Proof of Your Faith

I Peter 1 tells us that our faith will one day be tried, like gold is tried by fire.  The Scripture is also careful to point out that our faith is much more precious than gold.  Our faith is what will deliver us in the day that we are tried.  The passage states that the end of our faith is the salvation of our souls.  So from this passage we see that our faith is important, and that a trial of it is a guarantee.  What then, proves your faith?  Is there any proof of faith evident in your life?

Before we get into what proofs of faith we should manifest, we must carefully define just what faith is, exactly.  The terms hope and faith are sometimes used synonymously, but they are really different in their core meanings.  Hope is a word that carries connotations of the future.  Hope is looking down the road, and believing that some good thing lies ahead.  Hope is largely based on emotion and can be influenced by exterior circumstances.  We catch a bad break, and suddenly our hope begins to wane.  Faith, on the other hand, is a solidly present tense term.  Faith is the knowledge that God will do what He says He will do.  Faith is knowing that God has always provided, and not wavering from that knowledge when a new situation of need arises.  Faith is what we must possess when facing a trial.  Faith is the comfort of knowing that God has always delivered before, and therefore will deliver again because He is unchanging.  Hope is not so concrete.  Faith requires a knowledge of God, and hope only requires a belief in God.  The difference is quite stark.

There are many who have a belief that God exists, and they may actually hope that He hears their prayers and will help them.  However, these people do not have a knowledge of God and have yet to place their faith in Him.  Their hope, while genuine, will lead them straight to hell.  Faith prompts us to action.  Faith is taking that step into the unknown, and placing all trust and hope in that which is unseen.  Faith is then rewarded with the knowledge and confirmation that it has found a true resting place.  God provides His Holy Spirit to live within the temple of man once that man places all his faith in Him.  This indwelling confirms in us the presence of God and is the proof that our faith has been correctly placed.

Faith is the thing that transforms our hopes into realities.  Faith is the tangible proof of a thing we once could only hope for.  We gain faith when we see its provision in our lives.  These fulfillments of hope become faith, so that our hope is no longer only a dream.  When we hope for a thing and unwaveringly cling to the belief that it will come to pass, we build faith.  Faith is then fully gained when the hope becomes reality.  Going through trials with a hope that God will deliver is rewarded with a new measure of faith at the end of the trial when God actually does deliver. 

So what proofs of faith are manifest in your life?  Do you know Christ?  The only way to succeed in the Christian life is to live by faith.  We are only alive to bring honor and glory to the Lord.  Without faith it is impossible to please God.  Faith is the key that will unlock the blessings of God in your life.  Faith is a substance; it is the catalyst that will activate and bring about the things for which you are hoping.  Do you have regular answers to prayer?  Is your life marked by the unmistakable goodness of God?  When was the last time you felt so overwhelmed by the love and presence of God in your life that all you could do was weep for joy?  How has the Lord conveyed to you His grace, mercy, and favor lately?  How much power has God granted you for His service?  Are you regularly seeing opportunities to witness, and seeing people trust Christ?  How sweet is your walk with Christ? 

If these questions give you pause, you may not be exhibiting the proofs of faith you should be exhibiting as a Christian.  Faith is the force that will enable us to experience all the goodness that God wants to pour out upon His children.  God does not intend for us to lead an anemic, meager Christian existence.  The earmarks of a blessed Christian walk are abundance and blessing.  Yes, trials will come; but in the trials His goodness and grace abound even more.  Let us not only hope for God's blessings but also possess the faith necessary to receive God's blessings.  Endeavor to stand firm in time of testing.  See your hope mature into faith by refusing to waver until the hope becomes reality.  Grow your faith so that its proofs will be readily evident in your life.

As a Man Thinketh...

So much time is spent by Christians these days trying to shake off worldly habits and avoid the pitfalls of Satan.  Many times we struggle with the same sins over and over again.  Why is this?  Because we, by and large, have not learned how to train and focus our thinking.  As we think, we are.  This is a guaranteed, mark it down, unchanging, everlasting Biblical truth!  You cannot become something unless you first think that thing.  We never do anything unless that deed was first born as a thought of our minds.

