EVERY
WEEK!
Message for Sunday, 30 November 1997
SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: Revelation 16-18
SPEAKER: REV WILFRED HO (Resident Pastor of Kum Yan)
Introduction
[Reflection on 1997: the World full of Crises] The year 1997 is dramatic and also important for the whole world. In Feb. this year, the whole world is celebrating with the incredible breakthrough of the scientific technology regarding the cloning animal named Dolly. But at the end of 1997, no one remembers Dolly and the possiblity of Cloning Man is no more the hot issue.
The whole world is facing the extremely gloomy atmosphere. This
is my feeling. So dramatic. In fact, 15 years ago, whoever thought
of 1997, he or she would think of the crisis of Hong Kong. However,
today when we come to the last month of 1997, everyone must confess
that in 1997, the whole world, esp. Asian Pacific, the most promising
region of the world, is facing a series of huge and unexpected
crisis. The whole world is facing crisis. Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan,
North & South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia,
the sudden collapse of the international currency and stock market,
the forest fire in Indonesia as well as in Australia. 1997 is
the strangely important year. Isn't it? Personally speaking,
I strongly feel that God through the year 1997 to uncover or unmask
this human world. We come to realize that this is a world full
of problems. Full of sins. Full of wickedness. Full of illusion.
Full of crises. When 21st century is dawning, we human beings
should be less romantic and less optimistic but more aware of
how severe and terrible the problems of this human world are.
[Reflection on 1997: the Wrath of God] In addition to
this, we in 1997 come to taste the wrath of God. What is the
wrath of God? In the days of Noah, when God was in anger because
of the wickedness of man, the flood came to destroy the whole
world. This year 1997, when many people celebrate the breakthrough
in cloning Technology, suddenly through series of crises the whole
human world is reminded to be ultimately accountable to God.
If the Holy God is in anger, who can stand before Him? Who can
have hope in tomorrow? If the Holy God is in anger... What we
can expect to see is neither joy nor peace but disaster after
disaster if the Holy God is in anger...
[The Book of Revelation: the Wrath of God & the Distasters on the Earth] One major theme in the Book of Revelation is the wrath of God. As this world is becoming more and more wicked, we finally find that our sinfulness and wickedness will sooner or later meets up with God's anger. 7 seals in chaps.6-7 is the first cycle of God's wrath. We are told of many disasters but we find no repentance of man. 7 trumpets in chaps.8-9 is the second cycle of God's angry punishment. The severity of the disasters are mounting up but men are still heading along the sinful way. Man does not turn back but curses God. Now from chap.15 and onwards, we are told of the 7 bowls. The 7 bowls is the last 7 plagues from God. God through the 7 bowls expresses His anger in full scale. The entire world would be destroyed. No corner in the world can claim to be safe. In Chap.16:17-21, the focus is the Last Bowl, we are told that the great city Babylon is entirely destroyed. Now, let us focus on this great city Babylon. In Chap.18, which is a poem, the theme is the surprising as well as the sudden downfall of this great city Babylon.
Body
[1st Point] The Primary Characteristic of the Great City Babylon are twofold: The pride of man in his achievements and the pursuit of material. Chapv18:7; she boasts, she gives herself glory and luxury. Where and what is this great city Babylon? In 1st century, this is the city of Rome. [reflection/appeal] But this more than Rome. This was the tower of Babel in the Ancient Times. This were Japan, Italy and Germany in the 2nd World War. This was Great Britain. In 19th century when she claimed that her flag would never fall under the sunshine because of many British Colonies. This was Japan again in 1960's and 70's when they became too proud of their achievement in Economy. This great city might be 4 little dragon of Asia in 1980's when they were proud of their economic acheivements. This can be any school, church, enterprise, city, leader or even anyone if they are proud and materialistic. [application] We are living in a country emphasizing upon the following values: upgrading; school-ranking-system; productivity; Lucky Draws; Big Sale; COE. We are living in the society which primary concern is to create more and more material and to have more no.1 in many areas. We must be very prayerful and alert.
[2nd Point] Lord Jesus reminds us that God is coming to pull down and overthrow all kinds of human empires, achievements and structures within a short time. In chap.18, we are told that the downfall of the Great City Babylon is in a sudden and everyone is caught in a shock. How sudden it is?
V.8: In One Day; Vv.10,17,19: In One Hour. No one can believe. No one can imagine. But the sudden of the total collapse is the reality even though it is too real to accept to be true. [illustration] In 1989, the sudden dissolution of Soviet Union caught everyone into surprise. I believe that when my daughter will find USSR is a remote country unless she has interest in History. In October 1997, the black Monday and the collapse of Stock Market and currency reminds us that the foundation of any human system and structure is extremely shaky if the foundation is full of Human pride. The thick Haze which affecting Singapore from September to early November reminds us that we are too weak to be proud. [application] What is the foundation of your confidence? Because you have upgraded yourself and your family. Or because your children are studying in the top school in Singapore. Or because of your promising career, more than one degrees or anything else. If these are our foundation, we are shaky sooner or later...
