear Abby,
I have really sad and disturbing news to report to you and I really need your prayers and advice as to what I should do. Last night my fiancée shocked me with news that she is pregnant! Abby, I am not the father of this baby, I have never had sexual relations with my fiancée and she even admitted that she had a relationship with another guy. It was a one night thing but that is all it takes to completely change a relationship. I felt betrayed by her, I felt as though I was talking to a person that I did not know and I never in my life expected this to happen. I am faced with a decision as to what I should do. I have lost trust in her and I am not sure I could live with the fact that she had a relationship with someone else when she had made a commitment to a future with me. I am angry and upset and I ask for your prayers for me during this trying time. I really loved her but now everything has changed and I don’t know what I should do. Please pray for me!
Joseph
This very well could have been a letter written by Joseph. Tonight I want to look at his life and walk with him as he faced the news bomb that Mary dropped on him and find out how he dealt with it. We live in a culture in Guatemala that in many cases venerates Mary the mother of Jesus but does little to honor Joseph. Joseph is a great example for us as we look at his life we will discover that he was truly a man whom God could entrust one of the greatest responsibilities in the world. Joseph was a man like us who faced some incredible challenges but he possessed a character that is marked by integrity, humility, obedience, responsibility and faithfulness.
Joseph came for a royal background but you would have never known it by his occupation as a carpenter. He was a descendent from King David. He had a heritage he could be proud of and I am sure he was surprised when he looked back and had understanding of Jesus being the promised Messiah that he was the last link in the chain. Through him the prophecy was fulfilled that was spoken to David many years previously. But at the time of his engagement to Mary, he did not know that God was going to use him to rear the Messiah when he came to the earth to fulfill his mission of salvation. When Mary announced she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit, Joseph’s head must have been spinning. He did not know what to make of this announcement, it seemed unreal, unbelievable and in his own thinking and after a pregnant pause, he determined that it was better to break off the engagement which was equal to a divorce to spare himself the embarrassment of his fiancé’s pregnancy. Joseph could have broken the engagement in a public ceremony which would have brought shame to Mary. The Old Testament Law would not have been merciful to Mary, she would have been viewed with contempt if people found out she was pregnant.
There were 3 phases to a relationship between a married couple. The first phase was the engagement. This was usually arranged by the parents or a matchmaker and could happen when the two parties were very young. Before entering into the next phase of betrothal the girl could choose to not go through with the next phase. If she chose to be betrothed to the man and entered into the agreement it was considered binding.
.” They were engaged (betrothed) before two witnesses. The man would give the woman a present; her father would pay a dowry. If the man died, she would be called a widow. If the woman died, he would be called a widower. If the engagement broke up, it would be called a divorce. During the time they were engaged, they were called husband and wife. While they were engaged, they were to be virgins and they were to have no sexual intercourse prior to marriage. The engagement was to last one year and then they were to be married. If a woman became pregnant by another man, she could be stoned to death. Eduard F. Markquart
Mary’s announcement to him was hard to take and I am sure he wondered about her fidelity and faithfulness to him. He may have felt betrayed by the women he loved and wondered why she would go through with this act of adultery. What did he do that would cause her to have an affair with another man? Really what kind of woman was Mary? All of these questions and disappointments filled his thinking and the only option he saw was to divorce her, cancel the engagement and wedding. I think most men would have felt the same way if their fiancée announced she was pregnant and you knew you were not the father. It is obvious that Joseph was a man of morals and high standards. He was a man of integrity who lived out what he believed. I think his initial response to the announcement of Mary’s pregnancy was one that reflected his high morals and concern for obedience to the law of Moses. Our world today at least in many countries does not think badly of a woman who is pregnant before she is married. In the USA 80% of the children born to black mothers are born into a single parent family. In Sweden 80% of the people living together do not marry yet see no problem having children in a non committed relationship. I remember growing up that when a girl became pregnant before marriage it was not looked upon favorably, there was a certain shame that went with it because there was a standard of morality that people held to that did not approve of pregnancy before marriage. Joseph was from the old school of morality and he could not envision marrying a woman who was pregnant by another man.
