Pruning Me
  • Home
    • Personal Pruning Intro
  • Articles By Title
  • Bible Studies
    • MATTHEW >
      • Matthew 1
      • Matthew 2
      • Matthew 3
      • Matthew 4
      • Matthew 5
      • Matthew 6
      • Matthew 7
      • Matthew 8
      • Matthew 9
      • Matthew 10
      • Matthew 11
      • Matthew 12
      • Matthew 13
      • Matthew 14
      • Matthew 15
      • Matthew 16
      • Matthew 17
      • Matthew 18
      • Matthew 19
      • Matthew 20
      • Matthew 21
      • Matthew 22
      • Matthew 23
      • Matthew 24
      • Matthew 25
      • Matthew 26
      • Matthew 27
      • Matthew 28
    • MARK >
      • Mark 1
      • Mark 2
      • Mark 3
      • Mark 4
      • Mark 5
      • Mark 6
      • Mark 7
      • Mark 8
      • Mark 9
      • Mark 10
      • Mark 11
      • Mark 12
      • Mark 13
      • Mark 14
      • Mark 15
      • Mark 16
    • LUKE >
      • Luke 1
      • Luke 2
      • Luke 3
      • Luke 4
      • Luke 5
      • Luke 6
      • Luke 7
      • Luke 8
      • Luke 9
      • Luke 10
      • Luke 11
      • Luke 12
      • Luke 13
      • Luke 15
      • Luke 16
      • Luke 17
      • Luke 14
      • Luke 18
      • Luke 19
      • Luke 20
      • Luke 21
      • Luke 22
      • Luke 23
      • Luke 24
    • JOHN >
      • John 1
      • John 2
      • John 3
    • ROMANS >
      • Romans 1
      • Romans 2
      • Romans 3
      • Romans 4
      • Romans 5
      • Romans 6
      • Romans 7
      • Romans 8
      • Romans 9
      • Romans 10
      • Romans 11
      • Romans 12
      • Romans 13
      • Romans 14
      • Romans 15
      • Romans 16
    • 1 CORINTHIANS >
      • 1 Corinthians 1
      • 1 Corinthians 2
      • 1 Corinthians 3
      • 1 Corinthians 4
      • 1 Corinthians 5
      • 1 Corinthians 6
      • 1 Corinthians 7
      • 1 Corinthians 8
      • 1 Corinthians 9
      • 1 Corinthians 10
      • 1 Corinthians 11
      • 1 Corinthians 12
      • 1 Corinthians 13
      • 1 Corinthians 14
      • 1 Corinthians 15
      • 1 Corinthians 16
    • 2 CORINTHIANS >
      • 2 Corinthians 1
      • 2 Corinthians 2
      • 2 Corinthians 3
      • 2 Corinthians 4
      • 2 Corinthians 5
      • 2 Corinthians 6
      • 2 Corinthians 7
      • 2 Corinthians 8
      • 2 Corinthians 9
      • 2 Corinthians 10
      • 2 Corinthians 11
      • 2 Corinthians 12
      • 2 Corinthians 13
    • GALATIANS >
      • Galatians 1
      • Galatians 2
      • Galatians 3
      • Galatians 4
      • Galatians 5
      • Galatians 6
    • EPHESIANS >
      • Ephesians 1
      • Ephesians 2
      • Ephesians 3
      • Ephesians 4
      • Ephesians 5
      • Ephesians 6
    • PHILIPPIANS >
      • Philippians 1
      • Philippians 2
      • Philippians 3
      • Philippians 4
    • COLOSSIANS >
      • Colossians 1
      • Colossians 2
      • Colossians 3
      • Colossians 4
    • 1 THESSALONIANS >
      • 1 Thessalonians 1 & 2
      • 1 Thessalonians 3 & 4
      • 1 Thessalonians 5
    • 2 THESSALONIANS >
      • 2 Thessalonians 1
      • 2 Thessalonians 2
      • 2 Thessalonians 3
    • 1 TIMOTHY >
      • 1 Timothy 1
      • 1 Timothy 2
      • 1 Timothy 3
      • 1 Timothy 4
      • 1 Timothy 5
      • 1 Timothy 6
    • 2 TIMOTHY >
      • 2 Timothy 1
      • 2 Timothy 2
      • 2 Timothy 3
      • 2 Timothy 4
    • TITUS >
      • Titus 1
      • Titus 2
      • Titus 3
    • PHILEMON >
      • Philemon 1
    • HEBREWS >
      • Hebrews 1
      • Hebrews 2
      • Hebrews 3
      • Hebrews 4
      • Hebrews 5
      • Hebrews 6
      • Hebrews 7
      • Hebrews 8
      • Hebrews 9
      • Hebrews 10
      • Hebrews 11
      • Hebrews 12
      • Hebrews 13
    • JAMES >
      • James 1
      • James 2
      • James 3
      • James 4
      • James 5
    • 1 PETER >
      • 1 Peter 1
      • 1 Peter 2
      • 1 Peter 3
      • 1 Peter 4
      • 1 Peter 5
    • 2 PETER >
      • 2 Peter 1
      • 2 Peter 2
      • 2 Peter 3
    • 1 JOHN >
      • 1 John 1
      • 1 John 2
      • 1 John 3
      • 1 John 4
      • 1 John 5
    • 2 JOHN >
      • 2 John 1
    • 3 JOHN >
      • 3 John 1
    • JUDE >
      • Jude 1
    • REVELATION >
      • Revelation 1
      • Revelation 2
      • Revelation 3
      • Revelation 4
      • Revelation 5
      • Revelation 6
      • Revelation 7
      • Revelation 8
      • Revelation 9
      • Revelation 10
      • Revelation 11
      • Revelation 12
      • Revelation 13
      • Revelation 14
      • Revelation 15
      • Revelation 16
      • Revelation 17
      • Revelation 18
      • Revelation 19
      • Revelation 20
      • Revelation 21
      • Revelation 22
  • About Me
  • Receiving Christ
  • Contact Me