[3rd Point] Lord Jesus urgently calls His disciples to come out of the great human city immediately. Chap18:4 is the urgent cry from our Lord Jesus. 'Come out of her, my people.' What does it mean by 'come out of her'? The whole world is the great city in different degree and in different form, what does it mean by 'come out of her'? Is it poossible? How to come out of the great city? [illustration] I use my personal struggle as an example. Last year, I failed to help my daughter to be enrolled in either MGS or Fairfield. I was a bit frustrated. This year my daughter is studying in Primary one. Suddenly I am facing one of the great city in Singapore -- The Educational System. I was told that nearly every student from lower primary level has at least one tutor. I was told that some primary one students have learned at home through tution the knowledge in primary two so as to get the better result. I was puzzled. I have struggles. Should I follow? I has been told that this is the only path. I am sometimes confused. Today, when PSLE's result is out, I have an impulse to know the new ranking scale of Primary School in Singapore. I have this inevitable pressure as a father. The whole year, I find that Lord Jesus keeps on calling me to come out of this educational game and I find that this is absolutely difficult. Last week, after I shared about my struggle in the Cantonese Worship, I was told that it is still possible to come out in lower primary but not in higher primary. Give up, Pastor Ho. I ask for the grace from God to help me because I know I don't belong to this world city but the hidden city in heaven. [application] Everyone here has his or her own struggle in his or her own great city. The demand and temptation and the political game in your career. In your family. In your social circle. In Singapore. In all the values and dreams in your own heart. Lord Jesus reminds you of the temporal existence of the world city. Lord Jesus calls you here and now. He says, 'Are you my people? If you are my people, come out of the great city in which you are staying. Don't share in her values and luxuries. Don't be destroyed with it. Come out of her. If you are willing, I will send forth my Holy Spirit to help you and guide you.' Let us be honest before God and ask for His grace to stengthen us.
Conclusion
Let us pray to Jesus our Lord here and now: "Lord Jesus, here We are. We are your people. We are willing to leave from the city we are staying in. For we know that we belong to the Hidden City in Heaven. Please be merciful to me and give me the daily strength to carry on this commitment. Amen.'
There's no Sermon Text for 23rd Nov 97 as the Sunday Sermon was delivered by a Guest Speaker. Inconvenience caused is much regretted.
Message for Sunday, 16 November 1997
SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: Revelation 1:1-3, 7:1-17
SPEAKER: REV KHOR TONG KENG (Senior Pastor of Kum Yan)
1. THE SIGN OF THIS AGE
a) Growing concern about "what must take place soon"... The Millenium. (Upsurge in studies on the Millenium, focussing primarily on the data to be found in the book of Revelation.)
b) But, too bad... Revelation's message is for HIS SERVANTS, and not for any Tom, Dick or Harry. Psalms 25:14 The LORD confides in those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to them.
Revelation 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show His servants what must soon take place.
c) WHAT THE MILLENIUM MEANS TO THE SERVANTS OF THE LORD
And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation;...
2. THE GREAT TRIBULATION
a) the Tribulations: All these are the beginning of birth pains. Matthew 24:8-14
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of many will grow cold... However, this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
THE BOTTOM-LINE:
In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 2Timothy 3:12-13
[The key to Tribulations: they are the fore-runners of the End; they have a FINALE, the "mother of all tribulations", The Great Tribulation.]
b) The Great Tribulation: terrible times for living by faith. 2Timothy 3:1-3 But mark this: there will be terrible times in the last days.
THE BOTTOM-LINE: Revelation 15:2 ...those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of its name. What is the threat of
people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,
SUMMARY: The beast threatens faith: live by the Truth, and in the Truth.
boastful, proud, abusive
disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy
without love, unforgiving, slanderous
SUMMARY: The threat... those who worship the image of the beast take on its image in his/her person and personality. (The believer morphs into the beast.)
(iii) the number of its name
without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,...
SUMMARY: The threat... those who give in, to receive the mark of the beast's name (i.e. identity) have their total identity changed into deeply hurt people and deeply hurting others everywhere they go.
3. THE GREAT TRIBULATION IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE LORD'S SERVANTS
that they may have nothing except only Jesus, AND ONLY JESUS.
Matthew 25:31-36 When the Son of Man comes ...He will separate the people one from another as a sheherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.
that, having nothing except only Jesus, they may give nothing else but love.
Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
There's no Sermon Text for 9th Nov 97 as the Sunday Sermon was delivered by a Guest Speaker. Inconvenience caused is much regretted.
