In God We Trust
Blog Repost
The main benefit of studying the scriptures is in that as we read, research and learn of what God speaks of through His Word, our believing in what He is communicating to us builds. As our believing builds so does our trust in Him. "In God We Trust" has been printed on the United States of America's currency since 1864. This statement does not endorse a religion. But "In God We Trust" does show that through America's history the vast majority of its population has been meek enough to recognize there is a higher power of good. Whether you believe it or not our situation is as follows... we are in a physical realm with a physical body that cannot sense the spiritual realm. God is Spirit. The angels are spirits. Satan (the god of this world) and all his devils are spirits. It's these devils that move their dastardly purpose in this world to steal, kill and destroy. The devil's devises are for the most part unknown in the minds of humans... exposed for what they are only in God's Word. God makes known through His rightly divided Word the love he has for us and the evilness of the one that continuously attempts to thwart your knowing of it! This message of love can't be stopped however for any individual genuinely desiring to know. God's "life line" to us is what is commonly referred to as "The Holy Bible". The journey to learning and understanding spiritual truth begins as any other journey. By simply taking the first step. Which would be... begin reading the Holy Bible. Why not start with the Gospels? (I do suggest the King James Version. Click here for why.) As you read you learn. As you learn you dig deeper. As you dig your knowledge expands. For accelerated growth you avail yourself to fellowshipping with like-minded believers. Folks seasoned in this Word to assist you. As you continue faithfully to dig deeper you get to spiritual truth. When you get to spiritual truth you get to God's Word and His message of love! God has given us examples of believing... that we too might learn to trust in God... wonderful records of men and women that came before us that went beyond their senses knowledge and believed the Word of God they had for their time. They trusted in God by holding fast to His Word. One of these examples (and one I would nominate for The Ultimate Example Of Trusting God award!) is what is recorded concerning the life of Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus of Nazareth was a man. He was born of a woman, fulfilling God's promise to man of a deliverer, the coming of the Messiah into the world. The son of God as only he could be. Seed created by the Creator in the womb of a woman (that in her own life is a wonderful example of trusting in God by holding fast to His Word!) Jesus was raised in a small town. He was trained in carpentry. He worked. He played. He grew up knowing he was considered illegitimate by the culture around him. He was raised being taught the events surrounding his birth and the Old Testament Law... which was the Word of God for him in his time. Jesus grew up being taught and believing who he was. As he matured he learned of what it was he was called to do. Which is what he announced publicly at the very start of his ministry. Luke 4:16-19 As he accomplished his mission to preach the gospel, this good news of the message of God's love, he also exposed how the god of this world operates in his attempts to keep control of those that do not want to be under his control. Jesus had to trust in God by holding fast to His Word continuously to finish this work.
No sooner had Jesus accepted his mission after receiving holy spirit at his baptism at the hand of John... The Baptist (duh! lol!) the Scriptures show us how the Son of God would trust God. According to the record in Matthew 4:1-11, after 40 days of fasting and at an understandably weakened physical state the adversary (the devil) initiates his assault. There's learning in these attacks. Pay attention! :) The adversary tries to steal confidence by attempting to place doubt that he (Jesus) is the son of God. Then tries to get him to do something supernatural that most likely wasn't available to do. Which could only have reinforced doubt. Jesus responded by saying, "Bread?! Are you kidding?! I've been fasting 40 days! I'm gittin' a bucket'a chicken! 'n taters 'n gravy... 'n biscuits..." No! lol! Jesus countered with what?...! God's Word! Rightly divided! The second attack the adversary uses pretty much the same tactic that worked on Eve by twisting God's Word in an attempt to kill him. Jesus again counters with God's Word... but rightly divided! In the 3rd attack Satan attempts to destroy God's Word to the which Jesus told Satan to basically "Get outta my face!" and nailed him again with... God's Word! To the which Satan departs and then! Angels appear to "strengthen him." Jesus trusted in God by holding fast to His Word!
During the course of delivering God's message of love, Jesus trusted in God by holding fast to His Word to the point that he even did miraculous things the Old Testament didn't mention he would do! John 11:1-45 Surrounded by grief at the death of a close friend, accused of allowing him to die for not being there sooner and in an area where there are those desiring and willing to kill him, Jesus raises Lazarus out from his grave after being dead one day longer than the three days considered in this time (the Old Testament law) to be legally dead! In the midst of sorrow, unbelief and fear he cries out, "Lazarus! Come forth!" Can you just imagine what that moment after that statement was like?! You probably could'a heard a camel drop in the next town over! And then! To witness the man in burial garb coming out of the cave! It isn't known how long a period of time went by between the time Lazarus came forth and the next recorded words of Jesus ("Loose him and let him go") but I'll bet there was a few moments of dead silence in there! (pun intended) With jaws on the ground! The impact made? Verse 45.
If there were to be an ultimate example of the trust Jesus had in God by holding fast to His word I believe it would have to be what is recorded about the night he was taken into custody in Luke 22:39-45. Jesus knew from O.T. prophecy he would be tortured and executed. The record shows in his prayer he really didn't want to go through this if there was any other way. He prays, gets ministered to by an angel and yet... "in an agony he prayed more earnestly." This prayer was so grievously intense "his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." Jesus experienced Hematohidorsis. "Hematohidrosis is a very rare condition of sweating blood. ...in which capillary blood vessels that feed the sweat glands rupture, causing them to exude blood, occurring under conditions of extreme physical or emotional stress." - Indian Journal Of Dermatology Even in what is recorded of this intense prayer we see Jesus trusted in God by holding fast to His Word when he stated "not my will, but thine, be done."
Jesus trusted God by holding fast to His Word. He accomplished his mission. He put God's Word up above the information he received of the senses realm, this world. Jesus is the Passover sacrifice that opened the door to God for all who desire to know His message of love. Jesus died, was resurrected and has received the promise made to him... his reward... by God in His Word that he (Jesus) would be glorified as he is now sitting on the right hand of the throne of God. In doing so he made this Grace Administration available (the "mystery revealed" period of time no one knew the details of until Paul got it by revelation.) Jesus was given "lordship" as he is the head of his church, his body of believers. And gave gifts unto men! Ephesians 4:7-15 God's people need these gifts! As we have as yet to be glorified and take our position on the right hand of Jesus Christ who sits on the right hand of God's throne, we have qualified and dedicated leadership to help us grow and be established spiritually. That we may faithfully trust in God by holding fast to His Word, discomfit the devil's purpose and live in love! I John 4:7-17
All this... and more! For us! For those of us that live not by sight but by believing. God's chosen! Because one man fulfilled a ministry given to him of God. That one man... Jesus, who is the Christ. The Promised Seed. Who as far as I'm concerned... is our ultimate example of trusting in God by holding fast to His Word! Now. With Christ-in-us, and trusting in God, what kind of impact can we make on this world?!
Related Links
U.S. Debt Clock Genesis 3:14-15 Luke 4:16-19 Matthew 4:1-11
John 11:1-45 Luke 22:39-45 Hematohidrosis - A Rare Clinical Phenomena
Ephesians 3:3-5 Ephesians 4:7-15 I John 4:7-17
Jesus Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren and he is the captain of our salvation!
Hebrews 2:10-15
God does NOT gives us "pay-back" because we screw up! He doesn't look on us according to our sins!
Psalm 103:10-14
Getting born again is the easy part. The challenge is putting on the "new man", that gift of holy spirit and be renewed in "the spirit of the mind."
Ephesians 4:17-32
This post originally published on my blog TheHollerinStump.com on 11/21/2013. The blog is built on Blogger and hosted by Google. They have locked me out of my account there until I update my payment details. Therefore it won’t be getting registered and will cease to be available in the late spring of 2023. I am reposting as many of these posts here as I see relevant before then.
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