words of encouragement
“Do You Truly Take God at His Word?” April 17, 2020
I can vividly recall my rollercoaster riding years as a teenager. I grew up in Houston, and during that time Houston had a theme park named, “Astor World.” As part of my summer ritual, a couple of friends and I would go to Astro World every year. At the time Astro World boasted of having one of the world’s largest, tallest, and fastest wooden rollercoasters – the “Texas Cyclone.” It was a complex wooden structure with all kinds of twists, turns, and fast steep drops. It was an intimidating sight; and even more intimidating to ride.
However, my friends and I made a pact that we would conquer the Texas Cyclone. The pact was that we would ride in the front, middle, and rear cars. We rode in the front car – so we could experience the thrill of being the first to plunge over the top and hit the bottom dip at 60 mph in a matter of seconds. We rode in the middle car – just to experience the difference. We rode in the rear car – to experience the thrill of a somewhat “whiplash” movement. We also challenged each other to take our hands off the grip bar and throw them in the air – so we could experience the thrill of feeling like we were going to be ejected from the car (just crazy). As much as I hate to admit it – it was exciting! We literally spent hours standing in line just to experience a couple of minutes of excitement.
I shared those memorable moments with you in my feeble attempt to convey the spiritual highs I have experienced in my studies of the Book of Romans. Lately I have been revisiting the Book of Romans, and it has been a thrilling ride – somewhat like a spiritual rollercoaster. I have spent hours in this theological masterpiece trying to drink down its invigorating spiritual truths. Trust me, the ride has been worth it! It has taken me to new spiritual heights. I have experienced some tremendous spiritual highs; sharp turns to new spiritual insights; and steep theological inclines that have left me holding my breath as I plumbed the depths of its theological richness. Like Paul, I have had those moments when I threw up my hands in doxological praise to God, because of His amazing grace, unfathomable love, unsurmountable mercy, and unparalleled wisdom. I completely understand why Paul cried out with intense spiritual exuberance: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! 34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?" 35 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay Him?" 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen (Romans 11:33-36).
Romans has challenged my faith. It has caused me to ask myself the basic question that we must all answer – which is – do we really take God at His Word? Do we really believe that God will do what He said He would do – no matter how impossible or improbable it might seem?
Church, it’s easy for us to say – “Yes I believe God” – when life is easy and there are no challenges facing us. It’s easy to say – “I believe” – when there are no steep drops, sharp turns, and unexpected twists on the road of life. It’s easy to say – “I have faith in God” – when we have a job, the bills are paid, the bank account is not necessarily “fat,” but healthy. It’s easy to say – “I take God at His Word” – when we are physically healthy, all is well on the home-front, life is good, and there are no apparent storms on the horizon. But what about NOW – as we face this pandemic of epic proportions? Do you genuinely believe in God – NOW? Do you truly trust God – NOW? Do you have faith – NOW? Those are the questions we must answer – NOW!
Faith is no good if it does not work in difficult times. Faith is not faith unless it is faced with the unknown, and the humanly impossible. If I know it all, if I can do it all, and if I can fix it all, why do I need faith? In fact, why do I need God, if I can be my own solution to every problem? To walk by faith and not by sight means that we must be faced with what is humanly impossible – yet trust God to make the impossible possible, because we believe that with God all things are possible.
That was the scenario that Paul expounded upon in Romans 4. Paul illuminated upon the role of faith in God’s eternal scheme of redemption. He set forth the theological thesis that it was according to God’s eternal purpose to justify man on the basis of faith, and not on the basis of law. To prove his theological thesis, Paul cites God’s promise to Abraham to give him an heir through Sarah in their old age. Paul argues that the promise of an heir (through whom the whole world would be blessed) was given before the law, and before the ritual of circumcision. He said in Romans 4:9-17. “Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. 13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring — not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed — the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.” NIV
Paul said that God’s plan to save humanity has always been to justify man based on faith – so that salvation is a matter of grace – and not a matter of keeping rules and regulations. If God were to offer salvation based on our ability to keep all the rules and regulations of His law, no one would be saved – we would all be under His divine wrath. God knew that; therefore, He devised a system that would remove what was impossible to achieve (keeping His law flawlessly) and provided a system that was not based on human achievement, but upon divine accomplishment. Hence God sent Christ to die for us, abolish the law, and now He offers us salvation through Christ based on faith, so that it is by grace and not by works.
