A “Walk of Faith Manifesto” might read something like this:
“I will live by faith from day to day – not by sight. By a determined focus on Jesus and His kingdom (Matt. 6:33)and trusting in the goodness of God and His foreordained plan (Eph. 2:10), I forfeit my fleshly need to know God’s complete “roadmap” for my life… and instead acknowledge that God may keep me in the dark through many circumstances (Job/Joseph). In fact He joys when I lean on Him and not my own ability to intellectually solve every challenge or question (Prov. 3:5-6). When I am puzzled, without answers, burdened beyond measure, despairing – I realize this is God’s fertile ground, indeed, His classroom, to teach me to trust in Him alone (2 Cor. 1:8-9). I embrace the “walk of faith” knowing it is the difficult and narrow way (Heb. 11:35-40/Matt. 7:14), often with testings and trials, but yielding the fruit that greatly pleases God (Heb. 11:6/James 1:2-4/ Rom. 5:3-4). I will trust in Him who is invisible, that His promises are sure and tangible and that He is in complete control (Heb. 11:1/Romans 8:28/ Psalm 111:7-8/Jn 14:2).”
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
7 "voices" that influence our choices
1. Our voice — our wants, desires (some derived from the flesh, others by the Spirit)
2. Our counselors voices — friends, family, spiritual leaders, etc.
3. The voice of our circumstances — where do we find ourselves? What has God sovereignly caused or allowed in my life?
4. God's voice — His Holy Spirit; God' s still, small voice; the booming, even frightening voice of of God; dreams; visions, etc.
5. Angle's voices — God still speaks today, though rarely, through angels.
6. The voice of Satan or his demons — spinning out lies, deceptions, half-truths, threats, etc.
7. The voice of Scripture — God still speaks fresh into our lives today through His word.
Can you think of others?
2. Our counselors voices — friends, family, spiritual leaders, etc.
3. The voice of our circumstances — where do we find ourselves? What has God sovereignly caused or allowed in my life?
4. God's voice — His Holy Spirit; God' s still, small voice; the booming, even frightening voice of of God; dreams; visions, etc.
5. Angle's voices — God still speaks today, though rarely, through angels.
6. The voice of Satan or his demons — spinning out lies, deceptions, half-truths, threats, etc.
7. The voice of Scripture — God still speaks fresh into our lives today through His word.
Can you think of others?
Monday, September 1, 2008
Really seeing things
There's a scene in "National Treasure" where the main character, played by Nicholas Cage, is using a pair of special glasses to view an old piece of parchment. The parchment didn't seem like much at first, until correctly viewed with the right combination of lenses, as designed by its creator. Then a wonderful picture appeared, as if out of nowhere, giving a clue to the next step in finding the treasure.
God created us to view things through a spiritual lens. And things do not appear as they ought without it.
Take for example the 12 spies that went into Canaan. Joshua and Caleb saw with their spiritual lenses of faith that the land could be conquered, just as God promised. The other 10 did not use that same lens and "were as grasshoppers" in relative size to the giants. It really does make a difference which lens we use!
With the natural eyes and mind we think our brute strength and cunning make the difference. That's what Goliath thought too. But in God's economy, the weak are strong, and the strong weak.
Jeremiah 17:5 declares that the person is cursed who "makes flesh his strength." That kind of person just doesn't get it. The lens they view life with is all distorted and does not reflect reality. In order to see things as they really are, one must have faith in the living God — the one who gives us the ability to see truth and reality. And God gives us His word to develop our faith, and thereby we are given a brand new set of glasses to see the world with.
God created us to view things through a spiritual lens. And things do not appear as they ought without it.
Take for example the 12 spies that went into Canaan. Joshua and Caleb saw with their spiritual lenses of faith that the land could be conquered, just as God promised. The other 10 did not use that same lens and "were as grasshoppers" in relative size to the giants. It really does make a difference which lens we use!
With the natural eyes and mind we think our brute strength and cunning make the difference. That's what Goliath thought too. But in God's economy, the weak are strong, and the strong weak.
Jeremiah 17:5 declares that the person is cursed who "makes flesh his strength." That kind of person just doesn't get it. The lens they view life with is all distorted and does not reflect reality. In order to see things as they really are, one must have faith in the living God — the one who gives us the ability to see truth and reality. And God gives us His word to develop our faith, and thereby we are given a brand new set of glasses to see the world with.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)