January 18, 2010
Tex’s Thought Provokers 006
Faith
It has been said that we know that an atom is there, we can’t see it, but we know it is there. We can accept this because of science and it’s being able to prove the existence of these invisible parts of mater.
The same goes for germs and other tiny organisms that are not visible to the naked eye.
It seems that we humans have trouble accepting something unless it has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. However, when we see things proven before our eyes, to me that is not accepting them through faith.
Jesus did many miraculous things, and many times he told the people not to say anything about the miracles. Now that for some folks is like giving them a green light to go and tell the world. One of my thoughts on this was that Jesus knew that if he said don’t tell anyone, that it would be the best way to get the word out, knowing the nature of people. Then I had another thought. I got to thinking that Jesus wanted us to believe through faith rather than hard proof.
There is a big difference in believing through proof and believing through faith. When we believe through proof, we can easily start to take our belief for granted. We become nonchalant about it because we know for a fact that it is there. Now if we are honest, unless we are in danger of the unseen atom or germ, how often do we really think about them? On the other hand, when we believe through faith, we are constantly thinking about it because faith and hope go hand in hand.
As an example
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those who were with him, “The truth is, this man has more faith than anyone I have found, even in Israel.* Matthew 8:10
There are many more examples throughout the bible where Jesus exemplifies great faith.
Our Lord wants us to have great faith.
In this world of technology, immoralities, and a constant barrage of non-believers doing and saying everything imaginable that inevitably cause us to doubt, the struggle to stay strong in our faith is tested every day.
This is why prayer is vital. Talking with the Lord on a regular basis is a key to staying faithful. Reading the bible every day is just as vital to remaining strong with the Lord. Being with other believers as much as possible is yet another key. Reading what other believers have written in books is also very helpful for me. Just plain meditating in faith is also a very important part of what I do a lot of. Regular worship, bible study groups, prayer meetings, are all important as well.
When we constantly make the Lord a part of our lives, putting Jesus first in our thoughts, and first in the things we do, we go a long way towards keeping our faith strong.
The Lord also reminds us to never be ashamed of our faith.
32 “If you stand before others and are willing to say you believe in me, then I will tell my Father in heaven that you belong to me. 33 But if you stand before others and say you do not believe in me, then I will tell my Father in heaven that you do not belong to me.
Matthew 10:32-33
Jesus tells us to let everyone know about our faith.
20 Jesus answered, “You were not able to make the demon go out, because your faith is too small. Believe me when I tell you, if your faith is only as big as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there,’ and it will move. You will be able to do anything.”
Matthew 17:20
The above passage is very interesting. Essentially Jesus is saying that if our faith were as good as it should be we could do anything. Some of the non-believers would say “what a load of hooey.” Well, to them I say, if this is what you believe, then my heart aches for you.
You see, to me science has only limited knowledge about what the brain is really capable of. There is proof that we only use a small portion to do the things we need to do each day. I know….there are some of us that seem to use a lot less than others, myself included.
But what if we could learn to tap into what we are really capable of doing? What if we could simply block everything out that causes us doubt? What if we could completely accept our faith in the Lord and really believe with all that is in us? What if…….
3 Then he said, “The truth is, you must change your thinking and become like little children. If you don’t do this, you will never enter God’s kingdom. 4 The greatest person in God’s kingdom is the one who makes himself humble like this child. Matthew 18:3-4
The little ones believe with all of their hearts. Why? Because we tell them too. Children have a way of accepting what those they trust tell them. In their innocence, their minds are open to a world of wonder. They have not had the chance to see and hear the awful terrible things that happen in this world. We do our best to shelter them from all these horrible things.
But have you ever watched a small child, while they listen to something like a story they are interested in? Have you ever really looked at their eyes and the expressions they make?
The above passage for me makes perfect sense. As well it should because it comes from Jesus. Yet for me, after much thought, I have come to the conclusion, that if we were to accept things like believing in the Lord with the same enthusiasm of a child, our faith would be such that we could do anything.
