Unbelief

by | Dec 30, 2025 | Articles, Testimonies

“Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets and every seer, saying, ‘Turn back from your evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes in accordance with all the Law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you through My servants the prophets.’  However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God. They rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers, and His warnings which He gave them. And they followed idols and became empty, and followed the nations that surrounded them, about which the Lord had commanded them not to do as they did” (II Kings 17:13-15). The bible is full of instruction, examples and parables about unbelief…why you ask?  Quite simply, because unbelief is the opposite of faith and trusting God. The writer of II Kings explains very well in this passage.  The people did not listen, rejected His statutes, followed idols, and followed people around them. Notice this progression of unbelief! Similar to faith, unbelief deals with justification and sanctification.  It is the unwillingness to believe God and that Jesus died and rose for sinners to gift eternal life. Unbelief is a state of mind but also can be a single act of sin.  This unbelief prevents a person from knowing Jesus and receiving salvation. However, unbelief is also prevalent in you and me. As we endeavor to walk with God we frequently act in unbelief.  When we stumble or disagree with God we tend toward doubting.  We chose to do it our way instead of God’s way.  Unbelief is the opposite of faith.  We decide to trust in something other than God. Unbelief can...

Hebrews 12:1

by | Jan 20, 2022 | Articles, Testimonies

Let’s take a moment to walk thru Hebrews 12:1.   This verse divides itself into six simple parts. The first part is “Therefore.”  Of course, we must ask what is therefore, there for? This is leading us from the previous verse, and probably Chapter 11, which emphasizes faith.  You could also say this references the entire previous part of the book of Hebrews.  Hebrews is the “Christ is better than book.”  He is better than angels, Moses, Melchizedek, and the Aaronic priesthood, and more.  It is about the power of Jesus and appeals to the converted Jew. The second part is “since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us.”  The literal meaning of witnesses surrounding us is “martyrs lying around.”   The men and women described in chapter 11 lived out their faith.  They committed before they would know what would transpire.  Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Sampson, David, and Samuel trusted God facing significant trials and even death. God delivers believers either from trials or thru them. This concept of these heroes of the faith “lying around us” should encourage us to stay in the race. The idea of these men and women observing us from heaven is not evident in Scripture, but their example and many others that have gone before us, should encourage us to stay the course.  The believer must trust God in trials knowing He has purpose in it.  Have you considered others in your personal hall of faith? The third part is “let us also lay aside every encumbrance.”  This literally means to cast off...