Paul maintains that that theological truth is clearly seen in the Abrahamic covenant. Before the ritual of circumcision and the law existed, God promised Abraham that Sarah would bear him a son. Therefore, the blessing the world benefited from came by means of promise (based on divine accomplishment) and not by means of human achievement. To drive that point home, God waited until it was humanly impossible for Abraham and Sarah to accomplish anything without His divine enablement. Paul said in Romans 4:17, “As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed — the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.”
The key is – God is able to make what is humanly impossible, possible. Listen to Paul’s words in Romans 4:18-25. “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead — since he was about a hundred years old — and that Sarah's womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. 22 This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." 23 The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness — for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” NIV
Abraham was beyond the years of potency – his body was dead – he was impotent. Viagra did not exist, and it would not have help him even if it did. Sarah had been barren her entire life, and now she is well passed her childbearing years. Therefore, the only way a child would be conceived – would be by God’s divine enablement, and not by human achievement. What an awesome God we serve! There is no doubt that our salvation is a matter of grace and not works. God did for us what we could not do for ourselves.
Nevertheless, don’t miss the lesson of Abraham’s faith. Abraham truly exhibited real faith. Abraham simply took God at His Word. His body was as good as dead, and Sarah’s womb was dead. Therefore, according to human logic there can be no child, but Abraham’s faith looked beyond the obvious and rested solely on the promise of God. Consequently (based solely on the promise of God) he acted in faith against all odds. Abraham believed that what God promised He was able to perform. That is the essence of what faith is. Faith is taking God at His Word even when His Word makes no sense to us, and the odds are stacked against us.
The question is, do you really believe God? When God tells you to fear not for I am with you, do you really believe that God is with you? When God says that He will provide for your every need, do you really believe that He will? When God says nothing is too hard for Him to accomplish, do you genuinely believe God? When God says, trust Him with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your steps – do you believe God?
Church, these are unprecedented times – but I will not say that they call for unprecedented faith. Why? because the adjective unprecedented means, “never done or known before.” These times call for real faith. They call for genuine faith. They call for biblical faith. They call for a faith that simply takes God at His Word. The question is, during these unprecedented times, will you do like Abraham, and simply take God at His Word?
I can vividly recall my rollercoaster riding years as a teenager. I grew up in Houston, and during that time Houston had a theme park named, “Astor World.” As part of my summer ritual, a couple of friends and I would go to Astro World every year. At the time Astro World boasted of having one of the world’s largest, tallest, and fastest wooden rollercoasters – the “Texas Cyclone.” It was a complex wooden structure with all kinds of twists, turns, and fast steep drops. It was an intimidating sight; and even more intimidating to ride.
However, my friends and I made a pact that we would conquer the Texas Cyclone. The pact was that we would ride in the front, middle, and rear cars. We rode in the front car – so we could experience the thrill of being the first to plunge over the top and hit the bottom dip at 60 mph in a matter of seconds. We rode in the middle car – just to experience the difference. We rode in the rear car – to experience the thrill of a somewhat “whiplash” movement. We also challenged each other to take our hands off the grip bar and throw them in the air – so we could experience the thrill of feeling like we were going to be ejected from the car (just crazy). As much as I hate to admit it – it was exciting! We literally spent hours standing in line just to experience a couple of minutes of excitement.
I shared those memorable moments with you in my feeble attempt to convey the spiritual highs I have experienced in my studies of the Book of Romans. Lately I have been revisiting the Book of Romans, and it has been a thrilling ride – somewhat like a spiritual rollercoaster. I have spent hours in this theological masterpiece trying to drink down its invigorating spiritual truths. Trust me, the ride has been worth it! It has taken me to new spiritual heights. I have experienced some tremendous spiritual highs; sharp turns to new spiritual insights; and steep theological inclines that have left me holding my breath as I plumbed the depths of its theological richness. Like Paul, I have had those moments when I threw up my hands in doxological praise to God, because of His amazing grace, unfathomable love, unsurmountable mercy, and unparalleled wisdom. I completely understand why Paul cried out with intense spiritual exuberance: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! 34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?" 35 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay Him?" 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen (Romans 11:33-36).
