The Formula for Faith

Hebrews 11:1, 6

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

But without faith it is impossible to please [God]; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Notice in verse six, it says "for he that cometh to God must believe that he is." You must first understand that God is in the now! He is not a "used to be" God, but that He wants to work now! People tend to reason away why God can't do something, but I am thankful I serve the same God that parted the Red Sea, that gave his people manna from heaven and water from a rock; the God that conquered a city by having his people march around it; the same God that calmed the sea, that rose from the dead; and the God that has the power to forgive sins!

I want to share some brief thoughts from Hebrews 11 on the formula for faith.

1. There must be a word from God.

Hebrews 11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.

• This doesn’t mean that God is in heaven filling out a report card on there deed, but that they heard a report from God and did it. The New Testament is full of people who heard from God, by faith, then responded! How we need some people today who can heard from God. It isn’t something spooky, it is just a person who walks with God by faith and listens.  We are good at talking, but how long do we spend listening? Waiting for a word from God? Most of us lead in one capacity or another. Those following us will never rise above our ability to hear from God!

2. There must be a Worship of God.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered a more perfect sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

• We live in a day where people believe anything we bring to God is acceptable, He should just be glad I am bringing anything. This is an ungodly philosophy. That is how churches can bring ungodly music into their churches, they believe anything they bring is good enough. Humanly speaking, Cane’s offering was probably better. It probably took more work and time to arrange it. But it was not how God wanted it. God is the same today. He desires our worship, but He wants it done His way. By the way, worship is sacrifice. It always includes sacrifice. Singing to God is not worship, it is praise. Worship is giving to God our time, our tallents, and our treasures. It is stated in Romans 12:1 this way; “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

3. There must be a Walk with God.

Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

• What is your testimony? In Genesis 5, the Bible is going through those “exciting” lineages saying so-in-so begat so-in so, etc. Then you come to a man in the list where God saw fit to pause and say “and Enoch walked with God.” Then it goes back into all the “begats.” It crazy when we think of our life in light of eternity. In James 4:4 the Bible says “... For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” What a thought. And yet, when you go to a cemetery and look at all of the tomb stones, you see the day they were born, the day they die, and a short dash representing their entire life. What a sobering thought. None of my accomplishes really in light of eternity.  What are people going to say when I am gone? What short phrase might be on my tomb stone. I hope my testimony would be that I walked with God, or that I pleased God. Anything short of that would be a waisted life in my opinion. To live a life of faith, it takes walking with God. “But without faith it is impossible to please him...”

4. There must be a Work for God.

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

• Everyone is searching for purpose in life. The Bible says in Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Without a purpose, without direction, without something to do, “people perish.” Idalness is the devil’s workshop. We wonder why teenagers go astray and why young Christians fall by the wayside; it is because the have no vision. Everyone ought to find something to do for the Lord! I like what the psalmist said in Psalm 84:10 “I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”
• How we need some Christians today to just stand up and say “Whatever needs to be done Lord, I’ll do it!” Without a work for the Lord, our lives will be incomplete. There will always be something missing. But, oh the joy that comes with knowing you are in the center of God’s will! I remember when I was fighting in Iraq, I had such peace knowing I was right where God wanted me! 
• I get a little concerned when I hear a professing Christian who as no desire to do something for the Lord. The might want to, as Paul said, “...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12) The Bible is very clear, we are not saved by works, but we sure are saved unto good works. James said it this way in James 2:18 “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” A faithful Christian cannot sepperate the two. After all, the name “Christian” means to be Christ like.

Here we have some great examples, and a great formula for faith. We must hear from God for our direction, we must worship God to show our love and devotion, we must walk with God for our development, and we must work for God to show our dedication.

...Without faith it is impossible to please him...

