Do you ever feel intellectually or maybe morally inferior to other Christians, and wonder just how your faith stacks up against theirs? Please don’t go there. When Jesus looked at the immoral woman who washed his feet with her tears, He wasn't looking at intellectual or moral superiority. “Then Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ The men at the table said among themselves, ‘Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?’ And Jesus said to the woman, ’Your faith has saved you; go in peace (Luke 7:48–50 NLT).’” Jesus was looking at a woman who understood that He was the only true celebrity. Jesus was looking at a woman who put serving Him above anyone or anything else. And Jesus called that faith.
If what you've heard so far about faith has stimulated your thinking, if you are becoming interested in a life lived by faith in God—please remember this basic human instinct:
We want to take a word from the Lord and turn it into a paragraph. We want to take an encounter from the Lord and turn it into a doctrine. We want to take a miracle from the Lord and turn it into a formula. In other words, we want to take something done with the Lord, and make copies of it—so we can do it without Him the next time.
How did we get here? I mean, how did Christianity come to look more like a building and a pulpit, communion crackers, and congregation size. Wake up!
A life of faith isn’t supposed to be safe and simple. It’s a process. A piece of art is not perfect, but it is beautiful. There is beauty in the imperfection of people and there is joy in the life that is given even to those who do not and cannot deserve it.
It’s time, Church. It’s time to bring these dry bones back to life.
What should you think or do about your ex? Do you bad mouth them? Do you expose all their faults? Do you tell them off? Do you let them upset you in your thoughts? Do you blame them? Do you talk nicely about them? What are you supposed to do with all those emotions?
Dr. Dobson recalls a time just after he and Shirley were married, when his blushing bride had a brush with pride and subsequently a close call in the deep end of a swimming pool. He wonders how many people in need allow pride to keep them from the help that is right at hand?
God wants me to prefer to live by faith. He doesn't just want me to live by faith out of obedience. No! Given the choice between having to depend on visible, verifiable resources and having to depend on Him—He wants me to choose to live by faith in Him. “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him (Hebrews 11:6 NLT).” But I can't prefer to live by faith as long as I am looking for some relief from having to live by faith.
Okay …? What I have been calling a painful learning process, God is calling a light, momentary affliction that is working for me. Obviously, I've been working at cross purposes with God. I've been working my faith to get me “through” difficult circumstances—to get me to a place where I don't have to have such an overwhelming dependence upon God. God, however, has been working my faith—not so much to get me “through” what He refers to as light, momentary afflictions. He is working my faith to get me “to” a place of complete dependence upon Him—a place where I will consider any difficult circumstance as nothing more than just a light, momentary affliction.
I can't get enough of Meredith Andrews' newest album "Deeper". Not only does she have a lovely voice, but she is a talented songwriter, too. And she knows how to interact with all of the wonderfully talented musicians around her. She co-wrote this song along with Jason Ingram (who else?), called "Jesus Sees." Such a beautiful and comforting song. It reminds us that even on our "hardest days" when we think no one is noticing our struggles and nobody cares, Jesus does indeed see and offers us "perfect love and perfect peace."
Faith is not supposed to be the means by which we get something from God. Faith is supposed to be the means by which God gets something from us. God wants something from us. He wants our complete and total dependence upon Him. God is pursuing us—not our “needs” or our “wants.” Our faith was not designed as a means to gain “all these things.” Our faith was designed to gain the presence of God, and all that goes along with His presence. givemethatmountain.org/article/faith-and-unbelief-day-seventeen/
Wow, Meredith Andrews' new album "Deeper" is fantastic. For some reason I am drawn to the songs that are not necessarily "radio-ready" (in my uninformed opinion); I really like the more poignant ones, such as this one, called "Hands That Are Holding Me." Meredith co-wrote the song. What a jewel of a song. Also, the instrumentation is very nice, kudos for that, too.
Mereith Andews' new album "Deeper" was released last week. There are lots of good songs on the album. "Soar" has been out for a while; I already made a video for that one. And I've made a video for the title song, too. But I think my favorite song on the album is this one, called "Take Me Back."
Written by Meredith along with her hubby Jacob Sooter, and Benji Cowart. Awesome song, thanks to all of you.
Salem Media, our partners, and affiliates use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, personalize site content, and deliver relevant video recommendations. By using this website and continuing to navigate, you consent to our use of such technologies and the sharing of video viewing activity with third-party partners in accordance with the Video Privacy Protection Act and other privacy laws.Privacy Policy
