But if we are honest we will admit that sometimes in those rough patches, doubts crept in. Which brings up the last point. There are things that we cannot know, and there are things that God does not want us to know. And so while doubt can lead to discovery…sometimes it just leads to more questions or to an area that has been roped off by God…a no go zone and we have to be content with that.
And I don't know about you, but I want a God who is bigger and wiser than me. No…there are things we will never understand in this life…and that is OK.
If you have seen me you have seen the Father. He has revealed to us the problem that our hearts are filthy and that we cannot clean them ourselves , and He has revealed the solution that He sent His Son to pay the wages of our rebellion, so that all who believe in Him will not perish but receive eternal life.
I can't tell you what happened to the dinosaurs or what happens to people in remote jungles who die without hearing about Jesus As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. By this we may know that we are in him So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, Though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent.
But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,. We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.
Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring. This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.
Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,.
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. He claims to believe, yet confesses to unbelief. It took me a while to appreciate the wisdom in his words. Now I see that this father understood that faith in God is not a one-and-done choice or just a switch that God turns on at our moment of salvation.
Early on as a believer, I heard the idea that God changes us gradually, as the layers of an onion are peeled off. This can apply to faith.
How much we grow in our belief over time depends on how willing we are to:. The father quickly realized he needed to admit his inability to heal his son. Then he declared that Jesus could do the healing. The result was joyous—his child's health was renewed, and his faith increased. This verse is part of a narrative that starts Mark Jesus along with Peter, James, and John is returning from a trip up a nearby mountain Mark There, the three disciples had seen what is called the Transfiguration of Jesus, a visual glimpse of His divine nature.
His clothes became dazzling white Listen to him! They arrived back to what must have been a jolting scene after the beauty of the Transfiguration Mark The other disciples were surrounded by a crowd, and arguing with some teachers of the law. A man had brought his son, who was possessed by an evil spirit. The boy had been tormented by it for years. The disciples had been unsuccessful in healing him, and now were in a heated discussion with the teachers.
When the father saw Jesus, he turned to him and explained the situation, and added that the disciples couldn't drive the spirit out.
Jesus' rebuke is the first mention of unbelief in this passage. How long shall I put up with you? When asked more about the boy's condition, the man answered, then gave an entreaty: 'But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. Within this one sentence is a mix of discouragement and a weak kind of hope. The well-known response puts the man's heart on display and shows steps we can take to grow in our own faith :.
Interestingly, Jesus makes a connection here between a successful healing and prayer. The disciples had harnessed the power Jesus bestowed on them to perform many miracles. But some situations called not for aggressive commands but humble prayer. They needed to be both reliant on and confident in God. As the disciples sought God's healing hand and saw answers to prayer, their faith grew.
The closer our connection to God, the more we'll see Him working. As we become more aware of our need for Him and how He provides, our faith will strengthen, too. It's always interesting to look at the way different Bible translations present a passage. This sampling shows how careful word choices can bring more insight to a verse, while staying aligned with the original meaning.
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