faith, faithfulness and forgiveness

It has been several months that I felt the Lord has been speaking to me about faith, faithfulness and forgiveness. Throughout it all I have found myself wanting to write about what He has been showing me regarding having “faith as a grain of a mustard seed” where Jesus tells His disciples, “you might say unto this sycamine tree, ‘Be you plucked up by the root, and planted in the sea,’ and it should obey you.” I have sought various opportunities of late to write so concerning faith and a few other things that I might leave my own children a record of what I feel the Lord has revealed to me pertaining to the promises and conditions of the Kingdom of God of which Jesus testified “every man presses into it.” However, I have felt restrained by His Spirit prior till now that it wasn’t time to write. Why, I am not really sure, the Lord knows though. Perhaps so will I when I am finished.

During this time God has taken me through various situations and trials resulting in tremendous heartaches. Even though I sought the Lord that I might walk uprightly through these trails, undoubtedly I have still made mistakes because of my own frailty of the flesh and the yet uncompleted work of Christ who works daily as a Refiner to purify my heart to be motivated by an unfeigned love of others. Through all the onslaught of accusations from those offended by my stance on some issues, I have prayed that I have not deceived myself while still trying desperately to maintain a transparency and accountability in hopes that I might be examined openly and receive correction and admonition from others who fear God and walk uprightly, loving the truth more than loving me. Lord, please continue to forgive my secret and presumptuous sins.

Having wept over these things while seeking God to show me the errors of my heart that may have kept me from being more effective for His glory and my present endeavoring to stand the gap for others, I believe the Lord is now allowing me to write a series of articles leading to the end of such “faith as a grain of mustard seed.” That is not to say that these trials are over, not hardly, but through them I continue to press forward asking God to create in me a clean heart, a pure heart that I may not be ashamed and may see God.

Mt 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

(For a powerful delivery and message on the greatest sermon ever preached I highly recommend this one)

Sadly it seems, not many are truly pressing into the Kingdom of God, nor does it appear that they even understand the concept thereof. Maybe because they have been taught they are “king’s kids” and it’s their entitlement. Perhaps because they think that just because it is the Father’s good pleasure to give them the Kingdom all they have to do is wait for it to come to them. Oh how wrong such an attitude and posture is, regardless how much “faith” they claim to have regarding their right to God’s kingdom. Have they forgotten Jesus words that we should pray we are found worthy to escape the wrath to come or His questioning His followers whether He will truly find faith at His appearance?

Lu 18:8 . . . Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Lu 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Have we forgotten how God also called out Israel and covenant with them to “give” them a promised land? Did they all inherit it or did they (save Joshua, Caleb and the children) all fall short due to disobedience and provoke God to wrath, whereby He swore they would not enter into it? Yes, it was given unto them, but they still had to “press” into it and fight to take it. They like us had the promise God would indeed “give” it unto them if they would obey the Gospel and fight the good fight of faith, but their faithlessness caused them to know God’s breach of promise given unto them. Victory belongs to the faithful, overcoming is the reward of obedience, the Kingdom of God is the prize of those who would take it by force overcoming all obstacles by the word of their testimony (Jesus Christ the Son of God crucified) and the blood of the Lamb whereby they are justified and now live and fight for His name’s sake.

No, we do not fight in the flesh as do the blind in Islam with earthly weapons against all others of different beliefs; rather we are obliged to fight against demonic powers in the spiritual realm that tirelessly labor to deceive not only the hearts of reprobates, but of Christians as well. Like it or not, we are in a battle constantly and we must daily put on the whole armor of God which He has afforded us if we are to stand against the wiles of the devil. We must diligently strive to become master swordsmen with the sword of the spirit, God’s word, if we are to effectually keep the adversary at bay and set captivates free. Not only by preaching the truth of the Gospel, but walking according to it as well. It is those who have ears to hear and are therefore doers of the words that are overcomers and the inheritors of the promises of God.

Jesus said the time now is that the true worshippers must worship God in spirit and truth, and in the realm of spirit and truth there is only the clear distinction between light and darkness, righteousness and unrighteousness, holy and profane, black and white. We cannot allow ourselves to be deceived or to become complacent with where we think are in Christ. We need to continually examine ourselves for there are no grey areas in Christ. Grey areas in people’s faith appear when they foolishly corrupt white with blackness or try to whiten what is deadly black . . . a little leaven leavens the whole lump. We are either with Christ or against Him, leading others to Him by our lives’ examples or scattering them away from Him.

Sisters and brother, we are in a constant spiritual battle that is waged against the whole world through our flesh trying to stir up appetites, fears, pride, and weariness in well doing and taking untimely ease, or unmerited self-righteous confidence in how/where one stands before Christ. The prize of the battle is the souls of men, even our own. Howbeit we have a Captain of our salvation who is willing and able to lead all those who will follow Him into the promised Kingdom . . . but they too must take it by force allowing Him to give them the victory over their adversaries.

Heb 2:10 For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him.

Mt 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. . . 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

We who have been forgiven of our sins by the blood of Jesus were also washed clean from its stain that these earthen vessels may be fit for the habitation of Christ’s Spirit within us, our hope of glory. That having been reconciled and brought out of our old houses of bondage in the world/Egypt, we may now be saved by His life within us, quickening and empowering us for every good work.

Ro 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.  10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Reconciliation is the first step towards eternal life, not the end thereof. Now we who are alive in Him are told to “lay aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking.” It is very difficult to avoid stirring up these sinful fruits, especially when we are being corrected or when we are laboring in love to correct others of their sins, for the natural man tends to hate correction and to justify self. Such is why we need to be good stewards of God’s word and keep to the simplicity that Christ delivered it unto us. Good stewardship requires our keeping God’s word with what it defines as defines as unambiguous righteousness, and likewise not allowing sin to creep into our lives disguising itself as something acceptable. Therefore my series of articles leading up to “faith as a grain of mustard seed” will begin with my next article about “a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.”

In the meantime, think on Paul’s words to Timothy and see if you are allowing yourself to be governed by the same spirit of admonition.

 2Ti 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. 13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.