Unfortunately, especially for me, because I really wish it were true, I don’t think this means we have to start playing tidily winks in the pews on Sundays. Although…..no I won’t say it.
But I do think that Matthew 18:3-4 does really make a lot of sense when you apply it to faith.
17 The Good News shows how God makes people right with himself. God’s way of making people right begins and ends with faith. As the Scriptures say, “The one who is right with God by faith will live forever.” Romans 1:17
Paul speaks about faith often in his letters. Above, we can see no better example of how it could be put than the way he says it.
To me this is good news!
So how do we continue to remain strong in our faith? As I stated earlier, there is no better way than to pray every day. And pray simple away by yourself. There is no need to make a big production of it. The Lord loves it when you just talk with him. I find myself talking with him now even when I am in a crowded room filled with people. I am doing it in my mind, but I can tell you that he listens. He answers. He guides me in everything I do. Without him I am nothing. With him there is no end to the things I might achieve.
Then read his word. Don’t just read it, but listen to what it is telling you. We have heard many times that each persons walk with the Lord is a very personal one. This I totally believe. What one person reads and gets from a passage and what another person gets from the same passage may be different. But if you really concentrate on what is being said, you will come to understand what the Lord is telling you. Just relax and let it happen. Put away the doubts of the world and just read and listen.
In my heart I know that we can face anything if we face it with the Lord. Jesus will see us through. Why? Because we have great faith.
13 So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love. 1Corinthians 13:13
Faith is one of the three key things to a life with the Lord. Love is the greatest, yes, but faith is there as well. And we must do whatever we can to help each others faith grow and continue in strength.
26 So, brothers and sisters, what should you do? When you meet together, one person has a song, another has a teaching, and another has a new truth from God. One person speaks in a different language, and another interprets that language. The purpose of whatever you do should be to help everyone grow stronger in faith.
1Corinthians 14:26
16 That is why we never give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day.
17 We have small troubles for a while now, but these troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory. That eternal glory is much greater than our troubles. 18 So we think about what we cannot see, not what we see. What we see lasts only a short time, and what we cannot see will last forever. 2Corinthians 4:16-18
1 Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1
3 Faith helps us understand that God created the whole world by his command. This means that the things we see were made by something that cannot be seen. Hebrews 11:3
7 Noah was warned by God about things that he could not yet see. But he had faith and respect for God, so he built a large boat to save his family. With his faith, Noah showed that the world was wrong. And he became one of those who are made right with God through faith.
Hebrews 11:7
18 God tested Abraham’s faith. God told him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham obeyed because he had faith. He already had the promises from God. And God had already said to him, “It is through Isaac that your descendants will come.” But Abraham was ready to offer his only son. He did this because he had faith. 19 He believed that God could raise people from death. And really, when God stopped Abraham from killing Isaac, it was as if he got him back from death.
Hebrews 11:18-19
25 Moses grew up and became a man. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose not to enjoy the pleasures of sin that last such a short time. Instead, he chose to suffer with God’s people. He did this because he had faith.
Hebrews 11:25
Above we see some passages that show examples of faith. All of Hebrews 11 speaks of faith.
The one that really is interesting is Hebrews 11:18-19. Yes it shows a good example of great faith. Imagine, if you can, what it would be like to have so much faith that you would offer as a sacrifice your only son. Yes Abraham had great faith. And he passed God’s test.
Now then, thanks to a good friend and sister in Christ, I see something else here in these verses. She informed me of something more than faith in these verses.
I wonder, can you see it too? Perhaps it could be an interesting discussion some time.
So we have talked about faith and how we should try to keep it strong. We have looked at several pieces of scripture.
So I will leave you with this:
2 We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. 3 Think about Jesus. He patiently endured the angry insults that sinful people were shouting at him. Think about him so that you won’t get discouraged and stop trying.
Hebrews 12: 2-3
Until next time, may we all work together helping one another’s faith grow strong and stay strong. And know that through Christ all things are possible.
