By Faith

This morning in our Bible Study class we got back into Hebrews 11 and I circled all the By Faith's in my NASB. It also helped to have a missionary in our class speaking today about his travels around the world and him giving us stories of people oppressed and in danger of losing their lives for following Jesus Christ.

By Faith.....so how is your faith? Is worry and this world winning out on your thought life? How are your actions affecting the world around you? are their any actions?

Are you involved in making positive change in the time you have here?

If you have faith you are called by the Holy Spirit within you to a greater story. A group of good friends of mine meet on Friday mornings and they are studying EPIC by John Eldridge right now. I was amazed at how this ties into Donald Miller's "Thousand Miles in a Million Years," book.

By Faith is written to give us remembrance of the great men/women (Rahab) of the faith in Hebrews 11 that they conquered kingdoms, adminstered justice, and gained what was promised. The verse continues with some of the unpleasant things that happened to them too.

Today I see more people affected by this economy than ever in my life. People without jobs, places they have never been before. While I can comfort them and reassure them as I have been there before, it still doesn't get them one of Maslow's basic needs which is security.

I think alot of it has to do with our world view today. What do you need to live off of? I will ask men unemployed what is essential for your family to pay the big bills coming up? We believe I think that we need more. We are taught from a young age to have, appearances, staying up with the Joneses. To have a house like everyone else, even if we can't afford it. Cars that we can't pay for etc....

These men in Hebrews didn't have all that clutter drowning out the Holy Spirit. They had little in most instances or even gave it up. ( See Paul, Peter etc) Because they had a life changing experience that focused them on Christ and not the World. Off of them onto others, to a better story. The best and biggest story of our world, the changing of a man or woman's heart by coming to faith in Jesus Christ. He is watching us right now looking at us and wondering what we will do BY FAITH and leave an impact and not an impression on this world.

So here are three thoughts I am working on over the holidays. 1) De-Cluttering to allow more focus time on God 2) Spend intentional time with older men to disciple me more --time moves too fast. 3) Spend time in prayer to ask the Lord to show me where He is working that I can join Him in making a better story of His story and His name in 2010.....

Love to hear yours. May God bless you and walk with you along the way to show you more of Him in these last days....He is wanting too oh, he is wanting to show you and me more of Him and His creation and we miss it.....let's focus on Him more and less of us....