The Hill of Faith: Trusting in Jesus ~

Hello again~ We've looked at scripture about having faith in God, and I mentioned having faith in Jesus, but in this lesson, I want to wrap up our thoughts about climbing the Hill of Faith by looking at a few scriptures which specify faith in Christ. Jesus, as the promised Messiah, qualifies as the perfect object for our faith. And there are wonderful connections to be made between the Messiah and the psalmist David.  In Romans 15:12, that tie is given to us in poetic form: "There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope." David was the son of Jesse, whose lineage runs straight through to Jesus the Christ.

What does this mean to us? It means David foreshadowed Jesus the Messiah. As I said in a blog I wrote over a year ago, the magnitude of his life is hard to grasp. No king before or after him loved God as much. He was a man after God's own heart. And when he failed to please God and sinned, he was humble and contrite, begging forgiveness. But David was not only a king, a warrior and a ruler, he was also a prophet. In II Samuel 22:23, as David was about to die, he spoke these words: "The spirit of the Lord hath spoken by me and his word by my tongue." The importance of David and his forshadowing of Christ is seen in these 10 facts about his prophecies.

1. David's prophecies are Messianic.
2. David's prophecies refer to the suffering of Christ.
3. David's prophecies refer to the persecution of Christ.
4. David's prophecies refer to the triumphant deliverance of Christ.
5. David's prophecies refer to the hereditary rights given Jesus by the Father.
6. David's prophecies were written 1,000 years before Christ, but many make reference to and foreshadow Him.
7. David was a king after God's own heart; his qualities are of the Messiah.
8. Two facts that foreshadow Christ: David & Christ both born in Bethlehem; David's shepherd life points to Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
9. Both David and Christ were betrayed by friends and had to make a sad passage.
10. The Davidic Psalms are clearly typical of the future Messiah, of which David was a type.

As I said, David's last words acknowledge that he was a prophet. Many of the 100 direct references to Jesus in Messianic passages of the Psalms are quoted in the New Testament. They are used to explain the character and message of Jesus as Messiah and refer to all of the above. When we think of David, we should think of him as a man after God's own heart, and a type of the Messiah. Does it create faith and trust in your heart when you hear such amazing details as these? It does for me!

                                 
And it doesn't stop there. John 20:30-31 gives us the reason the book of John was written: "...but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." Why did Christ come? We would all answer that question by saying that Christ had to come and die on the cross so that we could have forgiveness of our sins. And, as I've gotten older, I have begun to realize that it isn't quite as easy to have the kind of faith and trust we need as I once thought. When you get down to the truth that is presented in the New Testament, we have been trained to accept it from our youth. But sometimes I find that if it isn't getting stronger, with a deeper understanding, then we're missing the boat. So I'll suggest that maybe we all need to scrutinize our beliefs from time to time. If a Muslim jehadist told you to reject Jesus or have your head cut off, what would you do? What would you say? We haven't been persecuted for our beliefs very much--maybe an argument with an opposing brother or neighbor. It might do us some good to challenge our faith and see whether we're trusting in Jesus.   

In John 8:22-24, there is a revealing sequence. Jesus is misunderstood by the Jewish leaders. So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'? And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." In my simplified view of these words, it's relevant for us to grasp the message that the fatal, unforgivable sin is rejecting Christ. The Messiah had finally come, but was mostly rejected by the Jews. I say mostly because some of the Jews accepted Him--even some of the priests, who helped to teach and preach the gospel with all their wisdom and understanding. Should we do less?

                                                                                                      

And so we can look at the One who gives us strength. One of my favorite lines in the Bible is the first part of Jeremiah 20:11, which says: "But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior...." When I come home alone from my daughter's, and it's late and dark outside, those words go through my mind over and over. I have to trust that God is with me or I would be too fearful to leave the house. And in that same vein,  2 Thessalonians 3:3-5 says,  "But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ." This time the protection is from Satan and his angels, but we can rest in this guardian presence. When we are following Christ, trusting in His ability to lead us, guide us, and guard our hearts and minds, then our lives will be what God planned for us from the beginning of Creation!

                                                                                                           

And because I love the parable of the mustard seed, I'll remind you once more that: "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." If you believe this statement, you are climbing the Hill of Faith!

