025 Faith Forged In Fire

The Watchman discusses a strong faith forged and refined by fire. A strong faith is necessary to stand firm when facing the storms and battles in this life.  Do you have the faith that the Watchman speaks of?

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Transcript

025 Faith Forged in Fire

Welcome to The Watchman Speaks! I’m your host, Lonnie Richardson.

“I’m not afraid. Are you?” 

It’s the opening statement and question that I ask during the introduction of every Watchman Speaks Episode. I believe that it is a viable question to all. Why? Because I see most people, Christians and the church included, cowering in fear amid the shadows of darkness that encroaches upon the earth. 

Listen closely and hear me. I’m speaking to the baby boomers of my generation all the way to Zgen. If anyone told you that life was fair or that life was going to be easy, they lied to you. Life is not easy nor is it fair. If anyone told you that you are entitled to something for free, or love, or respect, or recognition, they lied to you. Nothing is free in this life. You have to earn it.

Well, maybe that’s not 100 percent accurate. Jesus died on a cross for the gift of your salvation and inheritance and the only thing you have to do is accept and honor the gift. It doesn’t cost you anything. But it’s not free.

To get through this life is going to require a steel clad, unshakable faith. To obtain that faith one usually has to withstand a forging process. What does that mean? It means that you’re going to pass through the fire. Once you have be subjected to the fire then you are placed on an anvil and the impurities are hammered out, refining the steel. Then you go back into the fire and the whole process is repeated. 

Why do I say that? Because if you don’t have to overcome hardships and disappointments in life your mettle, or your character, cannot be strengthened. Listen. I have always had a fascination with cutting instruments. I own several pocket knives and hunting knives. I keep them sharpened and honed. I own hand planes, wood chisels, spoke shaves, scrapers, and saws made from tempered carbon steel. Likewise, I keep those sharpened and honed. If I didn’t keep them sharpened and honed they would be useless. Any one of the blades will shave hair easily and I’m very careful not to drop a saw blade on my hand or foot. 

A blade does not become strong or useful until it goes through the forging process to refine the steel and shape it into its designed purpose. Even then, it must go through a tempering process to strengthen it. But it doesn’t end there. Oh no.

The cutting edge, if unused will rust. A rusty blade is a dangerous blade. If the blade is used, eventually it becomes dull and must be sharpened and honed again to bring back the cutting edge. That’s how faith works. If faith is not strengthened by trials, by fire, shaped and refined, then every time you stub your toe you will lose not only your faith but quite possibly any testimony that you’ve built until that time.

When a cutting edge rusts the rust must be removed before the cutting edge can be restored. This often time requires a steel brush, some kind of abrasive, or harsh chemicals. Then, and only then can the initial cutting bevel be restored on sharpening stones and a leather strop. You know what happens when the bevel has to be re-established before sharpening and honing can be done. Steel is removed to realign the cutting edge. You know what happens when the cutting edge can be restored on sharpening stones and a leather strop? Minute amounts of steel is removed to bring the instrument to a cutting edge. In terms of faith that has not been used or neglected, the rust removal process can be painful. If the cutting instrument, whether it is a hand plane blade or a chisel, begins to drag or not cut as efficiently as it did to begin with, usually all that is necessary to bring back a razor’s edge is a few passes over a fine grit stone or a brisk stropping with a leather stop with polishing compound. In terms of faith, that’s not near as painful as letting the cutting edge rust from disuse.

A steel cutting instrument properly used and maintained is always sharp and strong. A steel cutting instrument neglected to rust requires more work to be beneficial. Faith used on a regular basis is not only sharper but grows stronger. While faith seldom used is fragile and brittle resulting in loss of peace and joy due to circumstances. 

Because of some widespread faulty teachings in today’s church, Christians get to thinking that God owes them smooth sailing seas and a fun filled port to dock in. Let’s be clear. God doesn’t owe you anything. You, if you’re a Christian, owe God everything. Without God’s grace and mercy, you would be lost with no salvation, no inheritance, and an eternal existence in torment. 

Hebrews 11:1-2 reads “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the realities of things not seen. For by it the elders received commendation.” 

Now let’s unpack that for a moment. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,”. That tells us that faith has substance. Faith is substance or what we hope for. “the realities of things not seen.” Hmmmm, faith is substance in reality. But the reality is not seen, yet. 

