Now FaithWritten by Rev.A.R.Smith
Hebrews 11:1-11:23 Now Faith is, by Rev A.R. Smith Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is, substance of things hoped for, evedence of things not seen. Introduction; We see many people expecting things to happen tomorrow. I hear it every day when I speek to frends, loved ones and even enemyes. They always say, Well maby tomorrow things will get better, or maby tomorrow or next week, Ill start going to church. And i always add, well what if tomorrow never comes? Where will your soul be for eterniety? Think about it. I. What does Hebrews say about faith? Now faith is, Lets break it down so we can understand it a little better. What Paul was saying here is same thing, Jesus told Mary and Martha. John 11:32, Then Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying unto Him, Lord if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. Isnt that way some christians are, they try to put blame on everything not knowing that whatever happens to us as believers may just be will of God. As you see here, Mary had faith for yesterday, she didnt have,Now Faith.She believed if Jesus had been there yesterday, Her brother, would not have died. She had seen many wonders preformed by Jesus and at this time, along with everyone else, that knew Jesus,they were walking by sight, and not by Faith.We see this alot in scripture and in our daily lives. Christians are sitting back waiteing for Rapture and doing nothing today, to add to their own faith. being sick in body and spirit, not knowing where to turn, not knowing how to survive. Look at John verse 37, And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened eyes of blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Walking by sight and not by faith. How many wonders does Jesus hafe to do before we believe. The Bible states, that, We can do all things throu Christ Jesus, who strengthens Me. Thats Now Faith,. I can, I Can, I can do all things, not yesterday, not tomorrow, but NOW. We all have been given a measure of Faith by Holy Spirit, but what about Faith for today? Where does it come from? It comes from same Spirit. Now Faith is,What is it? Its a substance, Strongs Dictionary declaires that ,A substance is, 1. a property. 2. A possession. 3. A virtue. 4. a wealth. So if we use this description, Now Faith is a virtue, a desire,a possession ,a substance, we can hold onto.
| | Why I Want To Go To HeavenWritten by Stephen Kingery
Why do you want to go to Heaven? Have you given it much thought? When I was younger, before I became a Christian, I can recall hearing several sermons about how terrible it was going to be in hell. I can still recall some twenty years later one particular sermon in which preacher gave a very detailed picture of hell and torment of those who will be there. I can still recall way I felt as I heard that sermon - fear that it brought to my mind. Another sermon that I can still recall was preached on text that today is day of salvation, that we should make a decision to follow Christ today - for some day it will be too late and we will be doomed to hell.I am sure that these sermons, as well as others, had a lot to do with me wanting to become a Christian twenty some years ago. Part of my motivation was definitely to avoid that awful place called hell. But now, as a more mature Christian, having spent many hours studying God's Word, having attended many wonderful worship services, and being able to dwell on beauty of my future home rather than thinking about how awful hell would be, I see things more clearly now. I no longer see Heaven as an alternative to hell, and I no longer see being a Christian as means of avoiding hell. I want to go to Heaven, and in this article I will share with you why. One cannot study Bible without coming to realize that God loves His creation, man, very very much. It is because of this love that He sent His son to die on cross and suffer for our sins. It is because of this love that He has preserved His word for us throughout ages. And it is because of this love that He has prepared a place for us called Heaven. The Bible is replete with accounts of God's love for us. One of most beautiful is John 3:16, "For God so loved world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." However, being a Christian is not just about us being loved, but also about us loving others. One of many joys of being a part of a local congregation is love we can share with our fellow Christians. It is really refreshing to visit a congregation for first time and witness love that people have for each other. You see warm handshakes, beautiful smiles, hugs, words of kindness and encouragement, and many other expressions of Christian love. As I visit sick, shut-ins, and those in nursing homes again I see love all around. These fine people are so grateful for visit and knowing that you care. Have you ever noticed how someone's face lights up when you have sent them a flower when they are sick or even for a special occasion? This too is evidence of Christian love. Even though love that I have spoken of here warms our hearts and provides us with many blessings, it is pale compared to love that we will experience when we get to Heaven. I'm sure that I cannot even begin to imagine love that will be there. I know that I do not have words to describe how wonderful it will be to experience that great and magnificent love of God, His Son, Holy Spirit, saints of old, loved ones from our families, and brothers and sisters in Christ we have known here on earth. It will truly be a wonderful experience. There is a song that I dearly love, "What A Day That Will Be." It says, "What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see. When I look upon His face, One who saved me by His grace. He will take me by hand, and lead me through promised land. What a day, glorious day that will be." It is hard to describe how I feel about that day. Unless you are a Christian and have same longing to see our Lord and Savior, be able to feel His loving arms around you, and see His smiling face and know that you have pleased Him with your life, then any attempts to describe this would be in vain. But nonetheless, of things I hope for in relation to Heaven and what it will be like, this is one thing I hope for most. When I enter those gates of Heaven, that Jesus will be there waiting for me and He will throw His arms around me and say "Welcome home, My good and faithful servant."
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