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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781504983327 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AuthorHouse |
| Publication date: | 02/29/2016 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 224 |
| File size: | 324 KB |
Read an Excerpt
When Your Faith Is Tried Don't Give Up
By Rudolph Burdett
AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2016 Rudolph BurdettAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-5049-7119-5
CHAPTER 1
Keep the Faith
Many times, when we feel we've lost control or things aren't going our way, we want to quit. Problems will come, but don't give up; keep the faith.
If you lose your job, keep the faith.
If a loved one has died, keep the faith.
If you are going through struggles and difficulties, keep the faith.
If you are having financial problems, keep the faith.
If they are going to turn off your power, keep the faith.
If your car is giving you problems, keep the faith.
If you are having medical problems, keep the faith.
If you have to pay medical bills, keep the faith.
If you have difficulties traveling, keep the faith.
If you have problems on the job, keep the faith.
If you have problems at church with someone, keep the faith.
If things aren't going right, keep the faith.
If your kids are acting up, keep the faith.
If your parents are acting up, keep the faith.
If your spouse is messing around, keep the faith.
If your mail is delayed, keep the faith.
If you're having problems at home, keep the faith.
This book talks about faith and faithfulness. Questions are at the end of each chapter. I hope this book will encourage you to keep the faith with whatever you're going through. When your Christian faith is tried and you feel you can't do anything, remember, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). Don't give up!
Definition of Faith
Faith has several meanings, but in this book, I will use the Greek word pistis, which means persuasion, truthfulness of God, trust, and belief. In the Bible, the word faith always makes reference to faith in God or Christ, a religion, or a doctrine. The New Testament lets us know Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.
In the first century, Christians were persecuted because of their faith. Many Christians suffer persecution today; they don't have the religious freedom those in the United States have, including the freedom to assemble and worship. Many times, people in the United States take their freedom for granted.
Faith is very important in our religions journey. God is pleased when we have faith without seeing anything physically. We can see in the scriptures,
• A woman with an issue of blood was healed because of faith.
• A handicapped man let down through a ceiling was healed because of faith.
• A blind man was healed because of faith.
• Jesus said we need to have faith in God.
The list could go on. In Galatians, Paul let us know getting faith could not be altered or changed. If it's not according to the Word of God, it's not biblical faith. Many people accept homosexuality as normal, but that goes against the Bible. Many churches accept homosexuals and don't speak against homosexuality; that is biblically incorrect. That's another faith. Keep in mind, we are to hate the sin, not the sinner; we are to show love.
Faith
Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
— Colossians 2:7–8
Illustration
A preacher and a member of his congregation stood by the side of the road. They were taking turns holding up a sign that said, "The end is near! Turn around before it's too late!"
A car drove up. The driver yelled, "I wish you religious nuts would leave us alone!" He sped up and drove around the curve out of sight.
The preacher and his partner heard tires screeching on the pavement ... and a big splash. The church member turned to his preacher and said, "I told you we should have just put up a sign that read, 'Bridge Out.'"
Everyone expresses faith daily in something. No one can live a day without exercising faith.
• You have faith that by turning a faucet on, water will come out.
• You have faith that when you mail something, it will get to its destination.
• You have faith that the chair you sit on will support you.
• You have faith your microwave will warm your food.
• You have faith your pharmacist will fill your prescription correctly.
Everyone puts faith in something or someone. The Lord's faithfulness is always evident. Let me ask you some questions that I want you to answer to yourself.
• If you had a spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend who cheated on you, how would you feel?
• If you knew someone who never showed up on time for work, would you give him or her a job?
• If a person was always late, what would you think or say?
Most of us would say such people aren't faithful. We probably wouldn't want to have a relationship with them or hire them. It would be difficult to trust them. We want faithfulness in everything, but we aren't faithful to God. If your car didn't start, or your air conditioner went out, or your toaster wouldn't toast, you'd get it repaired or replaced, right? Many times, we aren't faithful to God, but He continues to love us, be patient, and wait on us to act or get right.