MESSAGE FOR 2 November, 1997
Scripture passage: Revelation 22:6-21
SPEAKER: REV KHOR TONG KENG (Senior Pastor of Kum Yan)
1. BEHOLD, I AM COMING SOON!
What is going to take place soon?
Revelation 22: 6-9
a) Which is the Word that we can trust, concerning the things that'll take place soon?
...These words are trustworthy and true: the LORD, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show His servants the things that must soon take place.
b) What does this trustworthy Word have to say?
(i) Align your life to (Revelation 22:1-5)
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.... the tree of life, ...the leaves...are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse.
The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him. ...will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.
(ii) 2 things to do right now:
..."Do not do it! I am a fellow servant
with you and with your brothers the pro- phets and
of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!"
2. AMEN, I AM COMING SOON!
a) Who is He?
My reward is with Me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.
b) What must I do to receive His reward?
Whatever happens soon, don't give up on Jesus. Why?
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
He who testifies to these things says, "Amen,
I am coming soon." Amen; come, Lord Jesus. The
grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.
3. THE CRUCIAL WARNING
a) Pay attention to Him who sends the Word.
I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches.
b) You are fore-warned: you must be inside the City.
...I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if any- one takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
There's no Sermon Text for 26th Oct 97 as the Sunday Sermon was delivered by a Guest Speaker. Inconvenience caused is much regretted.
SUNDAY PULPIT MESSAGES FOR 19TH OCTOBER, 1997
SPEAKER: REV KHOR TONG KENG (Senior Pastor of Kum Yan)
1. Why does the Holy Spirit speak to the churches?
a) a door is standing open in heaven
Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven.
Revelation1:10 On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit,...
On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,... Revelation 1:10
...a loud voice like a trumpet, which said, Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: ... Revelation 1:10-11
...And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." Revelation 4:1
b) Jesus Christ Himself sends the Holy Spirit to give the message
to His servants the prophets to warn (or, testify to) the churches.
I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this
testimony for the churches...Revelation 22:16
2. The warning messages from our Lord Jesus to us, O church...
a) you must face the opposition and overcome it (Revelation 2:7,11,17 ...To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the Tree of Life...)
Opposition is ordained: Revelation 16:12-14
The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water... Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the wholeworld, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.
Overcome it.Revelation 21:7-8
He who overcomes will inherit all this, ...But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral,...Their place will be in the fiery lake f burning sulfur. (This is the second death.)
b) hold firmly to what you have received from the Lord Jesus till He comes, Rev- lation 3:25-26
They are after your eternal treasures in heaven: Revelation 13:1,4,11-17
...And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea,...So they worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth,... and he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bonded, to receive a mark on their foreheads,...
Don't be afraid; no matter what happens to you, hold on: Revelation 13:9-10; 22:10-11
He who has an ear, let him hear: If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.
...Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy.
Remember: Jesus Christ is coming very soon: Revelation 22:12-15
Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
c) Be eager for the things of the Lord Jesus Christ: His discipline and His healing and His rewards
You cannot blow hot and cold with Jesus Christ: Revelation 16:15
Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.
3. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches...
a) you must face the opposition and overcome it
Opposition is ordained...
Overcome it.
b) hold firmly to what you have received from the Lord Jesus till He comes
They are after your eternal treasures in heaven
Dont be afraid; no matter what happens to you, hold on
Remember: Jesus Christ is coming very soon.
c) Be eager for the things of the Lord Jesus Christ: His discipline and His healing and His rewards
You cannot blow hot and cold with Jesus Christ.
There's no Sermon Text for 12th Oct 97 as the Sunday Sermon was delivered by a Guest Speaker. Inconvenience caused is much regretted.
The Jesus
whom
His churches ought to know
SUNDAY
PULPIT MESSAGES FOR
5TH
OCT 97
SPEAKER: REV KHOR TONG KENG (Senior Pastor of Kum Yan)
SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: Revelation 1:4-20
WHAT IS REVELATION ALL ABOUT?
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave
Him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it
known (that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ)
by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything
he saw. Blessed is the one who reads
the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it
and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
Revelation 1:1-3
1. REVELATION is meant by God the LORD Almighty to be a blessing
a) Blessed are its readers, Blessed are its listeners.
b) Who is the reader?
They who read it, word for word, as God's revealing of Jesus Christ to His faithful ones concerning What God would bring to pass soon in Jesus Christ; c) Who is the listener?
Whoever obeys ('the Time is near') and sees to it that the "revelation of Jesus Christ" becomes entirely a part of his/her life.
