The Work Of Faith~chapter 9~Becoming a Woman of Faith

Life is so busy, I'd like to propose changing the saying that describes "moving fast" from "the speed of light" to "the speed of life"!! Can I get an amen?


We have finally finalized wedding plans this week. (still getting used to the idea!) Well, when I say finalized, I mean we fixed the date and the location. I know...we are late, late, late! We had many things to hash out and research!! Mostly location because of Kayla wanting to have an outdoor wedding at home, and we weren't so sure...but now we are. Whew! Sept 4th, 2009. Please pray with us for beautiful weather. Thank you very much!

Now onto our study summary for this week!

This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. Titus 3:8 NKJV

This chapter addresses the need for good works to flow from faith, and that good works actually authenticate faith. James says, "faith without works is dead".

C.S. Lewis says, "To trust Him means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in trusting a person if you wouldn't take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him."

In contrasting those who say they have faith, but have not fruit in their lives~with those who show their faith by the fruit in their lives, we see that only good works that glorify God come from true and genuine faith. Once again I love how God uses contrasts in scripture to show truth.


Genuine? or Impostor? Scripture tells us how to distinguish:

Ephesians 2:8-10
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Clearly salvation is not earned by our own goodness, it is a gift of faith by the grace (goodness, mercy, and enablement of God) and "good works" are the outflow of our faith.


We looked at scripture to help us in distinguishing between dead faith and genuine faith, and found the following:

Genuine faith:

• Obeys. (Luke 6:46-49)
• Hears God's word and puts it into practice.(James 1:22-25)
• Has love behind all it's works. (1 Cor 13:1-3)Loves from a pure heart, a good concience, and sincere faith. (1 Tim 1:3-5)

In James 2:14-16, he insists that good works reflect a living faith; a genuine faith that is active.

• Through steps into unknown places. (Think: Abraham, Noah, Gideon, etc)
• Through acts of obedience. (Think about any story in the Bible!)
• Through waiting. (I think of Sarah, Hannah, and Elizabeth)

Merely professing faith does not mean one has living faith. Faith that is not accompanied by works of righteousness & acts of obedience is not faith at all. James calls it "dead".

Galatians 5:6 The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

In our own strength, we cannot produce good works. We need to remain in the vine. If we are abiding in Jesus, we will bear fruit. It is not any striving in ourselves. Our confidence and competence comes from God. (John 15)

• Some of the good works that we are instructed to do: (Mt 5: 14-17;
• Let your light shine before men to bring glory to God.
• Say "no" to ungodliness and worldly passions.
• Live self-controlled, upright and godly lives.
• Abstain from sinful desires.
• Live good lives to glorify God.

Again, if there is anything good that comes from us it's from Jesus. All our righteous acts are like filthy rags, but the Spirit of God living in us enables us to do lasting works in Jesus' name!

Cosmo & Purity

Darkness & Light.
Foolishness & Wisdom.
Lies & Truth.
Hell & Heaven.

Yes, all are OPPOSITES. I could hardly bring myself to put the two words together in the title!

We are doing a series with our youth on sexual purity and Biblical dating. It is something we should be addressing on a regular basis. I volunteered to take the girls when we separate them for teaching. Our first one took place last night and was entitled "What You Take In". I was asked to get hold of a Cosmo magazine and teen magazines to look into the content...for greater understanding of the battle.

When I was looking at the cover of the magazine, my heart was so grieved, I felt nauseated. I decided I could not spend $5 on a magazine with such disturbing headlines on the cover. As always God honors our commitment to stay true to Him. I mentioned my dilemma to my Bible study girls, and it so happened that one of them had received a copy in the mail for no apparent reason, so she gave it to me. Yay God!

Ladies, the magazine's mission can only be for making money! Why else would they encourage women to become pieces of meat? THEY LITERALLY DO! They hold nothing back in making girls out to be "prey" and men to be animals! It was actually stated in an article in the March '09 issue entitled, "The New Attitude That Drives Men Wild". It was a half page article that ended in encouraging girls not to hold back too long or the guy would leave. ARGHHHH! I thought, "Who is this author and what does she think she is doing?" Does she know that one day she will have to give an account to God for what she has written! Lord, have mercy on her!!

