God’s Works

www.pinterest.comGod didn’t put a small amount of thought and effort into creating the universe and creating us.

Brian Clegg from The Observer wrote (Saturday 26, January 2013): “Many of the most exciting discoveries in all fields of science are being played out in the human body.”

Interesting discoveries about the body (Brien Clegg)

  • An adult is made up of around 7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (7 octillion) atoms.
  • Just like a chicken, your life started off with an egg. Not a chunky thing in a shell, but an egg nonetheless. However, there is a significant difference between a human egg and a chicken egg that has a surprising effect on your age. Human eggs are tiny. They are, after all, just a single cell and are typically around 0.2mm across – about the size of a printed full stop. Your egg was formed in your mother – but the surprising thing is that it was formed when she was an embryo. The formation of your egg, and the half of your DNA that came from your mother, could be considered as the very first moment of your existence. And it happened before your mother was born. Say your mother was 30 when she had you, then on your 18th birthday you were arguably over 48 years old.
  • We are used to thinking of genes as being the controlling factor that determines what each of us is like physically, but genes are only a tiny part of our DNA. The other 97% was thought to be junk until recently, but we now realise that epigenetics – the processes that go on outside the genes – also have a major influence on our development. Some parts act to control “switches” that turn genes on and off, or program the production of other key compounds. For a long time it was a puzzle how around 20,000 genes (far fewer than some breeds of rice) were enough to specify exactly what we were like. The realization now is that the other 97% of our DNA is equally important.

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Next time you feel unimportant, remember the One who fashioned you: “You created my inmost being: you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”    Psalm 139:13-16

Do you have as much respect for yourself as your Maker does for you? God has a special purpose and plan for your life.

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Trials and Triumphs

Simplicity was a popular trend in 2013, ranging from simplifying gadgets to simple and clean architectural lines. We desire to simplify and understand the why’s in our complex world. For life is anything but simple.

Complexity

How can a person press on despite crippling illness, abusive relationships, the loss of a child, or even the confusion of homosexuality? Does God sometimes forget us, leaving us to maneuver through a muddled painful maze? Or is He near, guiding and supporting us in the middle of the mess?

Trials and Triumphs Trials_&_Triumphs_Final_Cover

I’ve been blessed to be a part of FaithWriters online community. I’m also honored to have my testimony included in their new book, Trials and Triumphs, along with 39 other people facing daily challenges.

In the “Coming to Faith” section, there are stories about discovering the need for a personal Savior. In the “Faith Under Fire” section, you will discover how God helped many people—including me—through various problems.

Trials and Triumphs will be released soon in book format. I will let you know when it’s available for purchase. For information about contributors, author links can be found here: Trials and Triumphs.

Come and journey with us through our challenges, victories, and intimate God-realizing moments. There is hope for the confused, abused, downtrodden, and for those who are suffering.

I hope you have a great week!

K.D.

Growing in Faith

We find God to be the One on whom we can depend to bring us to our destined goal, and One who already in Christ gives us rest for our souls.”

God doesn’t call us to a neurotic dependency on Christ, but rather a simple childlike trust. Rather than automated fulfillment of rules and rituals, He desires that we develop a fulfilling relationship with Him, rooted and ignited in faith (Romans 1:17).

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  – Hebrews 11:1

These two qualities—sure and certain—have a secure beginning and ending point.

Beginning Point of Faith

Receiving Christ as Lord is the seed that contains life with Christ. Our faith and salvation are not drummed up by self-determination. They are gifts from God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary . . .
(Napa Valley Vineyard by Jim G., Flickr)

(Napa Valley Vineyard by Jim G., Flickr)

How does your faith grow?

Faith blossoms through the following:

  • Believe in Christ’s Perfect Character: Jesus doesn’t just save us the moment of our salvation, but continues saving us . . . freeing us from captivity to sin, ourselves, and Satan’s deception. “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority,”  Colossians 2:6-9.
  • Meet Together: “Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching,” (Hebrews 10:25). We all struggle and falter at times. An infant doesn’t start out running . . . . Neither do we spiritually. When one falls down, let’s help each other up.
  • Abide in Christ: John 15:1-10 depicts a vineyard with Jesus as the true vine, God the Father as the gardener, and us as 7ced8b92bf7312392af52a495b28b9d8the branches. Jesus said, “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (vs. 5). We remain in Christ by submitting to him through prayer and obedience. Our faithfulness to the will of God in this life will be examined in the next life (Daniel 7:10; Revelation 20:12).
  • Hear God’s Word: “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ,” (Romans 10:17).

