TimothyGirl Posted December 14, 2019 Group: Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 2 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 7 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 15 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/27/2019 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/07/1989 Share Posted December 14, 2019 Have you ever considered the ludicrousness of our faith? Seriously… Reading through Romans, it just hit me today to realize why, to any rational – key word – human being would think a Christian is crazy!!... bear with me; I’ve just spent 3 weeks with my atheist brother, so I’m looking through objective eyes. I’m not writing this out of controversy, but revelation, and hopefully it will bless you… Let me write down the passage that I was reading: Therefore it is of FAITH that it might be according to grace so that the PROMISE might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham… in the presence of Him whom He believed – God, who gives LIFE to the DEAD and calls those things which do not exist as though they did… and not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb, He did not waver at the promise of God through UNBELIEF, but was STRENGTHENED in FAITH, giving glory to God, and being FULLY CONVINCED that what He had promised He was also ABLE to PERFORM. And therefore “it was accounted to Him for righteousness.” Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for US. It shall be imputed to us who BELIEVE IN HIM WHO RAISED UP JESUS our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification… Romans 4:16-25 Okay, a lot of words. But here’s what it meant to me. The foundation of our faith is based upon a man who was CRAZY enough to believe that once his and his wife’s body was _past_ the childbearing age, God was going to give them a son. Doesn’t that sound crazy to you??! I don’t see any 90 year old grannies around believing that they are about to have a baby… if they did, they’d probably be admitted to the loony bin! Faith… is crazy… to the rational… But Abraham’s life was an example. God ‘sampled’ His resurrection power in Abraham so that we could see, like back then, God can do the impossible. Scenario 2: There is a Man… the kindest, most gentle and compassionate Man you’ll ever meet. And He is brutally beaten beyond recognition and then murdered on a Cross. There’s no coming back from that. Because it is history and we read it, it somehow makes it easier to believe… but think of those people who didn’t have a Bible in front of them. Like Abraham, it required FAITH to believe (as much for us as them) that God would do the IMPOSSIBLE and… what??! Raise a Man from the dead!! We take it for granted. But have you ever considered the implications of what that means?! Because if I can believe that God can give Abraham a Son once his body had already ‘died’ so to speak; if I can believe that God split the entire SEA apart so that Israel could walk across, and if I can believe that God can raise Jesus from the dead… then doesn’t that mean, He too, can split my sea in two and raise my life from the dead?? Do I really believe? I can believe it for them… but the premium faith requires from me is can I believe God for me?? That He will raise up my situation, IMPOSSIBLE as it may be … and deliver what He has promised: Salvation… now that is faith… I believe in Jesus, that He is the Son of God; I believe that God raised Him from the dead; and I believe that God will likewise, raise up my life from the dead. I died with Christ and I was raised with Him… and I will see that Resurrection Power at work in my life… I believe!! Like Abraham and Sarah, I will hold this son of promise in my hands and give glory to God… Faith is ludicrous… it believes against all odds and defies every law of nature: it believes in GOD who RAISES the DEAD and calls the things that do not exist as though they did!! Maybe you have a situation that has died and is lying in the tomb… trust God for Resurrection – He gives life to the dead!! Yes, it sounds CRAZY… but it’s true 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmuffet Posted December 14, 2019 Group: Royal Member Followers: 34 Topic Count: 1,991 Topics Per Day: 0.48 Content Count: 48,689 Content Per Day: 11.81 Reputation: 30,343 Days Won: 226 Joined: 01/11/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted December 14, 2019 19 minutes ago, TimothyGirl said: Have you ever considered the ludicrousness of our faith? Seriously… Reading through Romans, it just hit me today to realize why, to any rational – key word – human being would think a Christian is crazy!!... bear with me; I’ve just spent 3 weeks with my atheist brother, so I’m looking through objective eyes. I’m not writing this out of controversy, but revelation, and hopefully it will bless you… Let me write down the passage that I was reading: Therefore it is of FAITH that it might be according to grace so that the PROMISE might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham… in the presence of Him whom He believed – God, who gives LIFE to the DEAD and calls those things which do not exist as though they did… and not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb, He did not waver at the promise of God through UNBELIEF, but was STRENGTHENED in FAITH, giving glory to God, and being FULLY CONVINCED that what He had promised He was also ABLE to PERFORM. And therefore “it was accounted to Him for righteousness.” Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for US. It shall be imputed to us who BELIEVE IN HIM WHO RAISED UP JESUS our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification… Romans 4:16-25 Okay, a lot of words. But here’s what it meant to me. The foundation of our faith is based upon a man who was CRAZY enough to believe that once his and his wife’s body was _past_ the childbearing age, God was going to give them a son. Doesn’t that sound crazy to you??! I don’t see any 90 year old grannies around believing that they are about to have a baby… if they did, they’d probably be admitted to the loony bin! Faith… is crazy… to the rational… But Abraham’s life was an example. God ‘sampled’ His resurrection power in Abraham so that we could see, like back then, God can do the impossible. Scenario 2: There is a Man… the kindest, most gentle and compassionate Man you’ll ever meet. And He is brutally beaten beyond recognition and then murdered on a Cross. There’s no coming back from that. Because it is history and we read it, it somehow makes it easier to believe… but think of those people who didn’t have a Bible in front of them. Like Abraham, it required FAITH to believe (as much for us as them) that God would do the IMPOSSIBLE