Tag Archives: faith
Faith-Filled Fridays 2-12-16
Faith-Filled Fridays is a post dedicated to bringing testimonies and songs that build faith in the power of God to do absolutely anything. It is my hope that Faith-Filled Fridays will strengthen the culture of worship around you.
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The Road Through Romans: It Ends At The Beginning
We are still moving through the book of Romans bit by bit. Once again, we are looking at Romans 1:16, 17. Yesterday we mentioned that the gospel reveals the only acceptable path to God. Today we are going to discuss what that pathway is.
If you have missed any of the previous posts in this series they can all be found on THE ROAD THROUGH ROMANS PAGE.
Here are the verses we are looking at today,
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
We are looking specifically at the bold-faced words.
I don’t think it can be said enough that true righteousness comes only through faith in Jesus Christ. Everything in our world is geared towards getting that wrong. Humanism has taught us…ingrained in us…that righteousness comes through men trying really hard and beyond that salvation is earned when trying really hard meets with a bit of good fortune and man’s natural goodness. That is just sooooooooo wrong.
The truth is men are not by nature righteous. We are by nature evil (sorry folks that’s proven true by Scripture and if you’ve actually lived in the world by experience as well). We are not basically good people who sometimes make mistakes. We are basically evil people who sometimes do things properly. Most times when we end up doing the right thing it is because we overcome the temptation to do the wrong thing which first comes to our minds. Much of our current situation comedy entertainment extends from the battle to make the right choice in the midst of the temptation to do the wrong thing, while much of our dramatic entertainment involves stories of what happens when that battle is not won.
Righteousness will never come because of man’s solo triumph over evil. True righteousness can only be obtained AND maintained by placing faith in the power of Jesus Christ to help us overcome ourselves.
“just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’.”
We have much more to say on this subject but we have sixteen more chapters of study to say it in so for now I am…signing off!
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The Road Through Romans: The Way To the Approved State
So we are delving into Romans 1:16,17 yet again. If you missed our previous devotional thoughts they can be found on THE ROAD THROUGH ROMANS PAGE.
Today I really want to begin looking at the bold faced words in these two verses.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
These words are the launching pad for what is perhaps the major theme for Paul’s letter to the Romans. I guess you could say the theme can be summed up thusly, The way to eternal salvation AND a lifestyle of actual holiness is by faith… OR…the way to the God-approved state is through faith.
Paul develop this theme greatly throughout the book. Honestly, it was pretty radical thinking for his readers back when it was written. Even for us this thought is pretty radical.
When most people think of Heaven they usually think of it as a place of reward for good people, something to be worked towards. When asked why a person should go to Heaven most reply that a person gets to Heaven by doing good or by having his good deeds outweigh his bad deeds. But Paul’s message throughout Romans is that salvation (Heaven) is not obtained by what we do but by who we put our faith in. In fact here in verse 17 Paul even mentions that the ability to be righteous or do good works is based on who we put our trust in. The intimation is that if we do not put our faith in the right person not only will we not attain Heaven we will not even be able to do the things that are truly good.
This is a pretty serious allegation for a world that by and large does not put its faith in Jesus.
I would love to hear your thoughts about Paul’s words here.
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Saulish Worship Pt. 6
We have been having a lively discussion about holiness over the last week.
If you missed any part of our convo you can join it…
Yesterday I asked you to explain the differences between King Saul’s heart and King David’s heart…
Here are some of the differences I see…
Saul started from a standpoint of blessing and worshipped God after his own plan disobeying God and brought a curse.
David started from the standpoint of a curse and worshipped God the way God commanded in obedience and brought a blessing.
Both David and Saul worshipped. Both David and Saul sacrificed sheep and oxen as their style of worship. If they had been worshipping today they would have sung the same songs; But Saul worshipped his own way. David worshipped God’s way. Saul worshipped in a way that benefitted himself and made him comfortable. David worshipped in a way that cost him personally. Saul gained personally in his style of worship. David sacrificed personally in God’s worship. David was one of the faithful. Saul was one of the unfaithful. David was one whom God approved. Saul was one whom God said, “I never knew you. Depart from me you evil doer.”
It all came down to obedience. Saul wasn’t supposed to offer a sacrifice on an altar he was supposed to offer a sacrifice on the battlefield. David wasn’t supposed top offer a sacrifice on the battlefield he was supposed to offer a sacrifice on the altar. In the end David ended up doing the will of the Lord and was approved. Saul ended up disobeying and even his sacrifices of worship were thrown out.
Christianity is not about us worshipping God in a way that is comfortable to us. It is about God period. When we focus on God in our worship and obey God in our Christianity then He takes care of us. But when we focus on ourselves and make our worship about our fullness and make our obedience to God conditional on our comfort then we block His care and we end up with lack.
We received a prophetic message last week in church that reminded us everything we needed was supplied in the cross.
You may say, “Pastor J I cannot be faithful. It is too hard.”
Brother, Sister your faithfulness was provided for in the cross. It is not a condition of your salvation. It is a provision of your salvation, but it is a provision you must make use of.
The saved are obedient because they can be and because they must be.
