Faith

Faith

God is NOT religion.  Religion is man’s version of God.

If you look at The American College Dictionary’s definition of religion, it says religion is defined as, “the quest for the values of the ideal life, involving three phases: the ideal, the practices for attaining the values of the idea, and the theology or world view relating the quest to the environing universe”.

For centuries the most consistently inconsistent version of God was passed down by the writings of the Bible. Careful evaluation demonstrates that there are different translations, different words used for the essence of each verse and some sections of the Bible have been completely left out.

The basic premise is the same, however.  God is love, FAITH and hope for us continually learning inhabitants of the earth. The Bible is God’s BIG Love Letter to you as HIS Creation.

Yes, we were created in His image and He loves you very much. Just as any parent who loves their child, a parent will give their life, their energy and their wisdom in efforts to preserve, prosper and propel that child forward. Sometimes the love of a parent seems harsh, and rightfully so to enforce the lifesaving agony of error. Ultimately the harshness of that “love” is far more tolerable than the consequences of not changing a course of action.

What you can count on is that God is faithful to your redemption. He is faithful to your well being and giving you second chances. He is far more faithful that any other human being and you CAN count on Him. You can count on His faithfulness. What can be a challenge, however, is knowing and receiving that faithfulness of His.

You must remember that you are still here. That may soon change, as some are gloriously anticipating “the second coming” and “the end times”, however, until then, you have a whole lot of godly living to take advantage of and enjoy. God is Faithful, He Loves you and HE is there for YOU. Let that faithfulness of God sink in.

Once you are completely convinced and continue to remember that God is indeed Faithful, you can begin to build your own mighty muscle of FAITH. That is exactly why you and I are here now. We are here to build that muscle of faith.

Like any other muscle, it does not happen overnight. That faith must be developed slowly, deliberately and righteously with trust. Everyone has faith in something; that the bridge will not collapse as you drive over the river; that the movie you go to will entertain you, or that sun will come up tomorrow.  How is that faith muscle developed?  It develops over time with true, real life experiences.

It develops as you test your judgments and expectations to see if they match. The same is true when you want to develop your faith in God. It is a conscious choice to investigate, ask questions that ignite your expectations and then see the results blossom as a reality.

My godmother would remind me of this important question to ask, “God, if you are, I want to know You?”  She asked that question many years ago and God took it from there. That question may be a good place for you to start, remembering that God Created you, Loves you, and wants to be in a transformational relationship with you. Will you take the time to take advantage of God’s faithfulness in your life by asking that question for yourself?

The following poem is derived from the information in the Bible. It is sung in a song that is available for you at lphamil.com. Use these words to help build your FAITH muscle and then let me know what happens.

 

THE WORD OF GOD – 1Corinthians 13:13

When I began to read the story of the Man God brought to glory,

[Ephesians 4:23, Philippians 1:6, Galatians 2:20, 2Timothy 4:14]

I saw the WORD OF GOD transform me, from within,

[Psalm 27:10-11, Matthew 18:3-4, 2Corinthians 5:17]

True love from HIM …Love from HIM, forever.

[Luke 17:21]

 

When I began to read the pages

of HIS wisdom through the ages,

[Deuteronomy 31:8, Psalm 91:5, Proverbs 16:16, Acts 2:28]

THE WORD OF GOD revealed in stages

[Romans 8:28, Jeremiah 33:3, 1Timothy 1:5]

Faithfulness, our lives to bless… Faithfulness, forever.

[2Corinthians 12:9, James 1:2-4, Psalm 9:10, 1Peter 3:9]

 

Listen to the WORD OF GOD and take it to your soul…

Listen to the WORD OF GOD and proclaim to the nations!

[Isaiah 48:17, Matthew 28:19]

 

When I began to read the promise, that our Lord and Savior gave us,

[John 5:24]

The WORD OF GOD gave me a new hope, hope for all

[Hebrews 10:23]

My life long call…Hope from HIM forever.

[Isaiah 52:7, 2Corinthians 5:20, Hebrews 3:13, Luke 9:23]

 

Listen to the WORD OF GOD and take it to your soul!

Listen to the WORD OF GOD and proclaim to the nations,

…Proclaim to the nations!

 

When I began to read the story of the Man God brought to glory,

I saw the WORD OF GOD transform me, from within,

[Isaiah 43:18, 19]

 

True love from HIM…Love from HIM, forever.

Giving LOVE, FAITH and HOPE…

Life in HIM forever!

[Luke 21:33]

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