Desiring A Better Country: A Heavenly Home

These all died in faith, not having receivd

the promises, but having seen them afar

off, and were persuaded of them, and 

embraced them, and confessed that they

were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

For they that say such things declare

plainly that they seek a country.

And truly, if they had been mindful 

of that country from whence they 

came out, they might have had 

opportunity to have returned. But now

they desire a better country, that is,

an heavenly: wherefore God is not

ashamed to be called their God: for He

hath prepared for them a city.

Hebrews 11:13-16

     There are times in life when your faith will be tried to the utmost and you must not allow fear to shake you and to cause you to question your faith. You, and I, must have settled the question of our faith now, not in the future, not by some trial, rather to have come to an unshakable faith. It is not that a person cannot be concerned, it is that that concern causes a person to take action and not just rest on faith for faith without works is dead (James 2:26). In faith Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, all those who believed in the God of the Bible died, but they died in faith knowing that God had prepared a place for them to reside forever. Do you believe that God has prepared a place for His children? Remember those men of old did not see the promise fulfilled but saw them afar off, in the future and by faith they embraced them. Those men of old knew that they were pilgrims, strangers on earth. Do you know that you are a pilgrim just passing through this life? Before the Bible was written those men declared that they were seeking this country afar off and desired this better country, that is, this heavenly country prepared for them by God. We today have God's written words that we can turn too and by our study and prayer we can see what those men of old did not have to aid them in their faith. We have this written word that declares to us that God has revealed to us this heavenly country and even more, He has given us a peek into that country and what it means for His children. Our faith is in that which we have not seen for none of us have seen God, nor Jesus, nor even those who wrote the Bible so our faith is in the unseen, but not a faith without warrant, without support so our faith is not a blind faith. 

     God led Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, King David and the judges and prophets of old so they had what we have, God's leading so that we have no reason not to have faith in Him. God leads us by His Holy Spirit, and this leading is when we read His written word and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to follow God's written word. If we do not allow this leading, this reading, taking time to allow God's word to become effective in us then our faith is not based upon what God has given so our faith has a foundation. God spoke to those men of old by sending His angels, by the appearance of Christ (Genesis 18). Jesus Christ has appeared by His birth and now there is no reason for Him to do what He did before His appearing in flesh to die for sin, our sin. So we have that which we need until His return for His bride, Scripture to tell us what God expects from His children and to inform us that Jesus is coming again to take us to that heavenly home. This all requires faith in the unseen, but not in that which is unknowable. 

     Life is short, eternal life is time without time and when we do not live eternally now, with this hope in our hearts, we will not live according to the commands of God and we are faint when trouble comes and trials abound. Have you been tried to the point where your faith is tried? If so, remember the words written by the writer of Hebrews: God has a heavenly home prepared for you, and this life is but a short time where sin has caused these trials and that God will take you to a home where there is no more any trials that will confront you (Revelation 21). Be concerned but not overwhelmed. Remember who you are and whose you are and know this, God is faithful to keep His promises, so you to be faithful.

     As you know that I had to be gone for a couple of days to find out what will be done for this melanoma that I have on my nose and while I do not like it, it is what it is, and I believe that God will take me through the testing and surgery. My faith is in a God who will keep His promise no matter the outcome. Until then, I, you, have work to do: spread the Gospel. Prayer for me and for others who are experiencing some trial is so important for God hears and answers prayer. Will He heal me? I do not know! Will He take me home? Yes! The Holy Spirit can give strength and will lead you or me through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23). Thank You!

And I have put My words in'

     thy mouth, and I have 

covered thee in the shadow

     of My hand, that I may

plant the heavens, and lay

     foundations of the earth

and say unto Zion, Thou art

    My people.

                  Isaiah 51:16

Keep your faith: This is a witness 

Richard L. Crumb

Looking For That Heavenly City By Faith

By faith he sojourned in the 

land of promise, as in a strange 

country, dwelling tabernacles with

Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him

of the same promise: for he look a city

which hath foundations, whose maker

is God. Through faith herself received 

strength to conceive seed, and was

delivered of a child when she was 

past age because she judged him

faithful who had promised. therefore

sprang there even of one, and him 

as dead, so many as the stars of the

sky in multitude, and as the sand 

which is by the sea. shore innumerable.

Hebrews 11:9-12

     God is faithful to all His promises and God had promised to Abraham a land, a city, not built with the hands of man, but by God: "For when God make promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily sear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the hears of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath" (Hebrews 6:13-17). Abraham by faith sojourned in the land of promise for Abraham understood that the literal earth was not just the promise of God even though He had given this promise to Isaac, Jacob, and Canaan was the literal land of promise naturally, but there was more to the promise, that promise spoke of a city not made by man's hands: "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an unnumerable company of angels" (Hebrews 12:22). God had given this promise of an immutable land that was above, heavenly, and all the early fathers had been given this promise and passed it on, Moses spoke of that heavenly city. But, by faith Abraham believed God and His promises. 

     Sarah also was an heir of a promise that she in her old age would be a son. For this to be possible she was given strength, power, to do so even though at first she laughed as such a thought she did believe in the faithfulness of God's promises. From the one born, Isaac, and from that birth she would become mother of nations; kings of people will be of her (Genesis 17:16). 

