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Category: Faith

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Do you ever feel like God doesn’t answer your prayers? I do. Particularly lately, I feel like He is ignoring my requests for pain relief. Ephesians 3:20-21 tells us that He is able to do so much more than we could ask or imagine. So, if that’s the case, why doesn’t He heal me? Perhaps because He is doing something beyond my imagination. Perhaps He has a better plan in mind. I can’t conceive what that might be, but isn’t that what this verse is all about?

In Ephesians 3:14-19, Paul makes some pretty bold requests—essentially that we would have the power and knowledge of Christ within us, and in fact have Christ Himself within us. Yet, Paul believed not only that God was able to accomplish this, but that He was (and since it is in the present tense, still is) able far beyond Paul’s (or our) expectations. Even though Paul seems to be asking a lot, he is in fact not asking too much. We cannot ask too much of God, because whatever we think to ask is well within His power. That does not mean that we will always get things just the way we ask for them. God has purposes beyond what we could imagine as well, and we know that His purposes for us are good. (Romans 8:28, Matthew 7:11) God wants to give us good gifts, but He also wants us to be humble, and to bring Him the glory. He wants our requests to be made according to His will. (John 15:7, John 14:13-14)

The beginning of Ephesians 3:20 talks about the power that is working within us. If we allow Christ to work through us, and in us, we will be much more effective. God’s desire is to make us more like Jesus, and in order to accomplish this, we need to do things His way. I know that it isn’t easy to give up control, but if we give it to God, life can be so much better than we imagine. God’s grace and mercy and love and power will never run out. They are infinite, not limited by our finite minds. His goodness to us will not change; we just need to be willing to accept it, and to allow Him to have the praise and the glory. God sees the end from the beginning and we can trust that He has our best interests at heart.

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In my last post, I discussed Paul’s teaching that we are justified by faith and faith alone. James 2:14-26 is often seen as a contradiction of Paul, but what James said was not directed at Paul, and for that matter what Paul said had not been directed at James. Paul was speaking to a group of people who felt that they could earn their righteousness by obeying the law to the letter, and often to the point of neglecting mercy and compassion. James was speaking to his brothers and sisters—those who already claimed to have a faith in God but were not showing it in their actions.

James is not saying that we need to have both faith and works in order to earn salvation. If that were the case, we would be claiming that Christ is not our only saviour, but that we are saviours for ourselves. This is not supported in the rest of scripture at all, and it is not what James is teaching either. Faith in Christ is all we need for salvation, but true faith is more than just saying so; it is more than just intellectual agreement. That is an essential first step, but it is not the last step. True faith naturally results in obedience to Christ, and in the character of Christ being displayed through us. Good works are the only way that other people will be able to see our faith.

If we were to go to court to claim our innocence in some matter, we would be judged on our actions; that is how the jury would decide if what we said is true. The same principle applies to our faith. Our actions are the evidence that shows the world that our faith is real. Good works are the fruit of the tree that has faith as its root. You are known by the fruit that you bear. (Matthew 12:33)

It is a case of what motivates us. Are we doing what we believe is right, as Paul’s audience was, because we are trying to earn gold stars, or are we doing what we believe God wants us to do because we love Him and want to serve Him? Ephesians 2:8-10 ties it all together for us. We are saved by faith, but we were designed to do good works.

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In Romans 5:1-11 Paul discusses the benefits of being justified by faith. Years ago, I memorized Romans 5:1-2 in the New International Version: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

First of all, we are justified by faith. I once heard someone define the term justified as “just [as] if I’d” never sinned. Through faith, and only by faith, we are worthy to share in the benefits that Paul describes here. They are gifts given through the grace of God to those who believe. The NET Bible translates “justified” as “declared righteous”. We don’t start out righteous, but we don’t have to clean ourselves up before we can be accepted by God. All we have to do is have faith, believe. (Romans 4:3-5)

The term peace here does not simply mean a contented feeling, but a state of peace. It is not the peace of God, but peace with God. We are not on opposing sides. We can join God’s team, and the only way to get on the team is if we are justified by faith. And this is only possible because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus acts as a mediator for us to reconcile us to God. As soon as we make the decision, we are at peace with God. So, our faith plus Jesus gets us access to God’s grace. We no longer have to worry about God’s wrath because He is surrounding us with His grace, His undeserved favour. It was grace that allowed us to be justified by faith in the first place.

