The FFA Alumni has added a raffle to the festivities of June 19th. They have a 300 lb live weight hog to be raffled off with butchering to the winner's preference. The hog was donated by Mike Oliver and the butchering by Carl Hunt butchering of Greenville. Tickets are $1 for 1, $5 for 6 and $10 for 12. I have tickets as well as FFA Alumni members.
Ryan is doing well. We are planning to go to some graduation parties for his seniors today and tomorrow. He also wants to go to his final Wright State class on Monday night. He is scheduled to have surgery to replace his port on Tuesday at 1:00 and then he will be admitted for his 5th round of chemo. I'm going to try to get him roped into helping me put down mulch here in a few minutes, so I better get one that!
-A
Hi Guys,
ReplyDeleteI have a long post today, and I'll have to do it in two sections. Sorry! When I read this devotion today, it reminded me of how strong you've been in your faith. I want to encourage you to hold fast in your faith and know God is in control.
Blessings,
Jill S.
Believing is Seeing
ReplyDelete"Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed'." John 20:29 (NIV)
Notice how I titled today's devotion "Believing is Seeing,"; not the other way around?
If you think about it, we believe w/o seeing every day. We listen to the news on the radio or TV & believe what they say is true. Even though we may see the broadcast, we didn’t actually witness the events. We listen to the gossip of others & believe their words to be fact.
However, when it comes to believing that God is God, & that the Bible is holy & true, many people struggle.
Why is it that we have a much harder time believing in a sovereign God, than we do a story on the news or from a friend? Why is it difficult for some to comprehend & believe that God created the universe, is in control of everything, & ordains life?
DOUBT. Doubt is an incredibly powerful weapon that the devil uses to attack the minds of those whose faith is weakened due to struggles in life, feeling distanced from God, or who have never truly known the Savior.
Doubt occurs when we begin to think we have to see God to believe in Him, & when our faith is dependent on what our eyes can see.
But faith isn’t something we can see. There’s no visual evidence. The official definition of faith is a "firm belief in something of which there is no proof."
Faith requires that we believe, despite not having any visual evidence.
If seeing were believing, then faith would be irrelevant and unnecessary. Jesus would forever be trying to convince us that He is the Holy One through signs, wonders & miracles. Our faith would always be teetering on the edge, & likely decline as soon as we felt the need to see just one more example of proof of His existence, His sovereignty, or His power. If we could see Him, we would probably never truly believe in Him.
Faith only comes by hearing God's Word, & believing it - no matter what – w/o a shadow of a doubt – w/o needing constant visual proof.
The cold hard fact is that we live in a world that thrives on proof. As a result, Christians will face pressure to doubt that God is real and alive. We will face opportunities to turn away from God and believe in other religions, which may seem trendier, more appealing or visually legitimate. We will face ridicule for believing in the unseen.
But that is where true faith comes in. Faith that’s not swayed by new ideas, impressive people, or eloquent preaching. Faith won’t die b/c something easier comes along. Faith that’s based on the belief that He was, is and will be the Savior of the world. Faith that withstands the pressure of difficulties in life.
ReplyDeleteHebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (NIV).
We can't see God, but we can see His activity in our lives...if we believe. We can't see God, but we can see His power working within us...if we believe.
If you ask me, we see what we want to see. We choose to believe...and then, we see.
If you’ve felt lured to doubt God's presence, power, and omnipotence as a result of listening to false teachings, being persuaded by others, or dealing with doubts that have been planted in your mind by those who don't believe b/c they can’t see, pray for God to remove those doubts today.
If you’ve been doubting God's existence b/c you can’t see His activity in your life, pray for Him to open your eyes to see His divine intervention. Pray for Him to saturate your life so powerfully that you can’t doubt that He’s at work. Pray for Him to make His presence known to you.
If your heart desires to believe, your eyes will see the truth. Your faith will result in vision.
Dear Lord, impart in me an unshakable faith. Forgive me for any doubts. I love You and believe in Your sovereignty, forever. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Power Verses: Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (NIV)
© 2009 by Tracie Miles. All rights reserved."
Sorry to have this all cut up and abbreviated, but I wanted to make sure I sent it over...
Jill