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Bright and shining lights in the Bible #19

Scripture: Hebrews 11:13.“These all died in faith, not having received 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”.
‘These’ that is, all those whose names have been mentioned already from verse 4 and of course believers who lived at the time of the ‘patriarchs’ and in subsequent times right up to NT times.
1. BOYS AND GIRLS, ALL MUST DIE. But it is most important to die ‘in faith’, that is, trusting in the promises of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ! That is what a Christian is. “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord,” Revelation 14:13.
2. THAT WHICH PROMPTED THEM TO START OFF ON THEIR PILGRIMAGE. ‘The promises’, plural! The gospel has many promises held out to sinners. Pardon, new life, the blessing of God, His presence and certainty of heaven.
3. THEY SAW GOD’S PROMISES ‘AFAR’ OFF. They knew that the fulfilling of them lay in the future.
4. THEY BELIEVED GOD OR WERE ‘PERSUADED OF THEM’. (See Matt 27:20). The Holy Spirit ‘persuaded’ us to believe God.
5. BEING PERSUADED, THEY RECEIVED AND EMBRACED THE PROMISES. ‘Received’ = Matt 8:17, ‘took’. “Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity,” 1 Peter 5:14. ‘Greet’  means to ‘embrace’. We hug God’s promises to our heart.
6. THEY NO LONGER CONSIDERED THEMSELVES  CITIZENS OF THIS WORLD! Col 3:1-2; “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,” Php 3:20.
Matt 6:20 – Banking in Heaven’s bank!

Bright and shining lights in the Bible #18

Scripture: Hebrews 11:11-12 “Through faith also Sara 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 good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.”

Stream or download Bright and shining lights in the Bible #18

We are to note that ladies also are listed amongst those who had great faith. Sarah had faults but she also had FAITH.

This was the case with the menfolk also!

1. CHILDREN ARE THE GIFT OF GOD. This is important for us to note.
A. All life is precious. You may not know this but many people believe that babies that are not wanted may be killed! Such a thing is a great crime in God’s eyes.
B. Because the Lord is the Author of life, the human spirit will return to Him at death. “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it,” Eccles 12:7.
C. From the dust, God will call all before Him one day. “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation,” John 5:28-29.

2. IN MAKING AN OLD MAN LIKE ABRAHAM THE FATHER MILLIONS WE HAVE 1 COR 1:26-29 EXPLAINED TO US.
There we are told:
A. Who it is God chooses for His service. Verse 27.
B. Those whom God passed by. Verse 26.
C. God’s purpose in acting so. ‘To confound’, ‘To bring to nought’, all who are not of God.
D. God has acted so that none may ‘flesh’ may glory in His presence. When ALL things are completed, it is the Lord alone who will get the glory, verses 29-31. See Galatians 6:14.

Bright and shining lights in the Bible, #16

Scripture: “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God,” Hebrews 11:9-10.

Stream or download Bright and shining lights in the Bible #16

We continue our study of the life of Abraham as it is recorded for us in Hebrews 11. Last time we we noted: ‘1. He obeyed God not knowing where he was going’ and ‘2. He believed that he would receive as an inheritance the place he was going to.’
That was wonderful faith on the part of Abraham YET it is exactly the same faith as that exercised by every Christian!
1. We too dwell in the land of promise! Abraham was a stranger in the ‘promised land’ as far as the people in the land were concerned BUT it was HIS land! So it is with us on this earth. We are strangers here YET, let us read these verses:
“What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth,” Psalm 25:12-13.
“For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace . . . . For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off,”  Psalm 37:9-11, 22.
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth,” Matt 5:5.
Just who are the ‘meek’? Hear what the Saviour says!
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light,”  Matt 11:28-30.
Those who come to Christ, take up His yoke and learn of Him, they it is who will inherit the earth, even as God has promised.