Something better for us

 

The Bible says ‘oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!’ Then in Hebrews 11:40 the writer talks about ‘something better’! He lists some heroes of faith, both male and female, and concludes that the world was not worthy of these special people. Finally he says, ‘And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise. God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.’

 

If there is something better to be obtained, I want it! Don’t you?

 

For many years I meditated on this verse of Scripture but received no enlightenment on it. I preached on it a few years ago, but nothing opened up. Then when I preached in Harvester Mpererwe, in Uganda, last month, I received revelation knowledge as I preached! This is what I want to share with you.

 

Testimonies of the better things

Here are many testimonies that God has provided something better for us and we receive it by faith.

 

They subdued kingdoms by faith. They conquered nations. David and Samson defeated the Philistines and killed tens of thousands. They did it by faith. But God has something better in mind for us: we save nations by faith! It is better to save than to kill! Yes David killed his ten thousands and was a great man and Samson slew 1 000 Philistines with the jaw bone of an ass, but by faith, I have reached 99 nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ now and seen thousands upon thousands saved, delivered, set free, healed and baptised in the Holy Ghost!

 

They worked righteousness by faith. But we have something better. Abraham did not consider his old age or the deadness of Sarah’s womb but believed the word of God that he will have a son and it was accounted to him as righteousness. (Romans 4:19-22) He worked for righteousness. We are made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus because Christ was made sin for us! (II Corinthians 5:21)

 

They obtained promises by faith. We receive the promise of the Father by faith, the baptism in the Holy Spirit. We do not have to go and obtain it! Abraham and Sarah’s persistent faith obtained the promise that was made to them. But we have something better, we receive it. The Greek word for receiving is ‘lambano’ and it simply means ‘to take’.

 

They stopped the mouths of lions by faith. The angel of the Lord shut the mouths of the lions when Daniel was cast into the lion’s den. The Lord preserved him. We have something better: ‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me, says the Lord.’ (Isaiah 54:17)

 

II Corinthians 10 : 4-6: ‘For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.’

 

They quenched the violence of fire by faith. We have something better: on the day of Pentecost tongues of flames divided themselves and sat on each of the 120 disciples in the upper room and they were filled in the Holy Ghost and began speaking in tongues! 

 

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were cast into the fiery oven for not bowing and worshipping the image of the idolatrous pagan king, but when the king looked into the oven he asked: ‘did we not cast three men into the fire? Why do I see four?’ and then he made a remark which explained it all: ‘I see the fourth man in the fire is like the Son of God.’ The fire did not hurt them; it only burned off the ropes with which their hands were tied! Their clothes did not even smell of smoke!

 

John the Baptist prophesied that the one that comes after him will not only baptise us with water but also with fire! The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a fiery experience! But the fire does not hurt or consume us, it blesses us and makes us witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

They escaped the edge of the sword by faith. Elijah proved to the Jews that God is the only God when he called fire down from heaven that consumed the sacrifice on the altar and the prophets of Baal could not do the same. Then he had all those prophets killed with swords. Jezebel was the High Priestess of Baal then cursed Elijah and swore that she will have him killed with a sword before the sun sets. But Elijah ran for his life and escaped the edge of the sword. Eventually Jezebel was thrown down from a balcony and the dogs licked up her blood in the street.

 

We have the Word of God that is a two edged sword, quick and sharp and piercing to divide between spirit, soul and bone and marrow. It is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. By knowing the word of God we can discern things. It cuts between spirit, soul and flesh. It tells you what is spiritual, what is soullish and what is fleshly. For instance: where there is self-seeking, envy and jealousy there is confusion, but godly wisdom brings peace and shows no partiality or hypocrisy. (James 3:16, 17)

 

Out of weakness they were made strong by faith. Paul says, he glories in his weakness, because when he is weak, Christ is strong!

 

They became valiant in battle by faith. Gideon was threshing wheat in the wine press to hide from the Midianites and Amelikites. An Angel of the Lord appeared to him and called him, ‘valiant man!’ The Lord said he will save Israel but Gideon protested and said, ‘how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manassah and I am the least in my father’s house!’ And yet through him and 300 soldiers the Lord brought a mighty victory for Israel against the armies of the enemy!

 

But through Christ Jesus we are made more than conquerors and overcomers in this life! He continually causes us to triumph over evil! 

 

They received their dead raised to life by faith. The Shunammite woman came to the prophet Elisha and told him her son was dead. He went to the upper room where he normally stays where she put the boy. He raised the boy from the dead and gave him back to her.

 

But we have something better! We are going to be resurrected from the dead, like Jesus Christ, at his return! Those who are alive will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we be with the Lord forever! (I Thessalonians 4:17)

 

They were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection, but we have that resurrection power already operating in us: if the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, it will quicken your mortal body! (Romans 8:11)

 

God has provided something better for us! Those heroes of faith in the Old Testament are not made complete without us, and we are not complete without them.

 

We have a cloud of witnesses

All of these testimonies prove that God has something better in store for us. Out of the mouth of two or three witnesses a thing shall be established!

 

Those who despise and mock you, those who spitefully treat you and mean to do you harm, they will be ashamed, because God has something better in store for you!

 

Our God is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask or think! (Ephesians 3:20) Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered in the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him. But by His Spirit He reveals them to us! (I Corinthians 2: 9, 10)

 

The natural man cannot receive the ‘better things’ from God because the natural man cannot perceive spiritual things. But once you are born again, your spirit is alive, your spiritual eyes open up, your spiritual ears open up and your heart begins to understand the plans and purposes of God!

 

How to accept Christ

To accept Christ, you must simply confess that you are a sinner in need of salvation and ask Him to save you. Then confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and you shall be saved from hell and damnation. Do it now, believe it, and go and tell others that you are a child of God through Jesus Christ.

To as many as received Him, He gave the power to become children of God, to as many as believed on His Name.

Jesus died for your sins. He paid the price to reconcile you with God. He will sanctify you and He will baptise you in the Holy Spirit not many dance hence, if you believe and are baptised by full emersion into water according to the commandment He gave to His disciples, to go into all the nations of the world and preach the Gospel and make disciples and baptise them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Then they have to teach them all the things that Jesus taught them. This is the Great Commission. This is the task and mission statement of the Church of the Firstborn, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, registered in heaven!