WHEN EVIDENCE IS POSSIBLE, FAITH IS IMPOSSIBLE

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1

This is a very simple statement, but carries a profound heart-searching truth. The Scriptures tell us that “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). We might ask, “What is spiritual faith?” The author writes in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance [the confirmation, the title-deed] of things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see, and the conviction of the reality, faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses” (Amplified).

That simply means, if we can see any tangible evidence of what we hope for, then faith is not exercised in obtaining it. Faith lays hold of nothing, sees nothing, has no factual foundation of obtaining its objective, and claims it as a reality. In Mark 11:22 we read, “Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”

Faith means I have to step out into the uncharted waters into the deep, where I do not see anything (Matthew 14:29). Oswald Chambers writes, “Faith in my notions, my understanding, my evaluation, my ability, or gifts, means that I must clear the ground first by my intelligence. Faith is not intelligent understanding, or the result of debating the issue. Faith is the deliberate commitment to Jesus Christ when I see no way. When I have to weigh the pros and cons, and doubt and debate come in, I am bringing in an element that is not of God and has no relation to faith.”

When we exercise spiritual faith, we are trusting in the integrity and invincible character of God. Our heart is established on the eternal truth that God is holy love. We fling ourselves in reckless confidence in the unchanging infinite truth of His Word. Faith operates from a singleness of heart, a definitive purpose to pursue without wavering, a life that is abandoned to His will, and seeks to magnify His name in all of our life.

Faith by its very nature must be tried. When we encounter some trying experience, it will reveal the reality of our faith. It will bring to light whether our faith is an intellectual assent to the truth, or if our faith proceeds from a personal relationship with Christ. God tries us to purify our faith, our life, and our relationship with Him (1 Peter 1:7).

Faith is the whole man rightly related to God by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit that finds expression in trusting God when we have nothing to lean on but God. Faith rests alone on the verity and validity of Almighty God. Faith is not of us; it is the operation of God, whereby all believers are endowed from above.

It is faith that lifts us “above” our circumstances while we are yet “in” them. It enables us to live with things that are future and invisible. It gives sustenance to the believer, provides evidence of the truth, and reality that will secure him from falling, whatever the trial may be.

When we exercise faith, we are putting our confidence, trust, and reliance in the “infallible character and integrity of God,” and the merits of His Son Jesus Christ. “And this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).


From: Literature International Ministries - Ed Powell

Is There Good in Temptation?

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man . . . 1 Corinthians 10:13


The word temptation has come to mean something bad to us today, but we tend to use the word in the wrong way. Temptation itself is not sin; it is something we are bound to face simply by virtue of being human. Not to be tempted would mean that we were already so shameful that we would be beneath contempt. Yet many of us suffer from temptations we should never have to suffer, simply because we have refused to allow God to lift us to a higher level where we would face temptations of another kind.

A person’s inner nature, what he possesses in the inner, spiritual part of his being, determines what he is tempted by on the outside. The temptation fits the true nature of the person being tempted and reveals the possibilities of his nature. Every person actually determines or sets the level of his own temptation, because temptation will come to him in accordance with the level of his controlling, inner nature.

Temptation comes to me, suggesting a possible shortcut to the realization of my highest goal— it does not direct me toward what I understand to be evil, but toward what I understand to be good. Temptation is something that confuses me for a while, and I don’t know whether something is right or wrong. When I yield to it, I have made lust a god, and the temptation itself becomes the proof that it was only my own fear that prevented me from falling into the sin earlier.

Temptation is not something we can escape; in fact, it is essential to the well-rounded life of a person. Beware of thinking that you are tempted as no one else--what you go through is the common inheritance of the human race, not something that no one has ever before endured. God does not save us from temptations--He sustains us in the midst of them (see Hebrews 2:18 and Hebrews 4:15-16 ).


From: RBC - Utmost For His Highest

A Secret to Peace

Acts 27

Paul exercises his right as a Roman citizen to take his case before Caesar.