Molly Fahner, if you read this, please know that God will forgive you for this if you repent! You are being used to bring girls into sin and deep places of pain and grief! Stop! Turn around and go the other way!! Before it is too late! I pray you will come to know the dignity that God designed for you and it is never too late to be restored. If you are living a lifestyle like what you are encouraging with your writing, no doubt your heart is hurting~you are deeply wounded. Jesus can heal it! He can and He will. Just ask Him and His other girls! Open arms await the repentant heart...

The battle for the souls of young girls and boys is increasing strength with the availability of picture texts and internet access on their phones. Believe it or not, middle school girls are involved in taking inappropriate photos of themselves to send through their phones. Boys caught looking @ p*rn. Mama's!! Be alert! Watch what is going on! Even if you are a homeschool mom, please be aware of the needs of the peers of your children~the cultural perversion. The behavior of their peers affects their future. We must be in prayer for our country & our youth.

God created girls with a deep desire to be cherished and beautiful. He means for them to be fulfilled within the boundaries He has given us in His word. The allurements of the culture only bring us into deeper despair. What our culture encourages is outside the safety of the laws of God who created us! The results being depression, cutting, suicide, anxiety, alcoholism, anger, violence, drug use and abuse, etc.

Oh that people would know the Love of God, the goodness of God, who gave His Word for our well~being. To find refuge, fulfillment and love in His arms!

Where is the fulfillment we long for? Jesus.

Where is the Joy, Peace, Love? Jesus.

Our fulfillment is in His love, and care, and the very life He gave for us to be restored to Him.

One man + One woman = One beautiful plan! Follow the instructions in The Book, and you will find fulfillment The Creator's way!!

Faith and Prayer~Chapter 8

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. Matthew 21:22

We see that belief and prayer are chained together in many passages of scripture. In many of Jesus' healing miracles, he would commend the faith of the recipient of healing.

For instance, in Matt 9:20-22 we read of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' robe and was healed. Jesus said, "your faith has healed you." & "According to your faith it will be done for you." Matt 9:31

Jesus placed certain conditions on answered prayer... in Mt 21:18-22. "if you have faith you can move a mountain"; "if you believe, you will recieve whatever you ask for in prayer.

Get a look closer at this one: Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing...even greater things..."

We are admonished to "ask and not doubt."
"obey and do what pleases Him."
"have confidence before God."
Continually keeping in mind that we have to take the whole counsel of God into account whenever we read about believing and recieving. If you remember Paul's thorn in the flesh, God chose not to take it away, because it served His purposes. His will was that Paul endure the thorn and thus bring God more glory.

We need to be familiar with God's promises. It is according to His will that He answers. By spending time in His presence, with His word, and bowing in reverence, we come to know His will. If we know His will, when we pray then we have confidence in His answering. "Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven".

An example from my life is praying for friends in financial crisis. Knowing that God promises to provide for all their needs. That He supplies streams in the desert. I pray with confidence that God will come through for them. It is His will~it is in His word.

Faith filled prayers often were for spiritual needs. In Eph 4, Paul prays for the Christians to be :

• strengthened w/ power,
• for Christ to dwell in their hearts by faith,
• for them to be rooted and established in His love,
• for them to have power to grasp the magnitude of the love of Christ,
• for them to be filled to the full w/God.

And in Eph 6:18-20

• that whenever (Paul) opens his mouth words would be given,
• that he would fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
• that he would declare it fearlessly as he should.

I really had to meditate on this verse, because it showed me that the one who wrote most of the NT, and started many churches, endured trials that I don't even want to think about, was praying for freedom from fear in his ministry. (!!!!) How much more do I need the prayers of the my sisters for the things the Lord calls me to do.

And in Col 1:9-12

• fill you w/ the knowledge of his will,
• live a life worthy of the Lord,
• please Him in every way
• bearing fruit in every good work.

Couldn't we all use prayers for those things? I am challenged to make sure I use these in praying for my friends and my family. Will you pray for me?

