Indestructible Faith - Seeing as God sees.

(Where would we be without the LORD? 

This is an oft heard exclamation. This post came in answer to a query. I loved what the LORD shared in the course of that conversation. I pray it blesses you as much as it did me.

Unique in each of our lives, God is perfecting us through the work of His spirit, AS we submit to His will.)

“There is power in the Word of God that creates a faith that is indestructible.” 

What is faith? 

Faith’s definition in religion or belief in part depends on what or Who the faith is in?

A Buddhist has belief = faith in Buddha 

A Muslim in Muhammed. 

A Christian in Christ.

However, it's the latter that is truly a faith that is indestructible. 

 Because it IS by the power the Word of God. It's not man-made faith. 

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the LORD.” Zech. 4:6b

Faith in the Living God was tested in the days of faithful prophet Elijah on Mt Carmel (1 Kings 18: 37-39 see link Here).

Elijah versus the prophets of Baal of his day - they were not unlike the prophets of today’s MSM (MainStream Media).

So onto faith in Christ Jesus, as our LORD and Saviour...

Faith is relative in its strength.

Relative in whatever or Whoever it is trusting.

If our faith is in the faltering ways of the world, THEN it is totally destructive and destructible.

 This we see too evidently today, sadly.

However, faith in the Living God is totally living and indestructible.

Joy unspeakable to KNOW and WALK with our Saviour Divine.

 So faith = belief is a limited definition of faith.

Faith is not just belief.  

It’s totally relevant in what the faith is resting!   

Paul’s definition in Heb 11:1 gives but a glimpse of the length, depth, breadth of God's idea of faith. 

The human eye and comprehension cannot even remotely fathom it … but the eye fixed upon the word of the living God has a glimpse of it, a glimmer of understanding maybe found by study of it.

“Now Faith is the SUBSTANCE of THINGS HOPED for,

 the EVIDENCE of THINGS NOT SEEN” Hebrews 11:1

That is not simply belief.

It’s much MUCH deeper. 

Imagine at 99yrs being told that you and your equally old wife are going to have a son, AND believing it?

  Abraham did, that IS REAL FAITH.. “he believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness”. Rom 4:3

Abraham had an indestructible faith because of Who it was in…   

As Christian the key strength of faith is WHO it is in.

My faith is Christ Himself, not simply in Christ.. it’s a deeper oneness.   

 Above I wrote “ There is power in the Word of God that creates a faith that is indestructible.” 

The key 🔑 is the POWER Holy Spirit in the written, God-breathed WORD, it’s that which creates the faith that is indestructible.  

 The Spirit of our three in one God at work.

This work of the Holy Spirit within the WORD, is MOULDING our very spirit by all the deep griefs, sorrows and suffering of our lives.

Purifying in us a faith that is indestructible, by the work of the Holy Spirit … Faith as pure as gold tried in the fire, as Job wrote in Job 23:10.

However, it is not because of our goodness, but of God’s great mercy - for we are but God’s servant, or His “doulos”, bondslave.   

It’s all because of the power of God in His word. Christ, the Living Word of God is that very essence of the living Spirit within us. 

The triune God, in action in our lives, how amazing is that?

As Paul wrote, quoting “In Him we live, move and have our being.” Acts 17:28

   Drink deeply of the fountain of living water.

Yes, delight in drinking deeply, drink the WHOLE of scripture. 

Reading it from beginning to end, year upon year upon year, for decades.

Then we have a glimpse of overview, a clearer idea of faith as God sees it… 

However our temporal, human understanding is ever so limited. 

Our God is ETERNAL, sees with eternal eyes, may we learn to do likewise by being in the book of books.

 I’ve been very blessed, privliged to be able to do this. Saved at 12yrs and read the Bible through for every year saved. Had catch up, finally when saved  13 yrs, I was challenged to read it through! Did not occur to me till someone drew my attention to it!

Did extra as a private goal, took about 30 years to catch up, 😆😅😉 but it was soo worth it. 

We all, though walk different paths. 

Some may be like my darling dad, who was saved ten days before he passed, in his 90th year. That’s the greatness of faith in Living God! It’s unique to each who believe.

The yearly reading pattern of scripture, yes, it taught much, but most of all prayer with much meditation, must be combined… they so go together.

So keep your nose in the Book of books, your feet running, looking unto Jesus… 

Again as Paul also put it 

“RUN therefore, that ye may obtain..” 1 Cor 9:24

It’s a race, not a stroll.

Hymn - Faith of our Fathers - 

Link HERE if not showing.

1. Faith of the martyrs, living still

in spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;

oh, how our hearts beat high with joy

whene’er we hear that glorious word!

Refrain:

Faith of the martyrs, holy faith,

we will be true to thee till death.

2. The martyrs chained in prison cells

were still in heart and conscience free,

and bless’d would be their children’s fate

if they, like them, should die for thee! [Refrain]

3 Faith of the martyrs, we will love

both friend and foe in all our strife,

and preach thee, too, as love knows how,

by saving word and faithful life! [Refrain]

(The arrangement was originally created in respect to Catherine of Alexander, a fourth-century lady who was sentenced to death because of her faith. Hymn written by Frederick William Faber in 1849.)

Those who’ve gone before us in this race, have given their all, may we do likewise! 

Praying on.

Praying for you, in all your burdens, also! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Thanks to all who pop across to read this blog and Thank YOU, especially if you’re able to leave some love and encouragement.

Prayer hugs,🙏🤗

Shaz in Oz.x 

If you are not sure if you are a Christian, a Christ follower, please read this post here - Who or What is a Christian?