INSIGHT

One of the secrets of peace is believing the promises of God. There are many things that we think we believe, but our anxiety level reveals that we do not. The Lord promises to meet all our needs, but our labor and worry reveal that we are not so sure. Paul receives a word from God that he will not perish. In relating this to the sailors, Paul says: "Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me" (v. 25). If we believe, we can be at peace; if we do not believe, we will fret. Review the promises of Scripture when you are troubled. What among them are you not believing? If you are trying to believe but still struggle, you may pray the prayer of the father regarding his son who had an evil spirit: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24).

PRAYER

Praise God that He rewards our faith, even if it is as small as a mustard seed:
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen. (Psalm 72:18-19)

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
O Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
"Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips."
(Hosea 14:1-2)

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;
and the bread that I shall give is My flesh,
which I shall give for the life of the world." (John 6:51)

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

* Greater love for your family
* Missions in North America
* Your activities for the day

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
"The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works." (Matthew 16:27)



From: CrossWalk Devotionals - Quiet Walk

Amazing Love

1 John 4:10
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.


God is Love

Another really important attribute of God is His love. No human being can love us as much as God does. His love for us reaches to the farthest corner of the universe. We can't begin to imagine how great it is. We can understand it in only one way. We have to think about how much love it took for God to have Jesus die for our sins on the cross.

God’s love for us goes way beyond the natural love a good father has for his children. The fact is, God loves us even when we are rebelling against every one of his commands. Every person who has been born since Adam sinned has inherited a sin nature that makes sin more attractive to him or her than goodness. You can observe this fact in action next time you hang out with your friends. Are you ever called names because you won’t do something good or right? Not likely. But, friends and classmates will tease you and call you names for not joining them in an activity that is wrong or hurtful. It’s way harder to do the right thing than it is to follow the crowd into sin.

Because of our natural attraction to sin, we are not God’s friends, but his enemies. However, he loved us so much that he sacrificed, not his own life, but the life of his son. That is way harder. Paul puts it this way in Romans 5:7-8. “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

God loved us so much that he sent Jesus to die for our sins. Every once in a while I hear a story about a father who jumps into Lake Powell to save his child who has fallen into the water. Sometimes the father is successful. Other times he's not. Sometimes, someone else in the boat rescues the child, but the father dies. I am always amazed at how much a father will sacrifice for his child.

If God loves us so much that he gave his only son to save us, he will absolutely care for us in every possible way. He will make sure we have what we need to grow and mature, both physically and spiritually. He will keep us safe. He will never let anything come into our lives that would hurt us in our relationship with him.

The fact of God’s love makes it possible for us to have peace even when things aren’t going like we want them to. God is all-powerful and he loves us perfectly and without any expectations. He never allows us to suffer unless it fulfills a part of His great plan for our lives. He uses both the good and bad things of our lives to make us mature and spiritually beautiful. What a treasure we have in the promise God gave us in John 3:16! “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Today’s Prayer:
Loving Father God, I surely am glad that I don’t have to earn your love by being good. I’d never make it. Thank you for loving me just the way I am. Thank you, too, for using everything in my life to make me more like Jesus. Most of all, thank you for giving Jesus to die for me so I could know you and live with you forever.


From: New Wine Skin - Written by Martha E Menne

The Pot of Prayer

“I will go to the altar of God, to God who is my joy and happiness.”
Psalm 43:4

Let’s say a stress stirrer comes your way. The doctor decides you need an operation. She detects a lump and thinks it best that you have it removed. So there you are, walking out of her office. You’ve just been handed this cup of anxiety. What are you going to do with it? You can place it in one of two pots.

You can dump your bad news in the vat of worry and pull out the spoon. Turn on the fire. Stew on it. Stir it. Mope for a while. Brood for a time. Won’t be long before you’ll have a delightful pot of pessimism.

How about a different idea? The pot of prayer. Before the door of the doctor’s office closes, give the problem to God. “I receive your lordship. Nothing comes to me that hasn’t passed through you.” In addition, stir in a healthy helping of gratitude.

Your part is prayer and gratitude. God’s part? Peace and protection.



From: Max Lucado