Hold Onto Your Faith

 

    Hebrews 10:35

Hold onto, and maintain your confidence, your assurance, for it holds a great reward. 

HOLDING ONTO OUR FAITH

    Holding onto our faith and maintaining our faith are two separate actions. 
     To hold onto something is to hold it close to our chest with both arms and hands supporting whatever we are carrying in front of us. But it also requires us to have strong backs in order to carry it in an upright position. 
      Our legs may get wobbly beneath the weight of whatever it is we are carrying, but even if we stumble, we cannot allow ourselves to fall, for then it is possible that whatever we are carrying could drop out of its holding position. 
     To hold onto our faith in Christ is to keep it in our hearts and our thoughts at all times. It is to reject anything, however seemingly minor, that would cause us to drop our faith in Christ, cause us to doubt or even disavow our faith in Christ. We must hold onto our faith in Christ Jesus even when everyone is against us, or seems to be against us. 

MAINTAINING OUR FAITH
     To maintain our faith in Christ Jesus is to continue to believe that God's Word is Faithful and True. It is to know that you know that you know this fact. Fear has no place in faith. Doubt has no place in faith in Christ. Even death has no place in faith. 
     To maintain our faith in Jesus Christ is to be obedient to The Word of God and the Voice of The Holy Spirit. It is to seek God daily in prayer and in reading His Word for ourselves. It is also to hear God's Word being spoken by God's anointed ministers. 
     Jesus tells us to "love one another as I have loved you". How does Jesus love us? Amazingly. With a neverending Love. Unconditionally. It is God's nature to love. We know this because we know that "God is Love". 
     And then Jesus tells us to "Love your neighbor as yourself". How do we love ourselves? Well, we make sure we are fed and clothed and housed and healthy. Are our neighbors? And just who is my neighbor? Anyone I meet on this road of life is my neighbor. How can I love them like I love myself? I can pray for them. I'm praying to a powerful, loving God, Who can meet the needs I cannot.

PRAYER OF FAITH FOR OUR NEIGHBORS
     Dear Heavenly Father, 
Thank You for this day and everything in it. Thank You for the many blessings You have given me today. Thank You for clean water, good food, clothes to wear, shoes on my feet. Thank You for Jesus in my heart, a Bible to read, and The Holy Spirit in my life. 
Father, bless those who have none of my benefits, that their needs would be met according to Your Word, Your Will and Your Spirit. 
Strengthen Your people where we stand, Lord, in prison and out. Bind our wounds, heal our diseases and raise our dead to the astonishment, frustration, salvation and deliverance of those who persecute and kill us for Your Name's sake, that Your kingdom would increase and Your Name be glorified.
     In Jesus' Wonderful Name, Amen. 

HYMN OF THE DAY

  BLESSED ASSURANCE
(Fanny Crosby - ca. 1873)
1. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
    O, what a foretaste of glory divine!
    Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
    born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
2. Perfect submission, perfect delight,
    visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
    angels descending, bring from above
    echoes of mercy, whispers of love. [Refrain]
3. Perfect submission, all is at rest,
    I in my Savior am happy and blest;
    watching and waiting, looking above,
    filled with His goodness, lost in His love. [Refrain]

OUR HOPE OF SALVATION

     Our confidence, our assurance, our faith in Jesus Christ as our Hope of Salvation is a major stepping stone in receiving a great reward at the end of our journey. 
     Knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of my life now, and living in His Name now, is the preemptive basis of my life in eternity. It is living a life filled with wonder and awe, even when I navigate unexpected events, with the full knowledge that God still loves me and is with me through it all. 
     Having this kind of faith in Christ is the most important decision any person will ever make in their entire life. It is more important than choosing a mate. More important than finding the right place to live in. More important than whether or not to have children. More important than a job, or even a job promotion. It is even more important than familial ties and who our friends are. 
     The best thing that can come from believing that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior is the knowledge that when this life is over, and I cross death's threshold, I will be face to face with my Lord and Savior forevermore. 
     But the second best thing that can happen because of what I believe and refuse to stop doing? The people in my family will give their hearts to Christ Jesus, too.

Names of Christ - Skandalon Petra

 

SKANDALON PETRA

(skan'-dal-on pet'-ra)

    ROCK OF OFFENSE

As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a Stumbling Stone and Rock of Offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

Isaiah 28:16

So this is what The Lord GOD says: "See, I lay a Stone in Zion, a Tested Stone, a Precious Cornerstone, a Sure Foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken."

Romans 10:11, 13

It is just as the Scripture says: "Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame." ..... For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved.

GIVE ME JESUS - Fernando Ortega

MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS - A Hymn 

    Putting all my hope in a rock may seem strange to you, but this Rock is God's Rock. The Living Chief Cornerstone upon which all other living stones are built. This edifice cannot be toppled, nor can it be torn down. We have built our hope of eternity and salvation upon God's Rock. Though the storms of life may whip against this Rock and Chief Cornerstone with their angry, divisive winds, they will not prevail. 

    We live because Christ Jesus lives. We stand because Christ stands. We are steadfast and immovable because our Savior Jesus Christ is steadfast and immovable. 

    The One Who created all things is The One Who died for us. A sinless Lamb He took our place on the cross, bearing all of our sins upon Himself. A conquering Lamb He rose from the land of the dead, becoming our Victor over sin, death, hell and the grave. He walked out of the tomb and into our hearts. Because He is The Foundation of our faith from time immemorial. 