This all brings us to the hope of the glory of God. Hope, as it is used in the New Testament, is not defined as wishful thinking but as expectation. We expect to see the glory of God; we are looking forward to seeing the glory of God—to see God as He truly is. We know that we will see God clearly in eternity, but we can also see glimpses of God’s glory now if we keep our spiritual eyes open. (Titus 2:11-13, I Corinthians 13:12)

Sometimes we can get discouraged by all the things that we have to face in life, and maybe we sometimes think that God is punishing us. He’s not. It’s true that we may have to face the consequences of our unwise choices, but this is not punishment, because, if we are justified by faith, we are no longer under God’s wrath. If we dwell on the promises of these two verses, perhaps our hope will be renewed. What we are going through today is small in the light of eternity. Even still, God is on our side.

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Published on 2 Comments on Psalm 86:11-13 Regrets, I’ve had a few.

Sometimes we do things we regret. That was certainly the case for David before he wrote Psalm 86. In II Samuel 11 we read about David’s regrets…mistakes…sins—adultery, deception and conspiracy to murder. That’s a lot to feel bad about. So, when in Psalm 86:11 David prays that the Lord would teach him how to live, it is an earnest prayer. He wants to be wholeheartedly committed to God. The King James Version uses the term “unite my heart”. In the New International Version, David prays for an “undivided heart”. He realizes that if his heart isn’t entirely focused on God, he will go down the wrong path, but he also sees that he needs God’s help to do it. He knows that what is impossible for humans is possible for God. (Luke 18:27)

His vow, in Psalm 86:12, to praise God forevermore, is also sincere. His reason is shown in Psalm 86:13. David knows that what he has done is deserving of death, but God in His great mercy has forgiven him. God is deserving of our praise simply because He is God, but His love and mercy toward David provided so much more motivation. David vowed not only to praise God, but to do it with enthusiasm, and to do it forever.

It is likely that most of the people reading this have not sinned to the same degree that David did in the case of Bathsheba and Uriah. But even the most noble among us are dependent on God’s grace to save us. We cannot save ourselves. (Ephesians 2:4-9) God wants us all to be completely devoted to Him. He wants us to ask for His help to live the way we should. He is ready and willing to give it, along with His grace, mercy, love and forgiveness. He has provided His Word so that we can learn more about His ways, but it takes commitment. We need to choose each day to put Him first, to praise Him and to give Him the glory.

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Sometimes Christians use terms that aren’t easily understood by people who didn’t grow up going to church. These days, it is often referred to as “Christianese”, but it is not a new concept at all. Nicodemus had the same problem when he spoke to Jesus in John 3:1-7.

After Jesus had spent the day with crowds of people at the temple, Nicodemus went to see him at night. Nicodemus wanted to ask Jesus some questions, apparently while there weren’t a lot of other people around to interrupt or make judgements. He wasn’t defensive or argumentative about what Jesus had to say, refusing to accept it because it was something he hadn’t heard before. Rather, he realized that Jesus was from God, and he wanted to understand and to do what was right.

Jesus knew what Nicodemus’ questions were before he asked them, so He got straight to the point. “Unless a person is born from above, He cannot see the kingdom of God.” That means that if you want to see the kingdom of God, this is how to do it, so we, like Nicodemus, had better understand what it means. In the King James and several other versions, “born from above” is translated as “born again”, and that is the Christianese term that has confused a lot of people, Nicodemus included.

So what does it mean to be born from above? Human beings are more than just bodies. We are made of flesh, and we are made of spirit. When we realize that our spirit needs to be connected to God’s Spirit, that we belong to the One who created us, and accept the fact that Jesus has provided for our salvation, we can be born from above. All it takes is to acknowledge that God sent his son Jesus to be a sacrifice for us, so that we wouldn’t have to pay the price for our own sins. We need to acknowledge that we do sin, and that we need God.

