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

[Beth]

Interesting article about believing and being free.
Beth

On 11/10/08, WESLEY BURDEN <wesley.burden at verizon.net> wrote:
>
>
> -----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!
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