A: Father, I pray that you keep reminding me that the "moving" I do is not in the energy of my own flesh, but in response to the knowledge of who I am in Christ. Help me to be a reflection of You living in and through me so I can be a witness of Your love and acceptance to a hurt and dying world. Let my life be a reflection to Christians that we are not to live a life of obedience to You in hopes of being blessed by You, but a reflection that You have already blessed us by giving us Yourself. Let me be a beacon to the lost world that the unconditional love, acceptance and meaning and purpose to life cannot be found in the world, but only through coming alive to You in Christ. Keep teaching me and revealing to me the inheritance I already have been given by You to remind me that my motivation for living is a response to Your love of me as Your child. I pray that all Christians realize that if they are still trying to obtain or maintain their right standing in your eyes through their works that they are made aware of the fact that they are already righteous in your eyes because of Jesus Christ. I ask this is the name of Jesus. Amen!
Q: HOW DOES "FAITH" COME?
A: As was stated, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17)." So, if faith comes by hearing the message through the word of Christ, we must ask what is faith? Faith is our response to the truth that has been revealed to us through the Word. Faith is a natural byproduct of an encounter with truth that leads to our accepting of it and resting in it. Jesus is the truth and what He has said about us and offered us, through His death, burial and resurrection, is the key to life. We knew we were dead to God in sin and responded to His offer of forgiveness and resurrected life. In turn, it is our faith in Him that leads to us to being a witness for Him. That is why Paul asked the question, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent (Romans 10:14-15)?" The calling is to Jesus, we respond in faith and He sends us out to preach His message of salvation. Amen!
Q: Are there mountains in your life?..If so how can you make those mountains "move" out of our life?
A: The Bible says if we have faith the size of a mustard seed we could move mountains. And I don't see too many mountains moving. The conclusion to that is it isn't the size of our faith, but the size of our God that counts. The Bible reminds us that "God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son, is faithful (1 Cor. 1:9)." The key isn't trying to move mountains in our life, but trusting in and depending on God to stick with us in the midst of the struggles we encounter. There is a reason scripture reminds us not to be anxious, that we don't have spirit of fear and not to worry. It is because the mountains in our life cause us to experience all these things and God is aware of it. But, it is in the knowledge that we know He is faithful to us, never leaving or forsaking us that comforts us and gives us strength in our times of need. It is that truth that led the Apostle Paul to exclaim, "I can do everything through him who strengthens me (Phil 4:13)." Paul knew that the ups and downs of life were not enough to separate Him from God. It is a lesson we need to learn in order to deal with our mountains in life.
Q: Is there such a thing of separation of Church and State?
A: Speaking more directly to Chris' question Christians should never separate themselves from the public. Being a Christian is not something we do and keep private from the world. Being a Christian is who we are and we are compelled by Christ's love to share that with the world. It is in that Spirit that we support any person, place or thing that is promoting or defending the tenants of Christianity and its effect on this country and the world. Remember, as Christians, we are the salt of the earth. And we can't be the salt of the earth if we are keeping what we have to ourselves. Of course, we should our best to let our "conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone (Col 4:6)." And as Paul said, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men (Rom 12:18)." But, we should never compromise truth in order to just keep the peace. The message we have has eternal consequences. We are the Church and should never be separate from the State. Because it is the State that needs the message of the Church. Be encouraged.
The rest of the passage in 1 Corinthians 10 gives further evidence to this topic. "Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God — even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved (1 Cor. 10:32-33)." We seek the good of the many not our own good. It is when we are being a witness for the Lord, out in public, that there may come a time where we have to put the good of the many over our own. If standing and proclaiming the Gospel may result in your own harm, but benefit the individual(s) you are surrounded by, then it may be a time to suffer for being a Christian. Maybe mentioning the name of Jesus, saying a prayer in His name or abstaining from doing something against your faith could result in the loss of a job or other condemnation. But, remember our God will take care of you as He always has. Of course, this is an individual choice and not encouragement to be a disruption, but there may come a time when you may have to COMBINE the Church and the State. Be ready!
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