LivingbyFaith

I love each and every one of your threads...they're like a personal sermon to me - always informative, well presented and helpful! I'm always looking forward to the next one! God bless you!

Thanks for your help. I do this as well and I find it helps, but like you say...sometimes it's hard and we have to be more persistent and "fight the good fight of faith". I will continue to trust the Lord for deliverance and I set my mind on all things good, pure and worthy, whilst I wait on Him! Praise the Lord! Thanks again Maryjayne and to all those who gave advice, God bless!

Hi Nath, my advice to you is to accept the way God made you...He made you that way for a very special purpose! He loves you so much the way you are and it pleased Him so much when He was creating you! You may find my thread...YOU - The Apple of His Eye an interesting read, something to be encouraged by? God bless!

James 5:19-20 19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 consider this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover over a multitude of sins If he's a Christian and he listens to you, then great, but if he's not a Christian, then tell him about Jesus...if he won't hear you, then just walk away (and pray for him). At least you will have planted a seed. If you correct him, be sure you aren't in any way, doing the same sin: Matthew 7:3-4 3 Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while there is still a beam in your own eye?… BTW, Welcome to Worthy!

It's because we are not perfect, that many Christians find it hard to understand how God sees us! So many Christians find themselves basing their self-worth on how others see them and on their accomplishments, feeling shame from their past, defining their value based on their looks, setting unrealistic standards for themselves or feeling low self-esteem, that they don't see just how very precious or how much they are loved by God. This thread was created to encourage Christians to know how much they are loved by God. Some Christians don't have a problem in knowing God's love for them, but there are some who do! 1 John 4:9-11 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Thanks Faithbuilders, will do as you suggested! Thanks heaps!

You're very welcome Gary Lee!

I’m convinced most Christians don’t have a very good understanding of how God sees us. I’m not surprised about this because it’s really hard for us to comprehend. God sees us so differently from the way we see ourselves and the way others see us, that there’s really no comparison. It’s like He and we are looking at two different people. And in a way that’s true because we can only see ourselves from our past experience, but He has chosen to see us now as we will be in the future when we’re with Him forever. So let’s set aside how we see ourselves for a moment and take a look at five things the Bible says about how God sees us. You Are His Child Forever “Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God”(John 1:12-13). How many times have you heard someone say, “We’re all God’s children.” Did you realize that’s not a true statement? Only a born again believers can legitimately call themselves children of God because one of the things that happens when we become born again is that God actually adopts us as His own. Galatians 4:4-7 says the way to our adoption into the family of God was opened with the death of Jesus. As soon as we were born again we received the adoption to sonship, and the Spirit of God’s Son came into our heart. So we are no longer slaves, but God’s children; and since we are his children, God has also made us His heir. This is why Ephesians 1:13-14 tells us the Holy Spirit was given to us as a deposit that guarantees our inheritance. As heirs of God we have an inheritance that no one can take from us. From 2 Cor. 1:21-22 we learn that when we were born again, God set His seal of ownership on us and put His Spirit in our heart guaranteeing what is to come. Since then it’s God Himself who makes us stand firm in Christ. Having freed us from the one who held us in slavery, He set His own seal of ownership on us. We are no longer slaves but sons and daughters of God. Having been bought at a price, the precious blood of Jesus, we belong to God now, and no one can ever change that. He has placed us under the care of His Son, as the owner of a flock of sheep would place them under the care of a shepherd. It’s the Father’s will that the Son should lose none of those He’s been given, therefore everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life (John 6:37-40). This is not something we accomplished through any personal effort of our own. It’s a work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit that cannot be undone. Nothing in all of creation can change what they have done in us (Romans 8:38-39) and no one can ever take us out of their hands (John 10:27-30). Once we are born again, we are God’s children forever. You Still Sin, But He No Longer Counts Your Sins Against You Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit (Psalm 32:1-2). In Psalm 32:1-2 King David foresaw this and in Romans 7:15-24 Paul explained it. Having admitted that try as he might he just couldn’t completely stop sinning, he gave us God’s perspective on the matter. He said that when he sinned, it was no longer he himself who sinned, but the sin who lived within him. Here’s what he meant. In Romans 7:9 Paul said, “Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.” He was talking about reaching the age when he became accountable for his sins. Before that happened he was not accountable and had eternal life. It’s not that he didn’t sin before then, but his sins were not counted against him. However, as soon as he was old enough to be accountable, the penalty for his sins was applied and he no longer had eternal life. Now let’s look at two seemingly unrelated statements Jesus made about what it takes to enter God’s Kingdom. In Matt. 18:3 He said, “Unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” And in John 3:3 He said, “No one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again.” By putting these together with Paul’s comments on accountability we can see the Lord’s two statements really weren’t unrelated at all. Remember, Paul said little children have eternal life because their sins are not counted against them. Jesus said in order to enter the Kingdom we have to become like little children again. But He also said in order to enter the kingdom we have to be born again. Therefore, the way to become like little children so our sins are not counted against us is to be born again. The proof of this is when Paul was born again God no longer counted his sins against him, but attributed them to the sin that still lived within him. He had become like a little child again, not accountable for his sins, and had regained eternal life even though he couldn’t prevent himself from sinning. You Are Perfect In His Sight, As Righteous As He Is For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy(Hebrews 10:14). In Romans 3:20-24 Paul explained that no one will be declared righteous by keeping the Law because the purpose of the Law was to make us conscious of our sinfulness. Therefore, God made known a righteousness from Him apart from the Law that comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, being justified freely by His grace. From 2 Cor. 5:17 we learn that if anyone is in Christ he or she is nothing less than a new creation in Christ. “The old has gone, the new has come.” This is not something that will happen some day, or that we have to bring about ourselves by changing our behavior. It’s something that from God’s perspective has already happened and is irreversible. It happened because we are “in Christ” or born again. This is possible because when His Son, who was without sin, became sin for us, God was able to make us as righteous as He is (2 Cor. 5:21). From His perspective we’ve become perfect forever because the Son’s one sacrifice for sin applies for all time, covering the entire lifetime of every believer (Hebrews 10:12-14). When Jesus went to the cross He forgave us all our sins (Colossians 2:13-14). Those who had already died believing He would come to save them were in Paradise awaiting His atoning sacrifice. When Jesus died, their sins were forgiven retroactively. Other believers were alive at the time of His death and received the benefits of His sacrifice immediately. Still others would not be born for many years, meaning all their sins were in the distant future. Their sins would be forgiven as soon as they heard the gospel and believed it no matter how far in the future that happened. So even though the Lord’s death took place on a single afternoon in time, it had to apply for all time—past, present, and future. It also had to apply for the entire lifetime of each believer. Otherwise the phrase “He forgave us all our sins” could not be true. But because it is true, God can now see us as if we always have been and always will be perfect. This is how He can guarantee our inheritance from the time we believed (Ephes. 1:13-14), and how He can assume responsibility for making us stand firm in Christ (2 Cor 1:21-22). Having already paid the penalty in full for all the sins of our life, He is able to regard us as being righteous, as if we never sinned in the first place. From His perspective we are innocent, like the little child Jesus said we have to become. You Cannot Be Condemned For Any Reason Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Because of this, we can no longer be condemned for any reason. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him (John 3:17). Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my words and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has passed over from death to life(John 5:24). None of the above has required anything of you except to believe that when Jesus went to the cross, He went for you. Everything was settled for you the moment you believed that. When You Stand Before God You Will Be As Perfect As He Is Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2). At the moment of the rapture we will be instantaneously changed from mortal to immortal and what we are now by faith we will become in fact (1 Cor. 15:51-53). All physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual imperfections will be gone forever. All desire to sin will be gone, as will the disappointment, shame, and guilt that accompanied it. Our spirit will be in perfect alignment with God’s Spirit, our will in perfect harmony with His. The restrictions imposed on our abilities by the curse under which we’ve labored all our lives will be lifted as we emerge from the dark oppressive past into a bright and limitless future. No matter what kind of sinner we have been here on Earth, or how often we stumbled and fell, or how disapprovingly we’ve been looked upon by our peers, when we stand before our Creator every hint of our earthly self will have disappeared and we will finally be the perfect example of ourselves He created us to be, fit to dwell in the presence of the Lord forever in the most luxurious environment He has ever designed. What Should We Do About This? As you can see, none of the above has come to us as a result of our behavior. As soon as we believed, it was accomplished in our lives as the free gift of God’s grace (Ephes. 2:8-9) and can never be reversed. We don’t know why God chose to make this act of His Grace such a polar opposite to His requirements of those who labored under the Law before us. And from reading prophecies that describe life on earth in the Millennium, we can see that once the Church is gone no other group of believers will ever enjoy such a lavish display of His love after us. The only explanation He gave was that through us He wanted to demonstrate the incomparable riches of His Grace in ages yet to come (Ephes 2:7).

