Hebrews 11 -- Do not be deceived
Many Christians are afflicted with the Rodney King syndrome, "Can we all just get along". It is based on a lack of knowledge and as Hosea said "My people perish because of a lack of knowledge".
1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
We are hoping to be raptured in the first rapture, or as the Jewish custom is, we are hoping that our names would be written in the book of life. If you want some confidence and assurance about this you need to pray for faith. Remember, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
This is where the deception comes in. The ancients were not commended for being popular, for not causing waves, for "getting along", they were commended for faith. This chapter will make it very clear that faith is definitely not "getting along" and "not causing waves". Speech is currently being monitored, "corrected" and censored. If you bow to that it is wholly contrary to what we see in Hebrews 11. Sometimes it is absolutely stunning what some people will say and do. The arrogance and gall is incredible. But no one is commended for that and ten years later they are exposed as liars and frauds, and no one cares. But people with faith, people like Abraham, Paul, Peter, and Jesus, we remember their words thousands of years later.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Great example of something that you are not allowed to say and that has been censored, ridiculed, mocked, and "corrected". This is a very important and fundamental lesson in science. We could not figure out the mysteries of the universe until we were able to see the things that are unseen. No one can explain what an electron is. I teach Chemistry and my students are surprised when I tell them I don’t know what an electron is. I then tell them what we know and then they too will answer when I ask what is an electron: “I don’t know”. However, even though that is true we can do amazing chemistry and make all kinds of substances because we understand that the electrons are critical in telling us how they will all fit together. Every day scientists make things that you can see out of things you can’t. If we do this in a shadow, then surely the reality is that God has made what is visible out of what is not visible.
4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
Think about that, how powerful is faith. If your words have faith they don’t die just because you do. Today, thousands of years later, we have people all over the globe examining the words of the apostles and prophets and discovering new things every day. Abel was not "popular" because his offering was better, on the contrary it stirred up jealousy and envy. However, it propelled human civilization forward. It was a major step forward in the full transition from hunter gatherer to the agricultural society. Archaeologists will tell you that raising domesticated animals was a major development in human society, read "Guns, Germs and Steel". Horses were our tanks and transportation, Oxen were the animals that helped us transform the landscape, mules and donkeys were critical in helping us mine ore, all of the diseases in our herd animals actually protected the herders (which is why the Native Americans all died when we arrived in America).
5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.
Enoch is an excellent example. He is a man of faith, he was a type of those who were raptured, and his prophecy is commended as being divinely inspired by many of the New Testament writers. His words still live today. Enoch pleased God it doesn't say he pleased man. Paul even tells us that if he were still pleasing man he wouldn't be pleasing God. There is nothing that would suggest that either Abel or Enoch pleased men. What do we know about Enoch, "he walked with God". Sounds like a loner. Think about these two, the first martyr and the first one raptured while still alive. This is a picture of those who will be raised at the end of the age.
6 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.
What does the Lord say about those who have their reward in this life and won't be rewarded by God? They do everything publicly to be seen of men. They are actors, performers, entertainers (hypocrites). If you hope to be raptured then surely you must please God and without faith that is impossible. There are three things you must believe in order to come to God. You have to believe that He exists and He rewards those who seek Him. Finally, you have to believe the Lord’s word that no one comes unto the Father but by the Lord Jesus. This is in direct contradiction to those who are pushing this one world religion. In order to get the Muslims and Buddhists and Hindus and all the rest they eliminate the need to believe in Jesus.
7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
There are many aspects to the gospel of salvation. The very term “salvation” implies there is something to be saved from which is a sinful world. The act of receiving the gospel and obeying the Lord’s commands condemns the world. You aren’t trying to condemn anyone, but they are condemned for refusing to receive the warning. That implies they have heard the same warning as you and rejected it. So you can see how all of humanity is split by this one matter of faith. Some receive the warning by faith, others reject the warning because they are faithless. The rapture is about taking those that please the Lord, those who have faith, received the warning and obeyed the Lord’s commands.
This is where the deception is really obvious. People think that the reason we preach the gospel is so that people will get saved. The problem with that is what happens if people reject the gospel, does that mean you are a failure? Noah preached the gospel for decades, maybe more than 100 years, and yet how many received his word, how many were saved? Just eight people counting himself. Here in Hebrews 11 Noah is not listed here because he had a prevailing gospel ministry where thousands came to the Lord. No, it says "by his faith he condemned the world", that is why he is listed here. Do you think Noah was popular with the world? Anyone like to be condemned? The bible says that Noah "was a preacher of righteousness". It isn't a popular topic with man, only with God.
If you think that the goal of the gospel is to get people saved then the guy with the "Mega church" and ten thousand attendees is the one to imitate and follow. As long as you are thinking that way you will never follow or imitate Noah. I can list off 5 mega church pastors who had "prevailing gospel ministries" and who also were involved in trafficking children in pedophile rings. Do you think anyone who was involved in trafficking children in pedophile rings is going to be pleasing to God? Do not be deceived, how many of these televangelists put up numbers as proof that they are men of faith only for us later to learn that they cheat on their taxes, commit fornication, or even worse, are involved in Satanism?