Your Servant,

Pastor Aaron Richert

(to hear the whole message, you can find it on our podcast under the "media" tab)

Matthew 17:14-21 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is a lunatick and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

  It is such a tragedy when people come to church for help, for guidance, with no where else to go. Maybe a teenage boy who's hearing voices, maybe a girl that is cutting herself, or has an eating disorder comes to seek help. So what do we do? We sent them see a psychiatrist who will dope them up until there become so dependent on drugs that they can't function in society. Then we have to audacity to get up on Sunday morning and preach that the Bible has all the answers! In verse 16, the father of this demon possessed boy said "And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him." How tragic.

  We go to this passage and we say "That was the Bible days, God doesn't work that way any more." We have all these excuses why God can't do things.  I thank God that I serve a Saviour who still wants to set men free!

  After Jesus heeled the boy, the disciples ask the most important question that could be asked, "Why could not we cast him out?" Why can't we deal with these people that have these problems; drug addicts, alcoholics, people that cut themselves, eating disorders, depression, etc? Jesus' answer was simple, "Because of your unbelief." We don't really believe that God could use us to do great things like that!

  Jesus had a warfare mentality! He knew who the enemy was and He attacked the source, the enemy. We must develop this same mentality.

1 Timothy 1:18 says This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good wardare;

We are in a battle! We must accept it and engage in it!

1. If we are going to have a warfare mentality, we must accept and understand the commitment of a soldier.

-John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

- Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, wich I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

- We only have one life to live! Live it for God. Give to Him that which is His already (1 Cor 6:19).

- Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

2. If we are going to have a warfare mentality, we must take our family on the journey with us!

Psalm 127:1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it:

  There are only two ways to build a house, either the Lord builds it, or they that build it labour in vein! So many Christian families are raising their family in the power of their flesh and not getting God involved.  They are doing this in vein and they will loose this battle!

- We need to take our kids on the journey with us. Our kids need to develop a heart for God, and that will only come from parents bringing their kids along on the spiritual journey. Praying together, reading the Bible together, and doing ministry together will transfer your passion (that I hope you have) down to them.

- We need to take our spouse on the journey. It is so vitally important that couples help each other with their walk with God! Praying together may be the most important spiritual activity you could get involved in! If Satan can get in there and divide you as a couple, the battles over! Your kids will be divided next, then your ministry and you will be rendered helpless!

3. If we are going to develop a warfare mentality, we must be reminded who our enemy really is.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally, brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

We say we wrestle not against flesh and blood, yet we are always engaging ourselves with flesh and blood battles!

James 1:20 says For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

It's not going to work this way!

4. If we are going to have a warfare mentality, we must simplify our daily schedule to only God-given priorities.

2 Timothy 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

We get so caught up in the things of this world. We are so carnally minded. Satan has won such victories in America. We are so entertainment and fun driven. Even God’s people are so entangled with the things of this world. It’s time we get serious and start limitting our scheduals to ONLY God-given priorities.

5. If we are going to have a warfare mentality, we must remember the degree of our submission will determine the level of our power.

God has given us authority over Satan! The level of our authority will be determined by the degree of our submission. The way we submit to God is by submitting to God-given authorities!

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

We all know the second half of the verse and we wonder why we are living defeated lives! It is because we must first submit to God, THEN the rest will fall into place.

-When we do not submit to God-given authorities, then Satan has no reason to submit to you!

• A mother is praying for her teenage daughter and saying “I resist you Satan in the name of Jesus, you must flee!” Satan sits back and says “Huh, you want me to submit to you when you don’t submit to your husband?”
• Did you know that if you go 67 mph in a 65 zone, then you are a rebel? God has placed civil authority over us. If we don’t sumit to them, the devil has no reason to submit to us!

Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject to the higher powers (authorities). For there is no power (authority) but of God: the powers (authorities) that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power (authority), resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall recieve to themselves damnation.

6. If we are going to have a warfare mentality, we must develop a corporate and personal prayer ministry.

1 Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

It says first of all! We tend to do everything in our flesh, the best that we know how, then afterwords, we ask God to bless it, or to fix it. We need to get to the place where prayer is of the upmost importance in our church, in our homes, and in our lives.

Isaiah 56:7 ...for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

Matthew 26:40-41 And he cometh unto his disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

1 Corinthians 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.

Psalm 2:8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance.