     God does the impossible, at least in the eyes of man it would be impossible, but for God all things are possible (Luke 18:27). When man pushes ahead of God then things turn out badly in the end as Abraham found out by moving ahead of God's promise and had a son Ishmael, and from Ishmael came those who opposes and even do today God and God's people. God is not slow to keep His promises: "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2Peter 3:9). Faith, Authentic Christian Faith will not run ahead of God but wait upon Him knowing full well that no matter the circumstances He will keep His promise. Authentic Christians do not become slothful, unproductive, and say that they have faith, that is not faith, James makes it clear that faith without works, whatever that "works" may be, is that by faith in action we manifest Him until He comes. Easy? NO! Possible? Yes!

     I will not write a blog Monday for I will be traveling to Mather Hospital for an examination as how to what treatment, surgery, will be needed as I have a melanoma on my nose, not a good place to have anything this serious. Pray that God will go before the doctor and give to him the strength to say, and do whatever is needed, which I believe he would do, but God can lead him to do it in the best of manner. Pray that my strength will not falter even in the face of such a serious and life-threatening cancer. No matter the outcome, heaven is our home and by faith I look for that land, that city, built by God. Thank You!

Have mercy upon me, O LORD;

      for I am weak: O LORD,

heal me for my bones are vexed....

      The LORD hath heard my supplication;

the LORD will receive my prayer.

                    Psalms 6:2,9

May your faith make you strong

Richard L. Crumb

 

 

Authentic Christian Faith: Is It Common Sense Or Rationalism? Abraham Gives Us The Answer

By faith Abraham, when he was 

called to go out into a place which 

he should after receive for an 

inheritance, obeyed; and he went 

out, not knowing whither he went.

By faith he sojourned in the land

of promise, as in a strange country,

dwelling tabernacles with Isaac

and Jacob, the heirs with him of 

the same promise.

Hebrews 11:8-9

     Abraham living in the land of the Chaldeans, living among those who worshiped pagan gods it seems rather odd that Abraham would not worship their gods and only worship Jehovah. One must look at the generational lines leading up to Abraham. Noah begat sons and daughters (Genesis 11:18), and what is revealed is that from Noah there is an accounting of those who beget men leading up to the birth of Terah who beget Abram, Nahor, and Haran who beget Lot (Genesis 11:27). Noah had a son Shem who beget Arphaxad and from that line came Abraham. This line from Shem was loyal to Jehovah God as the Bible reveals so Abraham was raised up in the knowledge of Jehovah God.  Terah took Abraham, his grandson Lot, their wives and moved from the land of Ur, in Chaldea headed for the land of Canaan but stopped in the city of Haran (Genesis 11:31). Terah apparently took his family away from the paganism of the Chaldeans and moved to Haran, the same name as the father of Lot. While in Haran the LORD spoke to Abraham to go to a land that he would be shown and this land was the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:4) where they had set out with his father before settling in Haran. Yet, Abraham did not know where, what part of the land, would he eventually settle, but God would show him (Genesis 12:1). Abraham was not totally ignorant where he was headed but he did not know the plan of God for him. Abraham had become successful in Haran, now to leave and go to a new land, a land where he had never been before and not to know where in that land he was to eventually live: this took faith, but not blind faith. 

     Abraham did not rely on common sense, for there is no common sense to leave a successful land to go to a land where he might not be successful, a land where he would have to find people to buy his sheep, for he did need money to afford all those who went with him, worker, family. True faith is in antagonism to common sense is fanaticism, and common sense in antagonism to faith is rationalism. Think upon this: there are Churches and congregants of those Churches whereby the faith of those is founded upon common sense, that is, what they say is faith and the exercise of that faith is that which they rationalized to be truth Authentic Christian Faith. Common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense. The life of Authentic Christian Faith brings the two into a right relation for they stand in the relation of the natural and the spiritual; of impulse and inspiration. Oh! How we find and see impulsiveness among those who are living their lives based on spiritualness that is based upon rationalism and common sense. They do and say things that seem so rational, so spiritual, so Godly, when in fact it is nothing more than the natural life being satisfied. Nothing that Jesus ever said is common sense, it is revelation sense, and it reaches the place where common sense fails. Example: deny you family, your friends, deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Him. Wait! Wait! Leave my family behind? Stay away from my friends? Yes! If they are not aiding you or leading you away from being true to Jesus Christ and doing the work that Jesus outlined for Christians to do. This is hard! Yes! Faith must be tried before the reality of faith is actual. The bridge example: you can say you have faith in the bridge, but until that faith is tried by walking across that bridge it is not real faith. The purpose of God is to see that the ideal faith is made real in His children. 

      It looks "mad" for Abraham to pick up his things, move his family, his livestock, and not knowing exactly where he was going, move on faith that God will show him what he was to do and where he was to go. Abraham, and we, must venture out on God's word. Head faith must be turned into a personal possession always, not sometimes. God will bring you as he did to Abraham, into circumstances in order to educate us, our faith, because he nature of Authentic Christian Faith is to make its object real. And what is the object? It is Jesus Christ and until God and Jesus Christ is made real in us, then God, even Jesus Christ is nothing more that a mere abstaction, we cannot have Authentic Christian Faith in Him, but when we are tested, our faith is tested then God, Jesus Christ is made real to us. Faith is the whole man rightly related to God, to our relationship with Jesus Christ and this by the power of the Holy Spirit who leads, speaks, to us through prayer, through His word. Abraham heard the word of God and acted upon that word by faith. We too should act upon the word of God and not attempt to rationalize everything and to allow common sense to just rule over any circumstance. 

Be strong and courageous. 

     Do not be afraid or terrified

because of them, for the LORD

    your God goes with you; He

will never leave you nor forsake you.

                     Deuteronomy 31:6 

Put your faith into action

Richard L. Crumb