End Point of Faith

Lastly, believing in God’s promises anchors our hope in Him, resulting in life and peace.

Which promises of God have helped you lately?

Faith Factor

Faith: (noun) Strong belief or trust in someone or something.”  – Merriam Webster Dictionary

We exercise this kind of faith daily. When we sit on a chair, we trust it will hold us without collapsing. When we pour a cup of coffee, we trust our mug will not leak. When we fill our vehicle’s gas tank, we trust our car will drive.

But our faith is only as good as the object we place it in. Eventually chairs break, mugs crack, and vehicles break down.

God’s Take on Faith

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”  – Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

This is the kind of faith God commended the ancients for (Hebrews 11).

How Important is Faith to God?

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A Strong Case for Faith in Jesus Christ

The New Testament book of Hebrews presents a strong case for placing our faith in Christ.

  • Christ is Superior: Jesus—greater than any angel, religion, priest, or leader—is the ultimate authority and complete revelation of God. He alone forgives sins: past, present, and future. Through His death on the cross, He has secured our forgiveness and salvation.
  • Jesus is High Priest: In the Old Testament, the high priest represented the Jews before God. But now—under the New Covenant—Jesus connects us to God. Jesus not only guarantees our access to God the Father, but He also intercedes for us so we can come boldly before the Father with our needs and seek forgiveness.
  • Jesus Sacrifice: Because Jesus lived a sinless life, He is the perfect substitute to die for our sin.

God not only wants us to be reassured of salvation, but also wants to grow our faith. This process takes time, daily commitment, and service. When we mature in our faith, we will be able to face trials with endurance and be unshaken by concerns or temptations. (Disclaimer: I’m in process.) 🙂

Peace with God and real meaning for life are found when trusting Christ. When we completely trust Him, He will completely transform us (Philippians 1:6). Our faith and obedience please God.

My righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” – Hebrews 10:38

Are you completely trusting in Christ?

Training—Our Goal as Believers

“No pain, no gain!” This familiar motto echoes from many coaches’ lips. As the discipline of training is required to excel in athletics, so we must also discipline ourselves in the Christian life. Such training takes time, vision, dedication, effort, and persistence.

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Training for the Christian Life

The Bible lists three metaphors to describe believers spiritual training:

1. A race (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Philippians 3:13-14; 2 Timothy 4:7-8)

  • We are told to go into strict training in order to get the prize by focusing all of our energy toward winning the race. Our focal point—Jesus Christ. We can forget the past by confessing our sins to Jesus, our High Priest and advocate (Hebrews 4:14), and repent (turn away from sin, turn toward Christ). Like an athlete pressing toward the finish line, we too can persevere because we know our outcome at the finish line is worth any discomfort: spending eternity with God—sin free, pain free.

2. Exercise (1 Timothy 4:7-10)

  • Repeated exercise tones the body. Repeated spiritual exercise also tones our spiritual muscles, shaping our faith and character. The results? We will live according to God’s will and attract others to Christ. This benefits us now and for eternity.

3. A fight (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

  • That’s right, a fight! We’re called to be soldiers—fighting against real evil forces from without (Ephesians 6:10-18) and temptation from within (1 Corinthians 10:13).

As commitment is needed to succeed in athletics, the same holds true in the Christian arena. As an athlete must learn the rules to compete, believers also must learn God’s rules in His Word (2 Timothy 2:5).

Bible Reading Plans 3765fcc6f0a2d02b1b119d198bd27653

I’ve found Bible reading plans helpful to keep me on track. If you don’t currently have a plan, the following links provide a variety:        Ligonier Ministries
Bible Gateway

I hope you had a wonderful New Year! Let’s train to win this year!

Related Article: Training or Trying?