Hebrews 11:6:
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."
BarbTalk:
Faith is always an interesting subject. Without Faith is equally interesting. Faith is a gift. No faith, no gift. No gift, no faith. I wonder if we have to be prepared to receive the gift of faith?
I did not have the gift of faith for 33 years, and then POW! I had it. I was flying back from Chicago, with a screaming baby next to me all the way home, and on that flight, I received the gift of faith. I am not even sure what happened. At work, many were becoming Christians, but I thought they were far too radical for me. Nothing else mattered to them but Jesus. I was a little wearied by their 'fanaticism'. I kind of thought about God at different times of my life, but never seriously. I always loved church music, so I loved to listen to it and was even in a choir. But I was a complete goof-ball and really never heard the message about God wanting to have a relationship with me.
On that Chicago flight, instead of being irritated by the overzealous cries of the baby next to me, I began to love that baby. I started to pray for that baby. I held that baby. So unlike me. I had prayed before, but it was part of a ritual, I never realized I was actually talking to God. It never entered my mind until that day. I wanted so much for that baby to be comforted, and I wanted comfort also. I left the plane stunned at my new understanding, but did nothing with it.
I was sure He existed at that point. I didn't have a clue about His rewarding people. I had no understanding of what earnestly seeking Him looked like. I watched the people at work. They seemed to be in love with Jesus and I wasn't at all sure about that. Then came Good Friday, 1983. I had planned a break during the day, and Lisa was going to bring her guitar, and they would sing in the back parking lot of the salon. My schedule messed up and I could not join them. I began to cry. I couldn't stop crying the rest of the day. I was off on Saturday, and decided that what I needed to do was to ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I wasn't even sure why. But I knew this is what I needed. I approached Sue at work, and told her it was time for me to receive Jesus and would she pray with me. As I look back on it, she was stunned and couldn't believe her ears, and couldn't believe that she was having this opportunity and being a new believer herself, was a bit unsure, but we went for it! I was determined. We stuttered through a prayer, and I left the room. I thought, well, I don't feel any differently, and then, I began to laugh and laugh. I couldn't stop laughing. It was really weird. It was a good thing we had plans to go to a comedy club that night, because I couldn't stop laughing no matter how hard I tried!
This began my new life, and I have never looked back. It was explained to me that I had been born again. I just said a simple prayer, but God had readied my heart for the gift of faith. Nothing has ever been able to remove that gift. No amount of disagreement or persecution or people thinking I was ridiculous would sway my new found understanding. Once you have tasted, it is said, you can never go back to the old way. So true.
I can tell you that it was miraculous. I was dying and then I received new life. I was free of my old self and had a whole new self to get to know. I needed to learn the language of faith. I wanted to remove destructive thoughts and I wanted above all to be free.
The freedom I have experienced has been unparalleled. I am over the top joyful. I can't help but laugh and enjoy life. I am just simply a new person, the old one is dead and gone and I don't remember much about her that I am proud of. I am grateful that Jesus decided to rescue me. Me of all people. I will spend the rest of my days readying people, to the best of my ability, to receive the gift of faith.
I really like how the Life Application Study Bible has notes on Hebrews 11:6:
"Believing that God exists is only the beginning; even the demons believe that much.
God will not settle for mere acknowledgment of His existence.
He wants your faith to lead to a personal, dynamic relationship.
But does faith make sense, really?
Do you believe because faith makes sense, or because faith doesn’t need to make sense?
Some Christians think people cannot understand God and should not try.
Others believe that nothing true is irrational, including true faith.
The truth is, God gave us minds that should be developed and used.
To ignore intellectual growth is to live a stunted and naive life.
God wants our trust and faith, even while we ponder and wonder about so many matters mysterious to us.
Even so, we do not believe in a void nor leap into the dark.
Faith is reasonable, though reason alone cannot explain the whole of it.
So use your mind to think things through.
But leave room for the unexplainable works of God."
