Christmas is this week. How do we know that the baby in the manger was the birth of the Messiah. By Faith. The clearest definition of Faith is in Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
When I was an atheist I hung my hat on the fact that we have thousands of years of artifacts of History but not one to prove Christianity. Where is Noah’s Ark? Where is the 10 Commandments? Where is the Ark of the Covenant (seriously even Indiana Jones is looking for it), Where are the temples? The Scrolls? The gold mice? Moses bones? The Tomb? The Cross? IF God is so real why wouldn’t he leave things for us to dig up to prove his existence. On the contrary for that very reason. We must believe by Faith and Faith alone. To have proof in our hands would completely break the covenant of Belief.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Janice once told me: most of us are 18 inches away from Heaven and miss it. (the distance between your head and your heart). So if God is writing a Bible right now and you are a Character what would it say about you “By Faith, (insert name), ___________________. If we fix our eyes on Jesus as our personal Lord (not ourselves) we can fill in that blank.
I keep going back to in my heart to Hebrews 4:
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
I challenge you to examine your heart. If reading the Word has not changed you at all, if fruit is not growing, if foundations are not being laid, if the Word is not personally speaking to you, in other words if your Approach to the Lord, your relationship with the Lord has not changed this year then I wonder if you are a Christian. There is evidence of Salvation and it comes from His Word.
Reading the Bible in one year 
Posted by Lori on December 23, 2010 at 11:59 am
“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed” (Heb. 11:8).
Whither he went, he knew not; it was enough for him to know that he went with God. He leant not so much upon the promises as upon the Promiser. He looked not on the difficulties of his lot, but on the King, eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, who had deigned to appoint his course, and would certainly vindicate Himself. O glorious faith! This is thy work, these are thy possibilities; contentment to sail with sealed orders, because of unwavering confidence in the wisdom of the Lord High Admiral; willinghood to rise up, leave all, and follow Christ, because of the glad assurance that earth’s best cannot bear comparison with Heaven’s least. –F. B. M. <—- that was an excerpt from a devotional I read this morning. Pretty much goes hand-in-hand with today's reading! I loved your commentary for today's reading, Patricia! 🙂
Posted by Becca on December 24, 2010 at 8:49 am
I LOVE Hebrews 11-13. I have so much underlined, starred, and highlighted. Great way to start my morning!