So, we can hope for that Mercedes, the big house, the yacht, and the life of abundance with no worries right? No, I don’t think so. Oh you can wish for them and if you work hard enough and long enough you may be able to acquire those things but those material things are not what we are promised by faith.

Notice in verse 2 it says, “For by it (faith) the elders received commendation.” Who are the elders? Did they drive sports cars, have mansions, a yacht, and no concerns?

Hebrews 11 is often referred to as “the hall of faith.” We’re about to find out why. 

Verse 4, Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain, through faith and though he is dead he still speaks.

Verse 5, By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death. Before he was taken up Enoch obtained the witness that he was pleasing to God. 

Verse 6 is what catches most people’s attention. “And without faith it is impossible to please Him (God), for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Aha! We seek God and he rewards us with fancy cars, a big house, a boat, golf club memberships and a life of wealth! I’ll come back to that in a minute. 

Verse 7, “By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” Noah worked on the ark for 100 years before he completed it. What’s more he financed the whole project! He tried to warn people but he was ridiculed for all his efforts. No Audi or Volvo here. There is a boat, but Noah had to build it himself. 

Vss 8-9, Abraham, by faith struck out for a land not knowing where he was going and lived in tents. Abraham was looking for a city which has foundations , whose architect and builder was God. No mansion to be found here. He was looking for a city which still does not exist. 

Verse 11, Sarah, by faith conceived a child even though she was 90 years old.

Verse 13 reads, “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” Ever heard the old hymn “I can’t feel at home in this world anymore”? 

Let’s look at verse 17. “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises  was offering up his only begotten son.” Verse 19, “He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead…” 

Chapter 11 continues mentioning the faith of Isaac, Jacob, and Moses.

Verses 32-35 tell the real story about faith. 

32. And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 

33. who by faith conquered kingdoms, obtained promises (covenants), shut the mouths of lions, 

34. quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

Yeah, that all sounds like a life of luxury. Now that sounds to me like faith is a powerful thing, but it doesn’t sound like any kind of utopia either. It doesn’t sound like every day was filled rose petals and sweet perfume. It sounds to me as if faith is what carried them through battles and uncertain times. And, I might add, it sounds to me as if they faced those battles and uncertain times without fear. It doesn’t sound to me as if faith has anything to do with living on easy street every day for however long we are here to walk this earth.  

“Ahhhh,” you say, “But verse 6 says that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”  

No, that’s not what it says. My first question is what are you seeking Him for? Wealth? Life on easy street? A lifelong vacation in paradise on earth? Let’s look at verse 6 more closely. 

Verse 6, 
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him” Without the strongest of faith to carry one through battles and uncertain times without fear it is impossible to please God. Let’s progress further. “For He who comes to God must Believe that He is (God).” The problem here is that most think that the storms or the circumstances that they are facing are bigger than God can handle. So, they attempt to fix things themselves, relying on self-dependence instead of depending on God to fix things. “And that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Okay here is where the steel gets sharpened. Stop right here right now and define “rewards” for yourself.

Do you think that your definition of “reward” meets on par with God’s definition? Look again at verse 13, “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”

Did you catch any of that?

They “died in faith” “without receiving the promises” but they saw the promises and they welcomed the promises from a distance and they, in faith having died confessed that they were strangers and “EXILES” on the earth. 

They knew that they had something better than anything that this earth, this life, could offer and they died holding onto those promises. They weren’t seeking a land. The land was a shadow of what was to come. What was to come was a savior, salvation, and an inheritance in that kingdom.  

Psalm 37:4 reads “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” 

What are the desires of your heart? If the desires of your heart are a life in paradise on this earth, in this life, you’re aiming too low. But first, it says, “Delight yourself in the Lord” THEN He will give you the desires of your heart.  

Jesus is enough. His sacrifice for me is enough. God’s grace in offering His Son for my benefit is enough. An inheritance in His kingdom and to sit on the throne with Him is enough. Therin, I find delight in the Lord. The desire of my heart is to surrender all, in faith, and obey His Word.

No matter how many times some preacher on Television or author of a book tells you that God exists to make you wealthy and give you a life on easy street, it just ain’t so. Can He do that? Yes. Chances are you wouldn’t steward it properly.  

Everyone loves to quote, “You have not because you ask not.” Yep, everyone likes that verse. Now, can you tell me where that is found in Scripture?

Well, it comes from the book of James in Chapter four. Let’s look at the whole. 

4:1 “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 

4:2 “You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 

4:3 “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

Hmmm….I bet that busted a lot of bubbles!