We see in Joseph his compassion for Mary. He could have made a big scene about her pregnancy but he gave preference to divorcing her privately with 2 witnesses as was the custom. I see Joseph as a hurt man yet a tender man who did not want to make things more difficult for Mary. He was obviously disappointed in what had happened yet he chose to end the relationship with the least amount of damage to her. How different that is from what we see and read about when relationships end today. Often it is not done peacefully and there are usually accusations and harmful words and actions that leave deeper wounds than already exist.
God understood where Joseph was at in this dilemma and he sent an angel to him in a dream. The angel said,” Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people. (Matthew 1:20-22)
This message is exactly what Joseph needed to hear to calm his fears and doubts. We see the loving-kindness of God in the visitation of the angel and in the message delivered. It seems a little strange to me that God would speak in a dream to him rather than send the angel to appear to him like Mary experienced. Mary had no doubts that she had seen an angel but it would seem that a dream would not be as certain. I have had many dreams that were very vivid but I am glad that they were only dreams and not reality. I would have died a long time ago and horrible things would have happened if they were true. Yet God must have trusted Joseph to know that he would believe the dream, that the dream would be strong enough evidence to cause him to change his mind about the divorce. Joseph must have been familiar with the Old Testament stories of angels appearing in dreams to convey a message from God. Joseph had faith in God and he knew God had sent the angel to him to instruct him regarding his decision. Someone once said big decisions need big guidance and confirmation. This was one of those big decisions that really needed big confirmation. It is an encouragement to us as we seek to follow the Lord and are faced with big decisions that have our head spinning at times. God understands what we need to guide us and he will be faithful to give us the confirmations that we need. When the angel addressed Joseph he reminded him of his heritage by calling him the son of David. This was the lineage of the Messiah and Joseph needed to be reminded of it. The angel explained the pregnancy of Mary and assured Joseph that the Holy Spirit was involved just as Mary had said. His greatest doubt and fear was calmed and Joseph could proceed confidently and not have to worry about what other people may say or think. God settled the issue in his mind and Joseph could move forward with his life with Mary. The angel also instructed him what to name the baby. Naming a child is an important thing for parents. I remember looking through name books for my daughter and trying to think of a name that had significance, not just one that sounded good or was popular at the time. The name that Joseph was to give would become the most powerful name on earth. At his name every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. At his name demons will flee, at his name sickness and disease will be healed and the dead will rise and salvation will be given to all who believe in his Name. What a powerful and wonderful name Joseph would have the honor of announcing to everyone.
When Joseph woke up from his dream he immediately did what the Lord asked of him. He brought Mary home to be his wife, to care for her and this Messiah who was forming in her womb. He no longer rejected her but he embraced her and came along side the sovereign work of God to bring salvation to his people. How exciting it must have been for him to watch Mary grow and know that the baby was the long awaited Messiah.
Joseph was a man of humility. We do not read of him making great boasts about what God was doing through Mary and him. We do not read of him defending himself or hiding Mary from public view. He was a humble man who walked in obedience to the Lord. I picture Joseph as a faithful husband, tenderly caring for his wife and the child being formed. He worked his job as a carpenter to be a faithful provider for his wife and child. I see Joseph as a man of responsibility who took seriously his role as the father of Jesus. He was a humble servant and a loving husband to his wife. Joseph had an important role to play in the life of Mary and Jesus. He was not going to be the star, the attention would not be focused on him but that was not important to him. His desire was to be obedient to the Lord, to care for his wife and be a provider for his family. Joseph had deep respect for Mary and for the Lord as witnessed by his self control to keep his wife a virgin until Jesus was born. He did not want to interfere in what God. The word on the street was most likely that Joseph had gotten Mary pregnant. But Joseph knew the truth and he was willing to accept the false accusations while maintaining a pure relationship with Mary. This is pretty extraordinary if you ask me. Newlyweds who have kept themselves pure look forward to consummating their relationship. Yet Joseph and Mary were given the grace to be able to wait until Jesus was born. Joseph is a model of self control. He understood what was at stake. He saw a greater mission and cause than satisfying his own personal needs. When we walk in self control we are able to give priority to the things that are most important and we are willing to lay down our own personal desire to be able to fulfill the most important mission. Self control and self discipline are two things that are not in great abundance today in many people’s lives. Living for the moment is given greater value than delaying and waiting for things to be enjoyed at the proper time. Delayed gratification is not a value of many people and it has led to the destruction of many lives. Joseph was willing to lay down his rights as a husband in order to protect the child and protect the reputation of both he and Mary. He lived his life with a higher purpose in mind through the grace and self control he was given.
