Johann Quisumbing

Salvation Series by JQuisumbing

Here is Good News for you!

You do not have to earn your way into Heaven. All that is asked of you is FAITH.

Does it sound too easy? Well, from a skeptical point of view, it does sound a little too good to be true. Somehow, most human beings feel they must do more. I should know. I thought the same thing. Of course, that was a time when I knew little of God and what pleased Him.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrew 11:6)

The dictionary defines faith as ‘complete trust or confidence in someone or something’.

Everybody has some type of faith, people have faith in many different things, when we get into our car we have faith that it will crank and get us to our destination, we have faith that our doctor knows what he or she is doing, everybody has this mindset of faith of some kind or another. No one can live a single day without exercising faith. (by William D. Brown – sermoncentral.com)

When we see a chair, do we hesitate to sit? Of course not. In fact, even when a chair does fail, we are prone to find another chair and with no hesitation sit in it. Trust in objects has always been easy for us. We know deep down that everyday objects like chairs are mostly dependable. Take note that our faith in these things come from the familiarity of constant use.

The same way we put faith in objects is somewhat the same when we put faith in people. The difference is that we tend to be a lot more reserved on whom we place such trust on. That trust is dependent on how much we know them.

• For a gal to trust a guy, she makes a point to know him by spending extended time with him.
• Professionals like teachers and doctors are hired based on their credentials which reflects their extensive training.
• Politicians who seek to be elected spend millions on media so that the masses can get to know them.

Our faith in others depend on knowing their history and testing their reliability. But because people are fallible, we can’t help but be wary. So, we continue to watch and reassess. The more we know about the person the more comfortable for us to be with them and if need be, follow their lead. The process is the same when getting to know the Divine.

God desires us to have faith in Him and Jesus Christ whom He sent.

How does one believe in a being whom we can not even see? 

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1 NLT)

By ourselves, it is impossible unless God made Himself seen and known. Did He? Yes He did. Allow me to cite 3 ways for you to get to see Him and know Him.

By ourselves, it is impossible unless God made Himself seen and known. Did He leave us ‘evidence’? Yes, He did. Allow me to cite the first of 3 ways for you to get to know One who is invisible. And it starts by looking around… in the proper way.

Creation shows His Qualities

In the letter of the Apostle Paul to the believers of Rome, he wrote…

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:18-20)

Can a person clearly see God in Nature? If you know what you are looking for, yes. According to verse 20 above, Paul claimed that as you look at nature, closely view it with God-given interpretive eyes. Since I love trees, let’s start there. In this case, two memorable trees come to mind that illustrate His divine nature: the giant Redwood and the Angel Oak Tree.  

The Redwood is a wondrous organism. From a seedling about the size of a fingernail, it can grow about 400 feet tall and this is not even including the dimensions of the roots. To give you an idea of the size of the trunk of one of these majestic trees, just look at the photo of how many kids it took to hug it.

[Photo by Chloe Kov borrowed from http://www.audubonportland.org/blog/a-journey-through-the-redwoods-with-portland-audubon-campers/%5D

The Angel Oak in South Carolina is one of the largest Live Oak Trees in the USA. The tree is estimated to be 400–500 years old. 

The tree is 65 feet tall and the trunk has a circumference of 25.5 feet. Dripping in Spanish moss, the canopy offers over 17,000 square feet of shade. The most extended branch reaches 187 feet from tip to end. There are supports under some of the most massive branches or wires attached to the tree to help keep the giant limbs from breaking. Some of Angel Oak’s branches grow underground and then come back up and grow outward. This feature makes the tree look almost otherworldly. [www.travelawaits.com]

What did the Redwood, the Grand Old Angel Oak and yes, even the simple trees growing in my neighborhood park tell me about God? Well, the poet, Joyce Kilmer, who wrote the poem titled “Trees” (published in 1914) said it better.

“Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree.”

Who could make a tree except only God? Now, I can probably grow one by planting a seed then watering it, but that is as far as I can go. I can’t cause the seed to sprout nor could I make it grow tall. Can anyone?

Everywhere I look at nature I cannot help but see His creative qualities. I look at a plot of flowers of the same kind, I mean, closely comparing one flower to the next… I see the working of one mind (the mind of a designer) behind them. Look around. Appreciate the maker of all living creatures that fly, walk, crawl and swim. One of my favorites are the long necked giraffes.

It is one of those odd animals that has sparked more arguments between evolutionists and creationists (But I will not add into that ever continued debate.) All I ask is that you watch this elegant creature intently, with humble eyes. 

See how they tower over the African savanna strolling on their stilt-like legs. By the way, those legs may seem awkward but they are capable of galloping at speeds up to almost 40 miles per hour. Amazingly, the female gives birth standing up and the newborn calf falls more than five feet to the ground. Within 15 minutes, the calf is up and standing on their gangly legs. Did you know that their lungs are eight times larger than human lungs? I will not even mention the intricate blood vessel system to maintain proper blood pressure by a heart that weighs about 25 pounds capable of pumping life-giving fluid up its six-foot long neck to the brain. Let’s not forget the dexterity of the giraffe’s 20-inch tongue designed to efficiently pluck the leaves off the tree. 

I never get tired of watching this animal. I don’t see a comic freak of nature. The giraffe is perfectly designed for this African environment and only God can be its designer. 

The next time you visit the zoo, stop by the giraffe exhibit. With people gawking around you, discuss how the giraffe displays God’s handiwork. Look up that long neck, but don’t stop there. Draw your gaze up to the Creator and praise Him with this Psalm – Worthy are you, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things, and by your will they exist and were created. (Revelation 4:11) _{[Karin Viet, the author of the posted article ‘Giraffes: Towering Testimonies to God’s Design’ ]}

Let’s not forget to cast our eyes to the cosmos.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (Psalm 19:1)

Then, there is ourselves. Just look at our own bodies.

For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb… I am fearfully and wonderfully made… (Psalm 139:13,14)

So, whenever I look around and appreciate creation, my faith gets a boost from His glorious work.

By the way, we (that is, all human beings) have built-in us the ability to see God’s invisible qualities, because He created us in His image. So, if anyone says that they don’t see, it is more than likely that they refuse to see.

I pray that you would look closely at nature with humbling eyes and discover our God. I pray that you would believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. ^{(Hebrew 11:6)} And God does want you to reward you.

In my next post, we will cover more on how God reveals Himself to us, so that we all will be a people of FAITH. I offer the Bible verse below as the basis for the next post.

From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work… (2 Timothy 3:15-17)

Go to next posting: FAITH BY WORD & TESTIMONY

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So, how is your FAITH now?

Wherever you are right now, know that God is listening for you. Talk to Him with no delay and express your faith in Jesus Christ and receive Him into your heart as your Lord and Savior. You only have to pray the prayer below once, but with sincerity, because when He enters your life, He will never leave you.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you so much for loving me. I confess that I am a sinner worthy of eternal punishment. Thank you for dying on the cross to pay for all of my sins. With your help, I am turning away from all my sins. Today, I put my trust in you as my Lord and Savior and I receive you into my heart. Thank you for forgiving my sins and for coming into my heart. I accept your free gift of eternal life. Thank you that one day, I will go home to be with you in heaven. From this day on, I will follow and obey you. Amen.*

* Note: It is not the prayer that saves us but faith in Christ. The prayer is a way to express belief.