Author: Warren Berkley

“Considering Him Faithful”

Hebrews 11:11-22

¹¹ By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.¹² Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

¹³ These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.¹⁵ If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, ¹⁸ of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” ¹⁹ He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. ²⁰ By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. ²¹ By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. ²² By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.

– Heb. 11:6-12

These are real people, now gone but their faith speaks, as described in this chapter of Hebrews. And I want to begin with this phrase that is used to describe Sarah’s faith: “she considered him faithful who had promised.” Her focus was not on the promise and her analysis of the details. At this point, she was not concerned about her age and her husband’s age, or the prospect of raising a boy at this age. Her mind is fixed on one thing: “She considered Him faithful who had promised.” God, of course, is worthy of such consideration; worthy of this deep trust that produces obedience.

Now, about Abraham – read this as a parent, and it is alarming. What if someone told you to harm your child, or just offered a suggested that contained the prospect of some bad outcome for your child. You would immediately resist. But when God told Abraham to offer up Isaac, it wasn’t just someone. It was God, toward whom Abraham had already expressed trust. So, he considered God faithful and acted on what God said.

Which is what we ought to be doing with our lives. Earlier in Hebrews the affirmation is, it is impossible for God to lie. If you believe what the Bible says about God, you should consider Him faithful, embrace the promises of the gospel of Christ and walk by faith. The activity of faith in Christ will have good outcome here and after death.

by Jay Bowman (source below)

Pride is not one thing but a cluster of things.

It starts with our need for peer approval. It invades and corrupts respect for our fellowman. It issues in words and deeds that are callous and barbaric. No one is safe from this sin. A bad man is ruled by it. A good man is never safe from it. Universal, irrepressible, it infects the wise and the foolish. the great and the small, the pious and the ungodly. And, scarcely could anything be found that God hates more.

The Hebrew Old Testament has more than a dozen ways to express pride. Several words (ga’ah for example) have the notion of elevating oneself, of rising up or lifting up, making high or exalting oneself. Others mean to make oneself great, large or wide. Others express dignity, haughtiness. Of course, all these terms have evil connotations that go beyond their etymologies. The two words that best indicate where pride leads are “the disdainful mocker” (lutz) and “the seething, defiant one” (zadon).

Likewise, in the Greek New Testament the terms are various and colorful. Examples are: to “appear above” others, to gloat or brag, to be like a quack in a medicine show, to make empty pretensions, to exalt oneself, to be puffed up as with air or smoke, to “think” oneself “above” others, to “think down” toward others and to make oneself glorious without cause. Three words are especially significant: (1) huperephania—to “appear above” others, (2) hubris—to insult and injure others, and (3) alazon—to swagger and boast about real or imagined greatness.

The prevalence of this sin comes from the innate desire to be noticed and appreciated. It is powerful in some, tyrannical in others. It is one of the earliest and most persistent of all human needs. We sense it almost from birth. We spend our lives trying to win a place for ourselves in the hearts of others. Enormous energy is spent on it. Prodigious amounts of time and resources are devoted to it. And, when we finally come to the end of our way and few things really matter, this is one of our chief concerns—to be loved, respected and remembered.

Life without dignity leaves a gaping hole in our hearts. Pride is a cheap way to fill that void. For some men, a lifetime of sacrifice and labor is the price of respect. Others believe they can accomplish it by merely pretending to be wise, rich or virtuous. They are partially right. The more charming the personality and subtle the self-congratulation, the more effective is this approach. It is interesting to see in how many circles mere pretense is every bit as good as accomplishment. And, where is the man who has never given a better account of himself than he really deserves? Without a doubt, it is more fun to exaggerate my successes than to present myself as I am.

Pride starts with an exaggerated view of myself. It proceeds to a self-serving comparison with my neighbor and a devaluation of him, then to condemnation, contempt, and ridicule. It results in emotional and physical injury. Pride toward man is evil. Pride toward God is worse. All pride is sin against God.^[1]

^[1] Bowman, J. (1996). Pride. (D. Bowman, Ed.)Christianity Magazine, 13(8), 12.

Source – Preceptor, Feb. 2011

John’s Third Epistle

3 Jno. 13-15

Face to Face

¹³ I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. ¹⁴ I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

¹⁵ Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.

– 3 Jno. 13-15

“Final Greetings” at the end of a New Testament epistle follow a pattern, and we often find nothing that requires much comment. It is the close of a letter. The bulk of the teaching comes before the close. Thus, we generally spend little time with it.

But there is something here directly relevant to our time. John wrote to them “with pen and ink,” but with a predominant hope. He said, “I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.”

Do you see it? There is something here so relevant in our age. Let me re-translate or paraphrase into our age: “I had much to type to you in email and social media, but I would rather not … I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face!!”

An apostle is telling us, by implication, that personal face-to-face communication is better than written or digital. I hope our modern obsession with digital communication never replaces direct, personal, face-to-face communication. It is the preferred way to connect to people, bond, help, love and serve.

