Word of the Day (10-19-11)

Good Morning Everyone

Today is Wednesday October 19, 2011

The word of the day comes from Hebrews 11:29 ESV (English Standard Version)

By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.

My Interpretation

The definition of faith according to Merriam-Webster is allegiance to a duty or person; loyalty; sincerity of intentions; belief and trust in and loyalty to God; firm belief in something for which there is no proof; complete trust; something that is believed especially with strong conviction.

Firm belief in something for which there is no proof is a powerful definition of faith. The bible says that now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). In looking at both our text for today and our reference scripture we see the word faith but something is before it in both instances: by and now. I read the whole chapter of Hebrews 11 and this verse just jumped out at me. The Israelites and the Egyptians did the same thing. They attempted to cross the Red Sea on dry land. No boat, no life preserver, no plane, no means of transportation, simply their feet. So if both the Israelites and Egyptians both attempted to cross the Red Sea, why did only the Israelites make it over successfully? Then I see the words by faith. When you read how the Egyptians tried to cross the Red Sea after the Israelites, it simply says they attempted to do the same. It doesn’t mention that by faith they attempted to do the same. By faith are the two most key words in the text. It gives us an understanding of what separated the two. In seeing by faith, the text gives us an inclining as to why the Israelites were able to cross over the Red Sea. It was by their faith.

It makes me think of the story in Acts regarding Paul and the sons of Sceva in Acts 19:11-20. ¹¹ God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
 ¹³ Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” ¹⁴ Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

Do you see what the problem is in this scripture? Look again at the 13 verse. What were some of the Jews saying? “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” If they said “In the name of Jesus” they would have been fine. In them saying the Jesus whom Paul preaches, it lets us know that they didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ themselves. They had no faith, no power of their own. They simply tried to reenact the supernatural power that can only be tapped into by faith, while walking and believing in their own strength. It will never work. Let’s see what happened to them. ¹⁵ One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” ¹⁶ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

How does that relate to the scripture we read today? The Egyptians tried to reenact the supernatural power that can only be tapped into by faith, while walking and believing in their own strength and they failed. Casting out demons is not something that can be done apart from Jesus. It is IMPOSSIBLE. Demons are more powerful than humans. We have no power and no chance trying to take on a demon…unless we are taking them on in the name of Jesus. We have no power within ourselves if we do not have Jesus. It is at the name of Jesus that demons tremble (Matthew 17:18-21, Luke 4:40-41). You can’t have Jesus without Faith. It is IMPOSSIBLE to cross the Red Sea on dry land meeting that your feet are actually touching the bottom of the sea and your head has not be submerged in water, is something that can only be done through Jesus. Both instances take faith and not just faith but faith in Jesus to be able to accomplish. Unfortunately, you have people who will see the supernatural miracles of God accomplished in your life and believe that it can be duplicated. It can’t. You cannot attempt what takes supernatural faith to accomplish and try to apply without faith in the one who gives the ability to do the supernatural and expect good results to follow.

However if you are looking for this power, if you are looking for this opportunity to do the supernatural, you need to go to the source of the power who is Jesus. Today is the day that the Lord has made and in the day that you hear His voice, harden not your heart. If the Lord is pricking your heart today, then today is the day that you need to give your life over to Him. Don’t put off for tomorrow when tomorrow is not promised. If you know that you aren’t saved, are guessing whether you are saved, are shaky in what being saved means, you need Jesus.

Romans 10:9-10 reads ⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. The bible is clear, this is how you get saved.
Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Works can’t save us despite public opinion. There is no amount of good I can do or evil in which I don’t do that would qualify me for salvation. I can give enough and remove myself from enough. Salvation is about faith.

John 14:6 reads ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Jesus is very clear here. He doesn’t say He is one way or some way that He is partial truth, half truth or some truth and He DEFINITELY doesn’t say that He is a life. He says He is THE way, THE truth and THE life. And He makes it crystal clear that no one is seeing the Father if HE (JESUS) is not bringing them.

Acts 4:10-14 tells me ¹⁰ let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. ¹¹ This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’^{[a] 12} Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Again the Bible is very clear. We are not saved in the name of Buddha, the name of Mohammad, the name of Jehovah, the name of Rasta Far I, the name of scientology, the name of self-righteousness, the name of good works, etc. The ONLY name that will save us is the name of Jesus.
So if God has spoken to your heart and you know that you want salvation today, let’s get you saved! Repeat after me…

Father God I know that I am a sinner. I come to you realizing that I may have offended others with my words and my actions and my thoughts but never was my sin against them. My sin was and is only against you. I come humbly asking for forgiveness of my sins knowing that only You can. I believe that Jesus is Your only begotten Son who died on a cross for my sins. That He was buried and resurrected that I might live in heaven with you. I want Jesus to come into my life as my personal Lord and Savior. I believe that You have heard and answered my prayer. Thank you in Jesus name…Amen.

Romans 10:9-10 reads ⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SALVATION!!! HEAVEN REJOICES!!!



Have a wonderful, blessed, productive, stress free day!