Many are familiar with the basic description of Christian faith mentioned in Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not see." Christian faith has reality (substance) and proof (evidence) attached to it.

Once, a man asked me, "Do you have blind faith?"

I thought about it for a minute and replied, "No, my faith has a very definite and knowable object. My faith is substantial and bears many evidences of it's veracity."

The New Testament book of Hebrews 11:6 tells us that, "Without faith it is impossible to please him (God):  For he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

  If its impossible to have a life that is pleasing to God without this thing called faith then I want to know what it means.

I don't hear people use the term "backsliding" too much any more but people aren"t doing it any less. We have a real good picture of what backsliding is all about in the New Testament book of Hebrews. The writer was talking to a specific group of Jewish believers that had accepted Christ and suffered through so much for their faith. However, the pressure to "go back" to the old religion, old way of doing things, and to reunite with family and friends that they had been alienated from because of their conversion was so great that they "backslid".

The writer of the book of Hebrews takes us through incredibly vivid and deep theology to bring people to Hebrews 10:35 "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompence of reward."

In our lives Christ is all we need for salvation, for life, and for life eternal. He is our all-in-all . . . . . if we let Him.

The fact that God loves us and desires to be with us is astounding; Holy God with sinful man. The fact that God loves us is unquestionable because . . . . He has proven it in so many ways.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want . . .

Take time to stop your busy life, get alone with God, and just "be there" with Him. It's not just "His" greatest joy.

Babies and children are incredibly adaptable.  That's their nature.  If we place them in a certain environment they will immediately begin to adapt to fit that particular environment.  Of course that is both good and bad.  It is our job to expose them to "good" and to God.  They will begin to react to their world from those fundamental precepts.  Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it."

The Bible tells us that Jesus is a "Friend" that sticks closer than a brother.  Jesus entire empahsis of life, as the closest of friends, was to bring people to spiritual awareness.  He demonstrated that there is no greater act of friendship than to make sure that our friends are aware of their spiritual condition before God. 

That spiritual awareness might be uncomfortable if a friend is not a Christian.  It might also be a little uncomfortable when a friend is a backslidden Christian.  However, "iron sharpens iron" and the reproof of a friend is better than the flattery of an enemy. 

Matthew 4:17 "fROM THAT TIME jESUS BEGAN TO PREACH, AND TO SAY, REPENT:  FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND."