Duh moments

I have been having a lot of "duh" moments recently.
So here are a few of them :)

1. The security of our faith rest in Christ Jesus. Over the past few weeks a big struggle I have had is my faith. I have made mention in earlier post that my faith has really been shaken up recently so that I was doubting a lot of things. Questions like,
   
   • "How do I KNOW this is true?"
   • "Am I just believing what I have always been told?"
   • "Am I just believing this because of experiences or 'encounters' I have perceived to have had with God? And is this any different than any other religion that claims to have the same thing?"
   • "How come when I read the bible I am touched? Is this the work of the Holy Spirit or is it a mental state I have adapted over the years?"
   • "How can I really claim to know the truth!? What if I am wrong? How do I know I am not wrong?"
   Lot of tough questions to answer... how would you answer them? How do you know, without a doubt that what you believe is the real deal? Is it based off experience? Your upbringing? Your own desire to believe this thing? How do YOU KNOW it's true?
   
   Well it finally came to me (although it's something I have heard before, it finally hit home).
   I know what I believe is true not because of feelings, upbringing, hipper logical deductions, or the sort. I know what I believe is true because of Christ.
   If Christ was who He claimed to be, then I have all the information I need to know that I believe the truth. But the question follows,
   "How do we know Christ was not a cult leader like all the other religions have?"
   There are a lot of religions who teach a strong moral code, there are some that match the completeness of the christian world view, most all claim some supernatural event to confirm authenticity, so why Christ?
   The answer? Prophecy.
   The fact that we have hundreds of documented prophecy that occurred hundreds of years before Christ's birth and we have multiple sources that confirm the fruition of these prophecies gives Christ claim to authority authenticity. Now if Christ is authentic and His word authoritative then obedience is the only thing that should follow.
   
   Our assurance comes in many different ways and over many different paths but it's often through hard times that we find the most precious gems.
   "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
   
   
2. "Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?"
   I am sure you all have read the book of James and know the passage talking about faith without works is dead. I have always understood this to be that our faith must manifest itself out by obedience to God, such as clothing and feeding the poor rather than just saying "go and be filled". We need to put feet to our faith because without that it's nothing. That's very true but I was struck by one part this morning that just pulled off a deeper layer to James.
   James 2 v. 21 talks about Abraham and his offering Isaac up as a sacrifice. This is a passage also heavily used by Paul in Romans and even with the weight given to it I have never really understood it. Although I don't understand it fully it's use in James showed me something.
   Not only are we to works to use in the moral code given in the bible, but we are to put it to use in our faith. See, the fact is Abraham KNEW he was walking off that mountain with a life son. His faith in the promises of God remained so steadfast that his actions did not waver. I should have actions that flow from my faith even when those actions seem counter to natural reason. And easy example is the giving of tiths. It is counter intuition that you should pay tiths when you can barely pay the bills but if you believe God's command to give a tenth back to Him and you believe His promise to provide for you then that must work it's way out in your actions. If it does not you probably don't really believe it even if you offer lip service to it. Faith without works is no faith at all.
   
   
3. "Blessed is the man
   who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
   nor stands in the way of sinners,
   nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
   but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
   and on his law he meditates day and night.
   
   He is like a tree
   planted by streams of water
   that yields its fruit in its season,
   and its leaf does not wither.
   In all that he does, he prospers."
   
   Psalm 1 hit me like a rock last night. I seek to be a man who is rightous, steadfast, full of the fruits of the spirit, and prosperous in what I do. Psalm 1 tells me how is such clear terms. For sure an amazing psalm to start off the book. I don't think I need say much more because the psalms is pretty strait forward. :)
   
   
4. Prayer brings our will into line with God's will. I have heard this and the more I think about it the more it rings home. I have been just as stuborn as a dead stump is to pull out when it comes to prayer. I wanted to talk to God but I didn't want to pray (makes talking to God kinda impossible) but I think the reason why is because I was absolutly not interested in being open to God saying know to marring a girl. I was so determaned that she was the one I wanted that I clasped my hands over my ears and started walking around like a little kid making a racket trying to ignore God. It's not like I have given up hope that God will let me marrie that girl but my will is being brought into submition to God's will more and more so if He where to say "no" then I would be happy with it (theoreticly at least) :P
   It's a prosses for sure and I can't say how I will nessesarily react to His desisions, but by His grace I will embrace His will for me.
   

Well it's a new day for a new week! I hope it's a blessing to you all! And again, thank you all for your prayers... I am sure they are working :)