[Faith-talk] FW: [BlindMen4Christ] A Brighter Tomorrow

[WESLEY BURDEN]

-----Original Message-----
From: blindmen4christ-bounces at morales-family.lljfm.net
[mailto:blindmen4christ-bounces at morales-family.lljfm.net] On Behalf Of Stu
(by way of Curtis Delzer <curtis at calweb.com>)
Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 11:26 AM
To: Blind men for Christ
Subject: [BlindMen4Christ] A Brighter Tomorrow

SHACKLED BY MAN...SET FREE BY GOD

"And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison,
charging the jailer to keep them safely ... And suddenly there was a great
earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and
immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bands were loosed."
Acts 16:23,26

The believer has the joy of knowing that his life is "hid in Christ." 
He has the choice of living day by day with confidence in the ONE who orders
his steps and will direct him in the paths of righteousness for HIS name's
sake. There are no circumstances in his life that have not first passed
through the permissive will of God, and are formed in the providence of His
plan and purpose.

In the life of a believer, who is committed and loyal to God, there is no
such thing as chance or luck. God often brings us into circumstances that we
do not understand, among people that we do not know, into places we have
never been that we may trust him in these strange encounters, and bring them
before Him in unwavering faith, that the Holy Spirit may work to glorify God
through it all. God does not ask us to understand these circumstances, but
to trust Him in them, and see His mighty power being manifested in ways
beyond our finite resources.

Such encounters challenge the depth of our faith which must be tried before
the reality of faith is actual. God brings these circumstances into our
lives for many reasons. One that is foremost is to turn our "head faith" 
into a personal possession. In this, we get constant opposition from Satan
himself.
It is not a fight sometimes, but always. But God has a purpose in these
trying circumstances. He wants to show us that the nature of faith is to
make its object real. Faith is the whole man rightly related to God, that
activates an unwavering trust in Him, in whatever circumstance he finds
himself by the power of the Holy Spirit. God wants the focus of our faith to
be centered in Him, regardless of the measure of our circumstances, large or
small. The smallest detail in which we follow in simple obedience and
child-like faith has all the omnipotent power of the grace of God behind it.

Paul and Silas had just seen God's power manifested through them, in casting
out the evil spirit that possessed a young girl. They were falsely accused,
stripped, beaten, unjustly thrown into prison, and their feet bound fast to
the stocks. This was the unjust reaction of ungodly men, shackled by man.
What a scene! They had every human right to complain, cry out for justice,
and plead for mercy. Their eyes were not fixed upon their circumstances, for
they knew God was in control, and in His providential care, permitted this
encounter to reach one man, the jailer...and then, his whole family.

Look at the scene. Paul and Silas were a pitifully beaten sight of humanity,
and what was their response? "At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang
praises to God, and the prisoners heard them." Can you imagine what went
through the minds of these prisoners as they heard Paul and Silas pray and
praise God in word and song? But then, we see them set free by God. "The
earthquake shook the prison, the doors opened, and everyone's bands were
loosed." We may not be responsible for the circumstances we are in, but we
are responsible for the way we allow those circumstances to affect us: we
can either allow them to defeat us, or we can allow them to transform us
into what God wants us to be. Paul said, "And in all these things we are
more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (Romans 8:37). God has
promised an overcoming spirit to all who will dare to trust Him! "But thanks
be unto God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and
through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him."
Shackled by man...set free by God!


Stu
<mailto:K5stu at sbcglobal.net>K5stu at sbcglobal.net
Reading your Bible today will help prepare you for A Brighter Tomorrow!
_______________________________________________
BlindMen4Christ mailing list
BlindMen4Christ at morales-family.lljfm.net
http://morales-family.lljfm.net/mailman/listinfo/blindmen4christ_morales-fam
ily.lljfm.net