If you want to be born again, from above, pray this simple prayer.

Dear God, I realize that I need You. I believe that Jesus came to pay the penalty for my sins, so that I could have a relationship with You. I want that relationship, and I want to live in a way that pleases You. Please help me to understand what that really means and help me to do it. Amen.

If you aren’t ready yet, but you would really like to understand, you can pray for that too. God promises that if we look for Him, we will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:13, Deuteronomy 4:29, Proverbs 8:17) You can pray something as simple as:

Dear God, I really want to know the truth. Please help me to understand. Amen.

Then, be open for the answer. Be willing to read the Bible, and pray for understanding as you do. Be willing to talk to a pastor or someone you trust who has already walked down this path. If you really want to know the truth, you will pray that prayer, or a similar one, more than once. God will make Himself known to you if you seek Him with all your heart.

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Back in May, when everyone was talking about Harold Camping’s predictions, I wrote a blog post saying that no one knows the day or the hour that the end will come. (May 20, 2011) At the time, we were talking about the end of the world and Judgement Day, but it is very likely that our end will come before then, and we can’t know the time or the hour of that either.

I have been thinking more than usual about death lately, because I seem to be exposed to it more than usual. There has been a death in my family, but there has also been death, near death and uncertainty all around me. In the spring, Al and Rita Chretien went missing. Rita thought that she was going to die, but was found after 7 weeks. Al still has not been found. Robert Porter was also trapped in his car on a deserted road, and was preparing to die. Unlike Rita, Robert was not able to move, had little water with him and was sitting in a hot car, unable to roll down the windows. He was rescued after three days, but three days is a long time to think about what you would like to do differently. Other people have not had that contemplation time. We have just passed the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Thousands of people had no more than a few minutes to think, many of them no time at all. A car crash could happen without warning. So could a heart attack, or cancer, or murder.

In Acts 1:7, Jesus told His disciples that they were not permitted to know the times that the Father has set by His own authority. Only God knows all the answers. The rest of us have to live by faith, and be as prepared as we can be for the Father’s schedule to unfold.

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In Canada, it is the last day of summer, the day before school starts. To mark the occasion today's post celebrates summer and perseverance. It is a review of the movie Soul Surfer by Meg Korpi and Rusty Wright.

Kauai, 2003. A 14-foot tiger shark bursts through the waves and tears off 13-year-old Bethany Hamilton’s left arm. She loses 60 percent of her blood, and faces the end of her pro surfing dreams. Three months later, the unstoppable teen is surfing competitively again.

If you’re looking for inspiration to thrive in tough times or to appreciate life more fully, Soul Surfer—the movie based on Hamilton’s brush with death and remarkable comeback—will knock your socks off. The Sony Pictures release, starring AnnaSophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, and Carrie Underwood opened across North America in April, and was available on DVD August 2, 2011.

Fantastic Surfing, Tough Competition, Heart-stopping Tragedy, Strong Character

The film’s breathtaking surfing footage and heart-pounding athletic competition will appeal to sports enthusiasts. But Bethany’s true story of gut-wrenching tragedy, driven character, and hard-won victory is what makes Soul Surfer worth seeing.

Pre-attack, Bethany (Robb) is a lighthearted kid, as well as a skilled surfer. (At 13, she ranked #2 among females 18-and-under in the USA.) After the attack, Bethany emerges as poised and determined, with a well-grounded spirit. Where does a 13-year-old gain the inner strength to remain surprisingly positive while adapting to a missing limb and rebuilding athletic prowess?

Why This? Why Me?

After the attack, Bethany struggles with the mundane (ever try slicing a tomato with one hand?), the profound (how could this be God’s plan?), and the weighty (“will a boy ever like me with only one arm?”). In addition, as a champion surfer driven by love of the sport, Bethany confronts the likely loss of her career: How could she possibly paddle a surfboard, one-armed, through breaking surf, much less re-conquer championship surfing maneuvers?

