Faith Is The Substance

Faith is not just the fuse of a spiritual explosion.  It is more than the trigger to produce a sign and wonder.  It is not just a necessary ingredient for a miracle.  It is substance, in fact the substance that God created to be the pith and marrow of the true Christian life.

“Grandpa Jack” Mavros [left] and the author Summer 1968 Bible Teaching Conference Camp Seeley, Crestline, California (Photo courtesy Dennis and Patti Holland)

Faith was substance in Jack Mavros, one of God’s hidden saints, very few of whom are known to the established Christian circles of earth; but “Grandpa Jack” was known in Heaven.  He worked as a cobbler in his own small repair shop in North Hollywood, California.

A friend of mine was in his shop one day, when in blustered a motorcycle gang member in his typical black leather jacket.  He hit the counter with a pair of shoes and yelled out, “Clean these, ol’ man.” Grandpa Jack was not a cleaner of shoes, but a most able shoe repairer.  He took up the shoes and cleaned and polished them beautifully, and then handed them back with his usual sweet smile.

“What’s the take, ol’ man?” asked the potential gangster. [click to continue…]

3. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:
4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

Isaiah 4:3,4

1. Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.
2. And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither.  And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.
3. And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.
4. And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5. And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.
6. And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.
7. And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
8. Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
9. Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber.  And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire.  So his strength was not known.
10. And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.
11. And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
12. Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber.  And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.
13. And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.
14. And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson.  And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.
15. And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
16. And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
17. That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.
18. And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart.  Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
19. And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. 20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson.  And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.
20. But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.
21. Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

Judges 16:1-22 kjv

Pure Hearts, Free from Sin

e have spoken about the question of the pure heart.  I have shown you that the nature of the human heart, as the Word says, “is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)  And the answer to that question is: God knows the heart!  He is the only one Who can know the twists and turns of the heart in which there still dwells that carnality which the Bible calls the carnal mind (Romans 8:7). [click to continue…]

1. There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10. Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13. And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

John 3 kjv [click to continue…]

New Covenant Language, Old Covenant Experience

he true weakness of the evangelical fundamentalism of today is that it exercises New Covenant speech from an Old Covenant experience.  This is a recurring problem in the Church, and it is only solved for many when the Holy Spirit comes into the midst of His people in revival power, and reigns sovereignly as Lord. There is too much mechanical Christianity.

A fundamentalist in this sense is one who believes that a person is born of God, is in Christ, and is a spiritual man indwelt by the Holy Spirit because he believes in the infallibility of the Scriptures and accepts all of the fundamental truths taught therein.  But the true son of God has not been made so by the Bible.  The Bible cannot give life, but only point the way to life.  The Lord Jesus Christ alone is the Life, and He alone can give it.  He gave this life to many thousands in the early days of the Church, before ever the New Testament was written, and when the great majority of the Church, being of the poorest class, were unable to read the Scriptures of the Old Testament either in the Hebrew or the Greek. [click to continue…]

1. O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
2. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord : say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the fruit of our lips.
3. Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
4. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
5. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
6. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
7. They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
8. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
9. Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.

Hosea 14:1-9 kjv

e have considered several subjects having to do with that most blessed and glorious Person, the Holy Spirit, who indwells God’s children.  We have looked at the Holy Spirit as oil, and as fire.  Now we want to understand that wonderful figure of the Holy Spirit as dew. [click to continue…]

Living By Faith

aith must be active, that is, a working faith, else it is not true faith.  James says concerning Abraham, “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (James 2:22)  The inspired word is clear, plain, and unalterable: “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:20); that is, without works, true faith is non-existent.  This does not mean that the child of God is always working miracles.  It means that the conduct of his life demonstrates that he lives by faith.  William Tyndale, forever renowned as the one who, overcoming all opposition, translated the New Testament and had it distributed in England, and who was martyred for his faith (being strangled and burned at Vilvorde near Antwerp in 1536), thus explains faith: [click to continue…]

1. In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2. And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4. And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
5. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
6. And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8. Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9. And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12. Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Matthew 3:1-12 kjv

e have considered God’s great type in the Old Testament and in the New, the Holy Spirit as oil.  Now I want to share with you about the Holy Spirit in another of God’s great types, that of fire.  As we’ve read in the passage above, the Lord Jesus is the One who baptizes with the Holy Ghost and fire. [click to continue…]

1. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6. And at midnight there was a cry made, “Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.”
7. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8. And the foolish said unto the wise, “Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.”
9. But the wise answered, saying, “Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.”
10. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us.”
12. But he answered and said, “Verily I say unto you, I know you not.”
13. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Matthew 25:1-13 kjv

want to share about the Holy Spirit, but not in a technical, theological, ecclesiastical way.  I’d very much rather take it in the way the Bible teaches, looking back to see how the Lord has spoken to us in the Scriptures.  You see, God has made a very simple way of teaching us in the Bible.  He has given us various types.  And God’s great scheme and idea is that we should learn the greatness of our God; that we should learn the purposes of our God; that we should learn the ways of our God; and especially that we should learn the offices of the Persons of the Trinity.  For the Persons of the Trinity share their sovereign work; and in Their sovereign will They each have a portion, each Their own works. [click to continue…]

Faith-Life

ife is the greatest of all human desires.  Even most suicides rush out of this life because they think that the next life cannot be as unpleasant as the one which they are now enduring.  When Graceless in Pilgrim’s Progress was convinced that the City of Destruction, in which he dwelt, was going to fall into Tophet, ¹ “the man put his fingers in his ears and ran on, crying, ‘Life!  Eternal life!’”  Because of this, his name was changed to Christian.  The Lord Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). [click to continue…]

You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Matthew 5:13

hese words about salt are the very words of the Lord Jesus.  It is our great joy to be able to read the actual words that Jesus said when He was on the earth.  And we must remember, when we read them, who is speaking.  Of course, it is the Lord Jesus; but it is the Creator talking.  It’s the Logos.  It’s the Word of God.  “All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3).  There can be no scientific inaccuracy in what the Lord Jesus said, for He is the Author and the Creator of all science, of all matter, of all scientific laws, of everything on the earth.  So if the Lord Jesus tells us something about matter, we can believe it, for not only did He create it, He also sustains it.  “By Him all things consist [hold together]” (Colossians 1:3).  It’s almost amusing, if it was not so solemn, to realize that if it were not for the existence of the Christ, atheists would be “non-ists”—nothing! gone! having no being!  All things hold together by Him.  That means you, and matter, and all things are held together by Him.  So this is the One, this glorious One, Who is telling us something about salt, and something about us in association with salt. [click to continue…]

Psalm 65

¹ Praise waiteth for Thee, O God, in Sion:
and unto thee shall the vow be performed.

² O thou that hearest prayer,
unto Thee shall all flesh come.

³ Iniquities prevail against me:
as for our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away.

⁴ Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest,
and causest to approach unto Thee,
that he may dwell in Thy courts:
we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house,
even of Thy holy temple.

⁵ By terrible things in righteousness wilt Thou answer us,
O God of our salvation;
Who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth,
and of them that are afar off upon the sea:

⁶ Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains;
being girded with power:

⁷ Which stilleth the noise of the seas,
the noise of their waves,
and the tumult of the people. [click to continue…]

rue faith always results in certainty.  How wonderful to be certain in an uncertain world!  Faith always homes in on the target; there are no near misses; there is no such thing as experimentation, because faith knows, like its Author, “the end from the beginning.”  The men of faith walk with confidence, they keep their equilibrium, they press towards the mark, they are like the cherubim who have feet that are “straight feet… they went every one straight forward, whither the Spirit was to go, they went, and they turned not when they went” (Ezekiel 1:12). [click to continue…]

What shall I do my God to love,
My loving God to praise?
The length, and breadth, and height to prove,
And depth of sovereign grace?

Thy sovereign grace to all extends,
Immense and unconfined;
From age to age it never ends;
It reaches all mankind.

Throughout the world its breadth is known,
Wide as infinity;
So wide, it never passed by one,
Or it had passed by me.

My trespass was grown up to heaven;
But far above the skies,
In Christ abundantly forgiven,
I see Thy mercies rise.

The depth of all redeeming love,
What angel tongue can tell?
O may I to the utmost prove
The gift unspeakable!

—Charles Wesley—
[From the hymn
Infinite, Unexhausted Love]

he fulfillment of the Gospel is Christ in the heart. This is salvation; this is why He came, was born, suffered, died, and rose again.  This is the purpose for which the Holy Spirit is given, to make the Lord Jesus Christ real in the heart. [click to continue…]