This concludes the series on 1st, 2nd & 3nd John.

My Isaiah Insights Podcasts are located here (Click).

Isaiah and Success, read Isa. 6:9-13

Comments by Dale Ralph Davis 

I say this because sometimes our Christian sub-culture gives the impression that if you have enough faith, if you practice biblical principles of relationships, if you bathe your activities in prayer, if you formulate a creative ministry strategy, if you devise a workable vision statement, if you attend the latest how-to conferences, subscribe to certain Christian magazines or listen to particular Christian blogs – well then, you cannot help but have success in Christian service or ministry. Really? I don’t know if Jesus swallowed that. He told his disciples some pretty tough stuff (John 15:18-27) and then said, ‘These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling’ (John 16:1, nasb). Isn’t God so very good to tell you how very nasty and difficult and cruddy it may be? Can’t you trust a truthful God like that, who does not give you ‘bum steers’ about the service he calls you to do?

Source: Davis, Dale Ralph. Stump Kingdom: Isaiah 6-12 . Christian Focus Publications. Kindle Edition.

My Podcasts: https://wberkley.podbean.com/

New Website: LHMCALLEN.ORG

(From the 2006 Florida College Lecture Series, as documented in Logos)

PULL ON THE ROPE

Dee Bowman

Our hope is “stored up” in heaven (Col. 1:5). God cannot lie and He is the progenitor of our hope (Tit. 1:2). Our patience is connected with our hope in Christ. We are told to hold on to our hope in Christ (Heb. 3:6), since it is the anchor that has been thrown off into eternity and lands at the throne of God Himself (Heb. 6:18–19). And so,

When you’re down and out and it seems no one cares,

Pull on the rope.

When you’ve lost your way momentarily

and everything seems blurred,

Pull on the rope.

When depression seems your lot

and you call and no one answers,

Pull on the rope.

When your friend turns and walks no longer with you,

Pull on the rope.

When you’re tired and it still must be done,

when you feel you can’t take another step,

Pull on the rope.

When you suddenly realize it’s your fault

and I’m sorry sticks in your throat,

Pull on the rope.

When shame and disgrace have cast you into a pit of despair

and no one seems to care,

Pull on the rope.

When death has come and robbed you

of someone near and dear to you,

Pull on the rope.

When you must come to face your own mortality,

Pull on the rope.

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thess. 4:13–18)

There is hope. Thanks be to God, there is hope!

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.

Oh! Blessed Hope!^[1]

^[1] Bowman, D. (2006). Wings like Eagles. In D. W. Petty (Ed.), Portraits in Isaiah (pp. 40–41). Temple Terrace, FL: Florida College Bookstore.

“By Faith”

Hebrews 11:6-12

⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. ⁷ By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

⁸ By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. – Heb. 11:6-12

Do you want to please God? Faith is required. Faith that is active in response to God’s Word, trusting that He is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Noah is an example. God spoke to Noah about things Noah could not see. Noah believed in God, and that belief led to action; he constructed the ark. “By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”

Abraham is an example. God spoke to Abraham about places and things Abraham could not see. He believed in God and that belief led to action; he went where God told him to go, looking forward to “the city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Abraham was convinced that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

“By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.”

What does all this mean? These are people from the pages of the Old Testament. What is their testimony? That belief in God when activated through obedience – has great reward. That’s true today. And you can embrace this truth personally. Hear, believe and obey God. Because of who Christ is and what He did – you can be forgiven of your sin, enter into fellowship with God and all this – knowing that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

(Often requested and favorably received, here is another piece by Dee Bowman from Pressing On Magazine)

Short Sermons

Watch Out! (I Thessalonians 5:6)

1. A lamentable fact: “some sleep”
2. The disinterested world
3. The indifferent Christian
4. A stern warning: “let us not sleep”
5. We know better
6. We are reflectors of light

III. A remedy offered: “watch”

1. Look where you’re going
2. Danger of worldly inebriates
3. Equip yourself

Warren’s Podcast, Click Here

Laurel Heights Church of Christ, Here

What do you do with this?

Jesus said, “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt. 28:19)

Imagine – You have never heard of any denominational group, creed or teaching. You have no strong religious history. You’ve never heard of Billy Graham. No internet search experience.

You just read this verse in the context of the New Testament writings. What do you understand about baptism, just reading what Jesus told His disciples to do?

You know about God’s gracious offer of salvation, based on the death of Christ. You are fully aware of His grace in making such an offer to sinners. You know you have sinned, and nothing you have done or will ever do, will merit or earn salvation.

But knowing all that – which is called THE GOSPEL, you want to change. You want to get out of sinful living, be a child of God – and live right, and go to heaven.

What are you going to do with this, where Jesus said – Go, preach the gospel, make disciples of people from all nations … baptizing them?

I believe your conclusion will be – I’m going to consider this necessary; I’m going to do this to become a disciple of Christ.

It is part of my reception of what God offers. My response to and my faith Jesus Christ – will be, to be baptized.