"NEVERTHELESS WHEN THE SON OF MAN COMETH, SHALL HE FIND FAITH ON THE EARTH?"
Yeshua (Jesus) told this parable:
9 And he spake this parable
unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised
others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to
pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with
himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners,
unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes
of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off,
would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast,
saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his
house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself
shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. – (Luke,
18: 9-14)
"God be merciful to me a sinner." - We must to say too! This parable
says we wouldn’t to think about ourselves a lot. This parable is for us
too!!!
There is another example. Do you remember how Yeshua (Jesus) has cured
10 ill men? How many of them said thank Him?
Only one man thank Him. And Yeshua said: "Were there not ten cleansed? but
where are the nine? "
Really, where were 10? Was it very difficult to say: thank You? And Yeshua said
to that man: "Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee
whole."
Lord wants we would have this faith!
Now let us read all these lines:
11 And it came to pass, as he went to
Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12 And as he entered into a certain
village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13 And they lifted up their voices, and
said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14 And when he saw them, he said unto
them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they
went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he
was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16 And fell down on his face at his feet,
giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17 And Jesus answering said, Were there
not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18 There are not found that returned to
give glory to God, save this stranger.
19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy
way: thy faith hath made thee whole. – (Luke, 17:11-19)
Yeshua said to Shimon He prayed for him in order to his faith would not fail
and Shimon would to strengthen in the faith his brothers:
31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon,
behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy
faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. – (Luke,
22:31-32)
What did he answer to Yeshua?
33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready
to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. – (Luke,
22:33)
But they were the beautiful words only. That is why Yeshua said:
34 ... I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall
not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
- (Luke, 22:34)
All events were then just so:
54 Then took they him, and led him, and
brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.
55 And when they had kindled a fire in the
midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.
56 But a certain maid beheld him as he sat
by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with
him.
57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I
know him not.
58 And after a little while another saw
him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.
59 And about the space of one hour after
another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him:
for he is a Galilaean.
60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what
thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.
61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon
Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him,
Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. – (Luke,
22:54-62)
In James there are these lines:
14 What doth it profit, my brethren,
though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and
destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in
peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things
which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is
dead, being alone. – (James, 2:14-17)
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by
works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his
works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which
saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and
he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is
justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot
justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out
another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is
dead, so faith without works is dead also. – (James, 2:21-26)
Peter said:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of
gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise
and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: - (1 Peter, 1:7)
We must remember too:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of
men, but in the power of God. – (1 Kor., 2:5)
"... not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God"- Let us
read these lines very attentively. If we always would remember them
then in Christian world would not be the such MONSTROUS DIVISION! Some people
say for union of all religions. To my mind it is necessary TO UNITE PEOPLE but
not religions!
In Revelation there are the messages to angels of 7 churches.
To angel of the church of Ephesus who went through much, had the patience and
worked for God but he had left the first love:
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art
fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee
quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou
repent.
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes,
which I also hate. – (Rev., 2: 5,6)
DON”T WE LEAVE THE FIRST LOVE TO GOD?
To angel of the church in Smyrna who had both acts and grief and poverty:
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt
suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be
tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and
I will give thee a crown of life. - (Rev., 2:10)
WE MUST BE FAITHFUL TO DEATH TOO!
To angel of the church in Pergamos:
13 I know thy
works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest
fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas
was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
14 But I have a few things against thee,
because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac
to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things
sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
15 So hast thou also them that hold the
doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee
quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. – (Rev.,
2:13-16)
To angel of the church in Thyatira:
19 I know thy works,
and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the
last to be more than the first.
20 Notwithstanding I have a few things
against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself
a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to
eat things sacrificed unto idols.
21 And I gave her space to repent of her
fornication; and she repented not.
22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and
them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent
of their deeds.
23 And I will kill her children with
death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins
and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your
works.
24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest
in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the
depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
25 But that which ye have already hold
fast till I come. - (Rev., 2:19-25)
THESE LINES ARE VERY ACTUAL! ARE THERE BETWEEN US PEOPLE WHO TEACH THAT GOD
HATE? WE MUST BE VERY ALERT!
To angel of the church in Sardis :
... I know thy works, that thou hast a
name that thou livest, and art dead.
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things
which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect
before God.
3 Remember therefore how thou hast
received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not
watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will
come upon thee.
4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis
which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white:
for they are worthy. – (Rev., 3:1-4)
To angel of the church in Philadelphia:
8 I know thy works: behold, I have set
before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little
strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. - (Rev.,
3:8)
10 Because thou hast kept the word
of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall
come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold
that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. – (Rev., 3:10-11)
To angel of the church of the Laodiceans:
15 I know thy works, that thou art
neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my
mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich,
and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou
art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich;
and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy
nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest
see.
19
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
- (Rev., 3:15-19)
Be "neither cold nor hot" - what is it? It means that we don"t
grow spiritually... May be it is with us too? May be we become "neither
cold nor hot" (but before we were hot)?
Recently I read one interesting sermon - "The Way Back" http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/ds/rd901/rd901.html It
is very actual! I want to quote some lines:
"Believers in Christ gradually, bit-by-bit, begin to drift away from
fellowship with the Lord. Little-by-little they give in to self and to Satan.
The light of faith that once burned so brightly in their hearts has flickered
and grown dim, and they've become indifferent to God and the church. Somehow as
the months or years slip past, they wander far away from the Lord. Friend, if
what I've been talking about is happening to you or to one of your loved ones,
this series of messages is meant for you. Its purpose is twofold: (1) to show
you how to tell if you've wandered away from the Lord, and if you have, (2) to
encourage you to come back to the Father and home."
Isaiah 41:14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, [and] ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
"Fear not, thou worm Jacob," says the prophet (Isa. x1i.). Why was Israel compared to a worm? As the insignificant worm is able to destroy a big cedar with no other weapon than its small weak mouth, even so is Israel able to prevail against his great persecutors with no other weapon but the prayers emanating from troubled hearts and uttered with the mouth.
How great is faith! It secures happiness and salvation. Abraham's faith was accounted to him as righteousness. It was the faith which the Israelites had that redeemed them from Egypt (Exod. iv. 31). Their faith on the bank of the Red Sea carried them over that sea and brought them to the land of promise. The Lord keepeth the faithful (Pa. xxxi.). The righteous liveth by his faith (Habak. ii.). The last redemption of Israel will only be effected through faith. See bow King David values faith (Pa. cv.). Concerning faith, David says, "This is the gate of the Lord, the righteous shall enter therein." (Midrash Tanhuma http://sacred-texts.com/jud/midrash.htm)
I would like to quote these lines too:
Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke,
18:8)
Let our faith be not in the words only but in the acts too, IN THE GOOD
ACTS!
May God bless you!