Let me tell you this. God has made some promises. He made a lot of promises in the New Testament that are part of a lot of promises that He made in the Old Testament. Those promises, to some extent are conditional. If you don’t know what those promises are the devil can steal them from you. LOOK CLOSELY. MANY TIMES God said, “IF you do these things, THEN I’ll do these things. Those promises, those covenants run throughout the Bible. 

Just to clear the air and pop any unrighteous bubbles that may still be floating around, I direct you to James 5:5, “You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.” That’d be James talking to the rich folks who followed after the desires of their fleshly hearts.  

What does all this mean? What is the takeaway? 

It’s this. Don’t live in fear. Those mentioned in Hebrews 11 faced very real battles and very real circumstances that were dire. But they weren’t afraid. Their faith carried them through the battles and the storms that they faced. Their faith was sharpened and honed almost on a daily basis in their struggles for survival. They were real people who faced real challenges. There was not air-conditioning or heat. There were no flush toilets. There were no neighborhoods filled with mansions. There were palatial residences for the kings. However, the kings were often faced with hard decisions as war was often a concern. Losing a war to a neighboring kingdom often meant death for the king and his entire family. So, kingship was not necessarily a walk in the park. In ancient literature and extra-biblical texts, the kings would sometime yearn for war as the reality of war and subsequent slavery if the war was lost often raised faith in God among the people. It was this faith often times that the king depended on to overcome.

The modern western church has lost her backbone. The church is afraid to speak out against evil movements or against the darkness that is looming. The church, by and large, seeks to stay out of the limelight and avoid societal criticism. It already suffers from criticism from a political front as well as movements within other organizations. The Church cowers in fear that financial obligations cannot be met or that the church will be looked upon unfavorably locally. 

Did God say make the church an all-inclusive social club? No! He gave instructions in church discipline. He gave instructions on what should not be tolerated. He gave us a road map for behavior and an example as to how we should live. Yet most Christians live in fear, claiming faith but showing little evidence of that faith. 

In case you’re thinking that I don’t know what I’m talking about, I assure you that I do. It took me some time to dig it out of God’s Word but I learned, “Oh, that’s where I made that mistake that cost me so much!” I make certain that I don’t make those same mistakes again! 

I’ve lost a fortune. I’ve fought poverty. Death has claimed nearly all my relatives including a daughter and a grand child. I’ve had seven knee surgeries including a total knee replacement. 

I’ve got a metal plate and four screws in my neck from where a disc collapsed. I’ve passed a blood clot and my heart caught it resulting in triple bypass surgery. I could continue but I don’t want to bore you or have you think that I’m whining or bragging. No, I’m merely stating facts. I have faced some dark and foreboding storms, some of which lasted years, not just weeks or months. I’ve learned faith because there were times I couldn’t stand the beating that I was taking and had to cry out to God to rescue me. He always has, but it was not always an immediate response. Hear me Gen X and Gen Z, I’ve fought battles that you do not even know exist yet and I’ve walked away from them all. Many times though, I’ve walked away with a pretty severe limp. 

I’ve been through all that and more and you know what? I’m still standing. Great battles have been fought in the physical realm and on the spiritual front. I have the scars to prove it. But I’ve fought enough battles and faced enough storms that I’m not afraid anymore. The times that we live in are the darkest times that I can recall in my life. However, history tells me that there have been darker days. I am not afraid. Are you?

Faith is like that blade on a hand plane or a chisel. When I’m working on a piece of tough white oak or hard maple and it stops cutting cleanly. I pull out the stones and strop and re-establish that cutting edge. When I see the storm approaching, I hit my knees and give it to God. He sharpens my faith. 

Do you have the unshakable faith that will be necessary when THE storm comes barreling into your harbor? 

Before I close, I’d like to share a tidbit more on Scripture. When Jesus and the disciples were in a boat tossed by a storm. The disciples became fearful and woke Jesus from sleeping in the stern of the boat and claimed they were about to perish. 

Mark 4:39-41, “And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid. Do you still have no faith?”

 That storm was of this world. Jesus has overcome the things of this world including the storms that we face. I often times wondered when He said, “Hush, be still” if He was truly only talking to the winds or if He was in some way also including the disciples. I don’t have any precedent to make that as a statement. I just wonder. But I am certain of this. He likened their fear of the storm to a lack of faith.

I am The Old Watchman, Ezekiel. You have been warned!

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