Tex
Faith
It has been said that we know that an atom is there, we can’t see it, but we know it is there. We can accept this because of science and it’s being able to prove the existence of these invisible parts of mater.
The same goes for germs and other tiny organisms that are not visible to the naked eye.
It seems that we humans have trouble accepting something unless it has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. However, when we see things proven before our eyes, to me that is not accepting them through faith.
Jesus did many miraculous things, and many times he told the people not to say anything about the miracles. Now that for some folks is like giving them a green light to go and tell the world. One of my thoughts on this was that Jesus knew that if he said don’t tell anyone, that it would be the best way to get the word out, knowing the nature of people. Then I had another thought. I got to thinking that Jesus wanted us to believe through faith rather than hard proof.
There is a big difference in believing through proof and believing through faith. When we believe through proof, we can easily start to take our belief for granted. We become nonchalant about it because we know for a fact that it is there. Now if we are honest, unless we are in danger of the unseen atom or germ, how often do we really think about them? On the other hand, when we believe through faith, we are constantly thinking about it because faith and hope go hand in hand.
As an example
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those who were with him, “The truth is, this man has more faith than anyone I have found, even in Israel.* Matthew 8:10
There are many more examples throughout the bible where Jesus exemplifies great faith.
Our Lord wants us to have great faith.
In this world of technology, immoralities, and a constant barrage of non-believers doing and saying everything imaginable that inevitably cause us to doubt, the struggle to stay strong in our faith is tested every day.
This is why prayer is vital. Talking with the Lord on a regular basis is a key to staying faithful. Reading the bible every day is just as vital to remaining strong with the Lord. Being with other believers as much as possible is yet another key. Reading what other believers have written in books is also very helpful for me. Just plain meditating in faith is also a very important part of what I do a lot of. Regular worship, bible study groups, prayer meetings, are all important as well.
When we constantly make the Lord a part of our lives, putting Jesus first in our thoughts, and first in the things we do, we go a long way towards keeping our faith strong.
The Lord also reminds us to never be ashamed of our faith.
32 “If you stand before others and are willing to say you believe in me, then I will tell my Father in heaven that you belong to me. 33 But if you stand before others and say you do not believe in me, then I will tell my Father in heaven that you do not belong to me.
Matthew 10:32-33
Jesus tells us to let everyone know about our faith.
20 Jesus answered, “You were not able to make the demon go out, because your faith is too small. Believe me when I tell you, if your faith is only as big as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there,’ and it will move. You will be able to do anything.”
Matthew 17:20
The above passage is very interesting. Essentially Jesus is saying that if our faith were as good as it should be we could do anything. Some of the non-believers would say “what a load of hooey.” Well, to them I say, if this is what you believe, then my heart aches for you.
You see, to me science has only limited knowledge about what the brain is really capable of. There is proof that we only use a small portion to do the things we need to do each day. I know….there are some of us that seem to use a lot less than others, myself included.
But what if we could learn to tap into what we are really capable of doing? What if we could simply block everything out that causes us doubt? What if we could completely accept our faith in the Lord and really believe with all that is in us? What if…….
3 Then he said, “The truth is, you must change your thinking and become like little children. If you don’t do this, you will never enter God’s kingdom. 4 The greatest person in God’s kingdom is the one who makes himself humble like this child. Matthew 18:3-4
The little ones believe with all of their hearts. Why? Because we tell them too. Children have a way of accepting what those they trust tell them. In their innocence, their minds are open to a world of wonder. They have not had the chance to see and hear the awful terrible things that happen in this world. We do our best to shelter them from all these horrible things.
But have you ever watched a small child, while they listen to something like a story they are interested in? Have you ever really looked at their eyes and the expressions they make?
The above passage for me makes perfect sense. As well it should because it comes from Jesus. Yet for me, after much thought, I have come to the conclusion, that if we were to accept things like believing in the Lord with the same enthusiasm of a child, our faith would be such that we could do anything.
