Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

November 15
Sunday


PLEASING GOD

READ:
Hebrews 11:1-6
_____________________________________________________________

We make it our aim
...to be pleasing
to Him.
__2 Corinthians 5:9
_____________________________________________________________

Andy Warhol, the pop-art painter of such American images as the Campbell's soup can, once said, "In the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." But he was wrong. There are millions of people who will never grab their moment in the spotlight. Some of them are the men and women who spend their lives doing things like working hard, raising godly children, faithfully praying for others, sharing their faith with those who don't yet know Jesus. They teach Sunday school bring meals to the sick, drive senior citizens to doctors' appointments, and do countless other kindnesses.

These people may never be recognized outside their circle of family and friends. Certainly, their names aren't well known. And although they willingly, and often sacrificially, give of themselves, they may not receive a whole lot of thanks or praise for their service. Yet God knows of their faithfulness and is pleased by their obedience.

Second Corinthians 5:9 teaches us to "make it our aim... to be well pleasing" to God. As we, by faith, believe in Him and give our lives in service to Him, He is pleased (Heb. 11:6). That's our reward, because God's approval is always sweeter than the applause of the crowd. __Cindy Hess Kasper
_____________________________________________________________

``````````````````Look not to the people around you,``````````````
``````````````````Nor wait for their laurels of praise;``````````````
`````````````````Enough that the Savior has found you`````````````
``````````````And calls you to serve all your days. __Hess``````````
_____________________________________________________________

The deeds God finds pleasing

****************Today's Bible Reading __ Hebrews 11:1-6*********

1 Now faith is the
substance of things hoped
for the evidence of things
not seen. 2 For by it the
elders obtained a good
testimony.

3 By faith we understand
that the worlds were framed
by the word of God, so that
the things which are seen
were not made of things
which are visible.

4 By faith Abel offered to
God a more excellent
sacrifice than Cain, through
which he obtained witness
that he was righteous, god
testifying of his gifts; and
through it he being dead
still speaks.

5 By faith Enoch was taken
away so that he did not see
death, "and was not found,
because God had taken
him"; for before he was
taken he had this testimony,
that he pleased God. 6 But
without faith it is
impossible to please Him,
for he who comes to God
must believe that He is, and
that He is a rewarder of
those who diligently seek
Him.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Hebrews 11 is often called "the faith chapter." Faith is defined
(vv.1-3), and then examples of living by faith are cited from Genesis
to Joshua (vv.4-31). Special attention is given to Abraham and Sarah
(vv.8-19) as well as Moses (vv.23-28). Then follows the period of
history from the judges to the Maccabean revolts of the second
century BC (vv.32-38). In the final two verses, the situation of Old
testament believers is applied to Christians (vv.39-40). Believers
today can take comfort and courage from these marvelous examples
of faith. __DENNIS FISHER

Adapted from the New Bible Commentary