The next part of the story of Joseph’s life centers on the birth of Christ. Mary and Joseph were forced to go to Bethlehem to be registered in the census. I am sure Joseph was not real eager to take his very pregnant wife on a journey imposed by the Roman government. I would have looked at it as very bad timing and probably would have sought out other options but Joseph was obedient to the law of the land and took Mary on the journey. Perhaps he knew the Scriptures in Micah 5:2 that prophesied that Christ would be born in Bethlehem so maybe there was some excitement about its fulfillment happening on this voyage. I imagine that Joseph felt rejection when he inquired at the inn for a room for his pregnant wife. What kind of man was this innkeeper to let a 9 month pregnant woman sleep in an area reserved for animals? I know I would have been bewildered and would have wondered if this person had an ounce of compassion. Yet Joseph seemed to deal with it and though he would have wanted a better place for his wife to give birth, God was in control and had a purpose in this unlikely place for a Messiah to be born. Joseph’s humility is demonstrated again in his acceptance of this manger to be a place where they would spend the night. After the birth of Jesus the shepherds came to worship the new born King. Perhaps Joseph was initially concerned about their sudden appearance after all shepherds where not considered to be people of great reputation and they were complete strangers to Mary and Joseph. Yet after they announced that they too had been visited by an angel announcing the birth of the Messiah joy must have flooded his heart. The reality of Jesus the Messiah was clearly communicated and confirmed by the Lord. Joseph was at peace, knowing that what he believed and what Mary had been told was truly God’s plan. If there was any doubt the appearance of the shepherds with the news they brought removed the doubt and there was great joy as they joined in worship of the King. God rewards those who walk by faith and obedience to him. This moment was a reward for both Mary and Joseph for their faithfulness to the Lord to carry out his will. They were the first to see the Messiah, the first to hold him, the first to embrace him and kiss him. A Kodak memory like none other. How privileged he must have felt, how honored he was to be at his wife’s side when she gave birth to the long awaited and promised Messiah. I will always remember the birth of my daughter. I was able to be in the room when she was born. I can still see her face immediately after she was born and I remember the joy in seeing her brought into the world. Joseph had the same opportunity but how much more special it was knowing that this baby would be the Messiah.
The wise men from the East came to Bethlehem to worship the King and bring gifts to him. Again I think of how Joseph must have felt when these men arrived and gave such extravagant gifts to Jesus. Gold was the gift for a king, it was a precious metal that had great value. Perhaps this gold was used to meet the financial needs Joseph and Mary had on the next step of their journey. Frankincense is the gift for a priest. It is used in the temple worship and sacrifices. Its fragrance was sweet. The priest was the bridge builder between God and man. Jesus would be the final priest who would bridge the gap between God and man through his sacrificial death. The third gift the wise men brought was myrrh which was used to embalm dead bodies. Jesus came to die for our sins, this was his mission. Joseph again must have been amazed at what God was doing to confirm that this young child was truly the Promised Messiah who would be a King like none other, a Priest who would reconcile men to God and a sacrifice for the sins of man.
Joseph, Mary and Jesus soon had to flee to Egypt to protect the Messiah from Herod’s edict which demanded the death of all males 2 years old and under. Again an angel appears to Joseph in a dream and instructs him to flee immediately with Mary and Jesus to Egypt. By now Joseph is well aware of who Jesus is and he responds in obedience to go to Egypt. Instant obedience is what God requires of us when he reveals truth to us. There was no time to debate or doubt or delay. It was imperative that they go immediately and not return until he was given those instructions. Isn’t this true of our lives today? We are to respond in obedience to what God has revealed to us and go where he wants us to go and only leave when He tells us to leave. How many people have ended the mission before God has said it is time to move on to the next place. How many people have grown impatient or did not like living in another culture with its inconveniences and have decided to abort the mission? God called them and they were convinced that this is what he wanted but they left the field before it was time and missed out on what God was doing in their lives as well as in the lives of the people they lived among. You may be feeling pulled to go home, it is definitely a strong thing around Christmas and Thanksgiving. Maybe you have grown a little weary and would love to go back home where things were a little easier and more comfortable. Don’t go until the Lord says it is time to go. Set aside your feelings and desires and commit yourself to fulfill his plan in the place he has called you! Trust the Holy Spirit to guide your steps and move you on at the proper time.