Unfortunately, especially for me, because I really wish it were true, I don’t think this means we have to start playing tidily winks in the pews on Sundays. Although…..no I won’t say it.
But I do think that Matthew 18:3-4 does really make a lot of sense when you apply it to faith.
17 The Good News shows how God makes people right with himself. God’s way of making people right begins and ends with faith. As the Scriptures say, “The one who is right with God by faith will live forever.” Romans 1:17
Paul speaks about faith often in his letters. Above, we can see no better example of how it could be put than the way he says it.
To me this is good news!
So how do we continue to remain strong in our faith? As I stated earlier, there is no better way than to pray every day. And pray simple away by yourself. There is no need to make a big production of it. The Lord loves it when you just talk with him. I find myself talking with him now even when I am in a crowded room filled with people. I am doing it in my mind, but I can tell you that he listens. He answers. He guides me in everything I do. Without him I am nothing. With him there is no end to the things I might achieve.
Then read his word. Don’t just read it, but listen to what it is telling you. We have heard many times that each persons walk with the Lord is a very personal one. This I totally believe. What one person reads and gets from a passage and what another person gets from the same passage may be different. But if you really concentrate on what is being said, you will come to understand what the Lord is telling you. Just relax and let it happen. Put away the doubts of the world and just read and listen.
In my heart I know that we can face anything if we face it with the Lord. Jesus will see us through. Why? Because we have great faith.
13 So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love. 1Corinthians 13:13
Faith is one of the three key things to a life with the Lord. Love is the greatest, yes, but faith is there as well. And we must do whatever we can to help each others faith grow and continue in strength.
26 So, brothers and sisters, what should you do? When you meet together, one person has a song, another has a teaching, and another has a new truth from God. One person speaks in a different language, and another interprets that language. The purpose of whatever you do should be to help everyone grow stronger in faith.
1Corinthians 14:26
16 That is why we never give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day.
17 We have small troubles for a while now, but these troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory. That eternal glory is much greater than our troubles. 18 So we think about what we cannot see, not what we see. What we see lasts only a short time, and what we cannot see will last forever. 2Corinthians 4:16-18
1 Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1
3 Faith helps us understand that God created the whole world by his command. This means that the things we see were made by something that cannot be seen. Hebrews 11:3
7 Noah was warned by God about things that he could not yet see. But he had faith and respect for God, so he built a large boat to save his family. With his faith, Noah showed that the world was wrong. And he became one of those who are made right with God through faith.
Hebrews 11:7
18 God tested Abraham’s faith. God told him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham obeyed because he had faith. He already had the promises from God. And God had already said to him, “It is through Isaac that your descendants will come.” But Abraham was ready to offer his only son. He did this because he had faith. 19 He believed that God could raise people from death. And really, when God stopped Abraham from killing Isaac, it was as if he got him back from death.
Hebrews 11:18-19
25 Moses grew up and became a man. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose not to enjoy the pleasures of sin that last such a short time. Instead, he chose to suffer with God’s people. He did this because he had faith.
Hebrews 11:25
Above we see some passages that show examples of faith. All of Hebrews 11 speaks of faith.
The one that really is interesting is Hebrews 11:18-19. Yes it shows a good example of great faith. Imagine, if you can, what it would be like to have so much faith that you would offer as a sacrifice your only son. Yes Abraham had great faith. And he passed God’s test.
Now then, thanks to a good friend and sister in Christ, I see something else here in these verses. She informed me of something more than faith in these verses.
I wonder, can you see it too? Perhaps it could be an interesting discussion some time.
So we have talked about faith and how we should try to keep it strong. We have looked at several pieces of scripture.
So I will leave you with this:
2 We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. 3 Think about Jesus. He patiently endured the angry insults that sinful people were shouting at him. Think about him so that you won’t get discouraged and stop trying.
Hebrews 12: 2-3
Until next time, may we all work together helping one another’s faith grow strong and stay strong. And know that through Christ all things are possible.
Tex
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