2. How is REVELATION a blessing?
a) the prophetic Word of God
to alert believers to the things that God had ordained to take place soon,
to recover believers from the entrapments of the Threatening Times coming soon, and
to strengthen believers for the Troublous Time coming upon the world suddenly.
b) the faithful Testimony of Jesus Christ:
(i) gives warning and encouragement concerning Jesus Christ in End-times days and at the End Time,
(ii) the testimony Jesus gives to the churches as their Head, to alert them and encourage them in End-times days,
(iii) the Testimony concerning Jesus Christ, the LORD who appears at the End Time, the Jesus of whom the faithful must bear witness to the world concerning the End Time.
CONCLUSION:
Revelation is from Jesus Christ for His churches and to His churches
for them to bear witness to Him in End-times days to a world rushing
headlong into evil days.
WHAT THE CHURCH OUGHT TO KNOW ABOUT END-TIMES AND THE END-TIME
1. SUMMARY:
Pay attention to what God declares to us about Himself and the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ.
To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from Him
who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne,
and from Jesus Christ, who is the Faithful Witness, the Firstborn from the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth...
2. We must know WHO IS GOD IN END-TIMES days
a) Jesus Christ is the LORD, in End Times days
(i) the LORD whom the church IS TO WORSHIP and TO BLESS:
To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and
has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father...
To Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
(ii) how we should live our lives on earth before men: the Judge of whom we are to fear, not satan and not men.
I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever
and ever! Further, I hold the keys of death
and hell.
CONCLUSION: WE MUST KNOW WHAT GOD IS THE GOD OF THE END-TIME "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later."
a) What John was given to see: The God of the End-time.
(i) The LORD God Almighty: the continual revelation of the Godhead.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the LORD God, Who is, and Who was,
and Who is to come, the Almighty.
(ii)the Holy Spirit: the revelation of God during the End-times days.
...the seven spirits before His throne. ...The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in My right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches."
(iii) Jesus Christ: the Final revelation of the Godhead at the End-time.
Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him. May it be! Amen.
b) The churches' witness to the End Time
(i) Warn the careless world: Jesus Christ IS the Final Manifestation of the LORD, the God Almighty. Desire to see Him now, or regret at having to see Him at His coming at the End Time.
(ii) Christians be warned: Jesus Christ is the One who holds the keys to death and hell, not satan. Therefore, fear Him now, or there's a terrifying Jesus facing you at His coming at the End Time.
SCRIPTURE PASSAGES: Luke 5:1-11, John 21:2-22
SUNDAY MESSAGE FOR: 28 September, '97
SPEAKER: REV KHOR TONG KENG (Senior Pastor of Kum Yan)
On first meeting Jesus
1. When we first met Jesus
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around Him and listening to the word of God, He saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.
b) Jesus saw Simon's meagre condition: eking out a precarious living.
... Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything.
2. What did it take for us to follow Jesus?
a) He asked for the use of our meager resources
He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.
b) He commanded us to do His will and we gave in to His word
When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."
Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."
c) He astounded us with His goodness
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
d) His goodness convicted us of our sins
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.
e) Jesus gave us a new direction to our lives: a new man, the old is gone.
Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will be harvesting men."
SUMMARY: We decided to leave everything and follow Jesus.
So they laid up their boats on the shore, left everything and followed Him.
On following Jesus
1. Disappointments across our paths: laid up with no job, unemployed, no future.
"I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
2. Jesus calls out to us
a) we dont recognise Him
Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
b) He recognises our situation & helps us
He called out to them, "Friends, you haven't any fish, have you?"
"No," they answered.
He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
c) But our old nature re-surfaces
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him ... and jumped into the water.
...When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."
Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.
d) Jesus points us back to the basics: the old must go.
Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." [Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.]
Then He said to him, "Follow me!"
Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them .... When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"
Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You, follow me."
SUNDAY MESSAGE FOR: 21 September, '97
SPEAKER: REV KHOR TONG KENG (Senior Pastor of Kum Yan)
1. God and His faithful ones are cheering us on
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of wit- nesses,... let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
2. They're cheering us on that: Faith works (brings results)
They're our encouragement,
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7
Hebrews 11:4ff
By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings.
By faith Enoch was.... commended as one who pleased God
And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
They're affirming us: faith works
c) as the well-founded confidence in an uncertain world Hebrews11:13-16 Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would
have had oppor- tunity to return. Instead, they were longing
for a better country -- a heavenly one.
3. Let us run the race, with persevering faith
Faith works because faith works and works
James 2:24 You see then a person is made righteous by what he does and not by faith in isolation.
a) The model of faith in a human person: Abraham, Hebrews 11:17-20.
b) The model of faith in a community of believers: Israel under Joshua's leadership, Hebrews 11:30
Faith works because God works and works faith
Hebrews 11:32-40
a) success stories: ...Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith...
b) failure stories: Others were...
The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
c) Both success and failure stories of faith:
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.
GOD KEEPS FAITH TO ALL:
God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
me a note telling me that you've visited here. I'm conducting
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most visited during the month. This will help me to further improve
on the maintenance of this Website. Just enter "kumyan2"
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