Here is the good news obedience is possible for you. If you have accepted Christ he has provided not just forgiveness for you but the power to be obedient. I am here today to tell you that if you have not used the power to obey up until today you can begin using it today. And you must use it today. Receiving grace is only done when we receive forgiveness and the power to change. Jesus is still supplying the power and He wants you to call on the power to be holy even more than you want to call on it yourself.
He desperately wants to say to you, “Child I know you enter into my joy and be blessed for the righteousness I poured into you.”
Today maybe you have said yes to Jesus and you have asked and received His forgiveness for your sins. But perhaps there is still some sin in your life that you are struggling with that you are afraid might cause you to be called, by God, a worker of iniquity. Today the power for victory lies before you and just like you received forgiveness you can receive holiness and power to overcome your sin. If you need that power in any area of your life would you pray this pray with me?
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus I thank you for the forgiveness for my sins. I receive it right now and admit I need it; But I know grace is about more than just forgiveness it is about power to change. So Jesus come to me. I receive all of your grace today. I receive forgiveness and I receive the power to change. Thank you that from this moment on I am going to begin to change. A-men!
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Little Problems
Paul the apostle wrote, “ we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, ” 2 Corinthians 4:16,17
Now I don’t know about you, but when I think of momentary light afflictions I think of things like having to wait too long in the line at the grocery store or forgetting my wallet at home and realizing it after I have pumped the gas into my tank at the gas station. These are problems easily solved and while irritating, in the grand scheme of things they don’t really change our lives for better or worse. But Paul defines the things he considers his momentary light afflictions a few chapters later in 2 Corinthians and let me just say the things I mentioned certainly don’t make his list. Here are Paul’s momentary light afflictions:
…far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. 24Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?
30If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, 33and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands. 2 Cor. 11:23-33
This list kind of makes most of our afflictions look like luxuries doesn’t it?
Let me ask as I finish up today, What do you think made Paul consider his list, of what I can only call tragedies, as momentary LIGHT afflictions?
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Setting Others Straight
“When we genuinely believe that inner transformation is God’s work and not ours, we can put to rest our passion to set others straight.” Richard Foster
It does make me wonder if I really believe this! God come and work on me!
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Uncle Tom and the Gift Of Tongues
The Daily Post has asked us to…Describe a memory or encounter in which you considered your faith, religion, spirituality — or lack of — for the first time.
You can see how others met this challenge at
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/in-good-faith/
As a boy of thirteen I had an intense spiritual hunger. I suppose I had always leaned toward the spirit world. Growing up the first books I remember borrowing from the town library were stories of the Greek gods and the writings of Uri Geller and other famous psychics.
I don’t remember a time when I didn’t believe in the supernatural or in a higher power but my search for that higher power began in earnest at the end of my eighth grade year. I remember telling my mother that I thought some day I would become a minister. She scoffed at the idea because at that point no one in our immediate family even really believed in the biblical God. My grandparents were believers but they didn’t wear their religion on their sleeves or anything like that and their pastor at the time was more in tune with Universalism than Christianity.
I met a girl in school whose family members were committed Jehovah’s Witnesses and she began witnessing. Through a series of events my parents found out and insisted that if I was really interested in church then I was going to go with my Uncle Tom. They thought he was crazy but at least they knew he was harmless and crazy.
So began my journey into the Christian faith and away from the neo-paganism I had known. The story is long and convoluted but suffice it to say the first time I heard someone deliver a message in tongues and another person give the interpretation, I was hooked. Uncle Tom and the gift of tongues showed me the way to a real personal and supernatural relationship with God through Jesus Christ. God can and will use anything to bring a seeking soul to Himself.
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I’m A Believer
One person with a belief is equal to a force of ninety-nine who have only interests.
Peter Marshall
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Heaven Pt. 153: The Persecution Of the Saints
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple;
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have given the bodies of your servants
to the birds of the heavens for food,
the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and there was no one to bury them.
4 We have become ha taunt to our neighbors,
mocked and derided by those around us.
5 How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealousy burn like fire?
6 Pour out your anger on the nations
that do not know you,
and on the kingdoms
that do not call upon your name!
7 For they have devoured Jacob
and laid waste his habitation.
8 Do not remember against us our former iniquities;
let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
for we are brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins,
for your name’s sake!
10 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
be known among the nations before our eyes!
11 Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;
according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!
12 Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors
the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!
13 But we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
from generation to generation we will recount your praise. Psm 79 ESV
The persecution we see of our Christian brothers around the world is nothing new in practice. Christians and believing Jews throughout the ages have been martyred since the dawn of faith in practice. What is new is the scope. More believers have been martyred in the last century than in the first 19 combined; But that is nothing more than is to be expected. Jesus said,
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Ma. 10:16-23 NIV
So what are we to do in the light of the growing persecution of our faith? We are to respond with the same prayer that the 1st century saints responded, “
“Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
“ ‘Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord
27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” Acts 4: 25-30 NIV
It is the prayer of faith that asks for deliverance in the trouble not from the trouble that will bring the shaking of our places of worship into order!
So Pray to be able to speak boldly
Pray for the power to heal
Pray for signs and wonders in the name of Jesus!
Lillie-Put 