curg17

Can You Reach God

Lesson Seventeen: by turtle

but not on my site. Though it was my first Bible study I took each verse and each section week by week an spent about
thirteen or more lesson on this one chapter. Now that is a lot of lessons. However these studies were short compared to these I
do now. It was more like my devotionals. However I am not pulling out my old study to write this. A fresh look at scripture is
needed every time one does a study. Old studies are beneficial, but a fresh take a fresh look and listen to God and His word is
needed. After all the focus of these studies is can you reach God? Fact is not by our own means. God has to reveal Himself to
us and He does through first His creation and the works of His hands. Yet it takes more then just seeing His wonders to know
God exist. Faith is a key factor. However to have faith one has to hear from God or see the works of God. When one hears
from God, one has to obey God and take Him at His word, or in a sense test God’s word, through obedience to it. Some
people would say it takes extraordinary event to convince one to believe in God. I for one can tell you God small still voice
probably spoke more to me, then a train wreck, a disease and being healed from chronic pain. These things should of moved
me to action, yet it is God’s word speaking to me that weighs volumes. God speaking not necessarily in audible voice, but
speaking through seeing things and relating it back to Him, through His word, through everyday lessons in life and through just
subtle reminders of His grace. Faith has no value if there is no hope. Noah had hope before the flood that he be saved from the
rain. Abraham had hope that there would be a promise land, not knowing because he saw it, but because he received the
promise of it from God speaking to Him. Just like His promise of having a male heir through Sarah his wife.

Hebrews 11:1-3 KJV
(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 report.
(3) Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not
made of things which do appear.

We take it on faith that God word is true and that He created the worlds, worlds meaning not other earths, but eras in the since
of ages to come. Elders heard the reports of those that follow God and gave reports of the work of God that the word of God
spread to people that would believe. Those that believe were consider righteous by God. For even Abel though he was killed
by Cain, his blood still cried out to God from the ground. His sacrifice being a testimony of faith to us and the promise of hope.

Hebrews 11:4 KJV
(4) By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous,
God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

Enoch had such faith, that God did not allow him to taste death. Not even in the physical since. It is the hope we have in the
resurrection to come and the rapture of the church.

Hebrews 11:5 KJV
(5) By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for
before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Without faith one can not expect God to reward. It almost has if a child who enters not into a contest, because of a lack of
faith he will win. Yet in the contest there is no losers. Without faith one can not be righteous before God. One can not be
sanctified or justified by Christ. One will stand on judgment day before God and said oh you do exist. And God will say go to
hell, you had opportunity to believe.

Hebrews 11:6 KJV
(6) But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him.

God told Noah to build an ark. An ark that would hold ever kind of animal. Told Him he would take his family. Noah preached
salvation and people scoffed at him. Said he was nuts, crazy, nothing like he imagined was going to happen. It was not Noah
imagination, it was the word of God that convinced Noah to build the ark. It was God’s voice that told Noah to go into the ark.
It however was Noah faith that said what God spoke to Him was true. No one else listened and no one else was saved.

Hebrews 11:7 KJV
(7) By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his
house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

2 Peter 2:5 KJV
(5) And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon
the world of the ungodly;

Abraham went to the promise land God spoke to him about not know where it was, went anyway. Only to later to discover his
wife being barren and childless and only the promise of God that Sarah would have a son, yet it seemed impossible to him that
he laughed as well as Sarah. Yet he believe God because God had shown him the promise land that was his and had provided
all those years for him. He dwelt in a tent with his offspring Isaac and Jacob. Heirs of the promise of God. Heirs who believed
in God through hearing from God as well as from hearing the testimony of Abraham. Yet Abraham did not receive the promise
heir that would saved the nations of the world. He knew the hope was far off. He knew that a promise would come. Sarah
having the same hope died without the promise to come, but the hope there of to pass to future generations.

Hebrews 11:8-16 KJV
(8) 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.
(9) By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the
heirs with him of the same promise:
(10) For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
(11) Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age,
because she judged him faithful who had promised.
(12) Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the
sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
(13) These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and
embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
(14) For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
(15) And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have
returned.
(16) But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he
hath prepared for them a city.

Abraham would obey God even to taking his son to sacrifice him to God. Yet God would provide a sacrifice for Abraham. Yet
Abraham believe God could resurrect the promise heir. Isaac was the promise child to Abraham and Sarah, who would carry
on the hope of the Savior to come.

Hebrews 11:17-19 KJV
(17) By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only
begotten son,
(18) Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
(19) Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

Though little is known about Isaac, we know he meditate on God in the field. We know he was a man of faith and He blessed
his sons Jacob and Esau. Though Jacob relationship with God seemed rocky at times, he believed and blessed Joseph’s
children and Joseph blessed his grandchildren and promised to take Jacob’s bones back to the promise land to be buried.

Hebrews 11:20-22 KJV
(20) By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
(21) By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
(22) By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment
concerning his bones.

Moses story a bit long started from when he was a babe. His parents full of faith, put him in a basket in the shape of an ark
and placed him in a river, only to be discovered by pharaoh’s daughter who wanted him. Yet he was breast feed by his own
mother and taught at her knee the truth of God, that when he became much older forsook the teachings of pharaoh and follow
God. Who took the children of Israel out of slavery to just outside the promise land. Yet scripture tells this story better then I
do. Read Exodus to Deuteronomy for yourself.

Hebrews 11:23-31 KJV
(23) By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and
they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
(24) By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
(25) Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
(26) Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of
the reward.
(27) By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
(28) Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
(29) By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
(30) By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
(31) By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

There are so many old time leaders in the Old Testament as well as people Moses meet that we could spend a life time talking
about it and never finish telling and retelling the stories of faith and how God moved man to do extraordinary things.

Hebrews 11:32-40 KJV
(32) And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae;
of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
(33) Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
(34) Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight,
turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
(35) Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might
obtain a better resurrection:
(36) And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
(37) They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins
and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
(38) (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
(39) And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
(40) God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

The stories of old told that even those without any hope but the promise before them of life with God in the here after was
willing to pay the price by being slaughter in war, for persecution of faith. Some went to the lions den and others face
execution. The people of faith wonder all over the world to tell their story of Jesus and His love. Of God and His love for you
and me. Yet none received the promise of Christ until He came as a babe. Now our hope is not in just who Christ is but the
promise of life eternal with Him. We receive that hope the minute we receive Christ. The minute we die is the minute we live
eternally with God. Believers wait on the hope of seeing the rapture of the church, yet even so know whether they are present
at the time of the rapture or die with the hope they will be with God for to be absent from the body is to be present with the
Lord. God provides for the believer more hope then ever before. Yet we must believe the old stories to know of God’s saving
grace for all that believe.