Faith Page

The foundation to our Christian life is how well we know God. God has revealed himself in scripture and he continues to reveal himself in our lives. Knowing God and loving God is the number one goal of the Christian journey.

By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence.And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires.In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness,and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:3-8

God wants to be known


The good news is we can know God. Even though God exists in a form very different from us he can still be known. In the beginning God was actually intimately known by humans and until sin separated humans from God, he walked with them.


Throughout history God has revealed himself to us in different ways so that we can get to know him. In a small way, God’s creation itself shows how great and wonderful he is. By looking at his creation we can assume certain things about God’s creativity, his power and wonder and his intelligence. But God has also shown himself in specific ways to specific people through the ages. These revelations have been collected in what we call the Bible. We have come to know the Bible as God’s specific revelation to us. In fact we refer to the Bible as ‘God’s Word’ to people.


By reading the Bible we can learn a great deal about what God is like, what he has done, what he expects of us and what his promises are to us for the future.

 

What is God like?

The greatness of God

God is eternal   

                        - without beginning or end                      Isa 44:6, Rev 1:8

                        - was there present at the beginning       Gen 1:1, Rom 1:12, Ex 3:14

                        - Has life within himself                          Jer 10:10, John 6:27, Gen 2:7

                        - Above all else  (sovereign)                   Dan 4:3, Hab 3:6, Rev 4:11

                        - consistent, unchanging                        Isa 26:4, Ps 102:26f, Mal 3:6, Jas 1:17

                        - God is spirit                                        Jn 4:24, Gen 1:2,

                     

                    God has always existed. He was never created. Everything originates from him.He is the source of the universe. This is what 'eternal' means.Nothing else is eternal. All other things in the universe have been created by God and for his purpose. Because God is eternal and because he is Spirit he is not limited as the universe is limited.


God is life which means he has a consciousness and a will. All creation is subject to his will because God is above all things. - John 1:3-4

God is Present everywhere    (Omni present)     Psalm 139:7-12, Matt 28:19-20, Acts 1:8

God knows all things                (Omniscient)      Ps 147:5, Prov 15:3, Matt 10:29,30, Heb 4:13,

God is all powerful                 (Omnipotent)       Gen 1:1, Matt 19:26, Ps 29:5, Rev 20:11-12

God is three in one                (Trinity)    Matt 28:19


                    By definition, God is beyond mortal understanding. We may use human terms to explain God but he is beyond the confines of humanity and mortality. 

The goodness of God

God is holy   -  he is altogether separate and apart from anything else  Ex 15:11, Isa 57:15

God is love    - 1 Jn 4:8-10, Jn 3:16, His nature is love. Unlike us, God’s love never waivers, it is constant, unmoving and everlasting

God is patient, forgiving and merciful    Eph 2:4f, Ex 34:6, Neh 9:17, Col 3:13,  Heb 4:16

God is just and righteous – there is a right and wrong. God has a moral heart.

                 -    1 Jn 1:5, Dt 10:17, 1 Pet 1:17,

God does not lie or deceive    Heb 6:18, Tit 1:2, Jas 1:13

God is truth    - Num 23:19, Jn 14:1-2,

The Work of God

God is creator      - He created the world     Gen 1:1, Heb 11:3, Job 26:7-14, Eph 3:9, Psalm 8:3-4, Ps 33:6,9, Ps 104:5-9, Rev 4:11

                           - Out of nothing he created everything     Heb 11:3, John 1:3

                           - He created all things through the Son          John 1:3, Col 1:16

     As Creator, God is the origin of all things in the universe. All matter, energy and life derive their existence from God. God is therefore all powerful and has authority over all that he has made - including people. He deserves the right to do with his creation whatever he wishes.   Rom 9:20-21

       You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,

   for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."  Rev 4:11


God is sustainer    -  Through the Son,         Heb 1:3, Colossians 1:17

                            - Has power over the physical elements.     Job 38, Ps 135:7, Mark 4:39, , Ps 104.

                            - He makes life happen.   Neh 9:6 

                            - He is involved in his creation     Rom 13:1, Dan 2:21

                            - He provides for his creation       Matt 5:45, 6:26,

                            - God’s provision can be supernatural      Dt 2:7 – desert journey, Mark 4:39, John 6:1-15

                            - He sustains individuals              Psalm 18:35, Isa 41:10, 46:4

    As sustainer, God has not left the world to its own resources but it intimately involved with his creation through his son Jesus and through His Spirit.

