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WEEKLY
Volume 3 Number 4
22 June 2008
The Eyes of Faith
(Message delivered by Rev
Hien Nguyen at the True Life Worship Service, 10:30 am, June 15, 08)
Text:
2 Kings
6:8-17
How about
our reactions when we encounter big problems, trials or troubles? It is
so vital for us to have the eyes of faith in the Lord based on God’s
Word so that we may not be frightened before our difficulties and trials
as well as before the enemies of our souls, even Satan, sin, self,
worldliness.
In the
same situation, we can see the different reactions of the one who has
his eyes of faith in the Lord while the other does not. Two persons who
suffer from the same cancer and undergo the same treatment in the same
hospital, but the one who has his eyes of faith in the Lord is able to
see His higher hand in the incident, then trust in Him and His
sovereignty, and commit everything to Him, knowing that God is able to
make all things work together for good to him whether he is heal (Praise
the Lord!) or is called home to be with the Lord (That is much better!);
as a result, he has peace, hope, and rest in the Lord, while the other
who does not have the eyes of faith in the Lord only sees his incurable
illness and is so frightened by his hopeless future!
From the
Scripture text today, we also see the different reactions between the
prophet Elisha and his servant before the enemies. May God help us
to have the eyes of faith in Him so that we may have peace and
hope in Him in all situations.
The
Ministry of the Prophet Elisha
Elisha
left his farming job when he was called and followed the prophet Elijah
and ministered to him (1 Kings 19:16-21). If you are called to serve the
Lord, will you do the same?
Having
been with his master, Elisha must have desired to have the same spirit
of his master, so when Elijah said, “Ask what I shall do for thee,
before I be taken away from thee,” Elisha did not ask for anything
except for Elijah’s spirit, saying, “I pray thee, let a double
portion of thy spirit be upon me” (2 Kings 2:9), and his request was
granted when he saw a chariot of fire, and horses of fire taking Elijah
up into heaven. We have many things to pray to the Lord, but do we
desire to have our Master’s Spirit, the same Holy Spirit, who was with
Him, led Him and empowered Him to do His Father’s will, to finish His
Father’s work, to overcome Satan and his temptations and to suffer many
things until death? Our Lord says, “If ye then, being evil, know how
to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13).
The
prophet Elisha served the LORD in the northern kingdom of Israel during
the reigns of Jehoram, Jehu, Jehoahaz, and Joash. His fruitful ministry
was to declare God’s Word to His people, to anoint kings, to give
advice, to train disciples, and to perform several miracles. His holy
life was recognised by the woman in Shunem, who said to her husband,
“Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth
by us continually” (2 Kings 4:9). Do others perceive that we are
holy people of God, who are separate from sin, self and worldliness?
King Herod “feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy”
(Mark 6:20). Elisha’s integrity without self-seeking motives can be seen
when he refused to receive the gifts from Naaman, commander of the
Syrian armies, who was healed from leprosy. May the Lord help us to
serve Him only because we love Him and want to glorify Him.
A
Hopeless Cry, “How Shall We Do?”
Through
the Scripture text, we learn that the king of Syria warred against
Israel and took counsel with his servants to ambush Israel’s king and
army. And he was “sore troubled” when his schemes were detected
by the prophet Elisha and the king of Israel and his men were saved not
once nor twice. Being informed of Elisha’s place in Dothan, the king of
Syria sent “a great host” of horses and chariots to come by night
and compassed the city about. When the servant of Elisha got up early
and saw this great host, he was so frightened and said to Elisha,
“Alas, my master! How shall we do?”
“How
shall we do?”
is a helpless cry of those who are terrified to see their strong
enemies, their big problems or trials but do not see their mighty God!
Instead of looking unto the Lord and crying unto Him for help and
deliverance, they only look at their problems, turn to their own
resources and think of how they can do. May the Lord turn our eyes to
Him in all situations and help us trust in Him “that is able to do
exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the
power that worketh in us” (Eph 3:20).
The
Eyes of Faith
Elisha was
still calm and fearless in such situation, and said to his servant,
“Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with
them,” and prayed to the Lord, “I pray thee, open his eyes, that
he may see.” This is a wise prayer if we do not see God in our
trials, “Open my eyes, that I may see Thee and Thy sovereign power, Thy
loving care and Thy deliverance.” The LORD opened the eyes of the young
man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was “full of horses and
chariots of fire round about Elisha.” No wonder Elisha did not panic
at all! How vital it is for you and me to have our opened eyes of faith
in the Lord in all situations!
Not
only Elisha but also many other men of faith in the Bible who had their
eyes of faith in the Lord that we may learn from them.
Abraham:
“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he
should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not
knowing whither he went.” (Heb 11:8). “Who against hope believed
in hope, staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was
strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that,
what he (God) had promised, he was able also to perform.”