The mind is the joint or gateway between the spiritual and the physical.  Our mind is affected by our heart or our spirit.  As we commune with God, our hearts are stirred and our minds are provoked to think spiritual things.  Likewise, if we allow ourselves to be inundated with worldly influences, our minds will stray to carnal, temporal things.  The mind is the joint that connects the spiritual part of us to the physical.  Nothing we do physically has not been impacted by our mind first.  The way we feel in our spirit will determine how we think in our mind which in turn affects how we act.

The Bible teaches us not to be conformed to this world.  What does this mean?  It means that we should not take on and accept the worldly mindset or way of thinking.  We as Christians should not be accepting of how the world thinks and operates.  We are not to conform.  By taking on a worldly mindset, we are guaranteeing worldly thoughts, and thus we are setting ourselves up for worldly actions.  Having a carnal mindset will produce carnal thoughts, which can only lead to carnal actions.  This progression of events is guaranteed by Scripture.  No matter how much we may try to deceive ourselves into believing that we can overcome a worldly mindset, it simply cannot be done.  A man who possesses a worldly mindset is a ticking time bomb of worldly thoughts and deeds waiting to explode.

The maturity we possess as Christians is determined by our mindset.  The decisions we make influence and indeed determine our level of Christian maturity.  A man with the mind of Christ will tend to make wise decisions and will constantly be maturing and growing- provided he maintains a Godly mindset.  A man who is carnally minded will make carnal decisions, do carnal deeds, and never mature in his walk with Christ.  Our thinking determines what plane of maturity we will achieve in Christ.

The Bible commands us to be transformed by renewing our minds.  To transform something is to change that thing from its original state into something new.  This transformation is not a one-time event; it must be a continual process.  We must be constantly changing and allowing our minds to be renewed.  We must transform our mindset by exchanging our thoughts and beliefs with those of Christ.  We must accept His thoughts and deny our own.  We must take on His mind, and put away our way of thinking.  This is the transformation we must undergo daily to achieve a proper mindset, which will inspire proper thoughts, which will trigger proper behavior.

To take on the mind of Christ, we must not try to fit Scripture to the way we think.  We must change the way we think to fit Scripture.  There can be no compromise is this regard.  In this area, people often fall short of truly inhabiting the mind of Christ as they attempt to pick and choose just how they will accept a Scriptural mindset.  We oftentimes try to mix the mind of Christ with a little of our own thinking.  This leads to disastrous and heretical results.  This kind of living is the source of much of the problems that exist in the body of Christ today- well-intentioned people halfway conforming to the world while proclaiming to take on the mind of Christ.  This cannot possibly work, because what fellowship hath light with darkness?  If we have any of the old conformity to the world present in our thinking, we are not fully submitted to the Christ-like mindset we are commanded to have.  The transformation is not complete, and we do not have the power that is implicit in possessing the mind of Christ.  We only have a bastardized version of Christianity that is warned of in II Timothy. 

To become a mature Christian and possess holiness, we must take on the mind of Christ.  As we think, we are.  Holiness is nothing more than having the mind of Christ.  Allowing ourselves to come under the authority of Christ and accepting the transformation that Scripture will effect in our lives as a result is the process we must undergo to achieve holiness.  We will never mature as Christians absent this transformation.  Again, this change is not a one-time event.  Salvation does not guarantee spiritual maturity.  The one-time change of accepting Christ as Saviour is not the same thing as becoming spiritually mature.  Everyday we must crucify the old man, take on the mind of Christ, and journey in His will.  Exchange your mindset for the mind of Christ.  You will then see how your heart will be touched by Heaven, which your spur your mind to think on true, honest, just, and pure things which will produce actions pleasing to the Lord.

Your mind is a gateway.  From your heart, emotions become thoughts which become actions.  Your actions determine who you are.  What you do defines you.  So, in effect, how you feel which determines how you think is what defines you.  Think with the mind of Christ and you can be guaranteed to become a mature, holy Christian living in God's will and producing the fruit of the Spirit.

Been away from the Blog lately...

I realize that I haven't posted much recently.  My schedule has been such that I haven't had the time to post as I usually like to and enjoy doing.  I have a few great things (I think) in the works to share, so please check back often.  Again, I appreciate all of you who come by the blog, and I hope the content is helpful.

