Sustaining Our Faith

March 3, 2024 Background Scripture: Jude Lesson Passage: Jude 17 - 25 In this brief letter, Jude delivers some potent encouragement and advice to Christians of all generations. Jude wrote practical advice on how we are to maintain our spirituality in a very practical manner. Our spirituality truly begins, ends, and is sustained with prayer. Prayer must become a continuous part of a Christian's life. We should pray about everything. Implied in this is that we know what prayer is. Prayer is a conversation a person has with God. Prayer is not a memorized speech, nor is it a collection of cliches. Prayer is a sincere conversation between a person and the Divine. Because of a conversation's bidirectional nature, we should expect God's response. However, it is not a conversation between peers. Recall the conversations we had with our parents, or any adult, when we were children. We saw ourselves as being submissive to them. We did not dictate what their response should be nor how much time they were allowed before responding. We were grateful they were willing to listen to us. Their response was indicative of them listening to us. We didn't always understand or like the response we received. But we accepted it as the response to our conversation. The better the relationship we had with the adult, the easier the conversation was. We did not have to introduce ourselves to our parents because they already knew who we were. The conversation was a little different with strangers. Our initial faith in God through Jesus Christ established our relationship as children of God. Through the study of God's word and experiencing life as a Christian, we come to know God more personally. The relationship is further enhanced as we talk with God more often and more freely. As we encounter difficulties in life, we learn to spend more time talking with God and seeking to know more about Him. Jude referred to some of those difficulties when he wrote about ungodly people who cause divisions through flattery words. They are one reason Christians should pray. We must steadfastly depend on and look for mercy from Jesus Christ who has made eternal life available for us. And we must never forget that Christianity is not a cult that calls for us to be physically and socially separate from others. How then could we evangelize the loss for Christ? Our faith should give us compassion for others. Especially those who are being consumed because of their sin. We did not save ourselves. We cannot sustain ourselves spiritually as children of God. For God is the One who keeps us from stumbling back into perdition. God is the One who continuously washes us with the water of His word that we may be purified in His presence. God is the One who will one day present us before His presence without sin or anything that could possible separate us from Him. We are children of God through our faith in Jesus Christ. God delights in His children. This is the encouragement we need to have a continuous conversation with God. Through the ups and downs of life, our relationship with God is continuously refreshed through prayer. The more we pray, the more we desire to pray. The more we understand the nature of prayer, the more we depend on prayer to strengthen our faith in God. Life in this world is challenging. Our faith is challenged by situations we encounter in life. It is through our faith that God has assured us of eternal life. It is through our faith that God causes us to live life in this world more abundantly. Jesus Christ is the expression of God's wisdom. Through Jesus, we receive all we need to live in this world as children of God. Through faith we know these things, and our faith is sustained through prayer. Robert C. Hudson February 23, 2024

Faith in the Fiery Furnace

February 11, 2024 Background Scripture: Daniel 3:1 - 30 Lesson Passage: Daniel 3:19 - 28 The prospect of imminent death can be a delineator of one's character. We are not always sure that we know ourselves very well when we are confronted with what appears to be imminent death. It's not difficult to answer the question, "Do you feel strongly about your personal convictions?" But our opinion changes quickly when asked if we are willing to die for our conviction. The prospect of being wrong makes those convictions much softer. Children of God must be absolutely convinced of our personal relationship with God. Our eternal destination is based solely on our personal relationship with God. That relationship cannot be unstable in the face of imminent death. Otherwise, our conviction about God is reduced to our opinion rather than a reality wrought by our faith. Many people have been martyred over the years because they stood up for their religious convictions. Some seem justified and others more cultic and not so justified. Again, children of God must know that their personal relationship with God is not based on their opinions or feelings. We must confess with our mouths that Jesus is our Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. Our confession must be because God's word declares this to be so. Our faith comes from hearing and believing this declaration from God's word. If everything is taken from a child of God, the one thing that must remain is one's faith in God. Anything less than this is an opinion. Jesus said that the Jewish statement of faith is based on two declarations: The Lord God is one God; and He should be loved with all one's heart, soul, and mind. And the second is that one should love one's neighbor as oneself. Our lesson today has three Jewish young men who embraced the Jewish confession of faith. They were captives who had been deported to Babylon. They were placed in the predicament of either denying their religious conviction as to their personal relationship with God or to face death by incineration. I believe we can learn from their behavior when they were confronted with this ugly choice. First, it seems that they were not hesitant in responding to the choice before them. I believe their response was deliberate but not impulsive. They were so certain of their conviction that no time delay was necessary. Oftentimes, procrastination works against us. Procrastination can allow doubt to surface and fester. They had to be certain of their conviction prior to being put in that predicament. Secondly, they did not presumptuously obligate God to do what they thought was best. Their statement was, "our God is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." They believed that God would deliver them from the king's hand. Either they would be delivered from the fiery furnace or through death in the fiery furnace. Either way, they would be delivered from the king's hand without abandoning their personal conviction about their relationship with God. Faith in God is a personal conviction that does not change in the face of imminent death. The lesson topic is, "Faith in the Fiery Furnace". Their faith existed before the fiery furnace. Their faith continued in the fiery furnace. And their faith remained after they were delivered out of the fiery furnace. Robert C. Hudson February 1, 2024

