Archive for February, 2012

• The Daniel Fast: Making Room for God in Your Daily Life – Free Bible Study http://t.co/qTaQrpnu #
• Free Christian Class: Develop Spiritual Discipline http://t.co/ydQRfIq0 #

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• The Daniel Fast: Making Room for God in Your Daily Life – Free Bible Study http://t.co/qTaQrpnu #
• Free Christian Class: Develop Spiritual Discipline http://t.co/ydQRfIq0 #

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My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. — If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. – James 1:2-5

Last night I was at my church’s weekly prayer meeting, and God brought this scripture passage back to my heart. Well, let’s back up…

Yesterday morning I had to go to the doctor to have some testing done. Long story short, he did not give me the report that I was hoping for. In fact, he said the issue was worse than he originally thought. He told me I’ll have to have minor surgery for testing and treatment before we would even know the severity of the issue, or if it could be reversed.

So, back to the prayer meeting. I’m praying, and the Holy Spirit brings James 1 to my remembrance. So, I look up the scripture on my iPad, read it over a few times, prayed over it, and move on.

Suddenly, as I was waking up this morning (God often speaks to me right as I’m waking up because my mind is the most receptive and isn’t yet crowded with the cares of the day), God started speaking to me about all these things I need to address in the natural to fight against the health challenge I was facing. I started thinking, ‘Lord, where is all this stuff coming from? Is this just all coming from my own thoughts and logic, or is it You?”

Then, He brought verse 5 back to my mind, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

God showed me something very powerful that I had never noticed before.

This is Chapter 1of James, and the first thing he feels on his heart to do is to tell God’s kids is what to do when they encounter peirasmos. This word, translated here as temptations, means trials, experiences of evil or adversity.

So, what should we do when we encounter adversity? I always thought James gave us one directive – To count it all joy.

Counting it all joy is important, but we did not simply get directions for controlling our thoughts and emotions during trials. We were given a second instruction. One that many may find to be more practical- To ask God for wisdom.

Interesting. When we are going through a trial, he doesn’t say we are to ask God for a miracle, but for His wisdom.

Now, does God still do miracles? YES! But, is every trial we face going to be met with one? Not necessarily.

But, every battle will be met with the still small voice of the Lord guiding and directing us to victory.

And that is what I experienced this morning. His voice, speaking to me in the early hours of the morning, giving me His wisdom.

It is so comforting to know that I serve a God Who is present. No matter what trials we face, we are never alone!

Thank You Lord for Your faithfulness.

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• Love is patient & kind. It's NOT self-seeking. It keeps NO RECORD of wrongs 1Cor:13 This V-day examine your heart. Do you love like this? #
• What is LOVE? Is it a feeling OR an action? An emotion OR a choice? Jesus CHOSE to love me when I was unlovely, and to die for that love…. #

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Have you ever gone through an extended time in your life where trials just seemed to come one after the other? A season where it felt like, as soon as you caught your breath from one challenge, another unexpected test popped up out of no where. You begin to question how much more you can really carry….

Lately, that is exactly how I’ve been feeling.

Randomly, throughout my day, I keep hearing a voice saying, “Help me, Jesus. Oh, help me, Jesus.” Then, I stop and realize it’s just me, mumbling a quick prayer under my breath.

As the pressure has been building, I find myself reaching for a pressure real ease valve. The best one I know is the Word of God.

So, this morning, at 6:12am, I decided to do a quick study on our legacy of faith as Believers

*Oops! Sorry, had to leave to go put Baby E back to sleep. He’s cutting 3 new teeth and getting over a cold…where was I…

Oh, yeah, to help build my faith, I felt God urging me to take some time and do a quick study on the legacy of faith found in Hebrews chapter 11. I figured I would put my study here, in The Hem’s blog, instead of in my personal prayer journal, just in case it could be a blessing to you as well.

So, here we go….

Hebrews 11:1-2
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.

It is so funny that it says, that by faith the elders obtained a “good report.” That is exactly what I am looking to obtain-a good report from my son’s doctor today, and a good report from my own doctor next week.