and… what??! Raise a Man from the dead!! We take it for granted. But have you ever considered the implications of what that means?! Because if I can believe that God can give Abraham a Son once his body had already ‘died’ so to speak; if I can believe that God split the entire SEA apart so that Israel could walk across, and if I can believe that God can raise Jesus from the dead… then doesn’t that mean, He too, can split my sea in two and raise my life from the dead?? Do I really believe? I can believe it for them… but the premium faith requires from me is can I believe God for me?? That He will raise up my situation, IMPOSSIBLE as it may be … and deliver what He has promised: Salvation… now that is faith… I believe in Jesus, that He is the Son of God; I believe that God raised Him from the dead; and I believe that God will likewise, raise up my life from the dead. I died with Christ and I was raised with Him… and I will see that Resurrection Power at work in my life… I believe!! Like Abraham and Sarah, I will hold this son of promise in my hands and give glory to God… Faith is ludicrous… it believes against all odds and defies every law of nature: it believes in GOD who RAISES the DEAD and calls the things that do not exist as though they did!! Maybe you have a situation that has died and is lying in the tomb… trust God for Resurrection – He gives life to the dead!! Yes, it sounds CRAZY… but it’s true Did you convince your atheist brother? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimothyGirl Posted December 14, 2019 Group: Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 2 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 7 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 15 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/27/2019 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/07/1989 Author Share Posted December 14, 2019 2 minutes ago, missmuffet said: Did you convince your atheist brother? No... I didn't try... figured its a good start to first love him before trying to preach to him. Haven't seen him in 10 years, so let's build the relationship first 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmuffet Posted December 14, 2019 Group: Royal Member Followers: 34 Topic Count: 1,991 Topics Per Day: 0.48 Content Count: 48,689 Content Per Day: 11.81 Reputation: 30,343 Days Won: 226 Joined: 01/11/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted December 14, 2019 15 minutes ago, TimothyGirl said: No... I didn't try... figured its a good start to first love him before trying to preach to him. Haven't seen him in 10 years, so let's build the relationship first He knows who God is....right? You just need to pray for him that his heart will be opened to Jesus Christ. You should not preach to anyone because that will make them even more reluctant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimothyGirl Posted December 14, 2019 Group: Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 2 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 7 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 15 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/27/2019 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/07/1989 Author Share Posted December 14, 2019 Yes, we both grew up in a Christian home and made our own choices in life... I believe in a God who gives LIFE to the dead and raises up dead situations... like my brother's walk with Him... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmuffet Posted December 14, 2019 Group: Royal Member Followers: 34 Topic Count: 1,991 Topics Per Day: 0.48 Content Count: 48,689 Content Per Day: 11.81 Reputation: 30,343 Days Won: 226 Joined: 01/11/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted December 14, 2019 11 hours ago, TimothyGirl said: Yes, we both grew up in a Christian home and made our own choices in life... I believe in a God who gives LIFE to the dead and raises up dead situations... like my brother's walk with Him... Life is full of choices. One of those choices is where we want to spend our eternity. Heaven or hell. I had a brother who was an atheist as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blood Bought 1953 Posted December 14, 2019 Group: Royal Member Followers: 13 Topic Count: 48 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 6,726 Content Per Day: 2.88 Reputation: 6,258 Days Won: 5 Joined: 12/03/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted December 14, 2019 Sometimes I wonder how much of a choice we really have .... “ Nobody comes to God lest the Spirit draw him”.....The initiative seems to be God’s....not ours......May God have mercy on those that think that “ they” are going to call the shots when it comes to the time and place of their “ coming to God”...... 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alive Posted December 14, 2019 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 22 Topic Count: 194 Topics Per Day: 0.12 Content Count: 11,053 Content Per Day: 6.56 Reputation: 9,010 Days Won: 36 Joined: 09/12/2019 Status: Offline Birthday: 01/09/1956 Share Posted December 14, 2019 23 minutes ago, Blood Bought 1953 said: Sometimes I wonder how much of a choice we really have .... “ Nobody comes to God lest the Spirit draw him”.....The initiative seems to be God’s....not ours......May God have mercy on those that think that “ they” are going to call the shots when it comes to the time and place of their “ coming to God”...... Did Lazarus have a choice? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alive Posted December 14, 2019 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 22 Topic Count: 194 Topics Per Day: 0.12 Content Count: 11,053 Content Per Day: 6.56 Reputation: 9,010 Days Won: 36 Joined: 09/12/2019 Status: Offline Birthday: 01/09/1956 Share Posted December 14, 2019 When the Lord said, "Lazarus come forth". Did Lazarus have a choice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blood Bought 1953 Posted December 14, 2019 Group: Royal Member Followers: 13 Topic Count: 48 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 6,726 Content Per Day: 2.88 Reputation: 6,258 Days Won: 5 Joined: 12/03/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted December 14, 2019 I don’t know ....never gave it much thought......If my choice was between staying in a dark , cold tomb , wrapped up like a mummy, struggling to breathe or doing what the King Of The Universe told me to do , which would result in a grand celebration feast with my loved ones and my Rescuer.......Most likely, I would choose the latter .Excuse my paranoia , but me thinks perhaps that I am being set up for something.....do you have a point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts