What Promises Are Ours To Claim?

OUR PROMISES

The Bible speaks of promises from God. We see it in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. These promises are made to three general categories:
1. People of Isreal
2. Body of Christ
3. God’s children in general

THE OLD COVENANT (HEBREWS 9:19-22)
When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. He said ”This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleanses with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

THE NEW COVENANT (LUKE 22:20)
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

With Jesus came a New Covenant that changed a few things. With the Old Covenant of the Old Testament, blood sacrifice was necessary to cleanse and purify and result in forgiveness. With the New Covenant, Jesus’ blood ("in my blood") was the sacrifice. Following are some examples of the differences:

OC laws on stone tables vs. NC in our hearts
OC animal sacrifice vs. NC living sacrifice
OC physical prosperity vs. NC spiritual (and physical) prosperity (lives bearing fruit)
OC physical captivity vs. NC spiritual captivity
OC invite to mountain vs. NC 24/7 availability
OC part the Red Sea vs. NC walk on water
OC weapons of the world vs. NC weapons are not of this world

OC ‘NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE’ VS. NC ‘EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE’
Jeremiah 32:17 vs. Mark 9:23

According to Hebrews 8:10, “I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts”, therefore, the New Covenant changes from external to internal. With Jesus and the New Covenant, God’s focus and priority changes to preparing people from the inside so that we have the opportunity to get our hearts right. He is preparing the bride of Christ for her groom. The purpose is to purify and change the depraved hearts of man (includes woman).

Hebrews 8:7-13
A New Covenant
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- 9 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. 10 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 "None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD, for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." 13 In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.


God is the same God, Old Covenant or New. God can do the same things, Old Covenant or New.

Believe God to be huge. When a supernatural miracle is needed, you can expect Him to come through. The miracle may not be specifically what we ask for but you can be certain it is the best thing to fulfill His purpose. And you can know, since God’s priority is on our heart and internal being, that if we don’t see the results on the outside, we can know He is working on us on the inside. Regardless He is coming through. Thank him in advance knowing He knows exactly what we need. He is a God who performs miracles and is working, even when we don’t see the results on the outside.

Primary object of God’s New Covenant is to prioritize the internal work over the external work. God’s work moves inside of man. God still does plenty around us but under the New Covenant is preparing the bride of Christ for her groom.

Ephesians 3:20

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

If we would start using our shields of faith and swords of the Spirit, our “nos” would be far fewer and our “yes’” more abundant. The more I seek the mind of Christ, the more his word abides in me. (John 15)

Mark 9:14-24
14 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. 15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. 16 And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?" 17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 "And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not." 19 He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me." 20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. 21 So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. 22 "And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." 23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

So, what to do now:
-keep believing God for a miracle;
-give Him every opportunity through your faith to perform the one you desire;
-don’t argue with a Pharisee (unbeliever);
-seek the mind of Christ so His word abides in us!

If I err, let me err on the side of faith. Let me have made a fool of myself by believing. I would rather make a fool of myself than get there and wish I had used the God-given faith He designed for us and realize the blessing I missed because of it.

Believing God Can Do What He Says He Can Do!

WONDERS NEVER CEASE

3 John 1:2
Dear Friend, I pray that you may enjoy
good health and that all may go well with you,
even as your soul is getting along well.

God has never ceased showing off His wonders. Although our local news channels prefer to sensationalize disaster and do not report on wonders, that doesn’t mean they aren’t happening. The interesting thing is that believers in Third World countries report of them often. This could be because of a greater need, however, I would suggest that faith is much more apparent in those poorer countries.

The work God has begun in the Middle East is nothing less than staggering. It appears that the primary way Christ is revealing Himself to Muslims is through dreams. Many Christians in the field are reporting that when the time to witness finally presents itself, many of those who accept Christ do so because the encounter confirms their dreams. In many of the dreams, Christ Himself appeared to them, telling them that He was the Son of God and that they could confidently believe.

Following are some examples from the Bible:

Genesis 20:1-7
1 And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. 2 Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, "Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife." 4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, "Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? 5 "Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she, even she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this." 6 And God said to him in a dream, "Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 "Now therefore, restore the man's wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours."

Daniel 2:1-3; 24-30
1 Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. 2 Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, "I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream."
24 Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation." 25 Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said thus to him, "I have found a man of the captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation." 26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?" 27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, "The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. 28 "But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these: 29 "As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be. 30 "But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.

According to Acts 2:17, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all the people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”

We are challenged to believe God’s Word over what our eyes have seen. The lack of supernatural intervention could very well be a result of a stronghold of unbelief.

Believing God Can Do What He Says He Can Do!

MIRACLES COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES


Acts 2:22
“Men of Israel, listen to this:
Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God
to you by miracles, wonders and signs,
which God did among you through him,
as you yourself know.”

Following are a few passages that record miracles of Jesus:

Matthew 4:23-23
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

Matthew 8:16-17
16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses."

Matthew 8:23-27
23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" 26 But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

Matthew 8:28-32
28 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. 29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" 30 Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. 31 So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine." 32 And He said to them, "Go." So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.

Matthew 9:1-8
1 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. 2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." 3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!" 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 "For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'? 6 "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"--then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." 7 And he arose and departed to his house. 8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

Matthew 9:20-22
20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour.

Matthew 9:23-26
23 When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, 24 He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed Him. 25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went out into all that land.

Matthew 9:27-31
27 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!" 28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you." 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See that no one knows it." 31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.

Matthew 14:14-21
14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." 16 But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." 17 And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish." 18 He said, "Bring them here to Me." 19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Matthew 14:24-33
24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." 28 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." 29 So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."

Matthew 15:30-31
30 Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them. 31 So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.

Matthew 15:32-39
32 Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way." 33 Then His disciples said to Him, "Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?" 34 Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven, and a few little fish." 35 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. 36 And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. 37 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. 38 Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.

Matthew 17:1-3
1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

Matthew 17:14-18
14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 "So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him." 17 Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

Matthew 21:18-22
18 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again." Immediately the fig tree withered away.
20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?" 21 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. 22 "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

Luke 7:11-15
11 Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. 12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." 14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." 15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

John 2:1-10
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." 4 Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." 6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!"

John 19:31-37
31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." 37 And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."

John 20:19-20
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
Acts 1:9-11
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."

When it comes to Jesus, everything is possible!! Christ not only performed all kinds of miracles, but He performed them for all kinds of reasons.
Following are some reasons
-because He saw great faith
-because He saw great need
-because He was moved with compassion
-because God sovereignly appointed it
-for reasons beyond our understanding

https://www.lifeway.com/bg/
Believing God Online Bible Study

Believing God Can Do What He Says He Can Do!

PERMISSION TO BELIEVE

Psalm 77:14
You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the people.


Permission to Believe - God’s ability to intervene miraculously in the lives of mortals. We have entered a time where there appears to be a prevalent belief of unbelief. Much of the body of Christ is paralyzed by unbelief. The frustrating cycle looks like this: We believe little, so we see little, so we continue to believe little and see little.

Perhaps the primary obstacle in believing God can still do what He says He can do is that we have chosen to believe our own eyes and ears over the Word of God. If our eyes have seen few supernatural interventions of God, we often convince ourselves that He is unwilling to perform them.

J.I. Packer wrote, “All Christians are at once beneficiaries and victims of tradition-beneficiaries, who receive nurturing truth and wisdom from God’s faithfulness in past generations; victims, who now take for granted things that need to be questioned, thus treating as divine absolutes patterns of belief and behavior that should be seen as human, provisional, and relative. We are all beneficiaries of good, wise and sound tradition and victims of poor, unwise and unsound traditions.”

The point is our faith is unlikely to exceed our most studied teachers. If we are not studying the Word of God and learning from those who go before us, we are disabling ourselves from having the ability to be blessed to the extent God wants to bless us.

Acts 17:10-11
Ministering at Berea
10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

When was the last time we went to church or read something referring to the Word, that we searched to Bible to determine if we were given accurate information or if our interpretation is the same as we were told? We take for granted the information being given to without putting our heart into it to determine if it is accurate. The Word of God is our only plumb line.

Some believers believe that miracles only existed during certain eras of history. Others believe that we need to believe and expect miracles solely. Both the Old and New Testament are full of miracles. Miracles are strewn throughout the Word of God. God is never less than who He was the day He spoke the worlds into orbit.

Following is Scripture from the Old and New Testament:

Habakkuk 3:2
2 O LORD, I have heard your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.

Psalm 77:13-14
13 Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God? 14 You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples.

Psalm 74:9-23
9 We do not see our signs; There is no longer any prophet; Nor is there any among us who knows how long. 10 O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever? 11 Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them. 12 For God is my King from of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth. 13 You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters. 14 You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness. 15 You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up mighty rivers. 16 The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun. 17 You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter. 18 Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD, And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name. 19 Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! Do not forget the life of Your poor forever. 20 Have respect to the covenant; For the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of cruelty. 21 Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise Your name. 22 Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily. 23 Do not forget the voice of Your enemies; The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.

Proverbs 2:1-5
1 My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, 2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; 3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, 4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.


OURS IS A GOD OF WONDERS WHO IS STILL VERY CAPABLE OF PERFORMING MIRACLES EVEN IF WE DON’T LIVE IN A BIBLICAL ERA CHARACTERIZED BY THEM.

Creator God vs. evolution

CREATOR GOD

Psalm 139:13-14
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; you works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Evolution is the idea that all living things evolved from nonliving chemicals to simple organisms that then changed through the ages to produce millions of species. This is the belief introduced by Charles Darwin.

According to Clayton and Jansma once again:
We know that a single cell with a nucleus is the microscopic equivalent of an entire high-tech, industrialized city. It is surrounded by a wall armed with a tight security system, selectively allowing raw materials to enter and manufactured products to leave. The city contains a factory in production around the clock, tied to a trillion other similar factories by a mysterious communications network that dictates repair schedules and keeps track of all inventory.
A special library within each city is filled with detailed blueprints for every piece of machinery and maintenance equipment it uses. In living organisms, this information includes every minute characteristic of the organism,…
Directions for all of this activity are encoded in DNA, the genetic material of each cell, that is wound into the shape of a double helix within the microscopically small nucleaus.

