Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Jesus' Faith in You

A blog friend of mine has 'grabbed' my heart, so to speak. I was humbly grateful when she even emailed me personally to ask me to pray for her. That to me was a special privilege. I don't consider myself as any more 'worthy' of God answering my prayers for her than when she is praying, but it does excite me to know that others are willing for me to join hands with them in exploring who God really is and what He is really like so they can experience God's peace in their lives.

I was introduced to a web site today that is intent on sharing the message with this world as to who the Creator God of the Universe really is and what He is REALLY like. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for real peace and genuine joy. http://www.renewedheartministries.com/home.asp

The following is from a 'weekly' article from that site.

"Confidence inspires confidence. Courage rouses courage. Love awakens love. Respect begets respect. Faith enables faith! . . . Those whose driving motive is fear usually resort to tactics of control, manipulation, sometimes guilt, but always a gnawing sense that they must ensure certain outcomes or suffer loss. Those who are governed by confidence realize the possibility of loss, but they are ever at peace. They trust in the eternal principles of how things work. They understand that confidence can’t be demanded, love cannot be forced, and respect will never be awakened in others by it being required of them. Their relations with others are uniquely characterized by a strange sense of freedom . . . leaving others free to live as they so choose. In the wake of these thoughts, I would like you take note of a small statement made by Paul in the beginning of his letter to the believers in Rome. A small statement with huge implications, nonetheless. “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.’” -Romans 1.17 (emphasis added) Did you catch it? Not only is love only awakened by love, but it appears that faith is only enabled by faith! Now consider the implications. God is not afraid or threatened. God is confident. But notice what He is confident in! He is confident that His love is powerful enough to win our hearts! He does not need to demand or require love. He truly believes this and thus is not interested in forced obedience, as the religious masses would have us believe. . . . The object of faith is always love. Love is that which faith is believing in, and although we all agree that God is endeavoring to awaken our faith in His love, do not miss the numerous times in the New Testament that our faith is not the focus, but rather HIS. “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference” -Romans 3.22 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” -Galatians 2.16 “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” - Galatians 3.22 Faith (Pisteos) in each of these verses is in the genitive (possessive) case, which means that it’s not necessarily faith in Jesus but rather the faith of Jesus. . . . He truly believes that love will accomplish far more than fear, control and manipulation. Thus, He continually gives us freedom. God trusts that when He lovingly whispers to us and tells us that He genuinely only wants to give to us, that He truly wants nothing from us, His generous, other-centered love alone will inspire in us a deep, unquenchable desire to give Him everything. Take time this week to meditate, not just on the faith He wants to inspire in us, but the faith that is preveniently in His heart. As you dwell on this, may you find faith in Him as well as the Faith of Him who did not count heaven itself a place to be desired while you and I were outside it’s gates. “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” -Revelation 14.12 (emphasis supplied) I wish you God’s best this week." Herb Montgomery (quoted)

May You experience that kind of JOY,PEACE and LOVE

Bringer of Peace

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