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| Faith or Custom? |
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15:8 This people honoreth me with their lips; But their heart is far from me.
Is the intellectual acknowledgement of doctrines and ideas faith? Or is that just custom and/or tradition? If one's beliefs do not create a heart that is passionate for God and obedient to Him, is it faith?
If God is more than a theory, then faith needs to involve a loving and obedient relationship with Him. God speaks to people continually through their conscience, their circumstances, other people, the Bible, and His direct voice in their heart.
After I first encountered God in 1970, I began to read the book of Acts in the New Testament. I noticed that it contained many references to hearing God speak: "God said to Peter," and "The Spirit spoke to Paul." I didn't think God was talking to me, so one day I asked Him about it.
I said: "God, you frequently spoke to people in the New Testament, why aren't you speaking to people in our day."
Suddenly these words popped into my mind: "The problem is not that I'm not speaking, but that you're not listening." Now, I know that I didn't answer my own question or make that up. I had never thought such thoughts before.
Since then God frequently speaks to me -- when I take the time to listen to His voice. He often tells me things that I don't want to hear. My challenge is always: Do I obey what God said or do my own thing? It's very tough to go against my own desires and obey God, but I strive to do so.
Faith is not theory or religion or ritual or doctrine or ceremony. Faith is a dynamic, personal, obedient relationship with the living God.
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| To add a comment to "Faith or Custom?" |
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| February 02, 2008 |
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Yes Steve!
Have you ever wondered why animals have the sense that danger is approaching. For example, there are reports that many of the animals on Sri Lanka headed for high ground before the disaster hit. God made us to have dominion over all creatures. Why didn't we have the sense of the impending disaster? I think that we often hear God's words of warning to us, his instructions for life and his encouraging words in the midst of storms. We just don't listen. |
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| February 02, 2008 |
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| The animals are a great example of God's warning, Jerry. If His eye is on the sparrow, how much more does He watch and communicate with us. Jesus said: "My sheep hear My voice." |
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| February 02, 2008 |
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Hey Steve, When I read your article here, it also makes me want to amplify this: faith is our dependence on God. Believing that He is the One who can back up... what He has said. Jerry's comment also begs the question, why don't more of us listen? My answer: because the Christian Church at large, does not teach us to do so. I am not taught to expect to have supernatural exchanges with God. I am taught to sit quietly and listen to the local person. This points me back to something I wrote earlier. Do we conduct our services in a way that promotes life in the body of Christ with God, or with each other? Come over and read my article. See what you think. http://www.mychurch.org/blog/24201/Can-You-Explain-This-a-1-Cor14-discussion |
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| February 02, 2008 |
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| Thanks R. My first blog post is called "Can God Direct A Meeting?" It addresses these issues too. |
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| February 02, 2008 |
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Me too, Lara. I seem to hear God well in the shower and also when I am in bed awake in the middle of the night. |
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| February 02, 2008 |
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So true! Sometimes we can be so busy listening to our own spirits - what we want to hear - that we entirely miss what God is saying. The other day I had a phone call from a friend telling me it was OK for me to come to a special conference at a church in my town. I hadn't even really thought of going because of other commitments, but I said, "Lord, is that what you want me to do today?" Then I thought, "I'll pray about it." Then God did a "V-8" moment and said, "Didn't I just call you?" Sometimes we spiritualize things too much and miss His voice as well, just as I almost did. I went to the conference and it turned out to be a day full of divine appointments. Not only should we be listening for His "Still, small voice", but to the out and out obvious ways He speaks - through other people, and even bumper stickers!
Lori Dillon
Blaine/Bellingham WA |
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| February 02, 2008 |
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I have my "listening" time early in the morning before anyone else in the house is up. God and me and a cup of tea! Good blog, Steve, and good comments, Lori. |
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| February 02, 2008 |
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| hehe, God tells me things too Steve. Like you said, not always what I want to hear. But comforting nonetheless! |
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| February 02, 2008 |
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| Oh yeah, god definetly speaks, I remember asing God to speak to me like he did in the days of my "Forefather", and when He did He scared the pants off me, lol. Needless to say, I am now ever willing to here from my Father, for He truly knows what is best for me. You said it best when you stated, "Faith is a dynamic, personal, obedient relationship with the living God." |
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| February 03, 2008 |
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| Lori: That true. It is easy to miss God's instructions if we ge distracted. |
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| February 03, 2008 |
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| Jen: Early morning is a great time to; "be still and know that I am God." |
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| February 03, 2008 |
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| Mike: God often speaks comforting words to me, too. However, somtimes He corrects me and challenges me. |
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| February 03, 2008 |
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| Sandee688: It is frightening to listen to God. We can con other people, but not God. When we listen to Him we have to face the truth about ourselves. Ouch! |
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| February 03, 2008 |
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| This is good! And so very true. God does indeed speak to us, but only if we are in tune to Him and take the time to listen. |
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| February 03, 2008 |
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| Listening is indeed powerful, Deb. |
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| February 03, 2008 |
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| God does indeed speak. The problem is that we want it in writing, we want it now and we want it with substance! I think if God answered us in writing, it would be carved into the boulder that fell on us. There is tremendous truth in the verse, "Be still, and know that I am God." |
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| February 03, 2008 |
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| Gene: Our response to writing might be the same one Moses got to the tablets containing the commandments. |
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| February 03, 2008 |
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So true! This is something God has really started working on with me. I spend so much time looking for God, that I completely miss Him, because I was too busy doing, to sit down and listen. It's really awesome to learn to just sit back and listen, and enjoy being in His presence. |
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| February 04, 2008 |
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| That is prophetic, Jeremiah! We often miss the Lord of the work by too much focus on the work of the Lord. |
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| February 04, 2008 |
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| Thank you, Paul. Hearing God's voice is one of the most amazing miracles there is. |
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| February 04, 2008 |
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| Steve, I think you're right. People are some times more willing to listen when they don't have it in writing. |
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| February 05, 2008 |
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| Gene: Sometimes with the Bible we read it intellectually instead of devotionally. |
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