Basically, about 2 meters of DNA can be found in every human cell, each packaged with 46 chromosomes in an infinitesimal nucleus. While Darwin sat at his desk and reduced all of creation to simple blobs of protoplasm, the outstretched DNA in his body could have reached back and forth to the sun about 50 times. Charles Darwin was fearfully and wonderfully made. He just never knew it.

Philippians 3:20-21
20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Maker of Heaven and Earth

Maker of Heaven and Earth

Hebrew 11:3
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.

Because God created us to find great pleasure in us and our faith is what pleases Him most, He relentlessly forces the faith issue.

Hebrew 11:1
Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

God is secure in who He is, there is no doubt.

Isaiah 45:18-19
For this is what the Lord says- he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited- he says: “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I have spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness, I have not said to Jacob’s descendants, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right.”

I like this analogy:
In the remarkable and reader-friendly book The Source, authors John Clayton and Nils Jansma make one of many cased for creationism by gross improbability of planet Earth’s possessing all of the necessary conditions to support life by chance. They explain how probabilities are figured, using the example of a deck of cards. The chances of drawing a specific card from a shuffled deck are obviously 1 in 52. If the card is reinserted into the deck and the deck is reshuffled, the chances of randomly choosing the same card becomes 1/52 x1/52, or 1 in 2,704. Applying the same kind of math probability, Clayton and Jansma offer the following “Estimated Odds of Selected Variables Vital to an Earth-like Planet Occurring by Chance.”
Being the right kind of galaxy 1 in 100
Being in the right place of the galaxy 1 in 150
Having the right kind of star 1 in 1,000
Being the right distance from the star 1 in 10
Having the proper planetary mass 1 in 10
Having the proper planetary spin 1 in 10
Having the proper planetary tilt 1 in 10
Having comet-sweeping planets 1 in 40
Not being near a black hole 1 in 250
Having a large solitary moon 1 in 10
Possessing a magnetic field capable of shielding 1 in 10
TOTAL ODDS 1 IN 150,000,000,000,000,000

I like the way Clayton brings his point home: “If I offered you a billion dollars (tax free) to jump out of an airplane at 10,000 feet without a parachute, with the proviso that you had to live to collect it, would you accept the offer? No? Well the odds of there being an ‘accidental’ planet hospitable for life using only the few parameters we have considered are 15 billion times less likely than surviving a free-fall from an airplane.”

Incidentally, John Clayton is a scientist and a former second-generation atheist who “came to believe in God while attempting to prove that the Bible contradicts known scientific facts. Instead of disproving the Bible, he found it to be absolutely reliable.”

Isaiah 40:21-31
21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. 23 He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless. 24 Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.
25 "To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?" says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: "My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God"? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Something for Nothing

The foremost fundamental of faith is believing that God is who He says He is. It is foundational to all other areas of faith.

Shield of Faith-Pledge of Faith
1. God is who He says He is.
2. God can do what He says He can do.
3. I am who God says I am.
4. I can do all things through Christ.
5. God's word is alive and active in me.
This is our shield of faith. "I'm believing God"

Psalm 139:7-10
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, it I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

Faith is complete engagement with God: holding on to God and His promises because we know He’s holding on to us.

GOD THE CREATOR- In the beginning, God created. That is where we came from.

According to Scripture, God created (Hebrew word: BARA). He created by speaking/commanding. The Hewbrew word BARA represents an act only God can accomplish. It is the solely divine act by which God creates something from nothing.
Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

According to Scripture, God formed (Hebrew word: YATSAR). He formed can represent a thing formed from previously existing materials.
Genesis 2:7
The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Interestingly, both BARA and YATSAR are used in reference to the process by which God brought forth man. First He spoke us into existence (in spirit) and then formed us by the dust of the earth. The spirit part of us is what most reflects God’s image.

JOHN 4:24
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.

God formed our very own bodies with his own hands. He engaged beyond words and actually physically engaged in the process. We are to worship him in spirit but we must also physically engage in our faith and relationship with him.

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Interestingly, in Psalm 51:10, it uses the word create (BARA) for a new heart. This would mean that we can do nothing to make our own hearts clean and pure. God created clean hearts from nothing (BARA). God creates pure hearts from nothing in response to our sincerest repentance and desire to be pure before Him.

AN EXERCISE……………

Calculate the risks involved in believing or not believing God. Faith can seem like risky business. We take certain risks if we choose active faith and immeasurable risks if we don’t.

WHAT ARE YOU RISKING IF YOU DECIDE TO SURRENDER TO A LIFE OF PRESENT-ACTIVE-PARTICIPLE BELIEVING IN GOD??

WHAT ARE YOU RISKING IF YOU DON’T??

Where did our perception of FAITH come from??

