Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward" (Hebrews 10:35). If you are a Christian, you are in a fierce war. In fact, you're in a lifeanddeath battle for your faith. Satan is determined to shipwreck and destroy the faith of all of God's elect. And the stronger your faith, the greater will be his attack against it.
Dit is hoog tyd om te praat teen Hollywood heiligheid en die vermaaklikheidsbedryf saligheid wat nou die huis van God besmet. Hoe hartseer moet die hart van God nou wees om so baie mense te sien wat hulleself Christene noem en hulleself besoedel en besmet by die duiwel se tafel. Daar is ‘n kanker van wêreldsheid wat in die kerk groei.
Job asks, “What is man, that thou [God] shouldest magnify him? And that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?” (Job 7:17–18, my italics).
Hebrews 12:1 tells us that the world is encircled by a cloud of witnesses who are with Christ in glory. My question is, what does this great crowd bear witness to? And who is their witness meant for?
This cloud of witnesses speaks to our generation, by their lives and their words as recorded in Scripture. I believe they have three things to say to us:
Matthew tells us Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables: "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 13:34-35).
When you hear the word "violence," what comes to mind? You probably think of the incredible things you hear on the radio or see in the newspapers:
"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
“And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it" (Matthew 7:24-27).
The apostle Paul warns that "in the last days perilous times shall come" (2 Timothy 3:1). He then describes in detail the terrible conditions we will face in the last hours of time:
"For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:2-4).
To humiliate means "to reduce one's dignity and pride," to humble. I intend to show you in this message that God humiliates those He loves! In fact, unless you have experienced this divine humiliation, you are not ready to be fully used by God; you are not prepared to receive of His fullness.
God has provided a source of life for the whole world. Not mere sustenance, but life in its fullest measure — Jesus called it abundant life.
God sent manna to sustain life in the wilderness — He sent His Son Jesus to sustain life in our day. Jesus said, "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world" (John 6:33).
There is a thrilling Old Testament story that best illustrates what it means to be kept by the power of God. It is found in 2 Kings 6.
Benhadad, King of Syria, declared war on Israel and marched against them with a great army. As his forces advanced, he often called his war counsel into his private chambers to plan the next day's strategy. But the prophet Elisha kept sending word to the King of Israel, detailing every move of the enemy troops. On several occasions, the Israelites escaped defeat because of Elisha's warnings.
