Hebrews 11:1 writes, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” KJV

The NLT translation writes it as, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”

So faith is not just a wish, or feeling, it is “substance” The RSV translation uses the word “assurance”. When we have faith in God’s promises, we can “take it to the bank.” It is reality waiting to materialize.

This relates not just to the promise of eternal Salvation, but to all the promises we are given in the Bible. Promises of God’s presence, protection, guidance and abundance.

Where does this faith come from? Romans 11:17 tells us, “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”

Get faith, have assurance.

Dear Lord, give us this faith in your promises, so that with this faith we can live with confident assurance on earth and eternally. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

You probably know people who are thankful all the time, they never forget to tell, the waiter, cashier, bank teller, and anyone they encounter, thank you. Do you notice that these people tend to be generally happy and content as well? When you have a thankful perspective, it is very difficult to complain or feel sorry for yourself, because it contradicts the thoughts of thankfulness on which you are focusing.

Paul says in 1 Thessolonians 5:18, “No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” TLB

When you are thankful to God for your current situation, it demonstrates your faith and indicates that you accept that where you are today is where God wants you to be, for now.

Dear Lord, Thank you for all that we have in this life, our family, friends, and possessions. Most of all, however, thank you that you have saved us so we can live on with you when this physical life is over. Help us to never stop being thankful for all you have given us. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers reading this message. I wish you God’s Blessings of Peace and Joy!

My three brothers and I are incredibly blessed to have a caring, faith filled, wise Christian mother who raised us with love and understanding. She is also loved very much by our wives as their mother too. She lives her life as a wonderful example of faith and service for our whole family.

Happy Mother’s Day also to my wife Liz! You are a tremendous Christian woman that is an inspiration to our family! Like your mother, you are a gracious, kind, and strong woman of faith, for all of us to admire and model.

Paul writes in Ephesians 6:3 about the honored position mothers have, and the promise God has for those who honor them, writing, “If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

Today, let us all remind ourselves to follow Solomon’s words from Proverbs 23:25. “So give your father and mother joy! May she who gave you birth be happy.”

Dear Lord, help us realize and appreciate the beautiful way you built life for us, with a loving mother to bring us into this world. Help us all honor our mother’s with the lives we live, so that we can bring them happiness and joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I watched the video of a question and answer session about Christianity that occurred shortly after the tragic tsunami in 2004 in Indonesia. That event killed over 230,000 people in Indonesia, Thailand, and India. One question and answer caught my attention. The question was, Doesn’t the destruction and tragedy in the world make you question whether there is a God? And the answer was, If Jesus had said that things would be wonderful and uneventful, I might question his existence, but he did not predict tranquility.

In Luke 21:25-26 Jesus said, “And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”

It is precisely the description, of the events by Jesus in the Bible, that reinforces our faith in its truth.

Dear Lord, the Bible you gave us is an amazing resource for support and confidence of our belief in you. Give us the will to read and study it to strengthen our faith, develop our wisdom, and become more effective in bringing your message to others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Different parts of the Bible use different types of writing to convey God’s message to us. Some are accounts of particular events that we can use as metaphors for our lives 2000 years later, like David and Goliath, teaching us about faith in God giving us ability to overcome, or Peter walking on water, teaching us to trust.

In the account of Esau trading his birthright in Genesis 25:29-34, Esau came in from a hard day of hunting and was very hungry. Thinking only about his immediate desires, he asks his younger brother Jacob for some of the stew he was cooking. Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.” “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?”. So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.”

Esau trades something precious and irreplaceable for immediate gratification. We need to think about this in our lives. Are we trading things of long term value, like our integrity, our reputation, our health, or even our salvation for something we want right now, like entertainment, convenience, or short term pleasures?

Dear Lord, help us remember what is important in our lives, and to think about the long term consequences of our decisions before we make them. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.