Looking Ahead by Faith

Hello brothers and sisters!

It's here...winter has arrived in Alaska.  Something we can see ahead of time as soon as it departs and the spring arrives, followed by summer!  Some of us dread winter for the conditions it brings, yet some of us also love it for those same reasons.  A lot can be said about that kind of view when comparing it to looking ahead by faith as Christians are called to do.  We look ahead of what is to come, knowing with full certainty (more than the hand in front of our face) that God will do exactly as He said He will do.  Hopefully everyone rejoiced with an inner amen there...  Given that pretext, we have much to be thankful for today as we get to share Saturday's sermon with everyone, hoping that you can take some time to listen, watch and share...all the while checking everything to the scriptures.

Saturday we got to begin our journey into Hebrews 11, that great hall of faith...the saints of the past!  The is a great moment to grow in faith as we walk this out together, below is an summary of Hebrews 11.  We encourage always spend time in the Word every day, there is no sermon or little devotional that can ever take the place of being alone with God in His Word.  With that said, we hope to see everyone next Saturday and be sure to contact us here for anything we can help with in your Christian walk.  Don't forget that we have all of our past sermons and postings right here, and if you don't have a bible at home let us know and we can get you one!  You can also visit https://www.biblegateway.com for an online version as well, we use them to link to in our articles!

Hebrews 11 is a chapter that celebrates the faith of the saints who lived before Christ. It shows how they trusted God and obeyed His commands, even when they faced trials and hardships. They looked forward to the fulfillment of God’s promises, which were ultimately realized in Christ.

The chapter begins by defining faith as the assurance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. It then gives examples of how faith enabled the people of old to obtain a good testimony from God. By faith, they understood that God created the world by His word, they offered acceptable sacrifices to God, they walked with God and pleased Him, they built an ark to save their family from the flood, they left their homeland and followed God’s call, they received the power to conceive children in old age, they offered their beloved son as a sacrifice to God, they blessed their descendants and prophesied about their future, they refused to compromise with the world and endured persecution, they crossed the Red Sea and conquered the Promised Land, they performed miracles and overcame enemies by God’s power, and they suffered martyrdom for God’s sake.

The chapter also points out that these heroes of faith did not receive the full reward of their faith in their lifetime. They died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar. They confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth, seeking a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God was not ashamed to be called their God, for He had prepared for them a city.

The chapter concludes by reminding the readers that these saints of faith are witnesses to us, who have received something better than they did: the revelation of Christ, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Therefore, we should imitate their faith and run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, who endured the cross and is seated at the right hand of God. We should also remember that God disciplines us as His children, and that we should strive for holiness, peace, and grace, without falling away from God or His grace.

We should continue striving together in these things brothers and sisters, and proclaim the Gospel to a world that is dead in sin.  Only Christ can save, and it's by faith in Him alone.  Until we meet again, lets go serve our King!

FRF Team