Faith, Shame, Gangstas and Gladiators!

God doesn’t want you to be embarrassed to put your faith in Him. He doesn’t want you to look like a fool waiting for some magical creature to come down your chimney and leave your rent money in socks you left hanging to dry by your fireplace.

 

Here's a pretty hardcore Scripture I found tonight. And a few other ones to back it up, yo!

 

“If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantages it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.” [1 Cor  15: 32]

-This should be in a gladiator movie or something. Just saying.

 

**This is all about having faith... in the very core of what we as “Christians” believe in.. the resurrection. What is the advantage of being a follower of Jesus if you don’t have any faith that He is who He says He is? The son of God. Resurrected from the dead? Sitting, right now, on the throne of heaven.

>>Having a problem with your faith? Note Hebrews 12:2 “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” AUTHOR.. FINISHER.. of our faith… pretty cool<<

 “So, Sarah, what you’re saying to me is that Jesus can give me faith that I don’t have… to believe in spiritual things… relating to Him?” Why, yes, yes I am. [Note Phineas and Ferb reference or you suck.] “Looking unto Jesus.” -That’s where I start every time I need help in that area. I grab my Bible and decide to get to know Him more. Spend some more time with Him. Study Him. Learn His characteristics. Think about the last time you were infatuated with someone.. You kind of studied them.. You at least learned about them in an intentional way, right? Where did they like to go on a regular basis? What did they like to do? Who did they hang with? etc…

Now, refer to 2 Corinthians 11:3, “But I fear as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds may somehow be lured away from the simplicity that is in Christ.” SIMPLICITY… It’s SO simple, yet we make it SO complicated… with our rules and our doctrine and our religious practices. Just space out for a minute…. “simplicity that is in Christ.” It’s not supposed to be complicated.

 

“… whoever believes in Him will never be ashamed.” [1 Peter 2: 6]

**That last word in its original Greek form- kataischuno: disgrace or (by implication) put to the blush, to shame down, confound, or dishonor.

 

So don’t be afraid to put your trust in Him. Don’t be afraid that you’ll end up looking foolish waiting around and hoping for something that will never come. When it looks like nothing is possible, that failure is imminent, that’s when God seems to move in the greatest way. Maybe it’s because that’s when we’ve finally surrendered and allowed Him to. Regardless the reason, one thing is for sure, when we are in that place of desolation, His name is surely glorified above any other name when a way is made where there was no way before. When there is no possible way that we could make it on our own, and He steps in and rescues us, there is no doubt that a Divine intervention has taken place. Our lives are the testimony. Some of you know. :) Some of you have experienced it. In that way, when we are weak, then we are strong.. because when our circumstances are screaming, “NO, NO, YOU CAN’T!!” I promise you, there’s an invitation.. God’s gentle whisper, “but I can.”