“I don’t need easy; I just need possible”

But a love of God also drives Bethany. In a story line that some may see as contrived, but which reflects actual events, her youth group leader, Sarah Hill (Underwood), encourages her with the biblical assurance: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘…plans for good and not for harm, to give you a future and a hope.’” (Jeremiah 29:11)

As Bethany learns to rely on this truth, it compels here. With dogged determination, she decides to tackle surfing again. She seeks help from her father (Quaid).

“It’s not going to be easy,” he cautions.

“I don’t need easy,” replies Bethany. “I just need possible.”

Inspiring Role Model

At the film’s NYC premiere, director Sean McNamara offered insight into Bethany’s remarkable fortitude. “Her faith was amazing. I watched her overcome adversity and [attribute it to her] faith in Jesus Christ … I’d been through years of Catholic school, but it’s different when you actually see someone walk the walk and talk the talk.”

This film will not necessarily please moviegoers who expect dark drama and gore from a shark-attack movie. Skeptics will likely scoff at the portrayal of Bethany’s resilience and positive attitude. In fact, the filmmakers toned down the real Bethany’s indomitable spirit for fear audiences wouldn’t find her believable. “They kept wanting [her character] to act sad in the hospital,” Bethany’s brother Noah told us, “but she wasn’t like that. She was upbeat.”

Good teen role models are hard to come by. Thirteen-year–olds who inspire adults to greater courage are virtually unheard of. If one is open-minded enough to accept the fact that admirable and wise-beyond-their-years teens do exist, one could learn a lot from Bethany’s example.

Soul Surfer is thought-provoking PG entertainment. The Hamilton family’s faith is portrayed as integral to the characters, not preachy. The shark-attack scene is tame enough for the squeamish. We found the movie hard to leave in the theater, and carried it in our heads for days, reflecting on the individuals’ character, wisdom and choices.

Some of the real Bethany’s insights are so profound and selfless that they’re indeed hard for the rest of us to comprehend. She once said,

“If I can help other people find hope in God, then that is worth losing my arm for.”

Amazing. Grace.

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Meg Korpi studies character development and ethical decision-making through the Character Research Institute in Northern California. She holds a PhD from, and formerly taught at, Stanford University.

Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. www.RustyWright.com

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Published on 1 Comment on Romans 4:18-25 Dark Night of the Soul

Have you ever gone through a dark night of the soul? This is a term that is commonly used by people to describe a stage where your faith in God seems to be in a crisis. You aren’t sure if He is still there, if He is listening, or if He even likes you anymore.

I have gone through a dark night, and to some extent, I think I am still going through it. It all started about ten years ago when my husband was unemployed, and I told him that I’d be willing to move anywhere that he could find a job. So I ending up leaving the city I had grown up in to move to a small town where I knew no one. I was willing to do it, but it wasn’t easy, and it just kept getting harder. Every time I thought that things were starting to go well, something terrible would happen. Most recently it was a car accident that left me in enough constant pain that, although I’m not technically disabled, my activities are limited. I think I believed that God wasn’t listening because God wasn’t answering my prayers the way that I wanted them answered. Nothing ever seemed to go the way that I wanted it to—not for long anyway.

I wonder if Abraham felt the same way. God promised Abraham when he was 75 that He would make him a great nation. (Genesis 12:1-4) By the time referred to in Romans 4:18-25 Abraham was about 100 years old. Twenty-five years! Do you think that at some point Abraham might have questioned God about His promise? What did you mean God? Am I really going to have a child of my own, who will become a great nation, or did I misunderstand? I believe You are going to fulfill Your promise; I just don’t understand how or when. Perhaps Abraham questioned, or perhaps he didn’t, but two things are sure.
1. Abraham didn’t understand how having a child at his (and Sarah’s) age was possible. (Genesis 17:17)
2. Abraham believed God anyway. (Romans 4:3)
This is why he is credited with having so much faith. I don’t think that faith like that comes naturally; I think it is the result of a conscious decision. When you aren’t sure that you believe God with your heart, believe Him with your head. Look back at what you know to be true about God. Look at what He has done for you in the past, the promises He has kept and the prayers He has answered. Believe that He knows what He is doing and how He is going to do it.