Yup.
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."
BarbTalk:
Faith is always an interesting subject. Without Faith is equally interesting. Faith is a gift. No faith, no gift. No gift, no faith. I wonder if we have to be prepared to receive the gift of faith?
I did not have the gift of faith for 33 years, and then POW! I had it. I was flying back from Chicago, with a screaming baby next to me all the way home, and on that flight, I received the gift of faith. I am not even sure what happened. At work, many were becoming Christians, but I thought they were far too radical for me. Nothing else mattered to them but Jesus. I was a little wearied by their 'fanaticism'. I kind of thought about God at different times of my life, but never seriously. I always loved church music, so I loved to listen to it and was even in a choir. But I was a complete goof-ball and really never heard the message about God wanting to have a relationship with me.
On that Chicago flight, instead of being irritated by the overzealous cries of the baby next to me, I began to love that baby. I started to pray for that baby. I held that baby. So unlike me. I had prayed before, but it was part of a ritual, I never realized I was actually talking to God. It never entered my mind until that day. I wanted so much for that baby to be comforted, and I wanted comfort also. I left the plane stunned at my new understanding, but did nothing with it.
I was sure He existed at that point. I didn't have a clue about His rewarding people. I had no understanding of what earnestly seeking Him looked like. I watched the people at work. They seemed to be in love with Jesus and I wasn't at all sure about that. Then came Good Friday, 1983. I had planned a break during the day, and Lisa was going to bring her guitar, and they would sing in the back parking lot of the salon. My schedule messed up and I could not join them. I began to cry. I couldn't stop crying the rest of the day. I was off on Saturday, and decided that what I needed to do was to ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I wasn't even sure why. But I knew this is what I needed. I approached Sue at work, and told her it was time for me to receive Jesus and would she pray with me. As I look back on it, she was stunned and couldn't believe her ears, and couldn't believe that she was having this opportunity and being a new believer herself, was a bit unsure, but we went for it! I was determined. We stuttered through a prayer, and I left the room. I thought, well, I don't feel any differently, and then, I began to laugh and laugh. I couldn't stop laughing. It was really weird. It was a good thing we had plans to go to a comedy club that night, because I couldn't stop laughing no matter how hard I tried!
This began my new life, and I have never looked back. It was explained to me that I had been born again. I just said a simple prayer, but God had readied my heart for the gift of faith. Nothing has ever been able to remove that gift. No amount of disagreement or persecution or people thinking I was ridiculous would sway my new found understanding. Once you have tasted, it is said, you can never go back to the old way. So true.
I can tell you that it was miraculous. I was dying and then I received new life. I was free of my old self and had a whole new self to get to know. I needed to learn the language of faith. I wanted to remove destructive thoughts and I wanted above all to be free.
The freedom I have experienced has been unparalleled. I am over the top joyful. I can't help but laugh and enjoy life. I am just simply a new person, the old one is dead and gone and I don't remember much about her that I am proud of. I am grateful that Jesus decided to rescue me. Me of all people. I will spend the rest of my days readying people, to the best of my ability, to receive the gift of faith.
I really like how the Life Application Study Bible has notes on Hebrews 11:6:
"Believing that God exists is only the beginning; even the demons believe that much.
God will not settle for mere acknowledgment of His existence.
He wants your faith to lead to a personal, dynamic relationship.
But does faith make sense, really?
Do you believe because faith makes sense, or because faith doesn’t need to make sense?
Some Christians think people cannot understand God and should not try.
Others believe that nothing true is irrational, including true faith.
The truth is, God gave us minds that should be developed and used.
To ignore intellectual growth is to live a stunted and naive life.
God wants our trust and faith, even while we ponder and wonder about so many matters mysterious to us.
Even so, we do not believe in a void nor leap into the dark.
Faith is reasonable, though reason alone cannot explain the whole of it.
So use your mind to think things through.
But leave room for the unexplainable works of God."
Yup.
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