Even though we may have faith in God, we live in a fast-paced, sinful world and ignore the consequences of sin. Many times, we blame others for our sin: "My father rejected me; that's why I committed murder." "My mother sheltered me; that's why I'm a drunkard." "The babysitter didn't change my diapers enough; that's why I rob people." Quit excusing your actions; no one twisted your arm and caused you to do anything.
I'm not minimizing whatever you might have gone through; I'm saying you can't hang onto the past. It's time to move on! What happened happened; draw strength from it or not and move on. Whatever the consequences of sin may be, deal with it and move on. It may be painful, and you may feel very bad to the point of even quitting, so faith in God is crucial. When you have faith in God, you know He will take care of your problems no matter what. Just don't give up.
Faith is believing in and trusting God. What we ask God in prayer requires faith. We should ask God without doubting, and we should be specific. Most important, we should have a positive mind to receive God's answer even if He says no or not yet. We need to have faith knowing that God knows best.
Illustration
One Sunday, a boy was acting up during worship. His parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally, the father picked the boy up and started walking out. The boy called loudly to the congregation, "Pray for me! Pray for me!"
I doubt prayer would do any good in this situation. Praying in faith is important and powerful. Many times, we ask God for something in faith and wonder how could He answer that request. If we are honest, our wondering turns into worrying because we doubt. What we requested of God seems impossible. We then change our request to something we think more attainable, limiting God's powerful abilities. But the Bible tells us in Psalms 37:4, "Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." We must have a positive attitude and believe God can provide us with what we requested and what we want. We also need to ask God for strength and guidance when we pray because God may say no or not yet. Understand, we should still have faith in God and realize He knows best.
Our faith should be deeply rooted in Christ especially when we pray.
I grew up in the country and did a lot of digging and planting for my parents. I had to dig deep to get the roots up.
If someone is rooted in Christ, that means Christ is in them deep and strong. In Colossians 2:7–8, Paul wrote that we needed to be rooted in Christ, that is, built up and stable in Him. The Colossians had been well grounded in Christ; they could identify false teachers because they had been taught the faith and were therefore strong in the faith. They were thankful to know and experience Christ.
Even though they were strong in the faith, Paul was saying beware, don't let anyone pervert your faith in Jesus, including "philosophy and vain deceit" such as human traditions. People have made many senseless worship practices that cannot be found in the Word of God. Many such traditions that have been passed down are false.
Illustration
A lady cooked a ham after cutting off a lot of good meat off the sides. Her daughter which had a daughter named Pam, learned to cook the ham the same way. Someone once asked Pam, "Why in the world are you cutting that good meat off?"
Pam replied, "I don't know. My momma always did it like that."
So later, they asked her mother, "Why do you cut all that good meat off the sides of the ham?"
Her mother said, "My momma always did it like that."
So they went to her mother and asked the same question.
She said, "I did it because my pan was too small."
People can do stuff out of tradition but not understand why. We need to always find out why we're doing something when it involves worshipping God. The passage "after the rudiments of the world" refers to more than Jewish ritualistic procedures and laws; it's talking about worldly things, those created by people.
Paul wrote this epistle to the church in Colossi while he was in prison. Galatians 1:12 lets us know Paul was taught by Jesus Christ: "For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Paul was taught "by the revelation of Jesus Christ" on the road to Damascus or in the city. Acts 9:3–4 tells us,
"Suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"
Acts 22:6–8 says,
And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
We don't know how, but Paul received his revelation from Jesus Christ. Many of his enemies will say because he didn't receive his revelation from Christ in the flesh, it's not true. He was not an apostle, and he received his information secondhand. But Paul received his revelation from Jesus Christ. If it's real, it doesn't make a different if it was in the flesh or not; Christ revealed it to Paul. We need to be thankful for the thirteen books Paul wrote just as we need to be thankful for everything we have. Psalms 100:1-5 is a psalms of thanksgiving.
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
The Lord has truly blessed all the lands and all generations. In Palms 100:2 reads, "Serve the Lord," and 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6 says, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
We should always give thanks for everything. Thankful people should not complain or murmur. Every time we complain about our jobs, kids, whatever, we're complaining about God's provisions. He gave those things to us, even our kids. Philippians 2:14 says, "Do all things without murmurings and disputings."