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Matthew 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

• The average pastor in America prays only 15 minutes a day and the average Christian prays less than 5 minutes a day. And we wonder why America is in the shape it’s in. And we wonder why God won’t send revival!

Ezekiel 22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

7. If we are going to have a warfare mentality, we must develop a working relationship with the Word of God.

Pslam 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

• You are never going to be any more then what you are in the Bible.

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Psalm 119:97,98 O how love I thy taw! It is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are every with me.

-Who is our enemy? You can be made wiser than the devil!

8. If we are going to have a warfare mentality, we have got to start realizing that everything is spiritual warfare.

- Preaching, visiting, praying, giving offerings, serving God, being a husband, being a wife, being a parent, being an employee, being a Christian!

9. If we are going to have a warfare mentality, we must understand our position as a believer in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:18-2:6

We are IN Christ who is in heaven seated by the right hand of the father, far above principality, power, might, and dominion!

  What a powerful truth. That in Christ, we are at the right hand of God (that is how we may come boldly to His throne). In Christ, we are also far above the spiritual realm.

• To illustrate this, imagine a Highway Patrolman. He can step out into the middle of the highway, in front of a Mac truck. All he has to do is hold his hand up, and that truck must stop! Who has more power? The truck. Who has more authority? The officer. He has the entire state backing his authority.

That’s how we are! Satan has more power by far, but we have all of heaven backing us, in Christ!  Praise God for that! That gives me some confidence when I pray, and when I engage in the battle!

10. If we are going to have a warfare mentality, we must be willing to yield ourselves as weapons for God to use against the powers of darkness.

Romans 6:11-14 Neither yield ye your members as instruments (weapons) of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments (weapons) of righteousness unto God.

• We need to rise out of this self-centered position of being defeated victims to developing a self-less position of being a victorious worrier!

Acts 19:13-15 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the LORD Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

Does the devil know you? 

Are you doing anything to do damage to his kingdom? There are defeated Christians everywhere. That is not where God wants you to be!

Your Servant,

Pastor Aaron Richert

12/4/09

Should a Christian celebrate Christmas or have a Christmas tree? When was Jesus born? And other questions regarding Christmas.

As we are now well into the Christmas season, I thought I should address some of the traditions of Christmas. As fundamentalists, we tend to be against everything. Sometimes it is to our shame.  I want to encourage you not to just take someones word for a standard, but what the Bible says! This is an article intended to encourage some people. Jesus did warn about getting caught up in traditions. But not all traditions are bad (like the Lord’s Supper). 2 Thessalonians 2:15 “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.”

  We can get so caught up in silly little things. It doesn't really matter when Jesus was born, just that He WAS born. A miraculous birth, born of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Ghost, the greatest gift mankind could receive!  A redeemer (Isa 59:20), the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:2)! There is much to celebrate in remembering this great day (not necessarily December 25th, but that there was a day, and that is what we a remembering). The Gospel is, and our focus ought to be, the death burial, and resurrection according to the scriptures, but if Christ was not born of a virgin, then He would have had Adam's blood flowing through his veins which include a sin nature, therefore would not have been able to pay for our sins.  His birth is important, and a day to celebrate!

This article address many areas regarding Christmas; like Christmas trees, December 25, pagan and Catholic traditions, and more.

With that said, I want to share an exert for the book "Things that aren't so" by Dr. R. B. Ouellette.

Was Jesus Born on December 25th?

  There are people to whom the celebration of Christmas, or not celebrating it, is a major issue. I don't believe this is the kind of issue over which people should break fellowship.  It's not a fundamental of the faith.  We ought to be able to get along with God's people unless there are substantive scriptural issues on which we cannot agree.

  However, this is also not an issue on which we have to be confused.  Careful study and comparing Scripture with Scripture allow us to arrive at a conclusion based, not on someone's opinions, but on the Word of God.

The Common Teaching...