Blessings...Mimi   

The Hill of Faith ~

If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  Matthew 17:20

Hello everyone! This picture is appropriate because these are mustard trees growing below a hill, representing both of  my thoughts today. Friday always feels good to me, and today is especially good because my brother Ron has returned from Russia. I'm thankful to God and want to hear about his trip. As I've said, I'm using Ron's material to generate these blogs, but I'm writing them myself.

                                                                                                                     

And it's also a good Friday because we're moving out of the valleys and climbing into the hills of the Christian life. Today you and I will begin climbing the Hill of Faith together, and there will be other hills which will lead us toward a victorious life.  Here, I want to quote what Ron says about the Hill of Faith: "Man is confronted with many problems and difficulties in this life: 'Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; he flees like a shadow and does not continue.' (Job 14:1-2) Does this seem to be pessimistic? Man faces valleys in life which are not pleasant: discouragement, depression, persecutions and trials, and death, etc. But let us remember that God has promised a time when there will be no tears or sorrows--'There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.' Hebrews 4:9 says that life on this earth is brief (of few days)."
       

And he continues: "Therefore, we should walk wisely through the valley of decision. We are able to do this by lifting up our eyes to the hills and receiving the help which the Lord provided for us. WE MUST TRUST IN HIM AND TRUST HIM!

Job 15:11 asks, "Are the consolations of God too small for you?"

And, simplified, Job 11:13-20 says:

1. Prepare your heart~
2. Stretch out your hands toward Him~                                                      
3. Then you could lift up your face without spot~
4. You could be steadfast, and not fear~
5. You would be secure~
6. Because there is hope!                                                                 

No wonder we're ready to climb out of the valleys and into the hills! But just to remind us of our inclinations, let's look at where we place our trust and confidence. Even though we may not realize it, we often put our trust in the things in and of the world. This is something we should all consider carefully, because we tend to believe that we are above this kind of behavior.

1. Trusting in SELF.  Proverbs 28:26 says that "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered." And in Luke 18:9-14, Jesus uses the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector to show what attitude we should have. Listen to this: "Also He spoke to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, "God I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess." And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Have you actually given some thought as to your arrogance or humilty toward your spiritual life? We should all take time to examine our deeper concepts and beliefs. No one is fooled but you if you're wrong.
2. Trusting in OTHERS. Sometimes it's easier for us to trust in others rather than in God. Remember what Paul says in Acts 20: 28-31--that after he was gone, savage wolves would come in, not sparing the flock? And he warned that men would rise up and teach perverse things that would draw away the disciples of Christ. So his advice is to watch for these false teachers. See also Colossians 2:18-23 and 2 Peter 2:1-3. And remember that false teachers  might be reaching you on a television screen. Sometimes in this chaotic world, we turn to those who sooth our anxiety. But be careful about giving them your heart and mind without seeing their true position. Be mindful that they may be trying to draw you away.  
3. Trusting in IDOLS/FALSE GODS. And I'm sure you remember Elijah when he came to all the people and said: "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him. But the people answered him not a word." And then the contest between God and Baal was carried out, so that all the people knew that the Lord was God. And as to the futility of false gods, read Psalm 115:2-8. False gods or idols can be found in surprising places. And they don't necessarily have the look that we expect. Money, position, fame, sports, and even food  or entertainment can become something we worship. Watch your interests!
4. Trusting in RICHES: The Proverbs always provide you with wisdom, and in 11:28, it says: "He who earnestly seeks good finds favor, but trouble will come to him who seeks evil." And looking in 1 Timothy 6:17, there are some instructions to the rich: "Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy." And in Luke 12:16-21 is the parable of the rich fool who saw that his barns weren't big enough, and so he determined to build bigger barns. What does he say to himself? He says: "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." But God said to him: "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?" And  then you can see that "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."  Again, you reach the end of the point and find that it's up to you...your choice to serve God or yourself.

I've given you enough to think about today. Next, as we climb the Hill of Faith, there are some passages about trusting in God and in Jesus Christ. It's where faith the size of a mustard seed comes in. It doesn't have to be all that big to become something that grows and matures into a faith that influences the world. What you might think about is how your faith affects you, your life, your family, and your friends. Is it deep enough to change your attitudes, your decisions, and your way of life? 

Blessings...Mimi