    In what or whom have you placed your trust, your faith? If it is anything less than the blood of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, then you have erred and need to take a closer look at what God says and what you believe to be true. There is only one Truth and that Truth is JESUS CHRIST. 

ALL MY HOPE IS IN JESUS Crowder

    

I Know My Redeemer Lives

 

JOB 19:25

I know my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. 

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my Strength, and my Redeemer. 

Isaiah 47:4

Our Redeemer--The LORD of Hosts is His name--is The Holy One of Israel. 

REDEEMER: to act as kinsman, to do the part of next of kin, purchaser

    I Know My Redeemer Lives - Nicole C. Mullen 

I Know My Redeemer Lives in Sign Language 

I Am Redeemed - Big Daddy Weave

    Why do we need a Redeemer? We are born with a sinful nature. It's part of our DNA. You won't find it in any medical textbook, nor will this sinfulness show up in any test. It's a spiritual nature. And having been born with a sinful nature, we live in sin. Until. Until we see our need for a Savior, a Redeemer.    

    We need a Redeemer to buy us back from the one who owns our sinful souls. So God sent His only begotten Son to purchase us with His own blood, "once and for all" (Hebrew 7:24-26). I saw my need and I reached out to Him. I cried in despair for Jesus to help me. He came to my rescue, opened my eyes and came into my heart, where now He lives forever in me and I live in Him. I have a Redeemer! 

    No more do I live in sin. Now I live in Jesus Christ and He lives in me! Salvation is mine! I needed saving and only Jesus could save me. I needed to be loved like God loves me. Oh, friend, do you see your need for a Savior, a Redeemer? He's calling your name right now. He's pleading with you to open the door of your heart. To cry out His Name ---JESUS---- and receive Him into your heart and your life. 

    No more is that sinful nature a part of me for now I am a part of Christ. When He prayed in the garden before His arrest, He prayed for us -- you and I -- to believe in Him that He would live in us as we live in Him. By faith in The Name of The Son of God. By faith in The Only Name Under Heaven by which we can be saved. By faith, by believing without seeing. 

    And when we receive God's only begotten Son into our hearts, God's Holy Spirit begins a new work in us. He begins to make us holy and acceptable to God. The Spirit writes The Word of God on our hearts when we hear it, read it and meditate on it. He is the Stylus and our heart is the tablet. 

    I can say, as Job said, "I know my Redeemer Lives". But why did He feel the need to make such a statement to his friends? In their misguided efforts to mourn with him they had just accused him of being a hypocrite and condemned him: they were judge and jury at a mock trial of their grieving friend (Job 19). I believe that The Spirit rose up in Job and spoke at this time. For it is The Holy Spirit who gives us strength to make our defense when necessary, as well as keeping us silent. 

    I have hope in this life and my hope has a Name. My soul hopes in its Lord. And some day, I will see Him face to face. Will you be with me? As much as I want you there, I can't make that decision for you. Believing in God's plan of salvation is an individual decision.  

HOPE HAS A NAME - River Valley Worship

A Crucified Life - - Answers The Call to Hope In The Lord

 

    Psalm 37:8,9

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Fret not yourself: it only leads to evil. For the evildoers will be cut off, but those who Hope in the LORD will inherit the land. 

    Hope. Some do not have any kind of hope. They struggle and fail, believing the lies of the devil, and remain in the darkness of their thoughts and hearts. Their eyes are blinded to the Light of Hope that is found in believing in the Name of Jesus Christ for their salvation. 

    Hope is for everyone, especially the Hope of Salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. God loves us so much He sent His only begotten Son to die for us. John 3:16-18. Jesus died for you and for me. We could not pay for our sins in a once and for all manner. But Jesus could and did. Hebrews 2:9-14. 

    Hope in the Lord. There is no hope outside of the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for He is our Hope. Hope in the Lord is ours by faith in the Name. How do I know this? Acts 4:12 "Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

    Hope in the Lord. That which we hope for is not yet seen by the physical eye: it is only seen by the eyes of faith. We Hope and we wait with great expectation to be united face to face with our Savior and King. Romans 8:23-25. 

    So we walk out this Hope that is birthed within us when we believe in the Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation. We walk it in Faith. And we wait. 

    1 John 3:2,3

Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And everyone who has this HOPE in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.

    Jeremiah declares that God is the Hope of Israel and that all who deny God will be ashamed and remembered no more (dust). 

     Jeremiah 17:13

O LORD, The Hope of Israel, all who abandon You will be put to shame. All who turn away will be written in the dust, for they have abandoned the LORD, The Fountain of Living Water.

   David writes in Psalm 71 that only The Lord GOD is his Hope, his confidence/trust. 

     Psalm 71:5

For You are my Hope, O Lord GOD, my Confidence from my youth.

    We, too, can have this same Hope in The Lord that the ancients of Scripture have. All we have to do is repent of our sins and believe on the Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation. The command is also to be baptized into Christ's Name. We pray The Lord lead you to the waters and the people to whom this command has also been issued and entrusted to follow. 

    Being briefly immersed fully in water is our public confession of faith. Acts 2:38  Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

CALLED TO HOPE

All My Hope Is In Jesus - Crowder

Glorious Day - Casting Crowns

Jireh - Elevation Worship & Maverick City

How He Loves Us - David Crowder Band

My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less 

Living Hope - Phil Wickham

Greater Is The Blood - Mark & Sarah Tillman