A WALK OF FAITH-WHERE DID OUR PERCEPTION COME FROM??

2 Corinthians 5:7
We live by faith, not by sight.
KJV (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
Walk defined means: peripateo in the Greek language meaning to make one’s way, progress; to make due use of opportunities

Isaiah 45: 18-25
18 For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the LORD, and there is no other. 19 I have not spoken in secret, In a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, 'Seek Me in vain'; I, the LORD, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. 20 "Assemble yourselves and come; Draw near together, You who have escaped from the nations. They have no knowledge, Who carry the wood of their carved image, And pray to a god that cannot save. 21 Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. 22 "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath. 24 He shall say, 'Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, And all shall be ashamed Who are incensed against Him. 25 In the LORD all the descendants of Israel Shall be justified, and shall glory.' "

How similar is ‘The God He says He is’ to ‘The God you say He is’??

Faith unchallenged is faith stifled. It is important to analyze how we have developed our present spiritual belief system and measure it against the Word. We must determine what we believe and then measure it for accuracy of biblical concepts against the Bible itself, not against what we’ve seen or what we’ve heard. The beauty of the Holy Spirit is that if we are actively seeking wisdom and knowledge, the Holy Spirit will uproot and replace any beliefs that are inaccurate or not totally complete.

A TEST OF FAITH

Following is a faith test from the ‘Believing God is Who He Says He Is’ Bible study. This test is meant entirely for our self-examination and reflection. Here are a few ground rules. Please be completely honest. Don’t mark the answers that you think you are supposed to or that you believe most people would mark. Your answers aren’t meant to be right or wrong. They are meant to be honest. Don’t overanalyze. The first gut-level honest answer that comes to you is probably the most accurate. Mark only one answer. Do not under any circumstances feel condemned by any question. Keep the positive purpose of the test before you. God could very well use this tool to liberate you from an area of bondage to unbelief.

Now Stop and Pray. Ask God to help you examine and test your present condition of faith in order to remove any obstacles of unbelief that stand in the way of life more abundant, more adventurous, and more effective.

1. I believe ______ Scripture is actually God’s Word.
a. all
b. most
c. some
d. little

2. I believe ___________________________________.
a. there is only one true God, the God of the Bible
b. the God of Hebrews and Christians is also the God of Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and all other primary world religions
c. many gods and many ways provide a peaceful or happy life after death
d. very little about an unseen, spiritual world involving God or gods

3. I believe __________________________________________________.
a. Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God
b. Jesus Christ was a great prophet
c. Jesus Christ was a great teacher
d. Jesus Christ may be a mythical figure

4. I believe the four Gospels reveal a(n) _______________ portrayal of Christ.
a. absolutely accurate
b. mostly accurate
c. partly accurate
d. questionable

5. I believe the New Testament reveals a(n) ______________________ portrayal of Christ’s signs, wonders, and works.
a. absolutely accurate
b. mostly accurate
c. partly accurate
d. questionable

6. I’m _________ convinced of God’s love for me.
a. always
b. usually
c. sometimes
d. rarely

7. I believe the Jesus Christ of the Gospels is ___________ today.
a. just as powerful and active
b. very powerful and active
c. more watchful than active
d. more distant and less likely to intervene with action

8. I have seen _______ firsthand evidences of a miracle of God.
a. many
b. some
c. a few
d. no

9. I tend to ___________________ testimonies of modern-day miracles.
a. at least favorably consider
b. give a second thought to
c. discount
d. automatically disbelieve

10. I feel that God _________ hears my prayers.
a. always
b. usually
c. occasionally
d. rarely

11. I ________ sense the activity of God in several other people I observe.
a. constantly
b. often
c. occasionally
d. rarely

12. I ­­­___________ believe God is active in my life.
a. constantly
b. often
c. occasionally
d. rarely

13. I believe God speaks through His Word, His Holy Spirit, human vessels, and circumstances to ______________________________________________.
a. anyone willing to listen
b. most people who are willing to listen
c. only those who are most obedient
d. only those who are in important spiritual positions

14. I ___________________ that I am forgiven for my past confessed.
a. am thoroughly convinced
b. am ordinarily confident
c. am hopeful
d. have difficulty accepting

15. I ______________________ that God has a specific, fruitful plan for every believer in Christ, including me.
a. am thoroughly convinced
b. am ordinarily confident
c. am hopeful
d. have difficulty accepting

16. I feel that God has ________________________________________ in the past when I’ve exercised faith in Him.
a. actively and affirmatively responded to me
b. faithfully revealed Himself to me, even if I didn’t get what I asked
c. rarely seemed responsive to me
d. failed me

17. I am __________________ to take my faith to a new level in Christ.
a. very willing and ready
b. anxious but a little scared
c. scared half to death
d. presently unwilling

18. I ______________ pray generic prayers because I don’t want to be disappointed by God.
a. rarely
b. occasionally
c. often
d. most commonly

19. I believe that God is willing, able and pleased to redeem _____________________ in any life (including mine) and work it/them for His glory and the person’s good.
a. absolutely anything
b. many things
c. certain things (To me, things like ____________ seem unredeemable. He can diffuse those things, perhaps, but I don’t think He uses those things.)
d. few things. Frankly, I haven’t seen much redemption of bad things in my environment.

