How strong is your faith?

None · May 6, 2007

Why should this happen to me?" with the implication, "I've been living the kind of life that deserves more than this. God shouldn't do this kind of thing to me." That shows they have been trying to bargain for the grace of God but you cannot do it. You can have all God's power freely if you do not try to bargain for it. He will give it to you, but you cannot buy it at any store. You can have all you need if you will just take it. If you present yourself, and say, "Lord, I'm not much, but here I am, and all I am I put at your disposal," then He will take the greatness of His Being, displayed in many, many ways, and put it at your disposal, saying, "Whatever you need you can take." That is what grace does.

I've found this to be so true as well. There's nothing we have that we can offer up to God, not even our souls, that would be good enough to deserve His help. He offers His help when He says, "It's time.", as in Job. If you read the last parts of Job, the point at which God Himself came into the situation and spoke, you find the broken Job on his deathbed still waiting on God and still not questioning the reason God allowed this. He kept his eye on the finish line instead of the situation surrounding him and God blessed him instead of killing him. It was God's will to set Job as an example for all of us, Job was fortunate.

On the other hand, Moses, who disobeyed God, was refused entrance into the land he's worked so hard to bring God's people towards, no matter how much he may have wanted to go there. He never begged God, though, because he knew of a much better place, a far better finish line which is eternal life with God in Heaven.

The harder we try to hold onto this life the faster it slips away from us, and God remains in control whether we hand it to Him or not. Why not leave it in God's capable hands and just live day to day keeping our eyes on the finish line.

Accept grace because grace is freely given and know that He loves you and will forgive you.

Scarletprayers · May 6, 2007

Why should this happen to me?" with the implication, "I've been living the kind of life that deserves more than this. God shouldn't do this kind of thing to me." That shows they have been trying to bargain for the grace of God but you cannot do it. You can have all God's power freely if you do not try to bargain for it. He will give it to you, but you cannot buy it at any store. You can have all you need if you will just take it. If you present yourself, and say, "Lord, I'm not much, but here I am, and all I am I put at your disposal," then He will take the greatness of His Being, displayed in many, many ways, and put it at your disposal, saying, "Whatever you need you can take." That is what grace does.

I've found this to be so true as well. There's nothing we have that we can offer up to God, not even our souls, that would be good enough to deserve His help. He offers His help when He says, "It's time.", as in Job. If you read the last parts of Job, the point at which God Himself came into the situation and spoke, you find the broken Job on his deathbed still waiting on God and still not questioning the reason God allowed this. He kept his eye on the finish line instead of the situation surrounding him and God blessed him instead of killing him. It was God's will to set Job as an example for all of us, Job was fortunate.

On the other hand, Moses, who disobeyed God, was refused entrance into the land he's worked so hard to bring God's people towards, no matter how much he may have wanted to go there. He never begged God, though, because he knew of a much better place, a far better finish line which is eternal life with God in Heaven.

The harder we try to hold onto this life the faster it slips away from us, and God remains in control whether we hand it to Him or not. Why not leave it in God's capable hands and just live day to day keeping our eyes on the finish line.
Accept grace because grace is freely given and know that He loves you and will forgive you.

The compassion shown in this two post is..............................totally lacking. Its always easy to say what you would do "if" it was me.............................

oakleaf · July 11, 2007

i am a prime example of how strong my faith is in bad times for the last 20 yrs my health has been going down hill in 2002 i was diagnosed with no less than 3 arthritic auto-immune disease as well as muscular and neurological diseases. in 2004 i became 100% disabled and now times are tough its coming close to loseing my home and everything i worked for i was a very strong energetic person that never hesitated to help others with theyre difficult tasks wether it would be a building project or lending and ear and shoulder to lean on when they are feeling down i never asked for anytthing in return and i still dont...my faith has grown stronger and is growing stronger as my health continues to get worse since what i have is incurable all i can do is put it all into the hands of JESUS and let HIM help me thru this. the treatment im getting for my diseases has a very bad side effect since i have no immune system any virus or infection if not treated right away can kill me that means if i gatch a common cold i could die....but I believe that the LORD is taking care of me for sofar ive had 3 infections and sveral viruses even a yeast infection in my mouth and the LORD has pulled me thru everytime and the treatment has helped me be a bit more active and less dependent on the wheelchair so thru my faith GOD has blessed me......oak all these represent my happiness and thankfulness to the LORD

oakleaf · July 26, 2007

i like the thread lets keep it going

Fraught · August 3, 2007

I agree the thread should keep going. I believe it can be very helpful to others. I identify exactly with where Dan was at. Maybe we've all been there. I don't know - I thought things like "But God, you said your angels would encompass me round about", that God would allow nothing bad to happen to me because I loved Him and obeyed Him. I experienced such a deep feeling of disappointment and abandonment.

But how does it occur to a person to stop believing in God because of a bad situation. Disappointment and hurt can lead to very irrational thinking. I know! But abandoning the Way makes no sense unless you believe that either 1: God caused the bad situation (in which case you believe in God) or 2: the bad situation will go away if you stop believing in God (has that ever happened?) or maybe 3: no more bad scenes will happen to me if I stop believing in God (sounds crazy).

Granted, I would have enjoyed some miraculous manifestations maybe even some warm fuzzies, but I guess I have a more logical mind-set and can only use what God has given me. And I could only concentrate on scriptures like this: 'If God is God, then serve Him', 'My ways are not your ways', 'If you love me, then keep my commands'.

So I can go on, taking care of my business, and trusting God to take care of His. We can't really believe that any of the above 3 items make any sense at all. If all else fails, at least as Christians, we have hope!

zecha51 · August 3, 2007

I was just hearing the verse where the disciples said... "Lord, increase our faith"

"For it is by grace that you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, lest any man should boast." -Ephesians2:8

(But if he does boast in God thats awesome imo)

Oaktree even though I do not know the details, your experience is an inspiration. Stay strong in the Lord. The evil one likes to attack when you are sick and down...what better time?, but remember God is there to lift you up always. Also when you are lifted back up, you will be stronger in the Lord and will have experienced growth to a large degree.

Shortstop · August 3, 2007

I would venture to say that my faith is as strong as the WORD that is in me and activated in me and the WORD that I hear. For without the WORD of GOD I have no faith...The Word says our faith comes by hearing the WORD and doing the WORD...

If I have little Word I have little faith...If I have mucho Word I have mucho faith....

AND that no matter what, I have to have trust and faith that God has it ALL under control even when it looks out of control....

kari21 · August 4, 2007

"How strong is your faith?"

On certain days my faith can benchpress 450 lbs...on other days, it can't life me out of bed.

It does me well to remember this:

"Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken" (Psalm 55:22)

Eddie B · August 16, 2007

Satan is stronger then me, but not stronger then God.

Not to long ago i lost my job, then my health, then got into a bad church experience and God said to leave.

But God's love was always their to get me through it.

Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Rom 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

patricia1 · August 16, 2007

quote name='Eddie B' date='Aug 16 2007, 03:41 PM' post='953283']