Believer’s True Story

 

Believer’s True Story

Strong's Greek: 228. ἀληθινός (aléthinos) -- True, genuine, real

228 /alēthinós (" substantially true") refers to what is essentially true – connecting (visible) fact to its underlying reality. 228 (alēthinós) then emphasizes the integrity of what is true, down to its …[i]

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose; Rom. 8: 28.

      Think about all the seasons in our life, loss of a loved one, unanswered prayers; burdens that are too heavy to speak about; and all the unspoken requests of our hearts. The human response is that we need clarity in all situations; how the puzzle pieces fit in, the time line, the reason, a blue print and not blindfolded! Fallen mortal being trying to to understand the Immortal Being!?

     The answer is that God does not give the details, but He gives Himself! His  presence, His promises, His word, and not necessarily to explain every mystery, but will assure us that we are not walking in the mystery alone!

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all; Psa. 34: 19.

        This verse does not say that our life will be easy, but it explains something, that we all wish that is not true at all. The hope is not in trouble free life at all, but in our deliverer. He comes through not always in our time-table, but in His perfect time.

       All the closed doors; the burden we cannot carry and our crying heart; how do we fix this? God’s sovereignty means that He is in full control, even when our world goes out of control. God’s ways are higher, love deeper than all of our turmoiled emotions because of varied difficult situations around us. God is not late, not at a distance, and not wasting any of our pain. He asks us to trust Him, when the storm is raging, and when the waiting lingers, He invites us to have faith in Him.

        Our job is not to make sense of everything; but to trust the one who gave us the promises not to leave us nor forsake us. We begin to see with the eyes of faith, the traces of His goodness, even in the dark. What is God shaping in each one of us through this?

        Most likely this season, draws us closer to Him, enhances the fruit of the Spirit, increase the trust and preparing us for something greater. This process is painful; and silence from God does not mean He is not involved and not concerned about our pain. He is always working, and He is the potter and we are the clay, and we are His workman’s ship created in Christ Jesus.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them; Ephe. 2: 10.

       We are His master piece, and our story is still being written; and He is not finished with us. So hold on, even when we are weak and weary, when the night feels long, in uncertainty, our part is to trust Him. God assures us that the good work He begins in us will reach its fulfillment.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ; Phil. 1: 6.

It’s a thrilling truth that doesn’t upset me at all. The fact that He chose me and began a good work in me proves that He’ll continue to perform it. He wouldn’t bring me this far and then dump me.” (Smith)

 

      Personally, I want all my time in my life to know Him more day by day. This is different from knowing about Him. One day in the future I can look back and see and say, “ Now I understand.”

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[i] Bible Hub https://biblehub.com › greek

 

Does Faith Stands Today?

 

                                                 Does Faith Stands Today?

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed; For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord; Jam. 1: 6-7. 

Strong's Hebrew: 530. אֱמוּנָה, (emunah) - Bible Hub

Exodus 17:12. HEB: וַיְהִ֥י יָדָ֛יו אֱמוּנָ֖ה עַד־ בֹּ֥א. NAS: Thus his hands were steady until. KJV: and his hands …[i]

But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun; Exo. 17: 12. 

       Prayer life, and the other assignments give to us by God can be said as sweet and easy; but often it is very hard work. Moses thought he could do it on his own; sooner he realized he could not do it on his own. He need others to come along side and strengthen him in prayer. This shows we need other beleivers to stand and intercede for us and with us. True prayer is very hard work! Sooner or later, one had to realize that life in Jesus or death away from Jesus depends on prayer. 

Strong's Greek: 4102. πίστις (pistis) -- Faith, belief, trust ...

Faith (4102 /pistis) is always a gift from God, and never something that can be produced by people. In short, 4102 /pistis ("faith") for the believer is "God's divine persuasion " – and therefore distinct from …[ii]

Strong's Greek: 2830. κλύδων (kludón) -- Wave, surge, billow

In James 1:6, κλυδών is used metaphorically to describe a person who doubts, likening them to "a wave of the sea,    blown and tossed by the wind." This vivid imagery underscores the instability …[iii]

      This word means the waves that are constantly on the move; (kludón). This means very wavering in our thought pattern, on the move: rising and tumbling, it falls, not able to pin point; always changing, not congruent; and double minded in speech and actions.

We notice that not only must one come in faith, but one must also ask in faith; and this is where the prayers of many people fail. “You know, dear friends, that there is a way of praying in which you ask for nothing, and get it.” (Spurgeon)

      This totally depends on our relationship with God, through Christ Jesus. This means our total life is centred around Christ; in, with and through; and  HE lives.

Hiebert says, double-minded is literally two-souled. “The man of two souls, who has one for the earth, and another for heaven: who wishes to secure both worlds; he will not give up earth, and he is loath to let heaven go.” (Clarke)[iv]

         Wave of the sea is a kind of metaphor to describe: one who is hindered by unbelief; is without rest, is unstable, is driven by the winds, is capable of great destruction, and so is the doubter.

“The man who is not thoroughly persuaded that if he ask of God he shall receive, resembles a wave of the sea; he is in a state of continual agitation; driven by the wind, and tossed: now rising by hope, then sinking by despair.” (Clarke)

        Book of James say that a person who does not pray in faith is like a wave of sea; and his position is always changing, and praying differently. God will answer our prayers; but we have to learn to stand still. Not to be like a billowing wave of the sea; rather stands firm in prayer like Elijah on the Mount Carmel. Nothing wavering!

     Joseph’s faith is referenced in Hebrews11. Joseph at the time of his death, which he discerned, mentioned the departure of the children of Israel.

And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; Gen. 50: 24.

      Joseph’s story in the Book of Genesis, is very inspiring. One sold to slavery became the second-in-command over all of Egypt. His story and his life of faithfulness, charitableness, kindness, sincere emotions towards his loved ones, shows God’s faithfulness, providence and mercy throughout his life. This does not mean his life was easy. Those who read God’s word knew pretty well his life was very hard! But his faith in God stands as a huge testimony for us all today. 

       Towards the end of his life, he made a special request about where his body must be buried. He wanted his bones to be carried to the promised land, and should not remain in Egypt. He knew his God given commission is finished in Egypt and now he should go back to the promised land of His forefather Abraham!

Joseph’s body was embalmed, following the Egyptian practice of mummification. His body was placed in a coffin, a custom very familiar in ancient Egyptian burial rituals. Unlike the quick burials of the Israelites, Egyptians carefully preserved the dead, believing in a journey to the afterlife. His embalming meant his body could survive intact for centuries.[v] 

       When Joseph died he was never buried in Egypt. His coffin laid above ground for the 400 or so years until it was taken back to Canaan. This remains as a silent witness all those years that Israel was going back to the Promised Land, just as God had promised.

 

“The Holy Spirit in this chapter selects out of good men’s lives the most brilliant instances of their faith. I should hardly have expected that he would have mentioned the dying scene of Joseph’s life as the most illustrious proof of his faith in God… Does not this tell us, dear brethren and sisters, that we are very poor judges of what God will most delight in?” (Spurgeon)

       May we walk; faith walk with God like our heroes of faith. May we try to walk like Enoch; believe like Abraham; fight like Jacob; dress like Joseph; stretch like Moses; conquer like Joshua; lead like Deborah; influence like Esther; dance like David; pray like Elijah; follow like Elisha; speak like Isaiah; organize like Nehemiah; preach like Peter; and over come like Paul. Above all, live, lead and love like Jesus.

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[i]https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=395&q=Hebrew+word+for+faith&cvid=c4

[ii]https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=395&q=Greek+word+for+faith&cvid=ca10

[iii] Bible Hub https://biblehub.com › greek

[iv] Enduring Word https://enduringword.com › bible-commentary Enduring Word Bible Commentary James

[v] What happened to Joseph's mummified body? - Bible Ask