Above is a pic of my youngest daughter and me.
My Husband, My brother in Christ
Do You Pass this Testing of Your Faith?
Go take a listen to a sermon about persecution that will cause you to rightly and purposefully examine your faith in a way that you may have not thought to do according to 2 Corinthians 13:4-6. Do you pass the testing of your faith in light of this sermon?
Do not merely sit in your closet and look at yourselves alone, but go out into this busy world and see what kind of piety you have. Remember, many a man's religion will stand examination that will not stand proof. We may sit at home and look at our religion, and say, "Well, I think this will do!" It is like cotton prints that you can buy in sundry shops; they are warranted fast colours, and so they seem when you look at them, but they are not washable when you get them home. There is many a man's religion like that. It is good enough to look at, and it has got the "warranted" stamped upon it; but when it comes out into actual daily life, the colours soon begin to run, and the man discovers that the thing was not what he took it to be. ... the question now is not whether you believe the truth—but whether you are in the truth? ...all the orthodoxy in the world, apart from its effect upon the heart as a vital principle, will not save a man. ...God will not take his gold and silver by appearance, but every vessel must be purified in the fire.--C.H. SpurgeonHere is a list of why a Christian that lives a life devoted to righteousness WILL experience persecution-- written by John Piper
* If you cherish chastity, your life will be an attack on people's love for free sex.This is not about being obnoxious and looking to be persecuted. This is about living for Christ no matter the cost...period.
* If you embrace temperance, your life will be a statement against the love of alcohol.
* If you pursue self-control, your life will indict excess eating.
* If you live simply and happily, you will show the folly of luxury.
* If you walk humbly with your God, you will expose the evil of pride.
* If you are punctual and thorough in your dealings, you will lay open the inferiority of laziness and negligence.
* If you speak with compassion, you will throw callousness into sharp relief.
* If you are earnest, you will make the flippant look flippant instead of clever.
* And if you are spiritually minded, you will expose the worldly-mindedness of those around you.
...You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. ...If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.' --Jesus Christ (John 15:16-25)
Comments
I love your post. Here is a test of your faith too. When you are driving happily along the freeway (Southern Calif rush hour) and someone darts in front of you causing you to have to slam on your brakes. How do you respond? This is a test of your faith. You might say you have faith but faith is proved by your deeds. Fruit of the flesh... anger - return evil for evil -think such thoughts as (you idiot) impatience, resentment
or
Faith - responds in love for God. Fruit of the Spirit Without faith it is impossible to please God. Kindness, gentleness, patient when wronged, forgiving,
Lord I want my responses to please you so that in these little trials I might hear you say, "Well done!"
By your power alone I might be sanctified through ddrivers on the freeway as I focus on passing the testing of my faith! I want to please you above anything else!
Tami
1 Peter 1 : 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Posted by: Tami | May 13, 2008 05:55 PM
People hate the Gospel,-(the good news), because it says there is some bad news for you people.
Good post.
The Gospel is hated by religious self-righteous church goers, and all religions really, and it is despised by the pagans, and secular community. To the one it is a stumbling block to there prideful goodness, and to the latter, it's foolish.
"The just are saved by faith through grace, and live by faith through grace, alone. To God be all the glory. Not unto us, but unto Thee, O Lord, be all the glory, honor, and praise! Amen.
Posted by: donsands | May 13, 2008 09:25 PM