20. When fear comes on me like a tidal wave, I tend most quickly to ________________.
a. recall Scripture and turn it into prayer
b. pray
c. call a friend to pray for me
d. panic.

We are not going to get scientific or terribly statistical with the results, but if you’d like a mere suggestion to what degree you may presently be exercising faith, consider the following:
- If you circled mostly a’s and b’s, you are probably exercising active and abundant faith. I’d imagine your journey with Christ has been pretty adventurous.
- If you circled mostly b’s and c’s, you are probably exercising a moderate amount of faith. Perhaps you are young in the faith and on your way to developing lavish belief. Or you may have recently had a setback that has caused you to be distrustful. Keep in mind that virtually anyone is capable of going from predominately a answers to d answers almost overnight due to a sudden change in circumstances and the ability to sense God’s activity. Happily, the opposite is also true. We are never wise to judge others for a weakness of faith (Romans 14:1-Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.), because we have no idea what challenges we have ahead.
- If you circled mostly c’s and d’s, you may battle significant uncertainty and fear. On the other hand, you may also be repulsed by the interferences because any teaching of faith seems a heretical name-it-and-claim-it theology.

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

1 John 1:1
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--

Colossians 2:9
For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily

Mark 9:21-23
So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. 22 "And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." 23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."

Jeremiah 33:3
'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'

John 5:17
Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

HOW TO BELIEVE GOD...THE HOW OF FAITH

HOW TO BELIEVE GOD…THE HOW OF FAITH

Nine qualities of the fruit of the Holy Spirit:
1. LOVE- brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence
2. JOY- joy, gladness
3. PEACE- the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is
4. LONGSUFFERING- patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance, forbearance, longsuffering, slowness in avenging wrongs
5. GENTLENESS- moral goodness, integrity, benignity, kindness
6. GOODNESS- uprightness of heart and life, goodness, kindness
7. FAITH- conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it
1a) relating to God
1a1) the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ
1b) relating to Christ
1b1) a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God
1c) the religious beliefs of Christians 1d) belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or in Christ, springing from faith in the same
8. MEEKNESS- gentleness, mildness, meekness
9. TEMPERANCE- self-control (the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, esp. his sensual appetites)

Faith is a quality of the fruit of the Spirit. As New Testament believers, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us when we receive Christ as our personal Savior, and He bring His personality with Him. When we are yielded to the Holy Spirit’s authority, His personality fills us and eclipses our own. When we’re not yielding, we grieve the Holy Spirit and operate from our own carnal nature. Thank goodness, He still does not leave us, but our faith consequently shrinks. The more we are filled with the Spirit, the more faith we can possess. Because the Holy Spirit is one with the Father and the Son, He always believes God. When He fills us, our fleshly faithlessness will yield to His belief system, and we get to possess and exercise it as our own.

Faithfulness – serving and obeying God- is the outward expression of an inward fullness of faith.

Romans 10:17
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.

Faith comes through hearing the Word of God. Without a doubt, one of the biggest faith-builders we have is a relationship with God through His Word. The more we receptively expose ourselves to God’s Word through sermons, teachings, lessons, devotionals, and Bible studies, the more fuel we will add to the fire of our faith.

We can ask God to increase our faith. One way to have more faith is to ask for it. That is what the disciples did.

Luke 17:1-6
Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent’, forgive him.” The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea’, and it will obey you.”

We can confess our unbelief to Christ and request His help to overcome it. Jesus Christ will never turn us away when we come to Him with gut-level honesty and request what we lack. Can you imagine how our lives would be transformed if we began petitioning Christ every day to help us overcome any areas of unbelief? Perhaps we are quick to say “I believe!”. But no sooner do those words come forth from our mouths than we are convicted by the Spirit of truth, realizing how utterly paralyzed we are by unbelief at times.

A Boy is Healed
14 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. 15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. 16 And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?" 17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 "And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not." 19 He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me." 20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. 21 So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. 22 "And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." 23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" 26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" 29 So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

We can grow in faith. Our faith develops, matures and grows as we continue to walk with God. The more we practice faith, the more faith we have to practice.
Psalms 37:33 Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

Trust: lean on, rely on, and be confident
Those who continually feed on God’s faithfulness are far more likely to have a ready supply when the challenge arises, because it abides in them.

In Summary: HOW
Faith is a quality of the fruit of the Spirit.
Faith comes through hearing the Word of God.
We can ask God to increase our faith.
We can confess our unbelief to Christ and request His help to overcome it.
We can grow in faith.

Shield of Faith-Pledge of Faith
1. God is who He says He is.
2. God can do what He says He can do.
3. I am who God says I am.
4. I can do all things through Christ.
5. God's word is alive and active in me.
This is our shield of faith. "I'm believing God"

Romans 4-Abraham Justified by FAITH

ROMANS 4
Abraham Justified by Faith

1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about-but not before God. 3What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

4Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

7”Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”

9Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had faith while he was still uncircumcised

13It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

16Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all of Abraham’s offspring-not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father to us all. 17As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations”. He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed-the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

18Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be”. 19Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead-since he was about a hundred years old-and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness-for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.