God is Judge

God has shown his judgement

            Judgement of sin          – expelling mankind from paradise Gen 3:23-24

                                                - Flood Gen 6

                                                - Achan’s sin Josh 7

                                                - Israel’s expulsion (exile)

                                                - Ananias and Sapphira  Acts 5

God will one day judge the world

Ps 96:13, Acts 17:31 judgement day is set, 2 Pet 3:7, Acts 24:25, Rom 2:5, Rev 20:11-15

He judges individuals

Heb 9:27, 2 Cor 5:10, Rom 14:12, Matt 11:24, Jn 5:26-29,

Kingdom parables         - Parable of the tenants Matt 21:33-46

                                    - Sheep and goats Matt 25:31-46

Judgement through Jesus

Matt 25:31-33, John 5:22,27, Acts 10:42, 17:31, 2 Cor 5:10

Loving God

Knowing about God is just the beginning. Learning to love God is what relationship is all about. Loving God is what we call worship. In the Old Testament God instructs his people of the importance of this love relationship.

"Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. 
And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

                                                                                    Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Jesus repeats this as the highest requirement for us as followers.

Loving God means devotion - with all our heart, soul and strength

In Romans 12, Paul describes loving God in this way

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

                                                                                        Romans 12:1-2

Worshiping God and loving God involves action not just belief. It involves change. We live to please God not ourselves. We make our lives a sacrifice for his pleasure and purpose. That is what it means to love him.

The following section gives practical examples of how we can worship God in our everyday lives. These disciplines will help us in sacrificing our lives and understanding God and his will better.

Prayer - Sharing my life with God

God loves it when we spend time with him. When we devote time with God in prayer we are setting aside time just for him. It is a true expression of worship. Some Christians may struggle with prayer because they have failed to understand it fully. There are some common misunderstandings about prayer. 

Here are some.

Prayer is not:

Just asking God for things.  This view of prayer is entriely one sided. God becomes like a heavely creditcard or Santa Claus. Then we get upset when he dosen't give us what we want.

Going through a list of requests. making requests is part of prayer but if that is all it is it will become very boring.

A token thing we do at mealtimes. This is not real prayer but just a religious habit


The problem with prayer is the shallow understanding that most Christians give to it. Prayer is not just asking for things. Prayer is a conversation with God. In prayer we share our life with God. He loves it when we spend time with him.


What prayer is:

       1. Prayer is praise. Praising God is to admire his qualities and his character. When we praise God we focus on what he has done and how great he is. In church we use singing to express this to God. In the Bible there are many examples. The book of Psalms is full of prayers of praise. 

As part of your prayer to God you could:

  • Sing to God a worship song

  • Write a poem to God 

2. Prayer is confession (1 Jn 1:9)   

  • Tell him you are sorry

  • keep watch on your life

  • always look for the Holy Spirit’s conviction

 

3. Prayer is listening (Bible reading / meditation)

  • What is the Holy Spirit saying to me today through the Bible?

 
        4. Prayer is supplication  (praying on behalf of others)

      Read Paul’s letters for ideas

  • for the sick

  • for governmentsfor the church

  • for your leader

  • for your family

  • for non believers

 

        5. Prayer is sharing your worries with God  (Phil 4:6)

  • What is on your mind?

  • What is interfering with your faith?

 

        6. Prayer is asking for things (Matthew 6:9-13)

  • Petitions (earthly focus – our needs)

  • kingdom (heavenly focussed = thy kingdom come)

  • keep a prayer journal where you record your prayers so you can see how God answers

 

Some pray while walking, driving, sitting

Some pray with eyes open, eyes closed, while admiring God’s creation

Some pray in the morning, in the evening, little bits through the day. 

Prayer is conversation, building a relationship with God.

Bible reading and meditation

The Bible is a collection of books which record God’s revelation to people down through the ages. It teaches us truths about God and about what he has done. But the Bible is also the living word of God. God uses it to speak to us as well.

 There are a number of things that happen when you read the Bible.

1, You learn truths and facts about God

2, You learn about how God wants you to live, what pleases him, what upsets him.

3, You can be encouraged as you learn about his promises

4, Your mind is slowly influenced to think with his priorities and values

5, He can use the words of the Bible to speak very personally into your current life situation.

 

Reading the Bible is a way of letting God speak to us in a number of ways.
Here are some ideas about how to do it.

 1. Slab reading               - reading a whole book of the Bible in one sitting. This gives a good feel for what the overall message is.

Q What is God really saying?

 2. Paced reading         - a chapter a day

Q what is this passage teaching me today?

