WISDOM TO MOVE FROM DOUBT TO FAITH
Wednesday 02-01-12
~James 1:5-8, “If Any Of You Lacks Wisdom, Let Him Ask Of God, Who Gives To All Liberally And Without Reproach, And It Will Be Given To Him. 6 But Let Him Ask In Faith, With No Doubting, For He Who Doubts Is Like A Wave Of The Sea Driven And Tossed By The Wind. 7 For Let Not That Man Suppose That He Will Receive Anything From The Lord; 8 He Is A Double-Minded Man, Unstable In All His Ways.
~DOUBTS TEND TO FALL INTO THREE CATEGORIES:
~1. First, There Are Intellectual Doubts. ~Most Often Raised From Outside The Christian Faith.
~2. Second, There Are Spiritual Doubts. ~These Tend To Be The Doubts Of Those Inside The Church.
~3. Third, There Are Circumstantial Doubts. ~Encompassing All The “Whys” Of Life.
~THE NATURE OF DOUBT
~1) Many People Think Doubt Is The Opposite Of Faith, But It Isn’t. Unbelief Is The Opposite Of Faith.
~Unbelief Refers To A Willful Refusal To Believe, While Doubt Refers To Some Inner Uncertainty.
~2) Many People Think Doubt Is Unforgivable, But It Isn’t.
~God Doesn’t Condemn Us When We Question Him.
~3) Many People Think Struggling With God Means We Lack Faith, But That’s Not True.
~Struggling With God Is A Sure Sign That Our Faith Is Growing.
~Romans 10:17, “So Then Faith Comes By Hearing, And Hearing By The Word Of God.”
The “Metamorphosis Of Faith”
~From The Cocoon Of Doubt And Unbelief To The Freedom Of Faith!
~The Struggle Of Breaking Free From The Cocoon Gives The Caterpillar The Strength To Soar As A Butterfly.
~John 6:28-29, “When They (His Disciples) Asked Him (Jesus),‘What Must We Do To Do The Works God Requires?’ Jesus Answered, ‘The Work Of God Is This: To Believe In The One He Has Sent.”
~Work Is Hard, And Jesus Said That It Is “Work” To Believe.
~John The Baptist, Was Able To Make An Incredible Testimony Of The Things He Had Seen, Heard And Experienced With Jesus Christ. ~John 1:29-34;
~Then, After All His Proclaiming That Jesus Is The Messiah Who Takes Away The Sin Of The World, He Finds Himself Questioning His Own Declarations.
~Matt. 11:2-3, “When John Heard In Prison What Christ Was Doing, He Sent His Disciples To Ask Him, "Are You The One Who Was To Come, Or Should We Expect Someone Else?" ~Are You Really The Promised Messiah?”
~Matt. 11:4-5, “Jesus Answered And Said To Them, “Go And Tell John The Things Which You Hear And See: 5 The Blind See And The Lame Walk; The Lepers Are Cleansed And The Deaf Hear; The Dead Are Raised Up And The Poor Have The Gospel Preached To Them.”
~Matthew 11:7, 10-11, “As John’s Disciples Were Leaving, Jesus Began To Speak To The Crowd About John… 10 This Is The One About Whom It Is Written: I Will Send My Messenger Ahead Of You, Who Will Prepare Your Way Before You. 11 Truly I Tell You, Among Those Born Of Women There Has Not Risen Anyone Greater Than John The Baptist; Yet Whoever Is Least In The Kingdom Of Heaven Is Greater Than He.”.
~HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE YOUR DOUBT.
~1. Admit Your Doubts And Ask For Help. ~God Can Handle Your Doubts, Fears, Worries, Unanswered Questions.
~2. Don’t Be Afraid To “Borrow” Some Faith. ~Find Someone Filled With Faith And “Borrow” Some Of Theirs.
~3. Act On Your Faith, Not Your Doubts. ~Noah Built The Ark. ~Abraham Offered Isaac. ~ Moses Marched Through The Red Sea On Dry Ground. ~ David Faced Goliath. ~ Joshua Did Marched Around Jericho. ~ Daniel Was Thrown Into The Lion’s Den. ~ Nehemiah Built The Wall.
~4. Doubt Your Doubts, Not Your Faith. ~Do Not Throw Away Your Faith In Some Deep, Dark Momentary Valley. ~Keep Walking In Faith. Just Keep Faithing.
~5. Keep Going Back To What You Know To Be True. ~2 Timothy 1:12 Says, “I Know Whom I Have Believed.”
~SOME CONVICTIONS THAT CANNOT BE SHAKEN.
~God Is Good, Jesus Is Lord, The Bible Is True…
~Life Is Short, Every Day Is A Gift, People Matter More Than Things…
~Fame Is Fleeting, This World Is Not My Home, And Even Tough Times Can Be Used For My Benefit.
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