Thanks so much SelahSong for explaining this to me and for many others who also did not understand this! Thanks Sister. Praise God!

We all have some negative thoughts which enter our minds at some point or another and so, although most people probably know what this means, how does one actually put this into practice? How would somebody go about doing this, when negative thoughts keep entering their minds?

Romans 16:17-18 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

Hi Butero and thanks. I totally agree! There are times when you do need to go a couple of kms over the limit just to make things a little safer for everyone on the road, depending on the situation at the time. Rather, I am talking about the ones who speed 10 - 15 kms over the limit, anywhere, anytime - having no respect for the law or for other road users!

Over the course of my 30 years of driving...I have only been pulled over for speeding twice - my last ticket was 12 years ago! I've known some Christians who speed and don't think anything of it? When I mention it to them...they just find it funny and they definitely make no effort to change their ways? The question I guess is; "Is speeding a sin?" Paul is very clear when he tells us, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves” (Romans 13:1-2). In spite of how we might try to twist the Scriptures, as Christians we have a God-directed responsibility to obey the laws that our government has established (unless the laws contradict God's Word). We also need to ask ourselves; what kind of an example are we to the people who know we are Christians and who we are trying to reach with the gospel of Christ? How many times have we seen someone speeding by, only to notice the fish or some other Christian symbol on their bumper? This definitely sends the wrong message. It’s interesting how some try to justify their actions even though we know they’re not in compliance with the will of God, including those laws established by our governing officials. As for exceeding the posted speed limit, we will tell ourselves that it’s not nearly as bad as the so-called “bigger” sins such as lying or adultery or murder. But Solomon, the wisest man to ever have lived, put it this way: “Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding” (Proverbs 10:23). Though some will think nothing of breaking the law, we know assuredly that some will be quick to point out our hypocrisy. As followers of Christ, we need to carefully consider our manner of life in all things before the Lord, and this includes our driving habits. It was the prophets of old who declared, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight” (Isaiah 5:20-21). Malachi goes on to tell us God’s weariness with Israel when they, oblivious to their sin, said to Him, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them" (Malachi 2:17). May we not follow the example of the ancients who wearied God with their lame excuses and justifications for their evil deeds. Yes, speeding is a sin (as we’ve learned from Romans 13:1-2). Again, we must always consider our manner of living not only before the eyes of God, but also before the eyes of our fellow man. The reason we don’t break the law by speeding is that we love God and respect His authority. It was Peter who commanded, “Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men” (1 Peter 2:13-15). If you're one to speed...how many speeding tickets have you ever received (Only joking! lol). SERIOUSLY though...Do you think you would reconsider your driving habits after reading this? Please share your thoughts...

Amen! Praise God.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts on this topic. I'd like to share a short testimony on trusting the Lord and "NOT WORRYING" in a certain situation where my faith was challenged... Around June this year, my job was about to finish up as my employer lost a contract to another company. I had only three months to look for another job, knowing that my current one was about to end. My current employer sent a form to all staff, asking for permission to send our personal details over to the new company/contractor, which I did. Whilst waiting to be contacted by the new contractor, I continued to look for other work, which was unsuccessful. Time was running out, and still no contact from the new contractor and I still hadn't found other work. From the moment I knew that my work was going to end, I continuously prayed to God, confessing my trust in Him and leaving all my concerns/worries with Him. I made a "CHOICE" that I was not going to worry about it, knowing that if I wasn't able to keep my job, I would have to move house, as I wouldn't be able to afford the rent, yet I wouldn't have been able to afford the move either! I was in a "No win" situation, but I still chose to place my faith in God and trust Him completely and refused to worry!! Every time the thought crossed my mind, I refused to worry and would say, "I trust You Lord, I trust You! May Your Will be done!" and then immediately focused on something else. I refused to worry and just trusted God 100%. I had two weeks left and still nothing! One day in the remaining two weeks, I wasn't feeling too good and decided to stay home from work that day. I messaged my boss to let him know that I would go in the next day instead, as I only work three days a week, so instead of going in on the Wednesday, I'd go in on the Thursday instead. I was a bit hesitant about taking the day off work and also messaging the boss to let him know. I had the text message all written up and after a short pause...decided I would just go for it and I pressed the "send" button! When I went into work the next day (Thursday), I was surprised to meet the new contractor there who said that He wasn't meant to be there that day, I also said that I wasn't meant to be there that day! (Was this a God thing or what??). He didn't even know that there was a cleaner working the job I was doing. I said to him, "Didn't you receive a form with all my personal details? He said, "No...we didn't receive anything!" He took all of my details and "MY JOB WAS SECURED!" On top of this, two weeks after working for the new contractor, I received an additional six hours of work a fortnight AND I received an unexpected amount of $2,000.00 from my former employer - If I didn't take that day off work, I wouldn't have met the new contractor and probably would've been out of work as they didn't know about me or had any of my personal details to be able to have contacted me. God blesses us when we place all of our trust in Him and refuse TO WORRY no matter what! Hallelujah! - Praise God!

