faith
Truly Knowing God’s Grace (Pt.5)
02/02/12 21:34
Colossians 1:10 - 12 “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”
When you lead a life that is pleasing and worthy of the Lord there are four outcomes that Colossians 1:10-12 states will be displayed in your life.
The second result that will be produced in your life is that you will grow in the knowledge of God. This is so vital to our spiritual life because we have an enemy that will constantly question God to us.
In the garden the serpent came to Eve and said, “Did God really say?” The more we get to know the very nature of God the easier it is for us to surrender to His will and ways. Over and over in the Old and the New Testament God’s character is revealed and confirmed. Ps 103:8 states that the Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love. ! John 4:16 says we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.
I love that we can rely on this one thing – that God loves us. His love is not judgmental it is not conditional and it is not finite. It never wears thin and it never runs dry. In fact, His love never fails, it says in 1 Corinthians 13.
We need to know who God is so that we can trust him with what is happening in our lives. He loved us while we were yet sinners. Once we are born again of the Spirit of God we become sons and daughters.
We need to see the love God has for us. How do we learn and grow in that love? We read the word, we listen to the word, we ask the Spirit to reveal the love of God to us and we listen to others’ testimonies of how this great love has touched their lives.
As we grow in the knowledge of God we can be assured of what God does say to us and about us. So, when the enemy comes prowling around your door you can resist him, stand firm and rely on the love He has for you.
When you lead a life that is pleasing and worthy of the Lord there are four outcomes that Colossians 1:10-12 states will be displayed in your life.
The second result that will be produced in your life is that you will grow in the knowledge of God. This is so vital to our spiritual life because we have an enemy that will constantly question God to us.
In the garden the serpent came to Eve and said, “Did God really say?” The more we get to know the very nature of God the easier it is for us to surrender to His will and ways. Over and over in the Old and the New Testament God’s character is revealed and confirmed. Ps 103:8 states that the Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love. ! John 4:16 says we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.
I love that we can rely on this one thing – that God loves us. His love is not judgmental it is not conditional and it is not finite. It never wears thin and it never runs dry. In fact, His love never fails, it says in 1 Corinthians 13.
We need to know who God is so that we can trust him with what is happening in our lives. He loved us while we were yet sinners. Once we are born again of the Spirit of God we become sons and daughters.
We need to see the love God has for us. How do we learn and grow in that love? We read the word, we listen to the word, we ask the Spirit to reveal the love of God to us and we listen to others’ testimonies of how this great love has touched their lives.
As we grow in the knowledge of God we can be assured of what God does say to us and about us. So, when the enemy comes prowling around your door you can resist him, stand firm and rely on the love He has for you.
Truly Knowing God’s Grace (pt.3)
27/01/12 00:39
Colossians 1:9 states: “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”
Paul continually asks God to fill their church with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives. Why?
It is important to note that spiritual knowledge, wisdom, and understanding only come from the Spirit. Worldly thinking and spiritual thinking are poles apart. In Is. 55 it states that My(God’s) thoughts and ways are not yours. So we can’t continue to have the same thinking that the world does and assume that thinking is from God. In Romans 12:2 it says do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.
That is why it is vital to pray this prayer just as Paul was for the church at Colossae. The pattern of this world is not God’s and we are called out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light so we can show forth His light to the world. However, we need to know God’s will for ourselves so we need to be transformed.
God is at work in each of us to will and to do of His good pleasure it says in Philippians. His desire is that you be filled with the knowledge of His will – that the very Spirit of God would come upon and impart to you wisdom and understanding.
Begin today by making Paul’s prayer your prayer for you, your family and your church.
Paul continually asks God to fill their church with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives. Why?
It is important to note that spiritual knowledge, wisdom, and understanding only come from the Spirit. Worldly thinking and spiritual thinking are poles apart. In Is. 55 it states that My(God’s) thoughts and ways are not yours. So we can’t continue to have the same thinking that the world does and assume that thinking is from God. In Romans 12:2 it says do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.
That is why it is vital to pray this prayer just as Paul was for the church at Colossae. The pattern of this world is not God’s and we are called out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light so we can show forth His light to the world. However, we need to know God’s will for ourselves so we need to be transformed.
God is at work in each of us to will and to do of His good pleasure it says in Philippians. His desire is that you be filled with the knowledge of His will – that the very Spirit of God would come upon and impart to you wisdom and understanding.
Begin today by making Paul’s prayer your prayer for you, your family and your church.
How Do We Activate Our Faith?
02/08/11 17:12
This is a good question. Ephesians 2:8 – 9 states: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.” If faith is a gift from God as a result of His grace being poured out upon us, what can we do to activate it? Jesus told people on occasions that it was their faith that healed them. Another time he rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith for the healing. James in the second chapter says that faith without works is dead. What kind of works then does he mean? Is it good works or is it something different? (To read more click here)
Faith: Discovering the Power of the Unseen
29/07/11 16:09
It is so crucial to our faith that we understand that the world we live in, as a corporeal being is only that which has been made out of what is invisible. As a result of the first man’s sin this realm dominates our lives. We live our life primarily through our physical senses. Science tries to explain life through observation and interpretation of the natural realm. There are laws that govern this realm but they are ultimately subservient to the spirit realm – the realm of God. John 4:24 states: “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." As a believer living by faith we must worship in spirit and truth. We are no longer governed by the laws of nature only. We are living simultaneously in another dimension, one governed by God and impacted by faith. (Click here to read more)
What is Faith?
26/07/11 13:05
The best definition for faith is found in Hebrews 11. The NIV states: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” What does that mean? It speaks of our hope and certainty of something we can’t see. But what does that really mean? Verse 2 of Hebrews 11 says: “This is what the ancients were commended for.” The ancients such as Noah, Abel, and Abraham were commended for their faith. They believed in the power of God to do exceedingly, abundantly beyond what we dare think or ask. (Ephesians 3:20)
The ancients believed that God created the universe and the whole world and everything that dwells within it. We are encouraged to believe the same way. Hebrews 11:3 says: “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” It is so important to understand this if we are to see God move in supernatural ways in our lives. Faith believes that God formed the universe through His spoken word. Everything that surrounds us is formed from the spirit. This tangible realm that we live in is not as substantial as the spirit realm.
Because we live by our senses we think this is more concrete than the spirit. If people believe in the spirit realm, the perception, at least which I had, is the spirit is more like vapour or smoke. The spirit realm is something ephemeral without substance that can be lightly wiped away. This concept is often portrayed in movies where the good guy doesn’t take anything spiritual seriously but can defeat anything with a gun. This is the arena of wisdom called “common sense”. But common sense does not govern the spirit realm, faith does. (To read more click here)
The ancients believed that God created the universe and the whole world and everything that dwells within it. We are encouraged to believe the same way. Hebrews 11:3 says: “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” It is so important to understand this if we are to see God move in supernatural ways in our lives. Faith believes that God formed the universe through His spoken word. Everything that surrounds us is formed from the spirit. This tangible realm that we live in is not as substantial as the spirit realm.
Because we live by our senses we think this is more concrete than the spirit. If people believe in the spirit realm, the perception, at least which I had, is the spirit is more like vapour or smoke. The spirit realm is something ephemeral without substance that can be lightly wiped away. This concept is often portrayed in movies where the good guy doesn’t take anything spiritual seriously but can defeat anything with a gun. This is the arena of wisdom called “common sense”. But common sense does not govern the spirit realm, faith does. (To read more click here)
