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Archive for the ‘Fifty days with Jesus’ Category

On Faith 4

Posted in Fifty days with Jesus, tagged , , , , , , on October 8, 2008| Leave a Comment »

These 50 days with Jesus will be based on II Peter 1:5-7: “For this very reason [the reason being that he has given us everything we need for life & godliness, vs 3], make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.”

So, faith is the foundation for the rest… the first building block. But as I contemplate faith this week, I am struck by its two aspects, belief and trust, and find trust the more dynamic. The verb, trust, can replace the word “faith” in many verses. It carries a lot of power and revelation. In the end, it is in the trust I struggle the most.

When the disciples said (Luke 18:8), “Increase our faith”… I think they really meant “increase our trust.” Try these verses on: “…if you have trust as small as a mustard seed…” [Matt 17:30] or “…I live by trust in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” [Gal 2:20b]

I’m just saying, trust is an issue for me and I believe, if I could really trust the Lord with all my heart [Prov 3:5], the rest (goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love) would come more easily. I would be leaning on Jesus and yet never feel off balance. To trust someone is a choice, usually based on experience. And if we have experienced betrayal, loss, and disappointment (among others), trust is broken. But in the end, to build trust requires a leap of … what else? … faith! The part of faith that is belief… the part that may not have any logic or reason. But once we make the first step on the path of trust, the rest come more easily.

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On Faith 3

Posted in Fifty days with Jesus, tagged , , on October 7, 2008| Leave a Comment »

It is much easier to build/sustain my faith because I know… this I believe:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.

Amen.

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On Faith 2

Posted in Fifty days with Jesus, Random Thoughts, tagged , , , , , , on October 6, 2008| Leave a Comment »

    Today, as part of my daily devotion, I read Mark’s account of the crucifixion and these verses stuck out to me: “Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.”

    And I was confounded… having for so many years thought there were only 3-4 women at the cross, but now I think there were many more women “disciples” than men. And the thing that kept them there was their FAITH! Their faith despite the circumstances… their faith despite the pain and disappointment… their faith despite the loss. This is my goal: steadfastness. [Special thanks to Chris Gollon for the use of his painting, Stations of the Cross VIII, Jesus speaks to the Women of Jerusalem, used by permission.]

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On Faith

Posted in Fifty days with Jesus, tagged , , , on October 5, 2008| Leave a Comment »

Today begins a new series at our church, 50 Days with Jesus. I hope to share some of my thoughts from my personal study as well as respond to the Pastor’s sermons and/or blog.

Today, Pastor Craig asked, “How do I insure that I will keep the faith?” since there have actually been studies done (Willow Creek Church) showing that “long-term” believers are often those who fall away. That would put me at risk as I have known the Lord since 1979 and I confess, I have felt the ebb and flow of my faith in recent years.

I wouldn’t say that Craig actually answered this question. He reminded us that our faith is key to remaining “connected” with God and Jesus is “the way, the truth, & the life” (Matt 9:20-22) and our faith must be supported by our belief in the Word… but none of these ideas feel like “insurance” to me. Pehaps the answer is that there isn’t any insurance after all.

In my view, keeping my faith “fresh” is up to me. I can’t blame anyone else. I can’t blame the church, the sermons, the pastor, or anything else. I suppose this is one of the reasons I started a new study, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. I’ve allowed my “activities” to crowd out time with the Lord and it’s only by spending time with Him that I can have more intimacy and it’s only through intimacy that my faith will grow.

What is faith? Trust and belief. While belief is a choice I think trust is built on intimacy. You must know someone to trust him and you must trust him to obey him. Psalm 84:12 – O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

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