DO NOT WORRY! I have always been known to worry a lot, I have worried all my life...It's only been the past five months, where I feel the Lord has helped me to worry less and trust Him more! These past five months, I can honestly say, I've hardly worried about anything at all! Praise God! We worry about grades in school, job interviews, approaching deadlines, and shrinking budgets. We fret about bills and expenses, rising gas prices, insurance costs, and endless taxes. We obsess about first impressions, political correctness, identity theft, and contagious infections. In spite of all the worrying, we're still alive and well, and all our bills are paid. Over the span of a lifetime, worry can add up to hours and hours of valuable time that we'll never get back. With that in mind, maybe you'd like to spend your time more wisely and enjoyably. If you're not yet convinced to give up your worrying, here are four biblical reasons not to worry. 1. Worry Accomplishes Absolutely Nothing. Most of us don't have "time" to throw away these days. Worry is a waste of precious time. Someone defined worry as "a small trickle of fear that meanders through the mind until it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained." Worrying won't help you solve a problem or bring about a possible solution, so why waste your time and energy on it? Matthew 6:27-29 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 2. Worry Is Not Good for You. Worry is destructive to us in many ways. It becomes a mental burden that can even cause us to become physically sick. Someone said, "Ulcers are caused not by what you eat, but by what is eating you." Proverbs 12:25 Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. 3. Worry is the Opposite of Trusting God. The energy that we spend worrying can be put to much better use in prayer. Here's a little formula to remember: Worry replaced by prayer equals trust. Matthew 6:30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? Philippians 4:6-7 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 4. Worry Puts Your Focus in the Wrong Direction. When we keep our eyes focused on God, we remember his love for us, and we realize we truly have nothing to fear. God has a wonderful plan for our lives, and part of that plan includes taking good care of us. Even in the difficult times, when it seems like God doesn't care, we can put our trust in the Lord and focus on His Kingdom. God will take care of our every need. Matthew 6:25 That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Matthew 6:31-34 So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. 1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Has anyone mastered the art of "Not Worrying" with the help of the Holy Spirit? It's not an easy thing to do, but we are commanded to "Not worry!" Would love to hear your thoughts on this topic?

Very true!

Insecurities and the loss of one's self- respect?

Amazing story Deb! There's always a glimmer of hope, even in the darkest hour!

Praying!

In Australia today...nice and sunny 18 degrees!

Welcome to Worthy!

It's so true, it's everywhere we look! In fact, people are so addicted to their phones, they can't even take their eyes of of their phone, even for a minute, whilst crossing the street anymore. The solution?...instead of encouraging them to stop using their phones whilst walking or crossing the street, they are encouraging them to continue in their dangerous habit by embedding 1 x 1m square flashing coloured blocks (or strips) in the footpaths at the traffic lights, so that you don't need to look up at the "little green man", to know when it's safe to cross the street anymore...the flashing lights beneath your feet will advise you that you can now walk whilst you continue to use your phone. Also, just how many are using their phones whilst driving? I agree -We sure are living in a generation of idiots!

Please tell me then, why are there so many Christians all over the world, right now (today), who are being killed for their faith in Christ? Why are they being persecuted and killed if the Lord doesn't and won't allow His redeemed to go through TRIBULATION AND SUFFERING??

Amen