Faith in God's Purpose

February 25, 2024 Background Scripture: Habakkuk 1:5 - 2:5 Lesson Passage: Habakkuk 2:1 - 5 The Lord moves in mysterious ways. God's ways are beyond our comprehension and ability to find out. These facts have been accepted by the people of God for thousands of years. At no other time is it more apparent than during times of hardship for the people of God. It is during those times that we ask, "Why do good people suffer, and evil people prosper in this world? How long will God allow the wicked to persecute His people?" The prophet Habakkuk made similar observations during his days. The topic of today's lesson summarizes the message God gave Habakkuk in response to questions such as these. God moves, or stands still, on purpose. God is a God of love who cares deeply for His people. He never allows us to be overcome by more than we can bear. God sees the end before the beginning. Whether things are good or bad, God makes it all work together for good for those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose. These are not just personal observations or statements. These are statements from the Word of God that have been given for assurance during times of uncertainty. Habakkuk had two serious questions for God. Why do You allow me to see the horrible things I see, and yet You do not respond to any of it? Although a law may be just, the wicked is allowed to withhold justice and the righteous become victims of perverted justice. But it seemed as though God was not delivering the righteous from it. God assured the prophet that He had a plan of deliverance and retribution. God's plan would unfold during the prophet's lifetime. The prophet would be amazed at the manner God would use to resolve the issue. God would use people who were worse than the wicked Habakkuk knew about to punish them. They would not reverence God either. The righteous would be delivered. When God uses the wicked to punish the wicked, then the righteous would receive justice. Habakkuk was still confused. How could God allow idol worshipers to do as they pleased and continue to worship their idols? Would they be allowed to continue to destroy nations at their will? The prophet committed himself to patiently await the Lord's response to him. Today’s lesson is the Lord's response to the waiting prophet. God would give Habakkuk a vision that he must write for others to read. At the appropriate time, the vision would become reality just as God had spoken. God's people must remain patient and not faint. Delay is not denial. The proud will be abased. Nations such as Babylon will be destroyed by God. Today, the nations that threatened the people of God during the days of Habakkuk no longer exist. However, the people of God continue to flourish from one generation to another. The vision of God continues to speak after thousands of years. Those who are justified by God because of their faith continue from one generation to the next. Because of the faith of the people of God, they continue to live on through adversity. The historical record validates God's vision for His people. According to recorded human hist01Y, every nation that exalted itself against the knowledge of God was destroyed by God forever. Consider the Babylonian Empire, the Assyrian Empire, the Roman Empire, the English Empire of colonizers, the Axis Powers, and the Soviet Union. Every great worldly empire that is not of God is destroyed by God. God's vision that was written by Habakkuk continues to speak today. After thousands of years, God's people continue to live and thrive from generation to generation because of our faith in God's purpose. Robert C. Hudson February 10, 2024

Faith in the Fiery Furnace

February 11, 2024 Background Scripture: Daniel 3:1 - 30 Lesson Passage: Daniel 3:19 - 28 The prospect of imminent death can be a delineator of one's character. We are not always sure that we know ourselves very well when we are confronted with what appears to be imminent death. It's not difficult to answer the question, "Do you feel strongly about your personal convictions?" But our opinion changes quickly when asked if we are willing to die for our conviction. The prospect of being wrong makes those convictions much softer. Children of God must be absolutely convinced of our personal relationship with God. Our eternal destination is based solely on our personal relationship with God. That relationship cannot be unstable in the face of imminent death. Otherwise, our conviction about God is reduced to our opinion rather than a reality wrought by our faith. Many people have been martyred over the years because they stood up for their religious convictions. Some seem justified and others more cultic and not so justified. Again, children of God must know that their personal relationship with God is not based on their opinions or feelings. We must confess with our mouths that Jesus is our Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. Our confession must be because God's word declares this to be so. Our faith comes from hearing and believing this declaration from God's word. If everything is taken from a child of God, the one thing that must remain is one's faith in God. Anything less than this is an opinion. Jesus said that the Jewish statement of faith is based on two declarations: The Lord God is one God; and He should be loved with all one's heart, soul, and mind. And the second is that one should love one's neighbor as oneself. Our lesson today has three Jewish young men who embraced the Jewish confession of faith. They were captives who had been deported to Babylon. They were placed in the predicament of either denying their religious conviction as to their personal relationship with God or to face death by incineration. I believe we can learn from their behavior when they were confronted with this ugly choice. First, it seems that they were not hesitant in responding to the choice before them. I believe their response was deliberate but not impulsive. They were so certain of their conviction that no time delay was necessary. Oftentimes, procrastination works against us. Procrastination can allow doubt to surface and fester. They had to be certain of their conviction prior to being put in that predicament. Secondly, they did not presumptuously obligate God to do what they thought was best. Their statement was, "our God is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." They believed that God would deliver them from the king's hand. Either they would be delivered from the fiery furnace or through death in the fiery furnace. Either way, they would be delivered from the king's hand without abandoning their personal conviction about their relationship with God. Faith in God is a personal conviction that does not change in the face of imminent death. The lesson topic is, "Faith in the Fiery Furnace". Their faith existed before the fiery furnace. Their faith continued in the fiery furnace. And their faith remained after they were delivered out of the fiery furnace. Robert C. Hudson February 1, 2024