  The common but incorrect teaching is that we can't really have any idea when Jesus was born, and sometimes there is a corollary teaching that Christians should not celebrate Christmas. The people who promote this belief say that December 25 is just adopted from a pagan holiday with a veneer of Christianity covering it.  This common teaching may have some basis in historical fact.

  In the fourth century, the Roman emperor Constantine was facing a large battle against rather significant odds. He claimed he had a vision and saw a cross. A voice said, "In the sign of this cross conquer." He went out and won the battle.

  As a result, he made Christianity the legal religion in the empire; but most people believe it was not a genuine conversion.  Since pagan priests in their temples were looking at unemployment, they simply added a few rituals, changed a few names, and called themselves Christians.

  They gave Christian names to pagan practices. That is the true beginning of the Roman Catholic Church. It wasn't started by Peter. That is also the source of many of the errors of the Catholics. They worship Mary because pagan priests changed the names of their goddess and the people followed right along.

  Those who object to celebrating Christmas and declare that we do not know when Jesus was born typically teach the following.

CHRISTMAS TREES AND DECORATIONS ARE FORBIDDEN BY SCRIPTURE.

  People who object to Christmas trees most often refer to Jeremiah 10 for their proof text.

"For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not." - Jeremiah 10:3,4.

  They say that this passage is referring to our custom of putting up and decorating Christmas trees. However, the verses surrounding verse 3 and 4, the context, are clearly talking about idols made from trees. The prophet says that since they cannot speak or move and have no power, there is no need to be afraid of false idols (vs. 5).

DECEMBER 25 WAS CELEBRATED AS THE MITHRAIC FEAST DAY.

  Mithra was a Persian version of the Hindu sun god Mitra. According to the Zoroastrian religion, Mithra was the god of light, and his feast was celebrated each year on December 25. At the time when Constantine made Christianity a legal religion in Rome, worship of Mirthra was very widespread throughout the empire, particularly among the soldiers of the Roman amry.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH TOOK THE PAGAN ZOROASTRIAN HOLIDAY AND RENAMED IT CHRIST’S MASS.

  The first recorded celebration of Christmas on December 25 in the Roman Empire took place in A.D. 336, twenty-three years after “Christianity” became a legal religion. There is no question that some of the elements of early Christianity celebrations came from pagan religions.

  This association led many Christians to frown on the celebration of Christmas. In fact, in the early days of Massachusetts Bay Colony, a fine of five shillings was imposed on anyone found following the “popish tradition” of celebrating Christmas.

THE CONTRADICTORY TRUTH

  Regarding the celebration of Christmas and the timing of Christ’s birth, I believe there is much to be gained by studying history and Scripture. An honest conclusion from such study will be in contrast to what some teach.

THE CHRISTMAS TREE HAS A CHRISTIAN ORIGIN.

  In Dr. John R. Rice’s sermon “Should a Christian Observe Christmas?” which is in the book “Great Preaching on Christmas,” he recounts the story of the origin of the Christmas tree.

  In the eighth century, a missionary named Boniface went to Germany to preach Christ. The Germanic tribes worshiped the oak tree. They thought of it as a symbol of deity. Boniface told them the oak tree was a poor symbol for God. It sheds its leaves and appears to die each winter. The tree that should remind them of God, he said, was the evergreen. It is always green and thriving.

  Christmas trees became popular in England primarily through the influence of the German-born Prince Albert, husband of England’s Queen Victoria. In America, they were introduced by the Dutch (German) immigrants to Pennsylvania. Because the Christmas tree has a Christian origin and is not forbidden in Scripture, there is not reason to preach against it and cut people off from what can be a very enjoyable and memorable part of celebrating the birth of Christ.

THE BIBLE DOES NOT RULE OUT DECEMBER AS THE MONTH WHEN CHRIST WAS BORN.

  It is true that Scripture does not give us an exact date for the birth of Christ. However, through careful study we can demonstrate that Jesus could have been born very close to the traditional date of December 25.

a)    The Hebrew religious year begins with the month Nisan.

