EVERYTHING that God has SAID is TRUE and WILL come to pass!  

The Lord wants us to BELIEVE this and when we do it is called faith and faith becomes the funnel through which God blesses our lives.

You can perhaps better understand why Scripture says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6)

Think about the NATURE of what takes place when you CHOOSE to believe something. It immediately sets your thinking in a particular direction. What a person believes influences how they perceive things and how they live.

For example, if the fire marshal ran into your office warning you of an approaching fire you would then face a decision whether to accept the threat or not. It impacts the direction of your thinking. If you disregard the warning, you remain in your office. If you believe the warning you run out of your office.

Can you see how “belief” triggers thinking, and thinking impacts your outlook and ultimately what you do?

Now, the OPPOSITE of faith is doubt! Doubt is the lack of assurance and confidence that God will keep His promises. Doubt is NOT believing what God will do. It is a choice to live in uncertainty.

Remember: EVERYTHING that God has SAID is TRUE and will COME to pass! The Lord wants us to believe this and when we do it’s called faith and faith becomes the funnel through which God blesses our lives. So, what are some of the promises God has given us that He wants us to believe and accept to be true?

#1 He will PROVIDE our NEEDS Phil 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

#2 He will PROTECT us from ENEMIES Is 54:11 “No weapon formed against you shall prosper …”

#3 He will PROSPER us for our HIGHEST GOOD Ps 84:11”No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly…”

Every day your faith will be tested on whether God will PROVIDE, PROTECT and PROSPER your life. I encourage you, trust the Lord. Believe Him today. Accept His Word is TRUE! As you do, it will impact your thinking, your outlook and the way you live. When you believe him and His word you will “please” the Lord and experience His approval and blessing. 🙂

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A FRIEND OF ISRAEL?

By Greg Denham

The best days are ahead for Israel!

One day all of Israel will know the Lord and know salvation in Christ. In the meantime, millions of Gentiles among the nations are coming to faith in Christ.

Does the church of today play a role in what will be the future of Israel? Does the church have a responsibility to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – the people from which Messiah came?

The Bible says that a Christian should have a specific influence to the Jewish community. (Romans 11:11) What does that mean? How does the church influence Israel? What is the relationship that Christians should have with Jews throughout the world and in Israel?

Below, is what I believe is a Biblical vision of what it means to be a “Friend Of Israel!”

(1.) A Christian stands against the ignorance and madness of racism and anti-Semitism. There is no greater friend of sinners, of man, of Israel – than Jesus. History attests of unspeakable acts toward Jews by those who have worn a mask of Christianity. Genuine Bible believing Christians denounce these acts! Zechariah 2:8; Duet. 7:7-9a

(2.) A Christian is a Bible believer who stands on the promises that God gave Israel of a homeland in the land of Israel. God keeps His promises and cannot cancel His character. Zionism is the belief that Jews have a right to a national home in Israel. 1 Chron. 16:17-18; Ez. 26:24; Romans 9:1-5; Joel 3

(3.) A Christian believes in the whole Bible! The roots of the Christian faith sprang forth from the soil of Judaism which began in Jerusalem not Rome. A Christian has been engrafted into the promises that God gave to Israel of the Messiah and the Kingdom of God. A Christian believes in the whole Bible and calls both Jews and Christians back to the study of the Holy Scriptures.

(4.) A Christian’s highest expression of blessing “Israel” and the Jewish people is demonstrating unconditional love toward Jews and helping Jewish friends (and the world) to see the hope and salvation of the Messiah of Israel, the Lord Jesus! The Bible foretold that through Abraham, “…all the families of the earth shall be blessed;” that “Salvation is of the Jews” and that the  “…the gospel of Christ … is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Genesis 12:3; John 4:22; Acts 2:22; Romans 1:16-17

(5.) A Christian is not anti-Jewish but on the contrary a Christian worships the “Lord God of Israel” and a Savior who is Jewish who demonstrated that He is the Savior of both Jew and Gentile by resurrecting from the dead. Jeremiah 31:31 says, “Behold, the days come, says the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah.” The word Jeremiah uses for “New Covenant” is the Hebrew phrase “brith Hadasha” – from which the phrase “New Testament” comes. A Christian is not calling Jews to assimilate and convert to another religion, but rather to be complete in Messiah! Mt 5:17-18 … Jeremiah 31:31 … Romans 10:1-4

(6.) A Christian stands against Islamic extremism – which is rooted in racism and hatred that targets Israel, Christians and the non-Islamic world. Allah is not the God of the Bible.

(Copyright 2008 Greg Denham)