On Faith

We are twice armed if we fight with faith.
-Plato

A thought about faith

Faith Without Works Is Dead

James 2:14-26

¹⁴ What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

¹⁵ If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

¹⁶ And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

¹⁷ Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

¹⁸ Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

¹⁹ Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

²² Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

²³ And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

²⁴ Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

²⁵ Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Note to self

God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas but for scars.
 -- Elbert Hubbard

God's Three Answers

towhomitmayconcern

Nothing is permanent in this wicked world. Not even our troubles.

In need of a testimony?

You can't have a testimony without a test.

Your blessings aren't always big. Sometimes they're small. God isn't ready when you're ready for your blessing, but I do believe that He will give you small blessings along the way, to tide you over, to remind you (me) that he is working it out on your (my) behalf and that you (I) need to be patient.

Here's a testimony, one of many:

4 years ago, about 3 months before I got this job offer, I worked at Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company in Milwaukee Wisconsin. I was miserable, and I was broke. 4 days away from payday, I balanced my checkbook as that morning  to see how much I had and realized that I hadn't managed my money well since the last pay period, and I had three dollars to my name. My ex girlfriend's cat  (I got custody of him when we broke up) had ran out of food, my car was almost on E, and I didn't want my new girlfriend to know I was broke at the time. While at work that morning I was at my desk, and I was talking to God like I normally do, and I said, "God, I just need $20 and that would be enough to tide me over until I get paid. I only live a mile from work, and I don't need a full tank. Just $10 of it for gas. I have a pantry and fridge full of food but I need to feed Isaiah." I said that to Him and had that thought in my mind while at work and while I had built the courage to ask friends for a loan. I don't do that- I don't ask people for favors unless I am backed in a corner and I've exhausted all other options. Well, I had no other options, and so, at my morning break when I was to meet a couple friends for coffee, I was going to ask them, but guess what happened within an hour of my talking to God?

A coworker, an older lady , someone I didn't know particularly well and had only said good morning, hello, or have as good evening, in passing, walked over to my desk, and said:

"Hi Alieux. I woke up in the middle of the night and  you were on my mind, and then when I went back to sleep and woke up this morning,  God told me to give you $20. I don't know why.  I ignored Him and I got myself and my kids up for work and to take them to school, and when I was driving to work  He told me again, give him $20. Well, I got to work, and its in my head, again and again. And I ignored Him and I went to breakfast, and you were on my mind again  so I decided that I better give you this $20 or God will pester me until I do!"  Then she gave me the $20 and she went back to her desk immediately.   I was speechless. 

I quickly emailed her, thanking her for the money and telling her I would pay her on friday. She said  'don't thank me. Thank God, and don't pay me back. It's not a gift. It's a give. God told me to give it to you, not loan it to you!  :)  ' . 

So that I could let her know why God had put it on her heart to give me the $20,  I told her that as recently as maybe 10 minutes before she brought the money over to me, I was telling God that I'd be happy if I had at least $20. 

She told me that she was glad that she didn't ignore God, and therefore preventing the blessing. I'm glad too, because it was a blessing. 

God knew I needed the money before I knew I needed the money. He had put it her mind  in the middle of the night. He was already planting the seeds.       You can't have a testimony without a test.
 


 

Q & A

question - If you can't count on your family and your friends, who can you count on?

answer- God.

Go after her

Note to self

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, "I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.







-- Eleanor Roosevelt

The Legend of Echos

A son and his father were walking on the mountains.


Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhh!!!"


To his surprise, he hears a voice repeating: "AAAhhhhhhhhh!!!"


Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"


He receives the answer: "Who are you?"


Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"


He receives the answer: "Coward!"


He looks at his father and asks: "What's going on?"


The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."


And the father screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"


The voice answers: "I admire you!"


Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"


The voice answers: "You are a champion!"


The boy is surprised, but does not understand.


Then the father explains: "People call this an ECHO, but really this is LIFE.


It gives you back everything you say or do.


Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.


If you want more love in the world,


Create more love in your heart.


If you want more competence in your team,


Improve your competence.


This relationship applies to everything in all aspects of life.


Life will give you back everything you have given to it.


Your life is not a coincidence. It's a reflection of you!

This is good!

The story is told of a king who had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!"

One day the king and his friend were on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. In preparing one of the guns, the friend had apparently done something wrong, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off.
Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!" To which the king replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and proceeded to send his friend to jail.
About a year later, the king was hunting in a dangerous area. Cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to it. As they approached to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone that was less than whole. So after untying the king, they sent him on his way.
As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. You were right," he said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. "And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this."
"No," his friend replied, "This is good!"
"What do you mean, 'This is good'? How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"
"If I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you."
Situations may not always seem pleasant while we are in them, but the promise of God is clear. If we love him and live our lives according to his precepts, even that which seems to be bleak and hopeless will be turned by God for His glory and our benefit. Hold on... God is faithful!

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

Because God is already working on my battles:

Believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance, and have faith that in this love there is a strength and a blessing so large that you can travel as far as you wish without having to step outside of it.

 -- Rainer Marie Rilk

Nobody said it would be easy

Note to self- Good Morning

                               Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.

                                        - C. S. Lewis

                       True dat.

                        I rely on Him 24/7. 

                             How about you?

Shadrach,  Meshach and Abednego  were thrown into a fiery furnace but God protected them so that they wouldn’t  burn even a hair on their heads.   Daniel 3: 8-30

The good Lord made us all out of iron. Then he turns up the heat to forge some of us into steel.
                                        --Marie Osmond

For what is faith unless it is to believe what you do not see?

                                                                                   --Aurelius Augustine 

    sometimes what you're looking for is right around the corner.

Take a leap of faith

Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, and looks to God alone; laughs at impossibilities, and cries it shall be done.
--Charles Wesley

Faith is risky.


Stepping out in faith risks looking like a fool. We want to get it right. We want to make Him proud. He is a God who demands our best, so it makes sense to do everything in our power to give Him our best.

Mark 5:21-42  talks about risky faith. Remember this story?

21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered round him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live. 24 So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.
26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed. 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At once Jesus realised that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, Who touched my clothes?
31 You see the people crowding against you, his disciples answered, and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering. 35 While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. Your daughter is dead, they said. Why bother the teacher any more? 36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, Don't be afraid; just believe. 37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.
38 When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep. 40 But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, Talitha koum! (which means, Little girl, I say to you, get up!). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.
Faith is risky
She knew, in her heart, that if she could just reach out and touch His clothes, that she would be healed.
When you step out in faith, God doesn’t leave you hanging. Not forever. Noah got laughed at for forty-years, before God brought the flood that covered the earth, saving Noah and his family, and the animals. . Your faith is tested all the way to dipping your head under water that seventh time. Your arms are too tired to carry in the load of fish that managed to evade your net all night long. You have your fill and have baskets full of leftovers.

Note to self
You get your reason, your knowledge, your evidence after you move. It’s called ‘faith’ for a reason.
--Alex George

Note to self

Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is
Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is
Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is
Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is
Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is
Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is
Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is
Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is
Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is
Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is

Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is
Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is
Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is
Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is
Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is
Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is

                                                            -- My friend Sanda Abiori has this as her email signature. I see it and it gives me peace of mind, reminding myself that God is bigger than all my problems combined.