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>Audacity of Faith

Posted in Faith, tagged , on October 14, 2010| Leave a Comment »

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Into the massive ornate Jewish temple, only the second of its kind, rushed a man on a mission. He wasn’t a priest or a prophet just a “good, God-fearing man…waiting for Israel to be saved”1

But he had a secret he probably told no one else; if he had they would have thought him presumptuous. He really believed God had told him he would see the Christ before he died. The faithful had been waiting for generations for the Christ but this man had the audacity to believe God had spoken to him.

Something inside Simeon that day said, “Go to the temple now”, he probably didn’t know why. He obeyed and there at that moment were Jesus’ parents offering two doves and two pigeons, a poor family’s redemption for their son.2

The Holy Spirit speaks audacious things to people who love God. Those things can be generic to all Christ’s followers, but sometimes they are very specific – for a child, a situation, a calling.

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” – Jesus (John 16:13)

Have the audacity of faith to believe the Holy Spirit and his word.

– fritz

1 – Luke 2:25 Good News Bible
2 – Leviticus 12:6-8

Related Post: “God Speaks, We can Hear”, October 7, 2010

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>God has no Grandchildren.

Posted in Faith, Parables, tagged on October 5, 2010| Leave a Comment »

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[The rich man] cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. – Jesus (Luke 16:24)

Jesus told a parable about a rich man and a poor man. Most focus on wealth aspect – in the story the rich man ends up in hell and the poor man ends up in pre-heaven, “Abraham’s Bosom”, the place the Jews believed the faithful awaited the advent of Christ.

Few notice both the men were descendants of Abraham. The hearers commonly believed all descendants of Abraham were an automatic shoe-in to God’s kingdom.

The story indicates entrance into heaven is not a matter of heritage but personal faith and if one ignores what God has already said, more evidence won’t make a difference – note the conclusion:

Then he said … father … send [Lazarus] to my father’s house:…that he may testify … lest they also come into this place of torment … Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them …. If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. – Luke 16:27-31

We can apply, today, that being a member of a church or religious group is not enough, one must have a personal faith.

– fritz.

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>He is all we need.

Posted in Faith, God's Plan on October 2, 2010| Leave a Comment »

>Handkerchiefs taken from Paul’s body healed the masses1, yet a self described “thorn” was impervious to prayer.

Why? We may not appreciate the answer.

Apparently God has a bigger plan than just us and our wants.

“I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it’s all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.” – 2nd Corinthians 12:6-10 (Message)

-fritz

1 – Acts 19:12
Related Post: The Prosperity Gospel, September 24, 2010

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