The principles that most profoundly stick out from Romans 4 are:
-Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness
-Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation (this tells me that wages are credited due to God’s laws of labor, reaping and harvesting, but have nothing to do with being righteous)
-Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations. (he believed when all facts pointed in the other direction away from hope)


Four motivations for a life of believing God:
-Incomparable power (Eph. 1:19)
-The pleasure of God (Heb. 11:6a)
-Reward (Heb. 11:6b)
-God will often act according to our faith (Matt. 9:29)

“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (v.3) God is obviously very intent on our receiving the concept because He not only stated it originally in Genesis 15:6, but He also said it repeatedly in Romans, then again in the Books of Galatians and James. God is never one to waste words. Any repetitions are to be considered paramount.

Genesis 15:6 “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

How do we know this applies to us???
Romans 4:23-24 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness-for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Beth offers a great analogy:
“I grew up believing that a person’s goodness is what pleased God most. By the time I was in early adulthood, I already had so many acts of unrighteousness credited to my account that I thought I would have to live to be one hundred without a single mistake to tip the scale toward God’s approval. Some of us have so much defeat in our past that we feel that we lost the race before we knew it started. Imagine two teams coming out to the basketball court to play a game. One team lost its previous game by 45 points. The other team won, so it enters the game with no strikes against it. Now picture the new game beginning with the scoreboard reading “0 to 45”. Many of us have felt so defeated by our last round that we feel as if we’ll never win. Therefore, we play like losers. Every person God created has an innate need to feel that some way exists to win. That is what Romans 4:23-24 is all about.

Not our righteous acts but our faith are credited as righteous. According to Isaiah 64:6, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and alike the wind our sins sweep us away.”

How do I free myself from the cycle of defeat?
I choose to believe God. He said I was forgiven. That I was beautiful to Him. That He had a purpose for my life. That I was a new woman. I no longer had to carry my old baggage or turn to my old comforts. That Christ Jesus took on my unrighteousness so that I could be the righteousness of God in Him (see 2 Cor. 5:21). That His all-surpassing power was within my jars of clay (see 2 Cor. 4:7)

2Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

2 Corinthians 4:7-10 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”

The only thing that makes us heirs and seeds of Abraham is our belief in Jesus Christ as our Savior, and the only thing that makes us righteous is our faith. No works or deeds, just belief and faith.

1 Peter 1:7
These 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.

What has a greater worth or value than gold?? MY FAITH….YOUR FAITH

Righteous acts motivated by legalism: NO VALUE
FAITH: More value than gold

Believing God for Your Promise Land

I am starting on a new Beth Moore Bible Study and will be keeping notes on my blog. For anyone wishing to join in the study, it is found at https://www.lifeway.com/bg/ .

Five-Statement Pledge of Faith
1. God is who He says He is.
2. God can do what He says He can do.
3. I am who God says I am.
4. I can do all things through Christ.
5. God's word is alive and active in me.
This is our shield of faith. "I'm believing God"

Nothing works like faith. It brings God-ordained dividends, and its absence carries huge costs. Nothing equals the impact of faith, because it invites God to answer with proof.

God is calling us to leave the passive life bred by a past-tense view of faith and to participate in present-active-participle believing.

God exerts an incomparable power in the lives of those who continue believing Him. Nothing on earth compares to the strength God is willing to interject into lives caught in the act of believing. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul likens it to the stunning power God exerted when He raised His Son from the dead!

We do not have a need that exceeds His power!!

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

God requires much of us if we are going to fulfill a divinely ordained destiny. What He is prepared to do in behalf of those who are obedient staggers the imagination.

Sometimes our problem with God is that we don't like the rules. God is all-wise, and His primary purpose in creating humans was to engage them in active relationships. The requirement of faith before we see certain acts of God is one way He enforces engagement.

According to your faith it will be done to you.....
Matthew 9:20-22 "Take heart daughter, your faith has healed you" (12 years of bleeding)
Matthew 9:27-30 He touched their eyes and said "According to you faith will it be done to you" (restored the sight of two blind me)
Matthew 15:28 "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted!" (demon possessed daughter healed)
Matthew 17:14-21 the disciples couldn't heal the boy with seizures "O unbelieving and perverse generation...I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you"

According to your faith it will be done to you...that means the more we believe God, the more we are likely to see and experience His intervening power.

Believing God can really be hard work at times! When external evidences scream to the contrary, we have to exert volitional muscle. Deciding to believe God's Word over our circumstances can be a tremendous exercise of the will at times.

The walk of faith assumes a walk with God. Faith cannot walk alone. Faith on its own changes nothing. Faith's very essence is dependency. Faith is the primary means by which we place our hand in the outstretched hand of God and join Him.