PS. If you haven’t I'd love it you to join as a wonderful encourager

of this blog ...  link HERE.  Thank YOU to those who have done so already. It really encourages me to keep on. 😊

If you'd like these posts in your inbox, you can add your email to email link option on side bar. If you're on a mobile device on which there is no sidebar, then scroll down and select "View Web Version" at very bottom of post. This will bring up sidebar and "follow by email" link, which is on the top of sidebar. 😊 thank you!

Encouragement in the Fire

( Planned to do another post, but no, this almost complete one, like a few others, is curiously the one!

 It’s such blessed thought! Trust it blesses you also, started about 6 mths or so ago.)

Hi there everyone!

I do love to find encouragement in the walk of those who’ve gone before, like the heroes of the Faith in Hebrews 11. 

However, today we’re heading briefly to the OT, to the book of Daniel. 

Daniel is the first the fourteen minor prophets, and it simply full of hope and promise in the midst of trials.

So we see these three young men, possibly in their 20’s: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hold onto their belief in God, even when threatened with a fiery death. 

Their story serves as inspiration for those who question their faith, or who face hardship for their beliefs.

Three young exiles were arrested in Babylon for not obeying  the kings command, to bow worship his golden idol. This was their reply of faith.

 

Dan 3:17-18

“If it be so, our God whom we serve is ABLE to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

**BUT if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will NOT serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image..”

I was pondering these three young men. 

I thought, why them?

I'm sure there were other believers in Babylon.

*****

The prophet Elijah thought he was the only follower of Jaweh, the LORD God, left: 

".. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." 

1 King 19:14b

But no! the LORD God said:

"Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, 

all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, 

and every mouth which hath not kissed him."

1 Kings 19:18

So I wonder how many others before these three friends had refused to bow the knee and suffered the deadly consequences? 

Of course, this brief story of Daniel’s friends does not share it.

However I’m rather sure there were others who’d died before, as their reply seems to indicate:

“If it be so, our God whom we serve is ABLE to deliver us….” 

“IF IT BE SO …”

“If it be so” ie God willing, He may, as He IS able to rescue us.

However, this rescue seems it happened to none other at this time but to these three.

*****

Compare this to the leper Naaman, Jesus Himself spoke of the uniqueness of Naaman’s healing.

And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet;

 and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. Luke 4:27

The mercy and grace of the Lord is ours. 

If we but ask in faith in Jesus’ name. 

Ye have not because ye ask not, James says that ye may consume it upon your own lust. (See James 4:3,4 - here)

However by the same token if attitude is wrong 😑, God will not give it.

For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

So then it is not of him that willeth, 

nor of him that runneth, 

but of God that sheweth mercy.

For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, 

Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Romans 9:15-18

I notice two things, God’s glory is the reason, for His mercy being manifest. 

❤️ Heart is key, our three lad’s hearts were in the right place.

As I think upon this passage I pray earnestly for the youth of today! 

“For unto whomsoever much is given, 

of him shall much is required”.. - see here Luke 12:48).

We who are older in the faith have a huge responsibility 

- to PRAY WITHOUT CEASING for those coming along after.

We must intercede for younger ones in faith as our Saviour did for us, how He loves us! This eternal prayer is as fresh as when it was prayed for you and I!

Do love John 17, the might of Christ’s love and yearning intercession at work! 

(See our Saviour’s beautiful prayer for us, in this passage here).

If we fail to hold the ropes in prayer, their shipwreck may well be laid at our door. 

For unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required! 

Just think of those who had prayed for these three lads? 

They were faithful to pray, may we go and do likewise.

Hymn here if not showing.

Face to face with Christ, my Savior

Face to face, what will it be?

When with rapture I behold him

Jesus Christ who died for me

Face to face shall I behold him

Far beyond the starry sky

Face to face in all his glory

I shall see him by and by

Only faintly now I see him

With the darkened veil between

But a blessed day is coming

When his glory shall be seen

Face to face shall I behold him

Far beyond the starry sky

Face to face in all his glory

I shall see him by and by

Face to face, oh, blissful moment

Face to face, to see and know

Face to face with my Redeemer

Jesus Christ who loved me so

Face to face shall I behold him

Far beyond the starry sky

Face to face in all his glory

I shall see him (I shall see Him)

By and by (Him by and by)

(To read the story behind this hymn see See here.)

1 John 3:2 goes with this hymn in my mind, and curiously they’ve put it at the end of the video too, however if you read the above post it was not written for this verse, but 1 Cor 13:12.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, 

and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: 

but we know that, when he shall appear,

 we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1John 3:2

That I am so very much looking forward, to seeing Jesus and being like Him, that will indeed be JOY… JOY TO COME!

Let us look up, for our redemption draweth nigh. 

Perhaps today, LORD Jesus. Perhaps, today!

O Father God, please keep our eyes looking up to our wonderful Saviour, let our hearts be fixed on Thee, or as the hymn writer said “let my soul look up in a STEADFAST HOPE, and my will be lost in Thine.” 

In Jesus’ precious name, I pray these things, for all dear ones out there, Amen.

Thanks to all who pop across to read this blog and Thank YOU, especially if you’re able to leave some love and encouragement.

Prayer hugs,🙏🤗

Shaz in Oz.x 

If you are not sure if you are a Christian, a Christ follower, please read this post here - Who or What is a Christian?

PS. If you haven’t I'd love it you to join as a wonderful encourager

of this blog ...  link HERE.  Thank YOU to those who have done so already. It really encourages me to keep on. 😊

If you'd like these posts in your inbox, you can add your email to email link option on side bar. If you're on a mobile device on which there is no sidebar, then scroll down and select "View Web Version" at very bottom of post. This will bring up sidebar and "follow by email" link, which is on the top of sidebar. Thank YOU