Joseph obeyed and stayed until the Lord directed him back through another dream in which the angel told him it was time to return. But when he returned he was fearful because Archelaus was the new ruler appointed over Judea. Archelaus was even more ruthless than his father Herod. He began his rule by killing 3000 of the most influential people in the country. Joseph knew it would not be safe to return there and again an angel directed him to go to Nazareth and make his home there. Again we see the care and concern of Joseph for well being of his family and his obedience to follow the instructions of the angel. Joseph was not willing to put Jesus and Mary at risk and jeopardize their lives. This is the mark of a great father who is willing to put the needs of his family, their safety and security as a top priority. We need men to be like Joseph who will set the Lord before them and make obedience to God their priority. We need men who will be humble servants who will look after the needs of their families and make it a priority. We have too many examples and stories today of men who have abandoned their families and walked away from their responsibilities to provide for their children. In the state of Nebraska they passed a law that stated that any unwanted child could be dropped off at hospitals so they could be placed in a loving home. The law was designed to give new bornes a home instead of finding them in a dumpster. Unfortunately, young people of all ages were dropped off because their parents no longer wanted them. Can you imagine what it must be like for these children who are abandoned and told they are not wanted. The legislature of Nebraska had to rewrite the law to keep parents from shirking their responsibilities. The greatest addiction of teenagers today is love addiction. Many have been abandoned by their parents and they are looking for love, looking for a relationship that they did not experience with their parents. (Dawson McAllister address to SW Seminary). Many of these young people are unwilling to leave an abusive relationship because they fear being alone. Only 29% of all teens say they are going to get married. The 71% who say they will not marry perhaps have seen the damage of broken relationships within their families. Joseph is a model of a faithful man who gave his life in service to his God and his family. He had an important job to fulfill and he took it seriously.
It saddens me to hear of stories in Guatemala of wives being abused by their husbands and then to hear that the father of the abused spouse simply tells her to accept it because it is normal. What kind of dad is that who does not care for the safety and security of his daughter? Do you realize that today there about 27 million women and young boys and girls who are sold into slavery and are being used in the sex industry and forced labor? Where are the fathers who are willing to rescue them and protect them? Sadly many of the fathers have abandoned their wives and children or have given consent to their behavior to provide money for the family. Here are some statistics compiled by Fathers For Life regarding children from fatherless homes in the USA:
Children from fatherless homes are:
• 4.6 times more likely to commit suicide,
• 6.6 times to become teenaged mothers (if they are girls, of course),
• 24.3 times more likely to run away,
• 15.3 times more likely to have behavioral disorders,
• 6.3 times more likely to be in a state-operated institutions,
• 10.8 times more likely to commit rape,
• 6.6 times more likely to drop out of school,
• 15.3 times more likely to end up in prison while a teenager.
Fatherless homes and fathers who neglect their responsibilities are destroying the lives of their children. We need more men like Joseph who see the danger and take action to provide security for the family. We need to pray that God will raise up a generation of Josephs who will give priority to their family and not abandon them and leave them destitute and unprotected. Jesus needed his earthly father to care for him and nurture him. Every child needs and deserves the same.
Joseph is a model for men in many ways. He modeled integrity, compassion, humility, purity, responsibility, faith, obedience to the Lord, care, concern, safety and provision for his family. God entrusted a great responsibility to Joseph because he knew Joseph’s character. How about you? Could God entrust great responsibilities to you? Is your character such that God would be able to count on you to fulfill an important mission?
Many of you young men will one day be a father. It is one of the greatest privileges and responsibilities you will ever have. Will you be a father like Joseph or will you follow the ways of the world and abandon your responsibilities to pursue your own selfish interests? I pray that tonight you will determine in your heart to follow the example of Joseph and be a man whom God can entrust great responsibilities.

An audio file of this message can be downloaded at the following link:
http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=450735356.wma