Four motivations for present-active-participle believing in God:
Ephesians 1:19 - incomparably great power for us who believe
Hebrews 11:6a - without faith it is impossible to please God
Hebrews 11:6b - must believe He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him
Matthew 9:29 - According to your faith it will be done to you

What is the Difference? Buddhism

BUDDHISM

The man who formulated Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama, who was born a Hindu about 560 BC, at Lumbini near the border of India in what is now Nepal.

Tradition says that when Gautama was born, a seer prophesied that he would become the greatest ruler in human history. The seer added that if Gautama ever saw four things-sickness, old age, death and a monk who had renounced the world-the boy would give up his earthly rule and discover a way of salvation for all mankind.

To refute the prophecy, Gautama’s father built a palace for his son, giving orders that neither the sick, the old, a dead body nor a monk be allowed near the palace. Gautama grew up in this way, protected from the world. He later married a beautiful girl named Yasodhara, who bore him a son.

One day as he rode through the park that surrounded his palace, he saw a man who was covered in terrible sores, a man who tottered with age, a corpse being carried to its grave and a begging monk who appeared to be peaceful and happy.

That night he began to think about the look of peace on the monk’s face. He began to wonder if there was more to life than the luxuries of his palace. Late that night he took a last look at his sleeping wife and child, then left the palace forever.

Gautama, 29 years old, was determined to solve the riddle of life. He shaved his head, put on a yellow robe and wandered the countryside as a beggar monk.

One of the Buddha’s most important teachings was his theory of the Middle Way. For Buddha, the Middle Way was a spiritual path of salvation, winding between the extreme asceticism and the unrestrained sensuality he had known while a Hindu. These four main principles are know as the FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS:
1. Suffering is universal – Buddha taught that the very act of living involves suffering from birth until death. Even death brings no relief, however, because of the cycle of rebirth, suffering and death. Salvation (nirvana) is to be released from the unending cycle of suffering.
2. The cause of suffering is craving (selfish desire) – People remain in this endless cycle, because they are too attached to their health, wealth, status and physical comfort. This is because they are ignorant of the nature of reality and they fall victim to what Buddha called tanha (attachment, desire)
3. The cure for suffering is to overcome ignorance and eliminate cravings – Since to live is to suffer and suffering is caused by cravings, if a person could remove craving from his or her life, suffering would end.
4. Suppress craving by following the Middle Way-the Noble Eightfold Path – First, Buddha isolated the cause, tanha-humanity’s inability to escape from the squirrel cage of death and rebirth. Next he worked out a system called the Eightfold Path by which a Buddhist could rid himself of tanha. The Eightfold Path consists of eight ways of right living:
1. right viewpoint
2. right aspiration
3. right speech
4. right behavior
5. right occupation
6. right effort
7. right mindfulness
8. right meditation

Buddha claimed that whoever could follow this Eightfold Path would eventually reach nirvana, a release from the endless cycle of death and rebirth.

Buddhism takes a wide variety of forms but the three main kinds are : Hinayana, Mahayana, and Tantrism.

Buddhists deny the existence of a personal God or say that God’s existence is irrelevant.

Buddhists believe that sin is the lust that arises in one’s life, and they seek to rid themselves of lustful desires by self-effort or by calling on Bodhisattvas for help.

What is the Difference? Hinduism

HINDUISM

The word Hinduism comes from the Indus River, which flows through what is now Pakistan.

Hinduism is not really one religion, but many religions that interact and blend with one another. There is no known founder of Hinduism, no creedal statements of faith to sign and no agreed-upon authority. In fact, one can be a good Hindu and believe in one god, many gods or no gods at all.

There are two foundational assumptions that almost all Hindus believe without questions:

REINCARNATION
Reincarnation is the belief that the atman, a person’s uncreated and eternal soul, must repeatedly be recycled into the world in different bodies. In some forms of Hinduism, souls may be reincarnated as animals, plants or even inanimate objects. Reincarnation is the process that takes the Hindu through the great wheel of “samsara”, the thousands or millions of lives (all full of suffering) that each atman must endure before reaching “moksha” (liberation from suffering and union with the infinite).

KARMA
Karma (action) has to do with the law of cause and effect. For the Hindu, karma means merit or demerit, which attaches to one’s atman (soul) according to how one lives one’s life. Karma from past lives effects a person’s present life, and karma from this life will determine a person’s station in the next life.

For Hindus, the great spiritual challenge is that the soul, or atman, is separated from Brahma (Ultimate Reality) and trapped in samsara, the seemingly endless process of being reincarnated over and over. Moksha, which is the liberation from samsara and reunion with Brahma, is the goal.

Hindus do not believe in a personal, loving God, but in Brahma, a formless, abstract, eternal being without attributes, who was the beginning of all things. They believe that Jesus is not God but just one of many incarnations, or avatars, of Vishnu.

Hindus call sin “utter illusion” because they believe all material reality is illusory. They seek deliverance from samsara, the endless cycle of death and rebirth, through union with Brahma, which is achieved through devotion, meditation, good works and self-control.

