Faith - Acting Without Seeing And Seeing Without Acting

My Utmost For His Highest

“Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won’t do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God— a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don’t believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, “Now I believe.” There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, “Look to Me, and be saved…” (Isaiah 45:22). When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement— no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.” CHAMBERS

One of the disciples, Thomas, is remembered not for his faithfulness but because of his lack of faith.  That is where the phrase “doubting Thomas” comes from.  (John 20:24-29) “Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." […]  And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

To exercise faith, we must first act without seeing and then we will see without acting.  We must be willing to trust God first and then God will bless us … act on our behalf … accomplish His purpose.  That is not to say that somehow our unbelief limits God.  But because of our unbelief, we will miss what God might do in response to our belief.  Our lack of faith limits us .. not God.  The exercising of faith is a challenge to our flesh but a joy to our spirit.  ELGIN

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

The Devil Did Not "Make You" Do It

My Utmost For His Highest

“I am not being saved— I am saved. Salvation is as eternal as God’s throne, but I must put to work or use what God has placed within me. To “work out [my] own salvation” (Philippians 2:12) means that I am responsible for using what He has given me. It also means that I must exhibit in my own body the life of the Lord Jesus, not mysteriously or secretly, but openly and boldly. “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection . . .” (1 Corinthians 9:27). Every Christian can have his body under absolute control for God. God has given us the responsibility to rule over all “the temple of the Holy Spirit,” including our thoughts and desires (1 Corinthians 6:19). We are responsible for these, and we must never give way to improper ones. But most of us are much more severe in our judgment of others than we are in judging ourselves. We make excuses for things in ourselves, while we condemn things in the lives of others simply because we are not naturally inclined to do them.” CHAMBERS

I have often shared Romans 7 with Christians when talking about the struggle between the flesh and the Spirit in us. 

(Romans 7:15-25) “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. […]  But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”

It is not Paul’s excuse for sin, but the realization that through Jesus, he no longer has to be a slave to the desires of his flesh.  And so it is for you and me.  We should stop making excuses for our sin .. there was a comedian years ago .. Flip Wilson .. who coined the phrase “The devil made me do it!” Well, we make that claim each time we excuse our sin as unavoidable.  We are no longer owned by the devil, but are children of the most high God, purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ.  We must keep that in mind the next time a temptation comes our way.  ELGIN

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Sharing Your Faith ... Looking For The Magic Words

My Utmost For His Highest

“If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality. Take care to see while you proclaim your knowledge of the way of salvation, that you yourself are rooted and grounded by faith in God. Never rely on the clearness of your presentation, but as you give your explanation make sure that you are relying on the Holy Spirit. Rely on the certainty of God’s redemptive power, and He will create His own life in people.” CHAMBERS

So what if you are not a preacher .. but you are a minister … you, like every other believer, carry a message in your heart .. the Gospel .. the good news of Jesus Christ … resurrected … triumphant over sin and death.  Jesus the way, the truth, and the life .. the only way to the Father (John 14:6).  The part that most of us stumble on it the thought that somehow, if I share what I know, I will mess it up.  And someone will reject Jesus because I did not say the right thing.

The truth of the matter is that God is bigger than our words … that He has chosen to use us .. but does not need us.  That what happened in our lives on the day of our rebirth, and will happen in the lives of others until Jesus return in glory, is a result of the work of the Holy Spirit.  I know that many books have been written … many lectures have been given .. many notes have been taken .. many scriptures have been memorized .. having to do with sharing Jesus “the right way”.  The bottom line, what happens at the point of salvation is spiritual, not of man.  Sure you can prepare .. the Word says  (1 Peter 3:15) “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”  But the point is … speak when God says speak .. and leave the rest to God …. ELGIN

(I Corinthians 2:1-5)  “When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.”

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

When Things Don't Go Your Way ..

My Utmost For His Highest

“How can we say, “It could never be God’s will for me to be sick”? If it was God’s will to bruise His own Son (Isaiah 53:10), why shouldn’t He bruise you? What shines forth and reveals God in your life is not your relative consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your genuine, living relationship with Jesus Christ, and your unrestrained devotion to Him whether you are well or sick. […] God’s purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He wants.” CHAMBERS

What is your idea of the proper Christian life?  Does it include the absence of hardships … no financial worries .. no relationship problems .. perfect children … good health … the absence of trouble?  The absence of hardship is not the validation of being right with God.  Jesus said that we will face hardships (John 16:33) … the true test of spiritual maturity is “Do we have sufficient faith to allow God to be glorified through that hardship?”  Jesus modeled that for us.  You might be thinking .. “But I am not Jesus” .. that’s true enough … but Paul said “[we] can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us.” (Philippians 4:13)

The Anchor Holds – Ray Boltz

“I have journeyed, through the long, dark night out on the open sea

By faith alone Sight unknown And yet His eyes were watching me.

The anchor holds  though the ship is battered the anchor holds though the sails are torn.

I have fallen on my knees as I faced the raging seas, the anchor holds in spite of the storm”

(2 Corinthians 4:7-10) “ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”

The darker the night, the brighter the light .. Put your hope in God and let you light shine! ELGIN

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

When Our Words Are Not Enough

My Utmost For His Highest

“[…] The moral law, ordained by God, does not make itself weak to the weak by excusing our shortcomings. It remains absolute for all time and eternity. If we are not aware of this, it is because we are less than alive. Once we do realize it, our life immediately becomes a fatal tragedy. “I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died” (Romans 7:9). The moment we realize this, the Spirit of God convicts us of sin. Until a person gets there and sees that there is no hope, the Cross of Christ remains absurd to him. […] There is only one way by which I can get right with God, and that is through the death of Jesus Christ. I must get rid of the underlying idea that I can ever be right with God because of my obedience. Who of us could ever obey God to absolute perfection!” CHAMBERS

Do you remember the day when you came under the conviction of your sin .. the day that the Cross of Christ was no longer absurd … but was drawing you … the day of your re-birth .. the beginning of your eternal life as a child of Jehovah God?  When we share Jesus with others .. those who are living in darkness … blinded by the god of this world … (2 Corinthians 4:4)  “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”  Our words are not enough … there must be conviction by the Spirit .. a realization of their sin and the reality of heaven and hell.  

We are but seed planters .. spreading the Gospel .. some of us cast the seed .. others plant one seed at a time .. whatever the method .. the spiritual transaction that must take place is beyond us .. it is the domain of the Holy Spirit.  There are many people around you that are living in darkness. Jesus said, (John 12:46) “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.” Most likely they are some of your dearest friends and family.  Pray for the opportunity to talk to them about the Gospel.  But don’t limit yourself to words .. let them see the Gospel being lived out in your own life.  Avoid being conformed to this world, but be transformed (Romans 12:1) .. and let your light shine among men. ELGIN

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)