Abundant life??

[kross]

Since I became a Christian, I have built and operated two skate board parks with concert stages, indoors. I have pastored a church, started a couple of ministries, moved to a couple of states. I have no money and I own very little. I tend to give my money and time away and am always involved in starting/running some kind of ministry.

It is in doing all that my FATHER in heaven hs for me to do that keeps my life full and bountiful. I like it this way. For a brief time, I had a couple of bucks in my pochet. I bought a house in MI. that needed one side jacked up 9 inches, that I fixed so my sister would have a place to live. I then went to visit my other sister and used the rest of the money to buy a fixer-upper for her and I to live in (her son and grandson live with us too)

I have spent a number of years homeless and jobless, but GOD has always provided.

I think my life is full. The lates ministry is being started with about $200.00 in my pocket. That will keep my life full.

Be all you can to GOD and you will find the abundance.

[stacey c]

Bondman from Down Under --

Happy birthday

and welcome to Worthy! It was refreshing to read such a mature response to a great question. The wisdom imported from a genuine Relationship is evident in your response. So is the wisdom gained from "going 'round the mountain again."

I just hit the big - FIVE OH myself...

givennewname --

All of these responses are good. Read them and hear the Holy Spirit responding to you personally in them.

Then I have one more ...

The Abundant Life is not about God saving your marriage, or healing your body, or getting you out of debt, or saving your spouse, or getting a better job, etc. It is about

knowing the True God

personally, intimately, and

eternally

!!

In doing this, we frequently go thru very tough times, as many of the previous (and, no doubt, subsequent) posts state very well.

However

, There is a dimension to abundant living that so much of the Church misses. The fact that Abundant Life is not primarily about those material things does not mean that you are doomed to a struggling existence here on earth.

Abundant Life is not just about going to heaven

.

Consider this, God said (thru others) that

He can do infinitely more than we could ever ask or imagine

(Ephesians 3:20). If He

can do more

then I submit that

He wants to do more

(see Matthew 7:11).

Why doesn't He?

Becuase He is waiting for us. He has already done it all. God is not moved by our needs. And, contrary to popular Christian teaching, He is not moved by our prayers.

He is only moved by our faith.

Jesus said, if we ask anything, believing that we have it, it will be done for us. Yet James said that if someone asks without faith, they will not receive a thing. Faith is the key to allowing God to move in our lives. He will never be bigger that we believe (faith) Him to be.

He

wants

to save our marriages, heal our bodies, get us out of debt, save our family members, put us in better jobs, and more. He is waiting for us to faith (believe) that He can, wants to, and will do...

only believe !!

shalom

shlomo

Amen and Amen. We as christians need to come to the firm decision that we can have an abundant life and the desires of our hearts as long as we activate our faith, and know that God desires us to have these things in life.

Too many christians want to lay the blame for their lack (whatever it may be) that it's not God's will for them to be victors in this life instead of facing lack of faith in different areas of their lives. There are some areas in my life that I live in lack. Is it God's fault or His will for me and mine to struggle this way? Absolutely not! I need to press in and build my faith in the Lord to do abundantly more than I could ever imagine.

[AnnaMoodley]

hey givenewname

Don't be discouraged. Troubles come whether saved or not. the difference when you have Jesus is that he carries us through the trouble. It's like all hell can be breaking loose but you can have peace because you know that no matter what, you have the Living God with you. Don't let the troubles of this life worry you because our real home is with God in Heaven. It's something i also have to start internalising more i think. Peace is not the absence of trouble...it's our state of rest even when going through trouble because God is with us- we can still feel free and content. Also note that troubles come to test our faith maybe..n help us put it in action (i don't know if my last statement is Biblical-it's just my thought). Remember how Jesus was fast asleep on the boat when the storm threatened the others. trouble was there but God was in control...when we surrender our lives to Christ it is the same with our lives.