What is the Difference? Islam

ISLAM

“Allah is one and Christ was just a prophet”

Islam originated in what is now called Saudi Arabia and from there expanded along trade routes to Africa and Asia. The country with the most Muslims is Indonesia, with 120 million. One out of every six human beings on the face of the earth subscribes to the faith of Islam.

Islam is the correct name for the religion often incorrectly called Mohammedanism. The word Islam means “submission” (to Allah, the God of Mohammed, the man who founded this religion). A believer in Mohammed’s religion is a Muslim, meaning “one who lives his life according to God’s will”.

Mohammed came from a prominent and highly respected family. His father died a few days before his birth, his mother when he was six, his grandfather (whom he lived with) when he was nine. Then he lived with his uncle where he herded flocks. As he grew older, he got into the caravan trade and accompanied his uncle on trips to Syria and Persia. At 25 her married a 40 year old wealthy widower and she bore him several children. For much of the next 15 years he spent in solitary meditation. At the age of 40, he received his first revelation while contemplating in a cave on Mount Hira near Mecca. According to Mohammed, the archangel Gabriel came to him during a dream and brought the following command of God:
“Read in the name of the Lord who created, who created man of blood coagulated. Read! They Lord is the most beneficent, who taught by the pen, taught that what they knew not unto men.”

From this command to “read” comes the name for the holy book of Islam, the Qur’an, meaning “the reciting” or “the reading”. Because Mohammed could not read or write, the Qur’an is his reciting of revelations given to him.

Mohammed never claimed to be divine but insisted that Allah had called him to be a prophet.

The Qur’an is the sacred scripture of Islam. About four-fifths the length of the New Testament, it includes 114 surah (chapters). While the ideas are all credited to God, Mohammed dictated parts of the Qur’an while the rest came from the writings of disciples who remembered his oral teachings after he died.

In addition to the Qur’an, Mohammed developed important teachings and sayings called “Sunnah” (“path”). The Sunnah became a base for traditions build on Mohammed’s conduct as a prophet and how he handled things while being guide, judge and ruler of his Muslim followers. The Sunnah were gathered into one body of work called the “Hadith”, which supplements the Qur’an.

Another important body of teachings in Islam is the Shariah, a combination of legal interpretations of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Shariah means “law” and it lays down the strict and comprehensive guide for life and conduct for Muslims. It includes prohibitions against eating pork and drinking alcoholic beverages, as well as punishments for stealing, adultery, apostasy (denying Islam) and blasphemy (saying anything derogatory about Islam or Mohammed).

The Six Doctrines of Islam:
1. God-There is one true God and His name is Allah. Allah is all-seeing, all-knowing and all-powerful
2. Angels-The chief angel is Gabriel, who is said to have appeared to Mohammed. There is also a fallen angel name Shaitan (from the Hebrew “satan”), as well as the followers of Shaitan, the jinns (demons).
3. Scripture-Muslims believe in four God-inspired books: the Torah of Moses (Christians call the Pentateuch), the Zabur (Psalms of David), the Injil (Gospel) of Jeus, and the Qur’an. The Qur’an is Allah’s final word to mankind. It supersedes and over-rules all previous writings.
4. Mohammed-The Qur’an lists 28 prophets of Allah. These include Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jonah, and Jesus. To the Muslims, the last and greatest prophet is Mohammed.
5. The end times-On the last day, the dead will be resurrected. Allah will be the judge, and each person will be sent to heaven or hell. Heaven is a place of sensual pleasure. Hell is for those who oppose Allah and his prophet Mohammed.
6. Predestination-God has determined what He pleases, and no one can change what He has decreed (the doctrine of fate). From this doctrine comes the most common Islamic phrase “If it is Allah’s will”.


The Five Pillars of Faith-beside the six doctrines to be believed, there are five duties to be performed:
1. Statement of belief-To become a Muslim, a person must publicly repeat the Shahadah: “There is no other god but Allah and Mohammed is the prophet of Allah.”
2. Prayer-Muslims pray five times per day-at day break, noon, midafternoon, after sunset and early evening. The Muslim must kneel and bow in the prescribed manner in the direction of the holy city Mecca
3. Alms-Muslim law today requires the believer to give one-fortieth of his profit (2.5 percent). This offering goes to widows, orphans, the sick and other unfortunates.
4. Ramadan-The night month of the Islamic lunar year is called Ramadan and is the highest of Muslim holy seasons. Muslim are required to fast for the entire month (during daylight hours)
5. Pilgrimage to Mecca-This is called the Hajj and must be performed at least once in a Muslim’s lifetime. However, if the pilgrimage is too difficult or dangerous for the believer, he can send someone else in his place.

Religious leaders of Islamic countries by and large believe that if Islam is to be practiced correctly, all society must submit to Islamic law (Shariah).

Islam in the West is completely different from Islam in Muslim-dominated countries.

Muslims claim that humans are born with hearts that are clean slates. If they commit sins, these can be overcome by acts of the will.

Muslims say that Allah does not love those who do wrong, and each person must earn his or her own salvation.