Quote from Forum Archives on August 10, 2005, 8:38 am

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

The transition to a new website has begun. It will take several months to
make this transition and during this time the old website will remain at the
current url www.theburningbush.org and the new website will be at the url
www.theburningbush.net. Both websites will remain active until the
transition is complete and new devotionals will be posted at the new and old
websites. All of the devotionals written during 2005 are available at the
new site. One of the new features is the ability to post your prayer
requests and praise reports automatically to the site.

The new website url is www.theburningbush.net

Join the Burning Bush Prayer Group! Send and receive prayer requests and be
a part of a great ministry. More than 400 wonderful people make up this
group. To join send an email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Please sign the GuestMap at The Burning Bush website. You can plant your
country's flag on the map and leave a message. You can find it on the front
page at www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush Devotional

1,451 New Subscribers since November 2004

08.10.05

A Grenade Proof Faith

(Originally sent 03.06.03)

For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed,
for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep
what I have committed to Him until that Day. - 2 Timothy 1:12.

BMW has a new offering for those who may believe their security is
threatened. This vehicle can stand up to fire from an M16 rifle but that is
only one aspect of this amazing car. It can also withstand the explosion of
two grenades and having its tires flattened and still travel at 50 mph. You
can purchase one for yourself for only a few hundred thousand dollars. Or
perhaps you would prefer a Land Rover for $263,100 or a Mercedes of
comparable security for a couple of hundred thousand more? For most of us
that simply isn't an option and we will just have to face life without our
armored vehicle.

I've known several people over the years who were at one time faithful
servants of God but something happened and they stopped serving God. In fact
they became bitter and angry people. What happened? In one person's life it
was a combination of things ending with the loss of a business. In another
person's life it was when a Christian he looked up to failed. In another's
it was when a loved one died. In another it was the devastating illness of a
loved one. Those events in the life of some Christians appear to be even
more catastrophic than the explosion of a grenade under their feet.

How about your faith? How strong and tough is your faith? If your faith took
a hit, would you continue to love and serve your God? What would happen if
you suffered a debilitating disease and you asked God several times to heal
you and He said "No?" In addition you were thrown into prison a few times,
beaten with rods three separate times, whipped five different times, you
were stoned, shipwrecked, went hungry, didn't have enough clothes to keep
you warm and were bitten by a poisonous snake? If that happened to you would
you do as Job's wife suggested and just, "Curse God and die (Job 2:9b)!"
Those things didn't happen to Job but they did happen to the apostle Paul
who just kept on serving and loving God more and more and more (2
Corinthians 11:22-28; 2 Corinthians 12:7-9; Acts 28:1-6).

Paul instructs Timothy in how he can have a grenade proof faith. He tells
Timothy to "be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1)",
and to "hold fast to the pattern of sound words which you have heard from
me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:13)." Paul
continues to instruct Timothy and tells him, "You therefore must endure
hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare
entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who
enlisted him as a soldier (2 Timothy 2:3)." Paul says that he can, "endure
all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the
salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory (2 Timothy 2:10)."
Paul warns Timothy and others to, "Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue
righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a
pure heart. But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they
generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to
all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in
opposition.(2 Timothy 2:22-25a)." Paul also relates the great value of the
Word of God (2 Timothy 3:10-17).

The apostle Paul sums it all up by saying, "But the Lord stood with me and
strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and
that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of
the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me
for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen (2 Timothy
4:17-18)!" God will do the same for you and me if we will follow the
instructions and example, which has been so faithfully given to us.

Copyright © 2003-2005. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the
devotionals on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush
website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email
version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Please pray for the following, the full prayer requests are at
www.theburningbush.net: Joshua, Alta, Richard, Alicia, Amanda, Joey, Madison
D, Rita's family, Mona's family, William, Marc, Morgan, Ashleigh (has biopsy
of brain stem tumor tomorrow morning), Jason's family, and Mark.

The Crossmap Christian Search and Portal is a wonderful resource. I would
like to encourage you to visit this great site at ww.crossmap.com. Crossmap
has recently added the Burning Bush Devotionals to their site. You may visit
Crossmap's sister website, the online version of the Christian Post at
www.christianpost.com.
If you have a Christian website you are invited to add the link to my free
links at the Burning Bush website. The Bravenet free links is near the
bottom of the front page www.theburningbush.org.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
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There is now a webpage available at associate.com where the devotionals are
archived associate.com/groups/burningbushdevo. There is a complete
archive at the Burning Bush website and the address for the archive is
www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

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Subscribe to the Intercede Life Group and pray for and help in practical
ways those who need help. To subscribe send a blank email to
interclife-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. A closely related website is
Peoplefaces which seeks to help those in need
peoplefaces.ohzone.net/index2.htm