The children of Israel in the Old Testament murmured in the wilderness in Deuteronomy 1:27–35.
And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the Lord hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there. Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them. The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes; And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the Lord thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place. Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God, Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day. And the Lord heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying, Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers.
These passages let us know that one of the reasons God was displeased with them was because they murmured against Him. Because of that, they were not going to enter the Promised Land. This was recorded so we could learn from them.
Romans 15:4 says,
"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."
This passage lets us know that we learn from stories and events in the Old Testament. We should learn from good and bad; that's why it was recorded. We have examples; 1 Corinthians 10:6 says, "Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted." This passage makes reference to Numbers 11 starting at verse 4. The children of Israel started complaining about not having any flesh. God supplied them with flesh, but then, verse 33 tells us He smote them with a plague. This is an example for us. We should never complain or murmur. Always be thankful.
When your faith is tried, which it will be, in spite of how bad you think it may be, don't give up.
Response to This Chapter
1. Why is faith necessary?
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2. What can we learn about faithfulness?
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3. Our past is our past; how should we deal with those who bring it up?
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4. Why do people abandon their faith in the Lord?
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5. Can people who abandon their faith be helped spiritually? Please explain.
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Ingredients of Faith
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
— Romans 10:17
Illustration
On the outskirts of a town was a big old hickory tree alongside the fence of a cemetery. One day, two boys were filling up a bucket with hickory nuts. "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me"; they were counting out the hickory nuts. A few of them spilled out and rolled toward the fence.
Another boy who was passing heard, "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me." He was afraid. "Oh my! It's Satan and the Lord dividing the souls in the cemetery." He raced off.
Just around the bend, he met an old man with a cane. The boy said, "Come here quick! You won't believe what I just heard. Satan and the Lord are down at the cemetery dividing up souls."
The man doubted what he'd heard; he figured he'd teach the boy about lying, so he hobbled over to the cemetery. Standing outside the fence, they both heard, "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me. The old man whispered, Boy, you've been telling the truth! Let's see if we can see the devil himself." Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence, yet were still unable to see anything. The old man and the boy gripped the iron bars of the fence tighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of Satan.
At last they heard, "One for you, one for me; one for you and one for me. Now, let's go get those nuts by the fence, and we'll be done."
They say the old man beat the boy back to town.
I love making carrot cake from scratch, but if for some reason I don't add grated carrots, I won't have carrot cake. In the same way, those who don't obtain hearing or seeing from the Word of God won't have correct spiritual faith.
Spiritual faith is believing and trusting — having faith — in God and what He says. We trust folks when they say, "It's raining," or "Here's your prescription," or "I'll have that for you tomorrow." So often we believe others but not God, the only truly faithful person in our lives. He has never lied and never will.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from When Your Faith Is Tried Don't Give Up by Rudolph Burdett. Copyright © 2016 Rudolph Burdett. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Dedication, ix,Preface, xi,
Acknowledgments and Thanks, xiii,
Keep the Faith, 1,
Definition of Faith, 2,
Faith, 3,
Ingredients of Faith, 11,
Have Faith in God, 18,
Faith and Facts, 23,
Faith to Faith, 27,
Finding Faith, 34,
Guiding Faith, 41,
Faith Lift, 45,
The Faith, 51,
When Your Faith Is Tried, 57,
When Faith Makes the Difference, 63,
Coming to the Master by Faith, 70,
Faithful Men, 76,
Faith Takes a Licking and Keeps On Ticking, 81,
Faith to Forgive, 86,
Path of Faith, 91,
Sacrificial Faith, 96,
Finding Faith When Storms Roll In, 102,
A Faith That Is Seen, 105,
Atmosphere of Faith, 110,
Sound in the Faith, 114,
Faithfulness, 119,
The Faithful Four, 127,
Dead Faith, 130,
Future Faith, 135,
Faith Leads to Obedience, 140,
Mustard Seed Faith, 146,
Fear and Faith, 151,
Faith and Giving, 156,
Faith and Worship, 162,
Faith to Stand, 167,
Little Faith, 173,
Great Faith, 176,
No Faith, 181,
Faith, Hope, Love, 188,
Epilogue, 195,