FAITH - 4 Things to Consider

FAITH - in Hebrew it is Emun, and in Greek it is Pistis.

Faith is both active and passive. In the Old Testament it confirmed a steadfast belief and trustworthiness in who God was and in His promises.

In Habakkuk 2:4 the prophet gave this Hebrew commandment to the children of Israel: v'tzaddik be'emunato yich'yeh. 

The passage above declares, "But the just shall live by his faith."  Literally it means, "the righteous, by his faithfulness - shall live."

In the New Testament faith embraces trust in the person of Jesus Christ, the truth of His teaching, and the redemptive work He accomplished on the cross.

The Apostle Paul taught us "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8)

Hebrews 11:1 tells us, "Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (confidence) of things not seen." Verse 3 declares, "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." 

The world's definition of faith is more of a hope or belief that something exists. It is an intellectual ascent.  Biblical faith rests in our belief in God's sovereignty and in His faithfulness (2 Timothy 2:13). We put our faith (trust) in Him as our Lord and Savior. We also display our faith in our obedience.

We find favor with God when we have faith in Him. Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

John J. Parsons explains the concept of faith and works in James 2:14-18 this way:

"Faith and works," then, might be seen as two sides of the same coin. Our behavior will reveal what we really believe; and what we really believe will become manifest in our behavior... If you struggle with sin in a certain area, then that becomes an invitation to examine yourself to see where your commitment really lies.

So how does faith impact us in our day to day walk with God? Why does doubt creep into our thinking? Where does this leave us while we wait on God's timing? What causes us to shy away from believing that what He promised will come to fruition? Here are four things to help bolster your faith:

1.  Faith is inherently progressive. It evolves and matures during our spiritual walk.  As we exercise our faith muscles -we strengthen our ability to trust in His faithfulness. Understanding this process helps us to develop perseverance. "The strengthening of faith comes through staying with it in the hour of trial." -Catherine Marshall

2.  Faith is often tested. God's Word gives us the tools we need to resist the devil and his schemes. Doubt arises first in the mind and fleshes out in our actions. We must "bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ..." (2 Corinthians 10:5)  Jude warns us with regards to false teachers to "build yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 20). Paul admonishes us to be "rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith..." (Colossians 2:7).

3.  Faith increases by way of remembrance. Using a journal helps you to recall instances of God's blessings and faithfulness. Recording what the Spirit reveals during prayer time preserves an important timeline in your spiritual growth. Put your feelings and thoughts into words. Jot down relevant scriptures that encourage you. Remember, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

4.  Faith is boundless. Nothing can wrestle away our faith. It is not limited by time, age, wealth, health, or circumstance. Because nothing can separate us from God's love (Romans 8:38-39), faith cannot be denied. It is limitless. It is resolute. It is reliable. Faith is solely in Him... Amen.

The Apostle Peter tells us to be watchful and expect attacks from the devil (I Peter 5:8). To this end we must "resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world" (I Peter 5:9).

I must confess that I have dropped the ball here at times... Like Gideon, I wanted to throw out a fleece or two for confirmation and affirmation. I fail miserably in my faith walk on occasion. But this I know - I only need to have faith as a mustard seed for it to grow into something amazing. Lord, help me to have radical faith in your faithfulness!

Faith hears the inaudible, sees the invisible, believes the incredible, 

and receives the impossible.  ~Anonymous

Deborah is the author of a Christian non-fiction book titled “Mission Possible”. It is written for women who love the Lord Jesus, but their spouse doesn’t share their passion.  It will encourage and challenge the reader to embrace God’s promises for their spouse and future together. 

Visit  http://www.spirituallyunevenmarriage.com

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FAITH - 4 Things to Consider

Author Theresa Franklin & Her Book "Triumph Through Trial"

Synopsis:

The stress of living a dream public persona and a nightmare private reality threatens to destroy a family unit, taking each member in its wake. Through a variety of physical and emotional weapons, one by one they will crumble.
 

Cynthia is beautiful, educated, secretary of the church, and happily married with wonderful children. She is an accomplished hostess and the picture of Christian love. She has the perfect marriage and life—well, not exactly perfect. Her husband, children, church members, and life in general seem to get in the way of her perfect life. Feeling robbed of the life she so richly deserves, Cynthia lashes out and her family pays the price.
 

Michael is successful, educated, and deacon of the church with wonderful children. Michael and his children have a close relationship. They count on him for advice, guidance, and unconditional love. Serving God is one of Michael’s greatest joys. He and his children delight in helping others. Michael loves every part of his life except for his marriage, which is stressful and unfulfilling to say the least.
 