By Faith

5/18/2012

0 Comments

 
hebrews 11 study
Chapter 11 talks about faith and gives examples of people in the Bible that displayed faith.  I want to highlight the story of Noah.  Have you seen the movie Evan Almighty?  I know the theology might not be spot on- but the display of how crazy Noah looked back in the day was awesome.  At the time of Noah it HAD NEVER RAINED.  I didn't say rained sometimes, or even rarely.  I'm saying, it had NEVER rained before.  One day, God told Noah that it was going to rain so bad that the entire earth would be flooded.   His intentions were to destroy all human life and animal life except Noah, his family and some animals to continue reproduction after the flood water dried up.  If it had never rained, could you imagine how crazy it would look for a guy to build a massive boat to save himself and his family from the flood?  If someone tomorrow started building a huge airplane because he thought the earth was going to blow up and he wanted to save himself, his family and some animals, I would think he's a lunatic- especially if he said, God told me to!!  I believe in God, and that would still sound crazy to me!  I knwo my example is a bit much- but there are scientists talking about the earth being destroyed and the end times and there are a whole lotta hollywood films that dramatize each possibility! Anyway, it took a great deal of faith for Noah to believe what God said, and obey.  Sometimes it's not the believing that takes so much faith, but the obedience.  If Noah just said, "Okay God, I do believe you that there is a flood coming," and left it at that, he wouldn't have obeyed God.  Instead, God asked Noah to build the ark- to specific measurements, and he did it because of his faith in God, no matter how loony he looked to his friends and community.  (To read the whole story on Noah and the Ark go to Genesis 6-9.)  Do you have that much faith?  Would you do something that God asks, even if you would look crazy to your friends and community?  Do you have a cap on faith? Where does it end? At what point would you say, "No God, that's too much"?  Just like Moses in verse 26, Noah considered the reproach of God greater wealth than the treasures (or reputation, friendships etc.) of Egypt- or in this case Noah's city.  Before I continue, I want to highlight something else after reading Genesis chapter 6.  Go with me there, starting in verse 5:

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.  So the Lord said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.  These are the generations of Noah.  Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation.  Noah walked with God. (italicized is mine) 

        What does this say?  Noah was a righteous man who walked with God and because of his faith, he found favor in God's eyes.  THAT is why God used him.  Do you think God would have used someone in this circumstance who didn't have enough faith to build the ark- even when it seemed crazy?  Do you think God would use someone today who doesn't have enough faith to do what he asks?  Do you have that much faith?  Is God able to use you in extrordinary ways because you not only believe what He says, but also do what He says?  Don't you want God to be glorified through your faith in Him?  Don't be like Moses in Exodus 4 where God asks him to speak to the people and Moses doesn't have enough faith that he could do it.  Moses was not good at speaking to people- maybe even had a speech impediment- but God said, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak."  Even after God asks Moses, and then encourages him, Moses still refused.  Moses missed a great blessing, and God was not happy with Moses for his lack of faith.  Instead, God used Aaron.  Don't let opportunities pass you by because of your lack of faith.  Be available to God because of your great faith!  

        I also want to exalt verse 26 of chapter 11.  I think it is so important that we pause and reflect on this verse, but before you do, please read the verse in context:

    Verse 23-27:

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.  By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.  By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. 

        Moses chose to be unpopular for the sake of Christ.  Moses chose to be mistreated for the sake of Christ.  He chose to leave a family of earthly power to become family with Divine power.  He considered Christ more important than any thing else he could have on earth.  Through that love of God, he had immense faith and God used him to do amazing things- like parting the Red Sea.  You don't do that by yourself!  Do you see Christ as a greater wealth than any treasure you could have on earth?  Are you willing to give up your reputation for the sake of Him?  Are you seeking earthly reward or heavenly reward?  Can God give account of your faith in Him?  When you meet Him at the gate of heaven, what will He say of you?  Will He say to me, "Because of faith, Leanne...." or will He say, "Because of Leanne's lack of faith I used someone else..."?  Without faith, it is impossible to please God (verse 6).  Is God pleased with you?


~Leanne~
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Enter your Email

    Preview | Powered by FeedBlitz
    Picture
    Lover of Jesus, wife to a great husband, mother of 3 young children. I love to write, cook, and make greeting cards! Read more about me and my family here.

    RSS Feed


    articles by title


    Archives

    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    January 2011

    Books of the Bible

    All
    1 Corinthians
    1 John
    1 Peter
    1 Thessalonians
    1 Timothy
    2 Corinthians
    2 John
    2 Peter
    2 Thessalonians
    2 Timothy
    3 John
    Colossians
    Ephesians
    Galatians
    Hebrews
    James
    John
    Jude
    Luke
    Mark
    Matthew
    Philemon
    Philippians
    Revelation
    Romans
    Titus

      Email me with Questions or Comments:

    Submit
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.