 The Hebrew calendar has 354 days instead of 365 days, so their calendar does not exactly line up with the one we use.  The Hebrew month Nisan roughly corresponds with mid-March to mid-April on our calendar. In this month they celebrate the Passover and Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. The first month of the Hebrew religious year is the month Nisan.

b)   The priests who served in the temple served after a pattern established by King David.

  According to 1 Chronicles 24, the descendants of Aaron were divided by David into twenty-four groups to serve tow roles – as governors of the sanctuary and governors of the house of God (1 Chron. 24:5). Each group of priests served according to a schedule drawn up by casting lots (vs. 7-18).

  It would seem from 2 Chronicles 23:8 that the priests served for a week at a time. This meant that each group knew when they were due to leave their homes and go to Jerusalem for their time of service. Each would serve twice a year, along with the mandatory feasts of Passover, Firstfruits and Tabernacles, when all the priests served. This would complete the entire year in their calendar.

c)    Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, served in the eighth course.

  Luke 1:5 says “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia [Abijah]: and his wife was the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.”

  According to 1 Chronicles 24:10, the family of Abijah was assigned the eighth course. That meant that Abijah and his descendants after him would fulfill their duty to serve in the eighth and thirty-second turns. Because of how the feasts fell, this would be the ninth and thirty-fifth weeks of the year.

  As a descendant of Abijah, Zacharias would have served in the temple in these two weeks of the Hebrew calendar. They would fall in the spring and autumn on our calendar. Zacharias was fulfilling his normal term of service when the angel Gabriel appeared and told him he and Elisabeth were going to have a son.

d)   If this was the second rotation for the year, Zacharias would have completed his service in the fall.

  The Bible tells us that Zacharias stayed and completed his normal duties in the temple before returning home (Luke 1:23). It was probably shortly after his return that Elisabeth conceived, as promised by the angel. The date for the conception of John the Baptist in this case would be the end of October.

  We are told that Elisabeth hid herself five months after conceiving John (vs. 24).

e)    Gabriel appeared to Mary in the sixth month of Elisabeth’s pregnancy to announce the birth of Christ.

  The start of the sixth month of Elisabeth’s pregnancy would have probably been early spring. It was at that time that Gabriel announced to Mary that she would be the mother of the Messiah. He also told her that her cousin Elisabeth was pregnant (vs 26-36).

f)     Normal gestation for a human baby is nine months.

  If the angel Gabriel made his announcement to Mary sometime in the early spring, nine months from then would be early winter. We do not know for certain that Jesus was born on December 25, but a careful study of Scripture gives us good reason to believe that it could have been very close to that date.

g)    The shepherds were in the field.

  Some have objected that shepherds would not have been in the fields at night in December. However, there was a field between Bethlehem and Jerusalem which was the location of the “tower of the flock” mentioned in Micha 4:8. Shepherds kept the spotless lambs chosen for temple sacrifice there year round. Since the verse comes just seven verses before the great Messianic prophecy of Christ’s birth in Micha 5:2, some believe this to be a prophecy of where the announcement was to be made, and that these special shepherds were the ones who heard the angels.

  We have seen two separate verifications from the scriptural chronology and the testimony of history that Jesus could have been born around Christmas time. There are some people who honestly object to celebrating Christmas, but it is not legitimate for them to do so on the basis that Jesus could not have been born at that time.

  Certainly there are things associated with Christmas, especially here in America, that are of concern to all of us. Santa Claus is a fictional character about whom I believe you ought to tell your kids the truth. Don’t teach your children Santa Claus brings them presents. Why would you want some stranger to get the credit when you are the one who spends all the money? I never understood that.

  It is dangerous to build up falsehoods. If you lie to them about Santa Claus, eventually they’ll wonder if you lied to them about other things as well.

  The excessive materialism of our culture can easily overwhelm the meaning of Christmas; but if things are kept in their proper perspective, there is absolutely nothing wrong with celebrating the birth of Christ.

