My Journey 8/28 -8/31/2010

God's insight to me:

As I read Max Lucado's devotional I said to myself "thank You, Jesus, for prepaing the way for me. In today's world we are blessed to be able to go online and get instructions on how to go from point A to point B. A detailed list on which way to turn to get us to the final destination. Well, God also provides us with that, it is called the BIBLE! Basic Information Before Leaving Earth.

What interested me in the devotional by Dr. Charles Stanley was as he wrote about how our faith can influence other Christian believers. I understand that we are to share our faith with those that don't know the Lord but we shouldn't forget the "weak and the wayward, struggling in doubt". I will always remember when a woman thanked me for refreshing her faith again. She was a Christian but she needed to be refreshed and through the God's Love Outreach Ministry and my obedience to the Lord, "she was refreshed again", Praise be to God!

Max Lucado's second devotional reminded me of the saying, "Walk the talk". As Christians we are always being viewed by many to see if we are just "good sales people" or do we actually live what we say. I want people that when they look at me can say, "I want what he has". What I have is Jesus and I truly want to share Him. I pray all believers feel as I do. If your walk is not in line with your talk, ask God why and I know if you are sincere He will tell you.

In this last devotional this sentence says a lot, "It takes incredible faith to believe in a God you have never seen". My mind thought of the scripture 2Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight; Our Christian life is based just on that. Thank God that we have His Word that was handed down through the ages that our eyes can read, so that our minds can interpret, through the Holy Spirit's guidance, so that we can store in our hearts forever.

When Faith Is No Longer Needed

When faith is no longer needed,
that day will one day come.
For one day many will be standing,
in the presence of the Son.

Everything you will ever need,
will always be there for you.
You will finally understand,
how your faith on earth got you through.

So thank You, Lord Jesus,
for preparing us the way.
Thank You, Holy Spirit,
for guiding us each and everyday.

Praise to You, Heavenly Father
for never giving up on us.
Faith the size of a mustard seed,
for all of us is a must!

E. P. Shagott
9/1/2010

From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott

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8/28

Heaven
By Max Lucado

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross.” Hebrews 12:2 NIV

Remember, heaven was not foreign to Jesus. He is the only person to live on earth after he had lived in heaven . . . he knew heaven before he came to earth. He knew what awaited him upon his return. And knowing what awaited him in heaven enabled him to bear the shame on earth.

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Aug. 28-29, 2010

The Influence of Faith
by Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Kings 18:37-40

In contemporary Christian culture, faith is often considered a possession that affects just its "owner." Because of our love for independence and self-sufficiency, we have, in many ways, lost the sense of community and outreach that the church is meant to embody. We live like little islands in our own "personal relationship with Christ." But in reality, God wants our faith to influence others, both within and outside the church.

Elijah's faith influenced the entire nation of Israel. By believing and delivering God's message, he was an example to them in word and deed. When he asked the Lord to reveal Himself as almighty God, fire fell from heaven, and the people believed.

His motive in the showdown at Mount Carmel was to draw the people back to the Lord. We usually think of "sharing our faith" with those who don't know Christ, but our confidence in God can also encourage weak or wayward believers. Likewise, those strong in faith can strengthen us when we are struggling with doubt.

The church is described as a body whose parts are all interconnected (1 Cor. 12:12). God never intended that we be autonomous, living in our own personal faith. We are not like a bag of marbles; rather, we're to be like a bunch of grapes whose juices blend in times of pressure.

Guard against living an isolated Christian life. Share your confidence in God's faithfulness. Your testimony could help others' faith to grow. If you're troubled by doubt or fear, let go of any pride or shame, and seek help from a strong believer. Mutual blessing awaits when we reach out to one another.

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8/30

Live the Life
By Max Lucado

“I am a voice calling out in the desert.” John 1:23

John was a voice for Christ with more than his voice. His life matched his words. When a person’s ways and words are the same, the fusion is explosive. But when a person says one thing and lives another, the result is destructive. People will know we are Christians, not because we bear the name, but because we live the life.

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8/31

Exercise Your Faith
from Daily Disciples devotional

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." But Abram said, "Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" Then Abram said, "Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!" And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Genesis 15:1-6

When God gave Abram the promise that his descendants would be as countless as the stars in the heavens, Abram and Sarai were old and had no children. This promise was still several years away from fulfillment even as the Lord made this covenant with Abram. But despite the circumstances of the current situation, Abram "believed in the Lord" and all that He was telling him. God accounted him as righteous because of his great faith.

It takes incredible faith to believe in a God you have never seen. It takes even more faith to believe in His promises that will directly impact your life. Great faith comes from our resolve to believe in the Lord and who He is, not what we can prove or intellectualize about Him. As a matter of fact, faith can be downright silly in man's eyes, even foolish. Instead of being self-conscious or embarrassed we should all pray to be more foolish in our faith. Why not expect God to move mountains in our lives?

Where is your faith today? Faith is meant to be active, not passive. If we do not keep exercising our faith, we get weak and can be tossed to and fro when the enemy comes to strike. Get into the Word of God on a regular basis and ask the Lord to increase your faith. When you get that sense within your spirit that you need to move, do it…step out and go for it. Sometimes when the fear is the greatest, you have to ask yourself: who is trying to stop you and why? Fear is not of the Lord. So why is the enemy causing you to fear? He does not want you to succeed. Faith brings success.