Trip to Arkansas

This week, I have been privileged to travel with our boy's varsity basketball team to Jacksonville, Arkansas for the March Madness Tournament and Youth Conference hosted by Bible Baptist Church.  I love being able to travel and be around our guys- we have a great group of sharp young men.  The tournament portion of the week is over, and although we didn't fare well, it has been a great experience for the team.  The main speaker for the youth conference is Pastor Jay Reed from Suwanee, Georgia.  I have known Pastor Reed for several years, and he is a great preacher and has done a great job so far.  I will share some great thoughts from his messages in future posts.  I am blessed beyond measure to be involved in ministering to our young men everyday- I have the best job in the world and I love it!

Staying Hungry

One of the keys to sustained excellence is staying hungry.  Being driven to not only achieve excellence, but also to maintain excellence is a hallmark of those who accomplish great things.  We must never rest on our past successes, nor dwell on our past failings and misgivings.  We must always be looking forward.

To truly achieve excellence, you must first learn to master whatever it is you are doing.  This can usually only be done through hard work- and lots of it.  To the athlete who desires to rise to the top of his sport, many hours of practice must be put in to accomplish that goal.  The basketball player who is possessed of some talent, attends practice with his team, but does no extra work may perform adequately and even have the occasional stand-out performance.  It is the player that stays after the minimum team practice time has been fulfilled that goes on to develop a great career.  Putting in the time, energy, and effort to master your job is vitally important if you want to attain excellence.

Putting in the work to become excellent and achieving that goal in the short term, however, is not the sign of true greatness.  Continuing to put in that work to maintain and even improve your performance is the only way to achieve an excellent record.  Again, excellence is not a short-term or one time event; it is the continued achievement of a high standard.  How does one sustain the energy and effort it takes to pull this off?  He stays hungry. 

Paul admonishes us in Philippians 3 to "forget those things which are behind" and to "press toward the mark..."  This is an example of staying hungry.  Have you had past failures?  Forget about them, they are where they will always be- in the past!  Have you been successful before?  Forget about that too, because past success is not a guarantee of future achievement.  Stay hungry!  Constantly have your focus on what is right in front of you, and on what lies ahead.  This is the only way to achieve excellence.  Having a desire to be excellent must be the motor that will drive you to act and behave in ways that will result in your development of excellent habits.  Absent the desire to achieve excellence, a man becomes apathetic and lethargic.  These are not becoming qualities for a Christian to possess.  Strive to maintain high personal standards of excellence, and stay hungry to do and be better than you were yesterday.

Entering the Fourth Quarter!

This week is the last week of the third quarter for the 2011-2012 school year.  This year has flown by!  I have learned so much in the course of teaching, coaching, and fulfilling my other daily duties since August.  It truly seems like it was just yesterday that I sat in our teacher orientation filled with excitement for the coming school year.  The possibilities and potential that lay ahead were inspiring, challenging, and humbling then for this young teacher.  As I look back on the first 3/4 of this school year, I am even more humbled, challenged, and inspired!

I serve an awesome God, and I am so thankful that He allows and empowers me to serve in the capacity that I do here at Central Baptist School.  It is only by God's grace and mercy I am able to have any sort of ministry.  I love, love, love the staff and students I get to work and serve with everyday- there is no other place I would rather be and no other thing I would rather be doing!  Praise God for a wonderful first three quarters.  I am looking forward to finishing this school year being even more determined and committed than I was back in August.

Raider Boys Basketball Team State Runners-Up!

I am so proud to have helped coached this year's Raider boys basketball team!  The guys fought through adversity to win a spot in the Gulf Coast Christian Conference Championship game.  They did this by winning three games in a row, all against higher seeds in the tournament.  As a 5 seed, no one expected us to play for the championship; but we believed we could and we did!  The guys gave everything they had but came up short against the overwhelming favorite number 1 seed and undefeated team in the final game.  Losing held no shame for the Raiders, as they truly left it all out on the court.  Persevering and achieving has been a hallmark of this 2011-2012 Raider squad.  I love each and every one of you, Raider players!  Keep on improving, and watch out next year GCCC- the Raiders are taking it all!

What My Tears Would Say

If you could see my heart of love,

So full about to burst;

And when words fail, it empties out

Like rain on ground athirst.

If you could read those tears that fell

And stained this page so dry;

If you knew from which well they came,

And when they fell and why.

Those tears would say, "I love you" and

"I'll go that extra mile."

They carry love so strong and true,

So pure and undefiled.

The tears would say, "I miss you" when

By chance you're ever gone.