THE CONSEQUENCES TAUGHT

  Understand the truth about the birth of Christ from a careful study of the Word of God rather than accepting the traditions of what others say is important. From such study we not only learn the truth about Christmas, but we also learn much about the Bible and how God works as well.

THE BIBLE ADDS UP.

  It is fascinating to me that I can take what the Bible gives me and arrive at a logical conclusion. Even if people hadn’t been celebrating Christ’s birth on December 25 for centuries, we would still have the shepherds in the fields with their lambs and the calendar calculations from Zacharias that would establish that as the time of year Christ was born.

  You could study the Bible for ten hours a day for the rest of your life and never run out of things to learn. God has given us a wonderful Book. If you find something that doesn’t seem to add up, it’s your adding, not the Bible’s numbers, that is at fault.

  If you don’t see how something in the Bible could be true, don’t assume that the Bible is wrong – it isn’t. Be patient and be attentive. Eventually somebody will figure it out.

  Skeptics used to criticize the Bible account of the birth of Christ because Luke talked about its being “when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.” They said Cyrenius wasn’t governor until years later. Then they dug a little deeper into the archaeological record, they found that twice Cyrenius had been governor of Syria. The first time he was governor was when Christ was born, and the second time was later. I have yet to see any published articles in any of the national news journals admitting that the skeptics were wrong and the Bible had been proven right; but the Bible record stands every test and challenge.

  People used to criticize the Bible because there was no evidence of the race called the Hittites. Through the years the archaeologists continued digging. Ultimately, they found ample proof of the existence of the Hittites. Given enough time, the scientific investigators will usually catch up with the Bible.

THE BIBLE HAS MUCH MORE TO TELL US THEN WE HAVE LEARNED.

  Have you ever thought this way? “I’ve read the Bible so much, there’s nothing new for me to learn.” That’s wrong. I had a man tell me once, “I’ve been in church so long, there’s no sermon I haven’t heard. I’ve heard all the sermons there are to preach.” I said to him, “I haven’t even heard all of my sermons yet.”

  We always have more to learn. I read the Bible through several times each year. Every two months, I read through the Old Testament. I do not discover deep and wonderful truths every day, but I’m always seeing things I had not seen before.

  For example, I preached a sermon once about Phinehas. He was Aaron’s grandson who stopped a plague by killing the Israelite who brought a Midianite woman into his tent (Num. 25:6-8). I mentioned in passing in the message that later in his life Phinehas made it into the Promised Land (Josh. 22:13). Someone came up to me after church and said that he must have been under twenty because all the men twenty years old and up died in the wilderness except Caleb and Joshua.

  I read more carefully and found that the death penalty pronounced on all the men twenty years and older did not apply to the Levites. They were not counted when the people were numbered (Num. 26:62,63). The Levites all got to go to the Promised Land, regardless of their age. It was there all the time in the Word of God. I just hadn’t seen it before.

THE BIBLE, THEREFORE, IS WORTHY OF OUR CAREFUL STUDY.

  I believe you should read your Bible like a person who is mining for gold. I have a chunk of gold ore in my office that somebody gave me. Everything in that rock that looks like gold isn’t gold. The sparkly stuff is fool’s gold. The real gold looks more like rust. It would take fifteen tons of ore like the rock I have to get one ounce of pure gold.

  When you read the Bible for your personal devotions, look for gold. Don’t try to examine every rock. Don’t try to pulverize it and do a chemical analysis. Just look till you find some gold. Look for nuggets. Don’t get stuck on something that you don’t fully understand.

  H. A. Ironside was once asked, “What do you do with all the hard parts in the Bible?” He said, “I do the same thing I do when I’m eating fish. I put the bones on the side of the plate for someone else to choke on, and I eat the rest of the fish.”

  When I’m having devotions, I don’t try to do in-depth analysis, but there should be times when we study in depth. When something arrests our attention, we should make a note of it so we can follow it up at a later time. We should study the Bible, just as we did with finding the timeline for the birth of Christ, until we come up with the answer. We’ll find fascinating and amazing truths as we carefully study the Word of God.

