Faith Without Action, By Kaitlyn F.

Faith Without Action

By Kaitlyn F.

I know that we have heard over and over again that faith without action is dead. Last night I was reading over the passage in James 2 that talks about faith and deeds. I found the example that it talked about to be pretty powerful.

"Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.  You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone."(James 2:21-24)

Abraham was strong in faith, but when God tested his faith, he proved by his actions that he was faithful to God. It is really easy to say that you have faith in something, but it is ten times harder to actually do anything with your faith. People on the outside can see our heart to see our faith. The only way that they can see our faith, is by the actions that we show.

Trust in God's Plan for You - Above what you know, By Christian N.

Trust in God's Plan for You - Above what you know

By Christian N.

Matthew 11:25 & 26

"I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father for this is what you were pleased to do."

1. The Father has revealed these things to the little children. In this passage Jesus is not talking about age, but faith. Someone who has earned a Masters in philosophy or divinity, and pursues leadership, without being called by God to do so, will often weaken in their faith. Why? Well some old family friends of my dad's said it was because they learned so much, that they could not understand how anything could be outside of the rules of nature that they have learned. For example, look at Joshua chapter 10. To scientists and astrologists, the impossible happened. Even if God had told them that this was coming, their doubt would have cast that out because they trust what they have learned over what God says and can do. Time stopped until the battle of the Israelites versus the Amorites had been won. Joshua, who probably knew nothing about astronomy, believed that God would lead them to victory, because he had faith.

2. "Yes, Father for this is what you were pleased to do." Not, please, will please, are pleased, but were pleased. This is past tense; God has already anointed you as a spokesman to the world, and it doesn’t matter if you run like Jonah or if you hide like Jacob. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or what you will do. It's already done. You’ve got to move past the mistakes, and accept God's calling.

Now some things God has given us as a dream/vision in our hearts. He has given even the most unlikely of us a dream already! And He intends to bring His plans to pass.

You have been given the keys, What are you going to do?

Faith, By Chadia M.

Faith

By Chadia M.

Hebrews 11:1 tells us that to have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for and to be certain of the things we cannot see. I can frankly tell you that the first time I read this verse, years ago, I was "full of admiration," not knowing why. All I could say was that this verse was incredible.
That was years ago. Then what about now? Believe me or not but this verse is being, these last days, my bread, my drink, my hiding place, my hope.... More than ever, I know what it means to believe God. These last days, I’ve been in a situation I would have never thought I would get out safe. I was put in front of two choices: to choose to serve God and let Him be my priority or to go on living my way, putting my studies and my desires first. With all my heart, I wished I could choose God, but logic said the contrary in my mind. If you’ve not been in a similar situation, you cannot understand. You can say that you should have easily chosen God, but is it real??? Imagine having to choose between something your life has been built all around and a God you can’t even see or touch. I was in such a situation. My life has always been organized around my studies, my personal schedule has always been planned after my class schedule, and I have always succeeded in class. What that means is that my studies have always been my pride but also my family’s pride. So would you still easily change all that matters for your personal success in order to serve God? That’s the question.
In my case, I accepted to leave it all in God’s hands and to serve Him just the way He requires. I told myself that He would take care of me and that with Him, I will lack nothing. And I was right. But you know what? The devil didn’t wait long to kick back. I was confronted with a decrease of my marks in class like never before. I really tried to work hard but I was always failing. In those times, I was almost depressed. I couldn’t understand why God had left me, why unbelievers were getting the best results and not me,…. That’s when I discovered this verse in Hebrews 11:1. I remembered that God said I will always be the head and never the tail. So after reading this verse, I could feel hope emerging once again in my heart, I could smile and serve God with a JOYFUL and THANKFUL heart even though my darkest night was still staring at me. So I memorized the verse and repeated it whenever I felt fear wrapping my heart.
This story isn’t from long ago. No. Even right now, I still have the same marks but… not the same attitude. I’ve learned to trust God even when I can’t trace Him, as His thoughts are not like mine and my ways are different from His (Isaiah 55:8). I know I am not here to gather all the things men think have value, but to please the One who sent me and to do His will (John 4:34). I know He will never abandon me nor forsake me and I also know He knows what I need before I even do (Joshua 1:9; Matt 6:25-34). If I am not lazy and if I work hard to do all my duty (Romans 12:11), if I do not neglect to serve God and if I believe Him at all times, then I know He will bless the work of my hands.
The reason I’m sharing this story is to testify that God is faithful if we are also faithful enough to trust Him. This is, in other words a testimony. Today for the first time, I got the maximum in the Math test. I know I will go on succeeding. So if you are in the same situation, do not act like what I did (losing faith). Instead, have a positive attitude in whatever you do. Do not lose your faith, keep on smiling even when it seems you’re failing (because you’re not really failing as you’re more than a conqueror, says the Bible. You’re just being put to test). Wait for God, standing firm because he’s coming to rescue you and to wipe away all your tears. He loves you and He cares (1 Peter 5:7). Pray guard and live in The WORD and your heart will be kept safe and sound in all circumstances.

Be blessed y’all

Chadia

Defending One's Faith, By Sarah K.

Defending One's Faith

By Sarah K.