(Rom 4:18, 20-21). It is vital for you and me to “walk by faith, not
by sight” (2 Cor 5:7).
Moses:
“By faith he forsook
Egypt, not
fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is
invisible”
(Heb 11:27). When the children of Israel saw the Egyptians with all
their chariots pursuing after them, they “were sore afraid…and cried
out unto the LORD” (Exod 14:10). However, with the eyes of faith,
Moses was still calm and said to them, “Fear ye not, stand still, and
see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day…The LORD
shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace” (Exod 14:13-14).
In the same situation, we can see the different reactions between Moses
and the Israelites.
Joshua and Caleb:
When the other ten spies discouraged the people of Israel with their
faithless and “evil report” saying, “We be not able to go up
against the people; for they are stronger than we…” (Num 13:31),
Joshua and Caleb had the eyes of faith in the Lord and encouraged the
people, “If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this
land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only
rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land;
for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the
LORD is with us: fear them not” (Num 14:8-9). The situation is the
same, but we can see different reactions due to whether we have the eyes
of faith in the Lord!
David:
When Saul and all Israel “heard” the challenge of the giant
Goliath, they “were dismayed, and greatly afraid” (1 Sam 17:9-11)
and when they “saw” the man, they “fled from him, and were
sore afraid” (v 24). David also heard the challenge and saw the
giant, but he said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him
(the giant Goliath); thy servant will go and fight with this
Philistine, … The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the
lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand
of this Philistine” (1 Sam 17:32; 37). The situation is the same,
but we can see different reactions due to whether we have the eyes of
faith in the Lord.
Our
Proper Attitudes
Be
Sanctified:
The hearts of Israel “melted, and became as water” (Joshua 7:6)
as they were defeated before the small city Ai. Joshua “rent his
clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord”
and prayed to the Lord, but God said to him, “the children of Israel
could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before
their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you
any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
Up,
sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for
thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the
midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies,
until ye take away the accursed thing from among you”
(vv
12-13). Dear friends, our God is holy and we must be holy and separate
unto Him alone. Is there any known sin or anything that does not please
the Lord that we have not confessed and forsaken? May God search our
hearts and cleanse us from all our sins, unrighteousness and iniquities
so that He will be with us and help us overcome our trials and the
enemies.
Look
unto the Lord Jesus:
May God turn our eyes away from ourselves, our trials, and the strong
enemies and then look unto our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ alone, who
is not only able to give us His faith but also fulfil our faith in Him.
“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
is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:2).
Trust in the Lord and His Sovereignty:
God is in control and nothing happening to His children is by accident.
Let us wholeheartedly trust in the Lord, for “we know that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28) and “If God be for us, who
can be against us?” (v 31) and “Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us” (v 37).
Cry
unto the Lord in Prayer:
We are not fighting against human beings, “flesh and blood
but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”
(Eph 6:12). Then, we have to cry unto the Lord, “When I cry unto
thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me”
(Ps 56:9), and
“Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in
ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right
way” (1 Sam 12:23). Surely, the leaders pray for the church members,
but do we pray for them? Do you pray for our beloved pastor, Rev Timothy
Tow, and the leaders of True Life and FEBC? Let us join the prayer
meeting this Friday with one mind and one heart crying unto the Lord for
help and deliverance while FEBC is attacked and forced to move.
Face
Our Trials/Enemies in the Name of the Lord and for His Glory:
King Saul and all the people of Israel failed to see that Goliath did
defy the Lord when he defied them, but David could not bear that, facing
the giant and saying, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a
spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of
hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day
will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand…;
that all
the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and
spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our
hands”
(1 Sam 17:45-47). The board of elders of Life BPC deems VPP as
“divisive, erroneous and a heresy” and they want to remove FEBC from
her birthplace! Do you and I see that they are defying our God and His
Word? Can you and I still relax without any holy zeal to join the battle
for our God’s Name and for His Word and glory? Let us join this
spiritual warfare against Satan so that the whole earth may know that
there is the living and true God in True Life BPC and FEBC and that many
may come back to our Lord and honour His Word.
Conclusion
While
still living in this world, we shall face tribulation, difficulties,
troubles, persecutions or trials as our Lord Jesus says, “These
things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the
world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome
the world” (John 16:33). May the Lord open our spiritual eyes, turn
our eyes unto Him alone and help us sanctify ourselves, trust in Him and
His Word with our full dependence and submission, cry unto the Lord for
help, and then face our trials and enemies in our Lord’s Name and for
His glory. Let none of us miss the opportunity to join the battle for
our Lord, His Word and His Truth, who knows whether you are brought to
True Life “for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).
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