So, let me back track…how did they get their good report? By faith.

So, what is faith? The substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen.

My Strong’s dictionary tells me that the word translated here as substance really means

A thing put under, substructure, foundation, that which has foundation, is firm AND That which has actual existence. A substance, real being

So, faith is the very foundation for the things we are hoping for. It is what those hopes are built upon. Without a strong foundation, a building can not stand. The same is true of our faith. Without it, our hopes and dreams have nothing to stand on, and will eventually crumble.

I used to be afraid to hope. What if I hoped for something and it didn’t happen. Then, I would look silly, but, God promises that,

Romans 5:3-5
…we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Patience is something God is stretching me in right now. But, I know that without patience, there is no real faith. If we received everything we were believing for right away, what faith would that really take? It is in our patient expectancy that we prove how much we truly trust our God.

Let’s get back to Hebrews 11 – Faith is our evidence for, or proof of, the things that we are believing God for, but still can’t see manifested in our lives. As we are patiently waiting on those thing to appear, during that trying time of waiting…and waiting…and waiting, our faith is to act as our proof that it really exists.

So, faith does not require proof because faith is the proof.

How important is our faith to God?

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

So, we see here that in order to please God we must have faith, and this faith is two fold.

1. We must believe that God is – That He exists.
2. We must also believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Now, as Christians, most of us have #1 down – We believe that God is. Our issue begins with #2, believing that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. It sounds good and all. But, for many of us, our life experiences have tarnished our view of a loving rewarding God. Instead, we see Him as angry and vengeful.

And, yet, He tells us that, until we see Him for who He truly is, our Rewarder, we can not please Him.

Could this be because, until then, every thing we do to try and please Him is done out of fear of His wrath and not faith in His Love?

Well, I’m off to wash last night’s dishes. But, if you want to dig into the subject of faith more, I’d recommend you read through all of Hebrews 11. It gives you real world examples of Believers who had faith, and what that actually looks like in our lives. For example, one of my favorites is Sara.

Hebrews 11:11
Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

Talk about having to wait, and patience. Her and Abraham waited…and waited…and waited. And yet Sara, “judged Him faithful who had promised.”

After all your waiting, do you still judge Him faithful, today? I do. I CHOOSE to trust Him with expectancy in my heart as I watch and wait. I will NOT be afraid to hope, because promises that,in the end, my hope will not make me ashamed.

If it doesn’t look like I’m winning, it just means we haven’t gotten to the end of the story yet. In the end, greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world. In the end, I win.

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• Your relationship with God is like a marriage. Don't forge to take some time out today to reconnect with your First Love. #

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• Free Christian Class:Keys to Intimacy with God http://t.co/BmnJ4LSs #
• Listen in on January's FREE Reaching for the Hem audio Bible Class: Keys to Intimacy with God http://t.co/WTgPMzgK #
• Fasting crucifies the flesh quiets the mind and prepares the spirit to receive from God. It's us reaching out to a God who's reaching back! #
• Is God Calling Me to Fast? Find out the WARNING SIGNS that you may need to fast for God in this free study http://t.co/ut0YATeR #
• Your flesh doesn't want you to hear from God. It wants you to do what IT wants to do, not what God wants! Quiet down your flesh: FAST! #
• Fasting can open up your spiritual ears to hear special direction from God. Find out how in this free Bible Study http://t.co/bORdcVLa #
• Jesus said that some strongholds and bondages in our lives are ONLY broken through Prayer AND Fasting – How much do we really want CHANGE? #
• Is there more than one way to fast? Does a true fast have to sacrifice food? Get your answers in this free Bible study http://t.co/cNMf3e1g #
• Is God STILL the Lover of Your Soul? ? http://t.co/x24dnZso #
• Feeling distant from your Heavenly Daddy? Maybe it's time for a family reunion! A special time of fasting & prayer set aside just for Him. #
• Thirsting for an intimate encounter with your Lord? Make a special date with God-Beyond the Veil In-Home Fasting Retreat… #

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