Sometimes the issue at hand becomes so big, it can be easy to forget the bigger picture leads us to the cross. We are often challenged today by many people about our stance as Christians. Often questions like, "Why can't you do that? It seems fine to me." or "That can't be right... why would God make you do something like that?" challenge us to respond... and sometimes we don't have an answer.

Several years ago, I went to a school with some very nice people. Very nice, but not Christians. They were Mormons. On the outside, we looked much the same: we lived morally, never used bad language, obeyed authority, etc. But, inevitably, our viewpoints and beliefs collided. Often, they confronted me on several things I believed, either about God, or what they believed, or my choices. After trial and error, I found the best way to get someone to actually listen to your viewpoint is to simply listen to them. Hearing them out gave me ground and helped me respond clearly. I also learned (thankfully, my friends were forgiving!) that people will not sincerely listen unless you treat them and their beliefs with respect. Saying outright (or not so subtly hinting!) that they're wrong, or becoming aggressive makes both them and you forget the big picture. Speaking with love gave me credibility, and my friends wanted to listen.

A lot of times, when I become involved in an argument, I lose sight of why I'm here, defending what I believe. I forget Jesus' command to tell others, and it just becomes a win-or-lose debate. I have to constantly remind myself that whether I have better arguments or not isn't the issue... it's God who does the heart changing, who makes people say, "I want to know more." Of course, there are times when people just want to argue with you; who only bring it up because they want to refute whatever you say. It's not worth it to get angry, aggressive, or try to argue back. I've found that gently switching the topic to another subject is the often the best thing to do. In those cases, they don't want to hear what I've got to say, so it would be pointless to argue - I'd just be talking into thin air! Thankfully, this didn't happen much with my friends, and I've actually had these tactics used on me when I've lost sight of the "big picture" of the cross, and resorted to thinking that if I use my superior logic, they'll have to give in.

Some encouraging sources that have helped me are - obviously - God's Word (especially 1 Timothy 4:12-16), the Elsie Dinsmore series, and "Stepping Heavenward." Elsie Dinsmore is about a young Southern girl who is a deeply committed Christian. She goes through many trials, but always clings to God. Even though she's fictional, I'm always encouraged by how she handles difficult situations, and hostile people.

"Stepping Heavenward" is a fictional diary of a young girl growing into a woman, and growing in her walk with Christ. It has many real life examples of the kinds of confrontations a Christian could face, and I go there a lot, sometimes for encouragement... much more for advice.

In the end, telling others about Christ is a special privilege we Christians have to share with others about the wonderful love and acceptance we find in Christ Jesus. We have an opportunity to show His love, and to gently point those around us to Him. One of the best ways to keep your eyes fixed on the cross, and to remember why we do what we do is to pray for those who confront us. Pray for wisdom that we respond biblically and lovingly, and pray that those we proclaim the Gospel to will "have ears to hear" (Matthew 11:15).

Defending Your Faith: Always Be Prepared! By Sarah P.

Defending Your Faith: Always Be Prepared!

By Sarah P.

It's very easy for a Christian to become discouraged and forget just how wonderful it is to have salvation. Many times, we just need to slow down, find a quiet place to pray, and go over the basics one by one. When we are too busy juggling school, friends, and extracurricular activities, it is very shocking to be confronted by an unbeliever asking the simplest question about Christianity, and having to meekly respond, "I don't know." I have been conscience-stricken in this way. Yet sometimes it does take an event such as this to jolt us out of our comfortable little routines and really wonder, "What does the Bible say about that?" Of course, it is preferable to ask that person if you could call them later, or discuss it tomorrow, after you have had time to "research" a little. The only catch on this solution is that you have to actually remember to study your Bible and contact the person!

We all will, eventually, encounter someone who has a question about our faith. It is important for us to be prepared as much as possible in case this happens soon. Yet sometimes you will be asked more than a simple question about Christianity, and that person may have the intention of ridiculing your beliefs or even flatly denying the truth of God's Word. Sadly, this happens more often than is preferable, so be mentally prepared for anything. The very natural response to this is to immediately become angry and defensive about what you believe. However, we should, as Christians, approach this sort of situation with the opposite behavior. Take a deep breath and be silent for a moment. If you have access to a Bible, then make sure you have it before continuing. Then speak at a moderate tone about what God says in the Bible about the subject in question. Do not be indecisive about your words and speak with uncertainty, "Well I think this is right," or "Maybe...um...I'm not completely sure...", if you believe what you are saying is true, then speak out! The truth may be harder to tell than not, but it's what this person needs to hear! As you speak, be sure to show them Bible verses that correspond with the current issue. Sometimes printed writing on paper will be more useful than anything you can tell them.

That said, there is a point where you realize that the person you are talking to only wants to argue with your opinion and is not really listening to what you are saying. Do not restate the truth over and over. Our job as Christians is to plant that seed of truth and then let God do His will, not to talk down another person. If you need some more time to think, pray, and research about this topic then politely ask if you could discuss it later, after you had looked up some more Bible verses on this subject. This shows the person that you are not backing down from the truth, but trying to tell it better to them. The thing to remind yourself is that no matter what happens, this is God's will! He wants you to be a witness for Him, and so placed you there to show your faith. God doesn't have to use us to tell others about Him, but He chose to. I like to think of this as a chance to do something for Jesus, and even though we can never repay Him fully for His mercy, we get a chance to be like Him and show the truth to others! So try not to be caught unprepared. And don't be afraid to defend your faith!