September 25, 2008 5:44 AM
Sam wrote:
F A I T H A one syllable word; easy to pronounce; simple to spell. YET, so HARD to obtain. "O Ye of little faith" cries Jesus to his disciples. Peter walks on water only momentarily because he had just a little faith. Only a few will enter the Kingdom of God because so many lack faith. Full belief, that is what I think faith is. If you fully believe something will happen, it will. There can not be any doubt if you are to have faith. None. Faith in the stock market is shakey for a lot of people. Not me....if I continue to lose thousands, I lose thousands, but I believe I won't. The market WILL turn, and I am confidently full of faith that it will. Faith in people, however, I don't have so much of. I can not count the number of times I have been let down by people, people of whom I had faith of their support. I struggle with this lack of faith very often. Something I know I should improve on, yet over and over my faith is shaken in people because of their actions. Realizing it is Satan behind their actions, gives me more hope and faith in God that all will turn out right in the end. However, notice I said "more hope and faith", not full faith. (And of course, hope is having a tiny bit of faith, only hoping, not knowing or trusting, in something. I hope God has chosen me to go to Heaven. I hope my 'deeds' please him, as deeds go along with faith. I hope my family goes to Heaven. I hope all of you do as well. But, to have full faith in these areas, well, that is difficult indeed. A five letter word, simple in construct and meaning, but, for me, a most difficult task. I continue to see the great things God does, and that builds up my faith in Him. But, on the other hand, I continue to see the terrible things He 'allows to happen' (like the truck driver, while talking on his cell phone, ran into that school bus. While heroes saved the lives of many, one poor little girl is dead and her family is grieving and, most probably, having their faith tested). This event, plus just the world situation in general, increases my lack of faith in people AND God. I know I have heard it said that the unrighteous will get their due, but while here on earth, a lot of times, that just doesn't seem to happen. Will I have faith that all will be right in the END? We'll see.
PS--I invited you all to a PPPP on Saturday evening (say 6 PM)....did you get that email? Reply to this
September 25, 2008 10:29 AM
rik wrote:
Do you think it is possible to over think the bible? I believe it takes faith to believe all you read in the bible and not question it. We struggle with faith in this country, where we are free to come and go and do as we please, how many of us would buckle quick in these counties that truly persecute those who profess there faith? The very freedom we have in America should increase our faith, and unfortunately it has the opposite affect. tragic. Reply to this
September 25, 2008 10:55 AM
rik wrote:
I heard a story yesterday that got me thinking... the story is this- A man and his family were at the community pool and his children were playing in the water. One of his daughters ran up to her father and said " there is a little girl in the pool and she does not look ok." He immediately jumped up, rushed into the pool, pulled the little girl out and began to give her CPR. this mans quick, decisive choices led to that little girl still being alive today. The most shocking part of the story is that there was many people in the pool and no one noticed this girl floating face down in the water. We stop and think for a second, man, how was it that someone already in the pool didn't notice or do anything? Brothers we are all floating in a spiritual pool with people all around us who are treading water and fast running out of strength to continue treading. Jesus is our flotation device and there is plenty of room. Lets try to pull someone onto the raft. Lets not wait around for someone who may not even be in the pool right now to save the person right beside us. Reply to this
F A I T H
A one syllable word; easy to pronounce; simple to spell. YET, so HARD to obtain. "O Ye of little faith" cries Jesus to his disciples. Peter walks on water only momentarily because he had just a little faith. Only a few will enter the Kingdom of God because so many lack faith. Full belief, that is what I think faith is. If you fully believe something will happen, it will. There can not be any doubt if you are to have faith. None. Faith in the stock market is shakey for a lot of people. Not me....if I continue to lose thousands, I lose thousands, but I believe I won't. The market WILL turn, and I am confidently full of faith that it will. Faith in people, however, I don't have so much of. I can not count the number of times I have been let down by people, people of whom I had faith of their support. I struggle with this lack of faith very often. Something I know I should improve on, yet over and over my faith is shaken in people because of their actions. Realizing it is Satan behind their actions, gives me more hope and faith in God that all will turn out right in the end. However, notice I said "more hope and faith", not full faith. (And of course, hope is having a tiny bit of faith, only hoping, not knowing or trusting, in something. I hope God has chosen me to go to Heaven. I hope my 'deeds' please him, as deeds go along with faith. I hope my family goes to Heaven. I hope all of you do as well. But, to have full faith in these areas, well, that is difficult indeed. A five letter word, simple in construct and meaning, but, for me, a most difficult task. I continue to see the great things God does, and that builds up my faith in Him. But, on the other hand, I continue to see the terrible things He 'allows to happen' (like the truck driver, while talking on his cell phone, ran into that school bus. While heroes saved the lives of many, one poor little girl is dead and her family is grieving and, most probably, having their faith tested). This event, plus just the world situation in general, increases my lack of faith in people AND God. I know I have heard it said that the unrighteous will get their due, but while here on earth, a lot of times, that just doesn't seem to happen. Will I have faith that all will be right in the END? We'll see.
PS--I invited you all to a PPPP on Saturday evening (say 6 PM)....did you get that email?
Reply to this
Do you think it is possible to over think the bible? I believe it takes faith to believe all you read in the bible and not question it. We struggle with faith in this country, where we are free to come and go and do as we please, how many of us would buckle quick in these counties that truly persecute those who profess there faith? The very freedom we have in America should increase our faith, and unfortunately it has the opposite affect. tragic.
Reply to this
I heard a story yesterday that got me thinking... the story is this- A man and his family were at the community pool and his children were playing in the water. One of his daughters ran up to her father and said " there is a little girl in the pool and she does not look ok." He immediately jumped up, rushed into the pool, pulled the little girl out and began to give her CPR. this mans quick, decisive choices led to that little girl still being alive today. The most shocking part of the story is that there was many people in the pool and no one noticed this girl floating face down in the water. We stop and think for a second, man, how was it that someone already in the pool didn't notice or do anything? Brothers we are all floating in a spiritual pool with people all around us who are treading water and fast running out of strength to continue treading. Jesus is our flotation device and there is plenty of room. Lets try to pull someone onto the raft. Lets not wait around for someone who may not even be in the pool right now to save the person right beside us.
Reply to this