A GOOD REPORT THROUGH FAITH
Thursday – June 28, 2018, Tamuz 15, 5778
Greetings and welcome back to this wonderful faith building Bible Study from the exciting Book of Hebrews. The featured picture today is of Patti at the entrance of the ranch that we both so enjoyed for many years before returning to Maine. I suspect that her mansion in Heaven which she is now enjoying when she is not carrying out her assigned missions in Heaven, is a lot like the ranch but of course on a far higher level. This home was her design and she oversaw its construction in every detail. Now let’s turn our attention back to the Bible Study and our primary Bible text.
Hebrews 11:37-40 (KJV)
37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
Brother and sister the world, Satan’s domain, is not worthy of the very least of the saints. The world is not worthy of that guy or gal that is born again but it is hard to tell afterward, none the less they are saved. Jesus said that John the Baptist was the greatest of the Prophets yet was less than the least in the Kingdom of God.
Luke 7:28 (KJV)
28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
In our primary text, the promise they were looking for and did not obtain was salvation. Not until after the Cross of Calvary when Christ Jesus preached the gospel to those captives in the Bosom of Abraham and led them into Heaven was their salvation full. That salvation, that redemption could only come by the Messiah, Christ Jesus. Even though the Old Testament saints were not able to obtain salvation, the quickening of their dead spirits, or the filling of the Holy Spirit and Power (the Blessing) God nonetheless provided mightily for the faithful. This should be evident even to the most casual reader of the Old Testament.
You may have noticed in your walk with the Lord that there are things you have an easier time receiving by faith than others. All who are in the Kingdom of God, obtained salvation, had faith for that salvation. Many however never develop their faith beyond the faith they exercised for salvation. We all heard the gospel in some form or another and made a freewill decision to make Jesus Lord in our lives.
Romans 10:17 (KJV)
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Now, we must ask ourselves have we developed our faith, faith in God, faith in the Word of God, for all the other promises of God? What about wealth? What about health? What about healing? What about our children, even our whole house? We are entitled to all of these and much more but do we have them, are we progressing day by day, and year by year? Of course, none of the benefits come without the discharge of our obligations or responsibilities in the Kingdom of God. This is like going to work someplace, if you don’t do the job, you don’t get the paycheck. Many Old and New Testament saints did not receive all that God had for them under either animal blood or the Blood of Christ Jesus, however that was not the will of God at any time.
As we discussed at some length deception is the foundation for the curse to enter our lives. There is a deception at the onset and therefore our faith is misplaced to a deception. In this way the will of God, His desired outcome, is thwarted due to misplaced faith for a lie (deception). For example, a person for any variety of reasons (deceptions of the enemy) may believe they are not worthy of this or that and as a result pass on to glory (Heaven) without the promise (healing for example). As I close for today I want to draw our attention to an interesting thing that God does which is at times perplexing and at the same time wonderful. Notice how in verse thirty-nine the author of this Book by the unction of the Holy Spirit says these people “obtained a good report through faith” when it is amply evident that they were lacking in faith in what would seem to be very important areas. Although they were very deceived in certain areas they had an unfailing faith in God Himself and that counted for everything. O praise the Lord and give Him thanks saints of God! To finish off verse forty, of course, now the Messiah has come and we are both, those of old, and us of the new made perfect or complete. Until our next publication, I speak this Scriptural prayer for your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
2 Peter 1:2-4 (KJV)
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
PARTNERSHIP AND GIVING – Those of you who are not Partners of this Ministry and you find this ministry to be of value to you and perhaps others with whom you share it, we ask you to consider becoming Partners. A Partner is one who prays for the Ministry on a regular basis and contributes to the Ministry on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, annually). Thank you and may the Lord be pleased with your decision.
CONTACT E-MAIL: pastordavidwood@gmail.com
BLOG: https://awakeariseandtriumphministries.org
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/awakearisetriumphministries
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/PastorDavidWood
MAILING ADDRESS: 10 Village Green Circle, Oakland, Maine 04963
MY BOOKS: https://awakeariseandtriumphministries.org/shop/
