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Last week in the Faith Series, Great Faith,
Little Faith, and part of Doubt Faith were covered. This week,
the last part of Doubt, Faithless and the closing of the Faith
series are covered. There is much to cover
about Faith and it is a good subject for those
who are interested to continue on your own.
After all this is FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
Last week Faith Part 2 ended where Jesus
showed Thomas, a disciple who was called
Doubting Thomas by some. Jesus showed Thomas
the evidence of his resurrection. I don't believe anyone of us
can say with certainty that we would not have been the same
if we had been in Thomas shoes. Even the
other disciples did not at first believe that
he had risen until they had seen him when he
revealed himself. You can read all the details in John Chapter
20 All of a sudden he was there. This happens to Christians that
all of a sudden we see him, the light bulb goes on. Jesus
reveals himself to us in different ways. Whom among us can
say we didn't or don't have doubts? This is good spiritual
food for you to read, meditate the word of God, for
encouragement and not to be discouraged.
Thomas had not taken his fellow disciples'
word at face value. What he was being asked to accept was
incredible and in fact, it was a life and death situation. He
wouldn't believe
it without evidence. It is important to
accept what believable people tell us, but it is also important
to know when it is hard, verifiable, evidence is appropriate.
Jesus used the powerful effective type of influence available.
This was clear, honest information,
appropriately delivered.
What can we learn from Jesus in this
instance? Could it be we can effectively influence people by
understanding their concerns and patiently address
them like Jesus did? Food for Thought!
Other aspects to mediate on about Doubt read:
Jude 1:22 & 23 (NIV) that says:
"Be merciful to those who doubt, snatch
others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed
with fear-hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh."
Read James 1:2-8. “Consider it pure joy,
my brother whenever you face trails of many kinds, because you
know that the testing of your faith develops, perseverance.
Perseverance must finish its work so that may be mature and
complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom he
should ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be
given to him. But when he ask, he must believe and not doubt,
because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea blown and tossed
by the
wind. That man should not think he will
recieve anything from the Lord; he is doubled minded man,
unstable in all he does."
Starting from because he who doubt in the
above scripture, leads to our next and last of different types
of faith is Faithless Faith.
Faithless Faith, a question comes to mind of
What is that? Well very strongly put it means being dishonest or
disloyal, unbelief. When we put our faith in anything or anyone
other besides Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit, (THE HOLY TRINITY)
then we are Faithless. We see in Ps 78:57 (OT) NIV "Like
their father they were disloyal and Faithless, as unreliable as
a faulty bow. They angered him in high places. They aroused his
jealousy with their idols. When God heard them, he was very
angry, he rejected Israel completely."
Faithless ties in when we put our trust in
money, materials things, in other people, in the way we live
life without The Lord. These things are considered idols, and
sin.
Romans 1:28-32 (NIV) "Furthermore, since
they did not think it worthwhile, to retain the knowledge of
God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not
to be done. They have become filled with every kind of
wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy,
murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers,
God
haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful;
they invent ways of doing evil, they disobey their parents; they
are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they
know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things
deserve death, they not only continue to do these things but
also approve of those who practice them.” Read the whole
chapter of
Romans 1, for further incite.
Faith is a universal experience-everyone,
including the atheist, lives by faith. It is not whether we will
trust in a belief system or trust in people or things, but
whether we are trusting in that which is reliable or
untrustworthy. Faith is only as good as the object in which it
is placed.
This is the end of the Faith Segment. I leave
you these Food For Thought questions and thought.
Is your Faith in God such that others see him
working through you on routine or non-routine days?
What one thing could you do each day to
cultivate your dependence on God and demonstrate that dependence
so others will see an Example they can follow?
Jesus knew that Faith in God was the basis
for strength and hope in the midst of despair. That same hope is
available to all of us, through Jesus and today whatever
situation you may face.
Tune in for the FOOD FOR THOUGHT SERIES next week starting
with segments of the following : Who Is The Holy Trinity,
followed by, Who Is God !, Who Is Jesus!, Who Is The Holy Spirit
! and Then the Disciplines of The Holy Spirit. Come join me in
the Fantastic Adventure of Trusting Him. From CCMR Ministries to
Your House Have A God Blest Week! |