They'd stream and flow right down my face

Until your journey's done.

The tears would say, "You're special" and

"There's no one quite like you."

They'd make you feel like royalty;

They'd cheer you when you're blue.

The tears would say, "I need you" when

No other seems to care.

They'd reach out and they'd want you,

And they wouldn't want to share.

The tears would say, "I know you" when

Some lie you'd try to tell.

The tears would keep you honest should

You try to cast some spell.

The tears would say, "I trust you" if

Some indecision came.

The tears would back you up in times

When others issue blame.

The tears would say, "I'll hold your hand" and

Would comfort all your fears.

They'd drive away detractors and

Cause loved ones to draw near.

The tears would say, "Forgiven" if

You ever went astray.

The tears would never hold a grudge,

Not even for a day.

The tears would say, "I'm sorry" when

The tables have been turned.

If I'm the one found in the wrong,

And you're the one that's burned.

The tears would say, "You're lovely" should

Some haters mock and scorn.

They'd spread a balm where you'd been pricked

By critics' spiteful thorns.

The tears would sacrifice and give

So you would never want.

The tears would always acquiesce 

So you could glow and flaunt.

The tears would serve and gladly bend

So you some rest could take.

The tears would carry all your load

So your back never aches.

The tears would never breathe again

So you could draw one breath.

The tears would face your every foe, 

And if they could, your death.

The tears would do these things and more,

And in that way express-

But you can't read them, they can't speak-

So now I must confess:

Sometimes I get so overwhelmed,

And when my words fail me-

Just see my tears and know, my friend,

What all they'd say and be.

Leave Your Troubles

Another sleepless night, I fear

Of restless, wistful yawns.

Sleep evades me once again,

And soon the new day dawns.

The day that was had lingered so

I could not leave behind.

The cares and burdens it had held

Still weighed upon my mind.

With the setting of the sun,

My soul cried out for rest!

And though my body didst agree,

My mind would get the best

Of me and keep me up this night

While others drift away

To be refreshed, recharged, renewed;

But me, I had to stay.

And so all night I wondered why

I could not join that band,

That blessed troop that occupied

Sweet never-never land.

My eyes would burn but never shut,

So full of sand and fire.

Try as I might to slow it down,

My mind just wouldn't tire!

Whizzing, whirring, overloaded

From a day of care-

The topsy-turvy pace it kept

Belied my frozen stare.

Behind dull eyes, my brain's aglow

With worry, woe, and thought.

And deeper into night I drift,

While not a "ZZZZZ" I've caught.

But then I realized the thing

That I should have before-

The reason that I cannot rest

And slumber, sleep and snore-

I've carried burdens all day long,

Borne sorrows, pain, attacks.

The worries of the world had weighed

And bent and bowed my back.

I hurried through and did not take

The time to shed my load.

I should have left that heavy weight

Along life's busy road.

That road we all must travel as

We make our way through life.

The road that takes its twists and turns

Through sorrow, pain, and strife.

The road that brings us down dark trails

Of danger and despair,

O'er faulty footholds, unsure paths

That seem to go nowhere.

Beside this road each day we stop

To rest and catch our breath-

Not hurrying to reach its end,

For we know that it holds death.

But on our way we sometimes find

Redemption, mirth, and grace.

And with these helps we soldier on

To find a better place.

Then as each day draws to a close,

Night signals to us, "Sleep.

Lay down your burdens and your cares,

These through the night can't keep."

We must let go and on the morrow

Wake to find again.

But oft they seem to disappear

As though they hadn't been.

Sometimes we find them on our way,

And with them we contend.

Another day we carry on

New daylight hours to spend.

Toiling under strain and stress-

Something we all must do-

Working in the noon-time sun

Until the day is through.

Leave the troubles of the old day

In the setting sun.

Maybe in the morn discover

All of them are gone!

Maybe some are waiting right beside

Your chosen way.

Not to worry though, dear friend,

You only carry them one day!

2,345 page views in February!

Thank you once again to all you readers!  You made last month the biggest by far in the short history of this blog.  I sincerely and ever so humbly appreciate your taking time to come to the blog.  I am motivated to continue to provide content that I pray will be helpful.  Thank you so much for supporting the blog- I hope that you are in some way helped, blessed, inspired, or challenged by what you find here.  Thank you all so much!