The Faith of Others.

Sometimes when we review what others have done or said, it helps us to follow their example if it is a good example.  I know one person that has had faith that to me is unbelievable and by his faith, things follow through for him but he is not working for himself, he is working for God and perhaps that is the secret to his prosperity in his ministry, I am sure that it is.  I am also sure that those working under him have formed more faith in their lives.

In Hebrews it tells about the faith of a lot of Bible characters and I am going to recount some of them and see if that helps our faith.  I am going to tell you what verse I am reading from but am going to just give you a glimpse of it in my words, you can read them later and see if I am right or not.

Hebrews verse 4, Abel offered to God the sacrifice that God required and Cain his brother did not and it was counted to him as righteousness and his brother killed him because Abel's offering was accepted and Cain's was not and so Cain killed his brother and even though Abel is dead is faith still speaks to us today.

Verse 5,  Enoch was translated because he had this testimony, 'that he pleased God.'
Verse 7,  By faith Noah being divinely warned of God of things he hadn't seen, yet he moved with godly fear and built an ark for the saving of his household and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
Verses 8 - 12  By faith Abraham obeyed the Lord and went to a land that he would receive as an inheritance and he didn't even know where he was going.  And by faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive and had a son they called Isaac and she was way past age of bearing and God promised Abraham that his
seed would be as the stars of the sky in multitude and as the sands of the sea and he kept his promise.
Verse 17, By faith Abraham when he was tested, offered up Isaac and God honored his faith and provided a ram for his offering and thus Isaac was spared.
In Verse 20, Isaac's faith is mentioned.
In Verse 21, Jacob's faith is mentioned.
In Verse 23 Moses faith is mentioned how he chose to suffer affliction with God's people rather then enjoy the pleasures of sin in Egypt for a season.
In Verse 29, Moses led them through the red sea on dry ground by faith at God's command.
And in Verse 30 the walls of Jericho fell down by their faith in the command of God to circle the city once
each day for seven days.
Verse 31, Rahab the harlot received the spies and protected them and she was saved and her household when the walls of Jericho fell down.
Verses 32-34  There was Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.  All this was done by faith in God whom they served.

Chapter 12:1,2  God admonishes us "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

We are not asked to endure some of the horrible things that those who went before us endured and they still had faith to endure, so why can't we endure our simple trials and, I say simple because mine are simple compared to those I've just mentioned above.  I know some of you from other countries have to endure harder trials that we have to here in the US and I pray that you will be faithful through them and I also pray that we here in the US will be faithful in our little trials because they are preparing us for greater difficulties as time draws to a close, which I don't believe is very far away.  God help us to have the faith to endure and keep in His presence always.  I hope that we have seen what faith can do and that our faith will increase so we can meet things as they come with a faith that will not let us down.  Grandma Joan