Quotes:

• "To venture to pray requires our trust in the goodness of God. For He is trustworthy, all-wise, all-knowing, full of grace and mercy."

• "It is not the amount of my faith that matters, but where my faith is placed-in God who makes no mistakes, who is always working for the hightest and best for His children."

• "It is faith in His power, knowing that if what we request is in conformity with His purpose and will, He is altogether able to supply it."

Spring Snow in Wisconsin

Here is a peek at my back yard on March 20th...yes, just this past Friday, we were having a winter wonderland. The flakes were so large and the "covering" we were getting so beautiful, I just had to share. Saturday then, it all melted very nicely....which is why I enjoyed the snow so much...I knew it would go away fast! Enjoy the beauty w/ me...it's short, and a little clumsy...and I didn't intentionally add the music, it was just playing in the background, but it works well with the

white snow covering!!

The Testing of Faith~Becoming a Woman of Faith, ch. 7

We are through our 7th week in the study. I lead Monday morning and again Monday night. I want to tell you that if once is good, twice is better. It has been such an enriching experience for me to go through this study with different groups because of the different perspective each one brings. Even the different mixes of people bring different facets of experience and understanding to the study.

Faith.
It is foundational to all other aspects of our walk w/ Jesus. Without it, we are wandering on our own in dangerous territory. Because of this, our enemy seeks to destroy it more than any other piece of armor. The shield has the mobility to "cover" every other piece of armor. If the enemy disables it, he has much greater access to our salvation, righteousness, and peace...

I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 2 Tim 4:7 NLT

Testing of faith is an ongoing daily experience in the life of every believer. We can expect opposition at every turn. Sometimes in the form of Goliaths, and other times smaller annoyances, but always our faith is tested to produce a stronger faith. How would it grow if it wasn't tested.

We discover in scripture that the righteous will have many troubles, but the Lord will deliver him from them all. (Ps 34:19; John 16:33; 2 Tim 3:10-12; and 1 Peter 4:12-13)

Jesus also taught that tribulation is part of living in the world, but we are to "take heart" or be encouraged, and on top of that, to rejoice because He has overcome the world. In other words, we are promised victory in every battle as long as we trust Him.

We rejoice that the testing is producing perseverance, character, hope, rewards in heaven, salvation, completeness, praise, glory and honor!! (Rom 5:1-5; Hebrews 10:32-39; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:3-9)

Faith and gold are contrasted because they both have to go through the same method of purification, (heating and stirring~and I know you all "get that"!) but faith lasts eternally and gold perishes. So how much more valuable to pursue faith! How God proves His love for us in taking the time to stand over us and watch over the process until we reflect His likeness!

Wonderful are the assurances in the Word of God for our victory~ it is promised that He is able to restore us, and make us strong, firm and steadfast. (1 Peter 5:10,11; Hebrews 2:14-18)

If we look @ Abraham offering Isaac on the altar, Jesus' temptation in the wilderness for 40 days, and Peter being "sifted by Satan", we see how Abraham and Jesus were faithful and rewarded, and how when Peter's faith failed, he "wept bitterly" but Jesus had prayef for him and true to His promises, He restored him when He returned. The promise is for victory!!

We can rejoice that whatever Satan means to use to "take us down", God uses for our strengthing and establishment in His family!

Another cause for joy in the midst of trial is that as part of the family of God, whenever we face trials and temptations we have our Great High Priest, Jesus who interceeds for us. We have armor, Scripture, promises of victory, power to overcome, and a choice to count it all joy...No weapon formed against us will prosper when the King of Kings is on our side!

And then~ we receive the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls, and a crown when we will one day appear with Jesus in His glory!

Alas another song pops in my head. This one by Steve Green... The chorus: Heaven is my passion and prize, the goal on which I firmly fix my eyes... reward of the faithful, desire of the wise...heaven is my passion and prize.

Let us be longing for His appearance and our reward for faithfulness~all glory to God!

How deep the Father's love for us

I would like to dedicate this song to our JOYful bloggy sister who is being "held"...Ponder in His Presence beautiful sister.