Quote from Forum Archives on October 14, 2002, 2:02 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

I am grateful that God has given us a choice, but I still believe
that God desires and expects us to examine what He says, believe,
and follow Him. Jesus Christ is the way to God. There is no
mistaking that claim if you read the Bible. Moreover, if you
believe what the Bible says, there is no other possible
interpretation.

Yet people hem and haw, believing this and that or pieces of this
and that. I say that it's either true or it isn't, and my
response ought to reflect what I believe.

I personally choose to believe that the Holy Bible is true, and
what it says comes from God. That affects what I believe, what I
say, and what I do.

Now I'm a flswed being, and there are times in which my actions
and beliefs do not perfectly coincide. There are times when I
allow my own personal agendas to conflict with what I claim to
believe. I must be purposeful in what I think, say, and do, and
I must have help in dealing with the conflicts that are within
me. That's where I believe God is always there to help me. But
I still have to be purposeful about not only what I believe, but
what I say and what I do, too. Allowing for my flaws in
character, these things must be consistent.

Dear Lord,

I not only want to know You more, I want to live in obedience to
Your Word. The better I know You, the more I desire these
things. Help me overcome my own weaknesses in character, word,
and deed, particularly as I ponder the Wonder of You, and allow
me to grow ever closer to You. Forgive me for those moments when
self indulgence temporarily interfere with my journey toward You.
Please continue to help me as I long to live in Your Presence.
Amen.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

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N E I L A N D E R S O N D A I L Y D E V O T I O N A L
from Freedom in Christ Ministries

October 14, 2002

BELIEVING TRUTH IS A CHOICE

Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes
to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of
those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

Faith is the biblical response to the truth, and believing truth
is a choice. Faith is something you decide to do, not something
you feel like doing. Believing the truth doesn't make it true;
it's true, so we believe it. The New Age Movement and the "name
it and claim it" adherents are distorting the truth by saying
that we create reality through what we believe. We can't create
reality; we can only respond to reality.

Faith must have an object. It's not the idea that you merely
"believe" that counts; it's what or who you believe in that
counts. Everybody believes in something, and everybody walks by
faith according to what he or she believes. But if what you
believe isn't true, then how you live won't be right. Thus,
"Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ"
(Romans 10:17).

Your faith is only as great as your knowledge of the object of
your faith. If you have little knowledge of God and His Word,
you will have little faith. That's why faith can't be pumped up.
Any attempt to live by faith beyond what you absolutely know to
be true is presumption. If you only believe what you feel, you
will be led through life by one emotional impulse after another.
The path of truth begins with the truth of God's Word. Believe
the truth and walk by faith according what you believe, and then
your feelings will line up with what you think and how you
behave.

We can't decide for ourselves what we would like to believe and
then believe it, expecting God to respond to our faith. God is
under no obligation to man. There is no way we can cleverly word
a prayer in such a way that God must answer it. He is under
obligation only to Himself. He will always stay true to Himself
and keep His Word and His covenants with mankind. It is not our
place to determine what is true or try to persuade God to
capitulate to our will. He is the truth. We are to ask according
to His will and desire His will above all else.

Lord, I believe in You and Your Word. Help my faith grow as I
enlarge my knowledge of You as my faith-object.

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--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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