Karen is the eldest child and bears the brunt of emotional destruction welded by her mother. Kevin is the only male offspring and uses humor and sarcasm as shields to protect himself. Kathy, the youngest, is sweet and seldom is a victim in the war, but lately watching the slow erosion of her family is taking a physical toll on her.
 

Michael longs for the marriage that Cynthia believes they have and dreams of providing a safe haven for their children. After twenty-five years of marriage, Michael is losing hope of his dream becoming reality. Can he match the public persona and the private reality? What will it cost to get that kind of marriage and home-life? Is it worth the cost? Who will pay the cost?

About the Author: 

Theresa Franklin grew up in Houston, Texas.  After graduation she attended East Texas Baptist College.  There she met her husband on a blind date.  They married a short time later and moved outside of Beaumont, Texas where they raised their three children.  Theresa taught school for 12 years.  Students with disabilities won her heart and she became Director of Special Education in an effort to better serve them.  She retired in 2010 and began writing children’s books.  She has now broadened her skills and written for adults.

Theresa is the author of children’s books, Don’t Forget Daddy and A Sunny Tomorrow.  Her adult books include non-fiction Journey to Fulfillment and fiction Triumph Through Trial.  She has written one curriculum guide for the novel Night of the Cossack, a historical fiction for young adults by Tom Blubaugh, titled Night of the Cossack, Lesson Plan.  Soon to be released is another adult fiction titled Reflections of Rosalyn.

Excerpt from "Triumph Through Trial"

Michael sat in the car staring out at the city lights.  The park was dark, but the downtown Christmas lights could be seen even from here.  They seemed to be prettier when one sat in the dark.  He thought about the argument that he and Cynthia had just had.  It was more like Cynthia argued and he stated his opinion when he could, which was seldom.  Michael wondered if he had stayed in the marriage because he was strong or because he was too weak to leave.  When the kids had been younger, he had felt it his duty to maintain a home with two parents.  Now he was beginning to wonder if he had done his children a disservice by allowing them to grow up with contention.  He knew that every home had problems, but was it good for kids to live in that type of environment on a daily basis?

Michael was so consumed by his thoughts that he failed to notice that he was not alone in the park.

The street gang had been sitting on the picnic tables in the park discussing what to do that night.  It hadn’t been an especially good day for any of them.  As a whole, they were too poor to receive material possessions from family, too proud to accept hand-outs from the shelter, and too self-centered to be a blessing to anyone else. 

“I’m bored.”

“What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know.  But I’m tired of just hanging out here.”

“Do you see what I see?”  One of them asked the others.

“Whew wee.  A rich guy all alone in the park on Christmas night.”

“Yeah, maybe he would like to share a little of that wealth with us.”

“Isn’t that what Christmas is for?  Giving to others?”

“I heard once that it is more blessed to give than receive.”

“Well, let’s go give this guy a blessing and allow him to give to us.”  The entire gang laughed.

“Let’s have some fun while he is receiving his blessing.”  Another laugh and still Michael heard nothing.

By the time Michael was jarred out of his deep thoughts; his car was surrounded with some of the most menacing characters he had ever seen.  One guy opened the door as another one pulled him out of the car. 

“I don’t want any trouble, guys.  What do you want?”

“Did you hear that?  He don’t want no trouble.”  The one that opened the door said.

“You being smart with us, old man?”

“No, I just don’t want anyone to get hurt.”  Michael tried to keep his cool.  He knew showing fear would only spur them on.

What others are saying:

This book is truly a blessing to families and the body of Christ. The author, through the use of scriptures and examples of family life, paints a wonderful picture of how life can be through the love and redemption of Jesus Christ. The author promotes family in this story of healing and encourages others, that "...love covereth a multitude of sins." Families will find solace and comfort through this book. Theresa Franklin's writing style flows smoothly making for an easy read, keeping the reader fully engaged. This book will minister to all families that are "less than perfect." A highly recommend, encouraging read that will impact others for Christ. God can work in any situation, as the author illustrates, even the impossible ones. 
[CBM Book Reviews - Amazon]

Where to find Theresa and her books:

 Purchase on Amazon
 

Visit Theresa's Blog here:   Life's Journey

and her website here:   Theresa Franklin - Stories for Christ

Theresa is a member of the  
John 3:16 Book Marketing Network 

Deborah is the author of a Christian non-fiction book titled “Mission Possible”.  It is written for women who love the Lord Jesus, but their spouse doesn’t share their passion.  It will encourage and challenge the reader to embrace God’s promises for their spouse and future together.  Visit

http://www.spirituallyunevenmarriage.com

Author Theresa Franklin & Her Book "Triumph Through Trial"