Romans has challenged my faith. It has caused me to ask myself the basic question that we must all answer – which is – do we really take God at His Word? Do we really believe that God will do what He said He would do – no matter how impossible or improbable it might seem?
Church, it’s easy for us to say – “Yes I believe God” – when life is easy and there are no challenges facing us. It’s easy to say – “I believe” – when there are no steep drops, sharp turns, and unexpected twists on the road of life. It’s easy to say – “I have faith in God” – when we have a job, the bills are paid, the bank account is not necessarily “fat,” but healthy. It’s easy to say – “I take God at His Word” – when we are physically healthy, all is well on the home-front, life is good, and there are no apparent storms on the horizon. But what about NOW – as we face this pandemic of epic proportions? Do you genuinely believe in God – NOW? Do you truly trust God – NOW? Do you have faith – NOW? Those are the questions we must answer – NOW!
Faith is no good if it does not work in difficult times. Faith is not faith unless it is faced with the unknown, and the humanly impossible. If I know it all, if I can do it all, and if I can fix it all, why do I need faith? In fact, why do I need God, if I can be my own solution to every problem? To walk by faith and not by sight means that we must be faced with what is humanly impossible – yet trust God to make the impossible possible, because we believe that with God all things are possible.
That was the scenario that Paul expounded upon in Romans 4. Paul illuminated upon the role of faith in God’s eternal scheme of redemption. He set forth the theological thesis that it was according to God’s eternal purpose to justify man on the basis of faith, and not on the basis of law. To prove his theological thesis, Paul cites God’s promise to Abraham to give him an heir through Sarah in their old age. Paul argues that the promise of an heir (through whom the whole world would be blessed) was given before the law, and before the ritual of circumcision. He said in Romans 4:9-17. “Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. 13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring — not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed — the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.” NIV
Paul said that God’s plan to save humanity has always been to justify man based on faith – so that salvation is a matter of grace – and not a matter of keeping rules and regulations. If God were to offer salvation based on our ability to keep all the rules and regulations of His law, no one would be saved – we would all be under His divine wrath. God knew that; therefore, He devised a system that would remove what was impossible to achieve (keeping His law flawlessly) and provided a system that was not based on human achievement, but upon divine accomplishment. Hence God sent Christ to die for us, abolish the law, and now He offers us salvation through Christ based on faith, so that it is by grace and not by works.
Paul maintains that that theological truth is clearly seen in the Abrahamic covenant. Before the ritual of circumcision and the law existed, God promised Abraham that Sarah would bear him a son. Therefore, the blessing the world benefited from came by means of promise (based on divine accomplishment) and not by means of human achievement. To drive that point home, God waited until it was humanly impossible for Abraham and Sarah to accomplish anything without His divine enablement. Paul said in Romans 4:17, “As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed — the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.”
The key is – God is able to make what is humanly impossible, possible. Listen to Paul’s words in Romans 4:18-25. “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead — since he was about a hundred years old — and that Sarah's womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. 22 This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." 23 The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness — for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” NIV
Abraham was beyond the years of potency – his body was dead – he was impotent. Viagra did not exist, and it would not have help him even if it did. Sarah had been barren her entire life, and now she is well passed her childbearing years. Therefore, the only way a child would be conceived – would be by God’s divine enablement, and not by human achievement. What an awesome God we serve! There is no doubt that our salvation is a matter of grace and not works. God did for us what we could not do for ourselves.
Nevertheless, don’t miss the lesson of Abraham’s faith. Abraham truly exhibited real faith. Abraham simply took God at His Word. His body was as good as dead, and Sarah’s womb was dead. Therefore, according to human logic there can be no child, but Abraham’s faith looked beyond the obvious and rested solely on the promise of God. Consequently (based solely on the promise of God) he acted in faith against all odds. Abraham believed that what God promised He was able to perform. That is the essence of what faith is. Faith is taking God at His Word even when His Word makes no sense to us, and the odds are stacked against us.