GOD’S TIMING IS PERFECT.

  Isn’t it interesting that the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29) was born at the same time the lambs out in the field were being born? Paul said that Jesus was born “when the fullness of time was come” (Gal. 4:4). God never does anything accidentally.

  Bethlehem is only a few miles from Jerusalem. It’s very possible that the shepherds to whom the angels announced the birth of Christ were the same shepherds who kept the sheep for the temple to provide the lambs for sacrifices. The symbolism associated with the birth of Christ is very powerful.

  We can always count on God to work at exactly the right time in exactly the right way. One of the things that careful study of God’s Word does for us is to build our faith by showing us how God makes “every thing beautiful in his time” (Eccles. 3:11).

 Your Servant,

Pastor Aaron Richert

12/3/09

      The Importance of Closing the Door to Spiritual Oppression

  This week, I had the privilege of attending a spiritual warfare conference at Mountain View Baptist Church in Hesperia, CA. The speaker at the conference was Pastor Marvin Smith III, pastor of Harvest Baptist Church in Fort Dodge, IA. God moved in a mighty way. I can't even begin to explain the victories in my own life that I experienced. Jesus truly sets the captive free.  Jesus said in John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." God never intended for His people to live in bondage, and yet we see it everyday; Christians living defeated lives, when the Bible says "...for we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Romans 8:37).  Many Christians are oblivious to the spiritual world around us, while others go overboard and get consumed with it. God is leading me to begin a journey to understanding spiritual warfare on a greater level. I believe Evergreen Baptist Church has some great days ahead as we learn to close the doors to unclean spirits and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us, use us, and work through us!

  In John 20:19-27, the Bible says "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and said unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then said he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing."

  There is much to point out in this passage of Scripture, but I want to show you a few things that was a result of the disciples closing the doors to the enemy.  The reason so many Christians live a defeated life is because there are some open doors and God is saying, "You close those doors, then I will come, but I will not share you with those unclean spirits."

  As they were gathered in the room with the doors closed, they were blessed with some things:

1. God's Presence (vs 19, 26 "Jesus stood in the midst")

2. God's Peace (vs 19, 21, 26 "Peace be unto you")

3. God's Joy (vs 19 "Then were the disciples glad")

4. God's Purpose (vs. 21 "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.")

5. God's Holy Spirit (vs 22 "Receive ye the Holy Ghost")

6. God's Ministry (vs 23 "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted" sharing the forgiveness of God)

7. Greater Faith (vs 27 "be not faithless, but believing")

We cannot experience victory and the power of God if we have open doors in our life.  Notice not only what Thomas missed from not being there, but what he experienced.  

1. Thomas experienced Doubt and disbelief (he didn't believe God's promise, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.")

These were men that he served with and trusted, and he wouldn't even believe their testimony.  When we have open doors in our lives, we begin believing lies and those we once trusted, parents, preacher, etc, become unreliable. We can easily be deceived and have great difficulty discerning the Holy Spirit.

2. Thomas experienced Discouragement. That is why he was not with the others the night Jesus rose.  They were having church ("the disciples were assembled") and he wasn't there. When these doors in our lives are opened, we get discouraged. When we are discouraged, the last place we want to be is around those who are experiencing joy and victory, even though that is the place we need to be the most. Isolation is one of the signs of this open door. When God said "It is not good that man should be alone," He wasn't just talking about a spouse, but we were made for each other. God's plan for his people is to be together and encourage one another. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."(Psalm 133:1). The danger of falling out of fellowship, which is Satan's plan, is found in Hebrews 3:12, 13 "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Exhortation is found in church.  When we fall out we get hardened, fall into sin, and get an evil heart of unbelief. I've seen many Christians fall into this trap. Thomas was heading down this road, but thank God for His grace!  Thomas came back to church the following Sunday night, and was blessed!

There is room for us in God's grace to come back!  We can experience victory, but victory that lasts will only come through closing those doors.  I will talk more about the doors in the weeks to come.

 Your Servant,

Pastor Aaron Richert