Got Faith?

Today I want to blog a little bit about what faith can do. This is just one example of the many in the Bible. If you look through the Bible it teaches us that faith is the way to the Father. Jesus talked about what faith of a mustard seed could do. He told people they were healed by their faith. By faith Peter walked on water, But as so many still do, they chose to doubt. And just like Peter we fall from time to time. That's okay we are going to fall from time to time, no one other than Jesus has arrived to Christ like perfection yet. It's about what you do when you fall. Are you going to sink or are you going to call on the Lord like Peter did? So many want to blame God for bad things that happen in their lives as if it were His fault these things happened. We need to realize something, God has never let us down. He has always been faithful to us. And so the question should not be why did this happen? The real question is what will you do when you don't know why? Will you still trust in Him? If you can't then you have no faith in Him, and Hebrews 11:6 in the NIV says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
One of the most common scenarios today we have people judging each other telling them what they should or should not believe. If you want my opinion I believe in the Bible and what it says. And if I am going to tell someone this is the truth, then I am going to provide the scriptures to back it up. I will not say it if God did not tell us in this book.
So with out further due. I want to talk about the harlot Rahab and what she did, and how I believe some day many people are going to have to do the things she did. As the world moves closer to one world religion (coexist), Christians are going to suffer persecution. In Hebrews 11:31 it says, "By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient." the NKJV says "By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace." So when you compare these two translations you see that unbelief is a form of disobedience. And we also see that there is a prostitute in the great faith chapter of the Bible. Rahab received these spies and hid them on her roof knowing that if she was caught she would have been killed. And the king of Jericho sent men to search for them and when they came to her place she lied to them and said that she didn't know where they were. Many could jump to the conclusion here and say that the Bible is condoning to sin since lying is a sin and Rahab lied. This is not what the Bible says. This is a true story and Rahab at this point was not raised in a christian home so we do not know how much light the Lord has given her. Rahab was also open for business practicing her profession. Does that mean prostitution is okay? No it doesn't. Moving on, the king's men went away looking for the spies and Rahab went up to the roof and talked to them. Joshua 2:9-11, "9 I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and every one's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below." Now after reading this we see that the Israelites had a totally different view didn't they? That is why they wondered out in the desert for 40 years afraid when they could have been taking the land that was promised to them by the Almighty God. I believe that the world is like this today. They are all scared of Christians because we are favored by the Lord and they are afraid that they are going to lose the upper hand. Well I have news for them, they already did almost 2010 years ago.
Now watch this now, Joshua 2:12-13 Rahab asks, "12 Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death." Have you ever thought right here, what if she didn't ask? Most likely her and her family would have been dead with the others. What if she would have told others that she requested her family and herself be spared? I believe it would have gone something like this: You? What makes you think God would save you? Don't you know there are many people in this city doing good things for humanity? Why would God save a prostitute? That was just my thought, however it is the way many Christians think today. In the end when the walls fell at Jericho, Rahab and her immediate family was spared, all because she had faith in God. Also she asked the Lord to spare her and her family and she knew that God could and that He would. This is why it is important to make your desires known to the Father.
Now let me show you one more thing many have overlooked. Go to Matthew 1:1-6. This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ.
2Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
4Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
6and Jesse the father of King David
I showed you this because this means that Rahab the harlot was King David's, the man after God's own heart, Great Grandma. How big is that? God is good!
In closing you can never be sure where you are going to find faith and God can use anybody. Never turn your nose up at anyone, because that person could truly have a heart for God and you could miss their calling out for Him. No body can judge the persons heart but we can all help each other to the Lord. Love everybody and this Christmas season let your love for God shine through you by giving to those who need the Lord and who have already found Him. Be a blessings to others and God will Bless you. God is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him.

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox