Growing Faith.

[JAG ..]

This morning I was reading The Red Sea Rules: 10 God-Given Strategies
For Difficult Times by Robert J. Morgan and came across a short passage
on faith building:

Here tis:

Says Morgan:
"Lord, increase our faith,
Lord, I believe, help Thou mine unbelief"
I've often uttered these prayers, knowing that faith isn't something
I can muster up at will; it must be given by God and developed
according to the processes he has ordained.

He is, after all, a God who grows things.
Physically, each of us began life as a tiny speck. Its a marvelous cell,
for all the characteristics of each person --- sex, eye color, shoe size,
intelligence, and so forth --- are determined at fertilization by the baby's
genetic code that resides in the forty-six human chromosomes in that
one cell. We began microscopically, then grow. Faith is also a growing
entity."
End the Morgan quote

_________


So? So our faith might grow.
Maybe we will find ourselves being more receptive to exercising more
and more faith as the years roll along.

Back on faith:
I'm going to tell you a true story.
(I got from The Red Sea Rules)

There was once a father whose daughter (we will call her Mary)
age 5, asked her father to build her a dollhouse. The father nodded
and promised to build her one, then returned to reading his book.
But glancing out the window, he say Mary, arms crammed with
dishes and dolls, making trip after trip until she had a large pile
in the yard. He asked his wife what Mary was doing.
"Oh, you promised to build her a dollhouse, and she believes
you. She's just getting ready for it."

Now with that story in mind, read this:

"People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his
hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus
saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children
come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God
belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will
not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never
enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his
hands on them and blessed them."
Mark 10

_____

"Have faith in God."__The Lord Jesus
Mark 11:22



`

 

[for_his_glory]

Faith means the trustworthiness or reliance on Gods word for his salvation for us who believe in him. It's a belief in the promises and blessings of his word and applying his word to our daily walk with him by seeing the confidence in the testimony of others.

The nature of faith is seen through the fruits of the Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, which these fruits brings about kindness, self control and faithfulness through the works of God that comes from our heart.

Faith gives us freedom from condemnation and freedom of salvation through adoption as we become one body in the Lord as we walk by faith, live by faith, pray by faith and resist evil by faith. By faith we are an overcomer of this world as we stand fast and are grounded in Gods word knowing we have assurance of all of his promises that makes us victorious in all things here on earth by us applying his word to our lives to know for a surety that he will never leave us or forsake us.

Faith is a living reality in ones life through Gods service by declaring his word as we bear witness to his name by the mighty works he has done. It’s not even our faith, but that of Jesus who is our faith as we believe in who he has said he was and to the glory and honor that he has brought before the Father through his life, death and resurrection that we to can become heirs to the throne of grace by coming boldly to his throne and surrendering all of us to him to be Lord and Savior of our life.

 

[JAG ..]

The Red Sea Rules by Robert J. Morgan, mentioned in the Opening Post, is an
uncommonly helpful devotional book. It can be read at one sitting (112 pages).

From the blurbs on the back cover:

"Just as Moses and the Israelites found themselves caught between "the devil
and the deep Red Sea", so are we sometimes overwhelmed by life's problems.
But God delivered the Israelites, and he will deliver us too."

Here are the 10 Red Sea Rules:

Rule 1 Realize that God means for you to be where you are.

Rule 2 Be more concerned for God's glory than for your relief.

Rule 3 Acknowledge your enemy [Satan], but keep your eyes on the Lord.

Rule 4 Pray

Rule 5 Stay calm and confident and give God time to work.

Rule 6 When unsure, just take the next logical step.

Rule 7 Envision God's enveloping presence.

Rule 8 Trust God to deliver in his own unique way.

Rule 9 View your current crises as a faith builder for the future.

Rule 10 Don't forget to praise Him.

Regardless of your problems and dilemmas and trials, this
little book will be a great comfort to you.

Robert J. Morgan is the pastor of Donaldson Fellowship in Nashville, Tenn. He has
written about 20 books. He is a very good Christian writer.

 

[for_his_glory]

Why God allows us to go through trials and tribulations:
1. Training as God prepares us for the future
2. Patience as we rely and trust in God's timing
3. Perseverance through trials that we remain in Gods will
4. Trust as God's ways are not our ways and He has a better plan for us
5. To learn from our mistakes
6. To humble ourselves before Him
7. To discipline us
8. Teach us to be dependent on Him alone
9. To spend quiet time with God so He can speak to us
10. To teach us of His protection
11. That we also share in the sufferings of Christ that we be not ashamed
12. Strengthen us to become more like Christ
13. To develop character
14. Build up our faith in the Lord
15. For a testimony and witness to help others
16. To show us sin in our lives that we need to own up to having
17. To remind us that God is in control
18. Helps us gain knowledge and understanding God's word
19. Teaches us to be thankful
20. To take our mind off the things of the world and and put them back on God