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Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Stubborness vs Conviction

Stubbornness is blinding and unwilling to be corrected or to listen, restrictive, in-compassionate, and destructive, it does not understand its standing with with God. Conviction is open minded, willing to be corrected and to listen, is compassionate, and brings freedom and healing, and understands the glories of the Gospel.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Ask our Father

I was thinking this morning, what if I met one of those angels who were a "stranger", I could ask them how to love my neighbor and those in poverty. Then the thought came to me. "I am so foolish, I don't have to wait to ask an angel, I can just ask my Father."

Sunday, June 12, 2011

False Motives

Some people will neglect doing good, because what prompted that good was a false motive. I have learned to thank God for using the false motive to remind me to do good. I will do the good and ask him to work on my heart so that my motivations are good as well.

You see, it is not about me or my motives, I am saved by grace. And it is grace, because my motives will never be right. If you are obsessed by being perfect, your trying to save yourself, it is a self-righteousness, and no gospel. The Gospel has faith in the work of Christ, not ones own works. We make much of Christ, not ourselves. It is about the Gospel and glorifying Christ.

I fight vigilantly against false motives, and I do plead fervently with God for pure motives, they are sweet, but my hope is not in them.

Friday, June 10, 2011

The realist

If a man sees and experiences the world, unafraid of the darkest places, and knows that God is on His throne, believes the promises of God, and sees the beauty, joy and wonder of God. Is this man a dreamer or the true realist -- Hebrews 11.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

The Creation, The Flood . . . is that possible

"The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep."

In the span of about of 40 days, the earth was covered by waters, then for more days the earth water prevailed over the earth, and then the water receeded and dry land appeared once again. All this, both the Flood and the ending of the Flood, occurred in about the span of a year. This is a major geological feat in a very short period of time, and its suddenness shows the vastness of the event. We get a small glimpse of it in the Bible, "on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. And rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights." We don't know all the details or all that happened geologically during the Flood and the Bible doesn't go into great detail, but we can know that it happened, and that it was a significant event.

We live in a day and age where something like this would be considered an impossibility. However, the Flood is a biblical certainty. It did happen. And there is no reason to doubt it. And it happened in the time allotted by the Bible, whether we can explain it or not.

Genesis 1 and 2 describes creation. The Bible also says, "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day". This, too, would be considered impossible, but it is a biblical certainty.

When we put human philosophy above the words of the Bible, the Bible looses, because it doesn't make sense to us, not if we look at it with human wisdom. But the scripture says, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." and again it says, "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God."

These accounts were written through the Holy Spirit, not through someone who was looking back at an event that they were not apart of. The scripture says that Moses talked with God face to face. He got these accounts from an eye witness of the events, God himself. An eyewitness who is faithful and true. And these accounts in Genesis or accounts we can rely on. So is our wisdom wiser than God's? Are His ways so much higher than ours, that we choose to trust Him at His word?

If we continue to look at these events with a worldly philosophy, we will continue to be foolish, we will not be able to understand science fully. But perhaps if we start looking at these accounts as given by someone who is faithful and true, perhaps, we will grow in our understanding of our world and what we see. Perhaps we will see the wisdom in it after all. And perhaps we will have a better understanding of science.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Quote by Hess - God's leading

"Long ago I made my life’s decision
To serve the Lord and have Him choose my way;
And when I’ve felt uncertain at a crossroad,
He’s never failed to lead me day by day." —Hess

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Missing God

We are often more worried about missing God, instead of trusting and having faith that He will uphold us and be there when we do miss Him.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Belief and life

There are times, that when you speak about your belief in the Word of God, that you will get a hardy "yes". But if you live out what the Word of God says, often that hardy "yes" disapears.

--Hebrews 11

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Convention pt. 2

Hebrews 11 says that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."

When the disciples suggested sending the 5,000 away, so that they could get food. They did this because it was what was realistic for that situation. Christ came into that situation to show them something even more real and more realistic. He took 5 loaves and two fish and fed 5,000 people and had 12 basketful left over. This defied logic. It defied science. It defied any ability of man.

God's ways are not defined by the world. Christ has called us into a Kingdom that is more real than this age. This is why we come to God's word like a child who trusts his Father. His word is true and believable and trustworthy. And so we live our lives by these words.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Convention

I think we are so quick in our lives, in business, in our homes, and in ministry to do things by the world's conventions. How does the world say it works? How do we make a living? How do we protect our families? How do we reach people?

When God's way is presented there are all these objections because it doesn't fit our conventional way of thinking.

When the crowds of 5,000 people were hungry, the disciples came to Jesus and told him it would be best to to let the crowds go and buy food. This would have been the responsible and rational thing to do. . . .

Hebrews 11 says that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."

God does not work by the standards of this world, or by the science, or by worldly wisdom. He is God. He is God and He is worthy of our trust.

I don't want to live by the world's conventions. I don't want to do business the same way. I don't want to be safe in how I live my life. I want to live by faith, which is not the safe way, because it is having faith in someone who makes things happen from the unseen. Whether in the mundane or in the not so mundane, this should be the norm for Christians. We must live our lives and make decisions based on a belief in a God that is not regulated to the rules of this world.

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Sunday, October 18, 2009

The Theology of Creation - John MacArthur

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.












Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Hebrews 12:1,2


Living by faith is not the life of a dreamer or an idealist. . . .

It is the pursuit of the realist.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Shaken bottle

You have heard the saying comparing trials to a container filled with liquid that states that when we are shaken who we truly are comes out. This is true . . . but I am finding out that who I truly am is not so great. And when I am shaken, sin is right there with me. I am so thankful that this life we live is not about who I am, but it is about who He is. And as I trust in His grace, He glorifies Himself in my life, because He is bigger than all my faults and sins. He is God and I am not.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Broken Dreams Poem...

As children bring
their broken toys
with tears for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams
to God
because He was my friend!

But then instead
of leaving Him
in peace to work alone,
I hung around
and tried to help
with ways
that were my own.

At last I snatched them back
and cried,
"How can you be so slow?"
"My child," He said
"What could I do?
You never did let go."

-- Author Unknown

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Scripture verses - trust when afraid




Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah

--Psalm 62:8



Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
--1 Peter 5:6,7





The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

--Philippians 4:6,7




“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

--Luke 12:32




25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

--Matthew 6




fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
--Isaiah 41:10






Friday, May 1, 2009

A few of the things I have learned this week

I don't know where God is leading me, but I can trust that He will lead me. And that As I seek His face and walk in integrity, He will make my path straight for me. And whatever happens, its ok to step out, because He will be there keeping me from stumbling. I don't have to be afraid.

We can spend our lives running after our dreams, or we can spend our lives trusting in God.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

One more time - Disciple

Wrestling with God

Sometimes hearing the Lord, comes from wrestling with the Lord as Jacob did. We know that He is our only hope. He alone has the answer. And so we wrestle with God, knowing we have no other place to go, until He gives us His blessing. We don't wrestle because it weakens God, it weakens us. We wrestle because we have faith in who He is.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Clouds and trembling

Sometimes our paths are cloudy and we cant see what is ahead of us. And sometimes the ground trembles. It is in these times that the words of the scripture are so sweet. "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path." "You enlarge my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped." We are not shaken or surrounded by clouds without purpose. We are shaken so that only Christ may remain. And there are clouds so that we don't lean on our own understanding. I must understand that I do not uphold my self. Christ upholds me. And so as the storms come, we know that He is Lord.