No Doubt

NO DOUBT

Last Saturday 217 people boarded EgyptAir Flight 990 from New York to Cairo, Egypt. Never arrived, plunging into the sea, all died.

They had faith that when they boarded that plane, that several hours later they would be on the ground again in Egypt.

It was a whirlwind romance, 3 months later she walked down the aisle and into the arms of “Mr Right”, she was on cloud 9.

Just two months passed when the verbal abuse started, the physical abuse followed shortly, her dream had become a nightmare.

She thought she knew him, trusting that he was genuinely who he seemed to be, but the truth was far different.

The days were filled with song and dance, Wall Street was over-flowing with eager investors. Life was a roaring happy party.

On October 29. 1929 the party abruptly ended when the stock market crashed. Many people lost everything. Life was now difficult.

1000s had confidence t/good days would continue now hard times came

Faith, Trust, Confidence, Security, Assurance, all synonymous words that mean “to be certain and to have firm conviction”.

Stated or unstated - everyone places their faith in something, everyone has certainty or conviction about something.

Some may deny it, or not recognize it, but it doesn’t change the fact that everyone places faith in something, whether it be something lasting or temporary is the only question that remains.

Multitudes have their faith rooted in money, but like the man in Luke 12:16ff his reliance on his money meant nothing when he died.

Verses 19 & 20 read, “And I’ll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink & be merry. But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

On the other hand, every so often, you read in the paper about an aged person who recently died. When the family or friends clean out the house, they find thousands of dollars in their mattress.

Obviously their faith in the banking system was not too great, but they did have faith in themselves and their own security.

There are people who isolate themselves, and that isolation is what they have confidence in, where they are comfortable what they trust.

Some rely on their fame & popularity, relishing the spotlight. But their 15 minutes quickly dim & they are left retelling old, tired stories.

I once talked with a ex-college basketball player who was trying to find his niche in life. He said, “all I am is an old jock, what can I do?”

He was no longer able to do t/only thing he was good at & he was lost.

In the same way, placing your faith or confidence in people, whether family, friends, associates, church leaders is always risky business. Squabbles, a job transfer, disappointment, move, marriage, death - all these things bring a temporary or permanent separation.

Once again, the question is not IF we place our faith in something, but WHAT we place our faith in.

We must realize the heartaches that will come from placing our trust in things that fail, and search out that which will never fail.

My suggestion of course is placing your faith in GOD!

But t/scoffers & unbelievers say we are fools, that there is no God, since you can’t see or touch Him, yet Hebrews 11:1 - “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for & certain of what we don’t see.”

How can we be confident in God? How can we be sure He exists and that He has proven His love to us? Do we have any guarantees?

I Corinthians 15:2 - “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to t/word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

What can bring confidence to our faith, so that we will hold firmly to God, knowing He won’t leave us disappointed?

The Knowledge of God is the key! To know Him fully!

When I have counseled couples planning to marry, one thing I have always encouraged is a long engagement. Why? Because the longer you date, the better you know the person & that knowledge will help you make the correct choice about your life-time partner.

The same is true with God, the more you know Him, the stronger your faith.

WHY? Knowledge of God produces Faith in God.

We sing a song, “The Longer I Serve Him the Sweeter He Grows”.

Those of you who have been Christians many years, understand this song, you are a testimony to God’s faithfulness & trustworthiness.

Some of the strongest Christians are aged saints, who have experienced all that life can throw at them, yet their faith in God is unshakable.