The question is, do you really believe God? When God tells you to fear not for I am with you, do you really believe that God is with you? When God says that He will provide for your every need, do you really believe that He will? When God says nothing is too hard for Him to accomplish, do you genuinely believe God? When God says, trust Him with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your steps – do you believe God?
Church, these are unprecedented times – but I will not say that they call for unprecedented faith. Why? because the adjective unprecedented means, “never done or known before.” These times call for real faith. They call for genuine faith. They call for biblical faith. They call for a faith that simply takes God at His Word. The question is, during these unprecedented times, will you do like Abraham, and simply take God at His Word?
Words of encouragement
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“God Meant It for Good” March 31, 2020
In Genesis 50:15 the Bible says, “When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.” Joseph’s brothers were terrified of what might happen to them now that their father Jacob was dead. They assumed that Joseph would have a vengeful heart and repay their evil with evil. Consequently, they concocted a story and sent messengers to Joseph to tell him that before his father died, he requested that he pardon his brothers for the evil they did to him. However, Joseph didn’t have a vengeful heart; on the contrary, Joseph had a heart filled with compassion. He said to his brothers in Genesis 50:20-21, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.” To the family of God at East Side, take to heart the words that Joseph spoke to his brothers. He said “…you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.” Let those sentiments be our sentiments even in the midst of this pandemic. God has shown throughout Scripture that He has the uncanny ability to turn bitterness into sweetness, suffering into joy, and sorrow into dancing. In Psalm 30 it appears that David had a near death experience from which God delivered him. Listen to the following verses in Psalms 30, “I will exalt You, O Lord, for You lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. 2 O Lord my God, I called to You for help and You healed me. 3 O Lord, You brought me up from the grave; You spared me from going down into the pit” (Psalm 30:1-3). Four times in these three verses David talks about being delivered from the threshold of death. He spoke of being lifted from the depths, being healed, brought up from the grave, and spared from the pit. Those expressions depict a grim situation that had him at death’s doorstep. But God delivered him from whatever the dangerous life-threatening situation was, which prompted him to exclaim, “…weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). And he goes on to say in that same Psalm (speaking to the Lord) “You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy” (Psalm 30:11). David said that YOU Lord changed my tune from a sad tune to a glad tune. YOU Lord – changed my crying into dancing! YOU Lord – changed my clothes from the rough sackcloth of sadness into the soft silky-smooth cloth of joy! YOU Lord – took a negative situation and transformed it into a positive situation. Brothers and sisters, we are living in some bad times, but let us never forget that God has the power to transform our bad into good. He has the power to take what seems to be against us and make it work in our favor. Consequently, I am a firm believer that God has us in this place at this time in history for a reason. God is still on the throne! God is still the grand architect of this universe! God is still in the business of making all things work together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). And God still never sleeps nor slumbers (Psalm 121:4). Brothers and sisters the old cliché is right – “Whenever we are down to nothing, God is up to something.” I don’t know exactly what God is up to, but I know that He’s up to good! I know that He’s working on our behalf to make us better vessels for use in His kingdom. Just maybe God is trying to teach us something valuable. Maybe God is trying to teach us to trust Him more. Maybe God is trying to teach us to pray more; to study more; and to reach out to each other more. Maybe God is trying to help us to reconnect with our families. Maybe God is trying to teach us to appreciate one another more. Maybe God is trying to teach us to appreciate the simple things of life more. Maybe when this is all said and done a meal in a restaurant will taste better than it ever did; and maybe you won’t be as critical of the service as you were in the past. Maybe a walk in the park will mean more to us than it did before the pandemic. Maybe we won’t complain about crowds as much as we did before the pandemic. And just maybe we will appreciate the value, the beauty, and the blessing of being able to assembly with the saints in person on the Lord’s Day. Just Maybe we won’t be in such a hurry to leave the fellowship of the saints after the final “Amen.” And just maybe you will finally see the value of coming back on a Sunday night – for after all – now we see that it is a blessing just to be able to meet ONE day a week. Think about it! Bro. George Williams On Behalf of the Leadership |