I feel like I’m beginning to come out of my dark night. It is not because things have become any easier, and they still aren’t how I’d prefer them to be, but I’ve begun to change my perspective. Now I pray that God’s will would be done instead of mine. That’s not an easy thing to do, but I know it’s the right thing. I spend more time listening to God now, primarily by reading His word. I believe that His word is true, but I still need to remind myself what it says. That is the reason that I started this blog; I hope that it will help to remind you too.

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Today's post was written by David Plaunt.
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One Monday afternoon I called up my wife and said to her, "We are leaving for a vacation in France on Wednesday." What I did that afternoon to my wife makes me think of God telling Abraham to pack up and head out (Genesis 12:1-2) and what Abraham had to say to Sarah. "Honey we need to move; I think we are going to head east." Off they went, family in tow, on an adventure of faith.

Abraham is referred to throughout the Bible, including at least 74 times in the New Testament. It seems to me there is one point that is hammered home whenever Abraham is mentioned, and that is faith.

It was through this faith that Abraham was justified, (Genesis 15:6) and through the same faith that we, both brothers and sisters, are all called sons of Abraham. (Galatians 3:6-9) Being called a son of Abraham is not the same as being Jewish; rather it is having faith that makes us a son of Abraham. (Galatians 3:8, Genesis 12:3, Genesis 18:18) Why would we want to be called sons of Abraham? As sons of Abraham, those who trust in the promises of God just as Abraham did, we inherit the blessings promised to Abraham. (Galatians 3:9) The inheritance our faith brings us is justification. That is the acquittal of our sins so that we need not fear meeting a righteous God. This is the basis of any other blessing we may receive. It is only through this justification that we can receive the promise of the Spirit (Galatians 3:14) that leads to eternal life.

Of all the references to Abraham in the New Testament there is only
one thing we are instructed to do as Abraham did, and that is to have
faith. Because we share this same faith with Abraham we receive
the blessings he received as well.

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Over the years I have heard of many cases where people purposely entered the lions’ cages at zoos. I’m sure they all had reasons that they thought made sense at the time, but some were mauled and others died because they challenged such powerful creatures. Although, zoo keepers have managed to safely care for the animals, unexpected visitors do not escape unharmed.

In I Peter 5:8, Satan is described as a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. The verse begins with a warning to be sober and alert—self-disciplined, wise and vigilant. You can be sure that if you are not prepared to face the devil, he will get the better of you. His goal is to make you doubt your faith and to disregard or disobey God. Satan is a liar and the father of lies, (John 8:44) but he disguises himself as whatever will suit his purposes, including an angel of light. (II Corinthians 11:14) His purpose is to deceive you, as he has done since the very beginning of the world. (Genesis 3:13)

Jesus said that in this world we would have trouble and suffering, and that we would be in a constant battle with the evil one. But He also told us to have courage, because He has overcome the world. (John 16:33) This world may be a battleground between God and Satan, but we know that God will win. We have to be careful not to let Satan deceive us. How can we do that? Through spending time with God. By reading our Bibles, studying the Word and thinking about how it applies to our lives. By praying in an open and honest way and taking time to listen to God for His answers. By relying on Him to give us His strength. He has promised us that His grace is sufficient for us, that His power is made perfect in our weakness (II Corinthians 12:9), and that we are able to do all things through the strength that He provides for us. (Philippians 4:13)

I Peter 5:9-11 tells us to resist the devil and trust in God. Don’t let Satan deceive you into believing that you are alone in your trials or that God has abandoned you. God has promised to never leave us or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:8) He will give us the strength we need for every situation and will restore us in His time. Warren Wiersbe has said that “God doesn’t always change the circumstances, but He can change us to meet the circumstances. That’s what it means to live by faith.”