 
3. Meditation     - choose a small section or a single verse that means something to you and dwell on it. Read it over and over praying that God will speak to you through it. Write down the various thoughts that come into your mind from that verse.

Q What is God saying to me today?

 
4. Prayer reading        - reading a section of scripture and praying back to God using that scripture.

            e.g. command  -  commit to obey

promise    -   claim / thanksgiving

truth         -   believe / praise

 

5. Theme reading – Starting with a verse or small section of the Bible and studying other places where the same theme is taught. For this you will need the help of cross references, theological books and concordances or a word search/topic search program.

                        Q, How does this truth fit in the wider context?

 

6. Bible Study  - This involves learning about the meaning of words, context, background and the technical meaning of the passage. Often you will need reference books for this or participate in a study group led by a mature Christian.

                        Q What does it actually mean?

 
Establishing a Bible reading habit.

 Most people will want to spend a bit of time in God’s word each day. Here is a suggestion.

 

 1, Set aside a time each day where you can concentrate and not be interrupted. This is God’s time and shouldn’t be taken lightl

2, Read a chapter each day writing down anything you feel you learnt or anything you felt that God was saying to yo

3, Once a week make time to read for a longer period of reading (slab reading) or study (Theme reading or Bible study).

 

What should I read?

Choose a book of the Bible and read a chapter a day until it is finished. Keep a record of what God says, the things you have learned or any questions you might have to share with your mentor or group leader.

 

Some good books to read if you are beginning:  Mark, John, 1 Peter, Ephesians, Genesis

It can also be valuable reading regularly from the Psalms and Proverbs.

 

Some of the more challenging books: Romans, Hebrews, Revelation, Numbers, Judges, and the Prophets.

Giving


Loving God means that we give him our devotion.

We give time to God
This is where we devote time for prayer and Bible reading and service. In the Bible God asked for one day each week (the Sabbath) to be set aside for this purpose.

 Deu 5:14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work.


We should honour him by doing that. In most churches, we set aside Sunday for God. Make sure you schedule that day for him as an expression of love

We give our ambitions to God
Giving our ambition to God means that as we think about our future we allow God to lead us. We should be thinking about what God wants us to do and be. We should not be driven by wealth, pride, comfort or fear.

Mat 6:33-34 
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.


Loving God means to acknowledge that he has a claim on our life and has a purpose for us to live out.

We give our wealth to God
We also need to ‘put our money where our mouth is’. In the bible God asks that the first 10% (tithe) of all we earn is given to him. It is set aside for him as an expression of love. The intent here is that those who serve God full time (like pastors, missionaries and other Christian workers) can be supported in their service. Though it has a practical effect, God always sees it as an expression of love for him.

2Co 9:6-8 
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Fasting


The idea behind fasting is that in denying the ‘flesh’ we become more sensitive to the Spirit. It is a discipline that puts first God’s word and prayer, even before food.

    John 4:31,34

31, Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something." ……
34, "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”
           
Matthew 5:6  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
       
Some ways of fasting
Partial fast, This is where a person will fast one or two meals each day for a period of time. There is no set time or right and wrong way to fast
Total fast, This is where no food is taken for a period of time

Some principles
Prayer and Bible reading and meditation replace normal meal times. It is not enough just to miss out on food but replace it with some spiritual activity. In fasting we are choosing God and not our own needs
Do not complain or boast about the fasting experience. It is a private discipline  (Matt 6:16-18)
Our attitude must not be one of manipulating God into answering our prayers  but rather just making him the priority

Some warnings
Always drink water
Some medical conditions make fasting a risk. Please see a doctor if in doubt
Those who work in manual labour jobs may need to exercise care when planning for fasting
Headaches and weakness may be a normal part of the first day or two of fasting, but if headaches or faintness persists then cease the fasting     and get some medical advice.
Break the fast gently with easily digested foods and not foods rich in fat.

What you may notice
Expect God’s work to be clearer and more powerful
You will often notice a closeness to God in prayer at this time
Fasting will not be easy. It will be a struggle.
There often (not always) comes a significant time of revelation or answered prayer during or after fasting.

Fellowship


We must continue to be committed to meeting together. In meeting together we grow in the Lord as we worship corporately, serve one another, exercise our spiritual gifts, pool our resources and witness to the world. The church is a people of God and our commitment and loyalty to each other expresses God’s love and unity.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
            John 13:34-35

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
            Hebrews 10:24-25

How to fellowship:

1.    Attend the worship service at your church each week as a commitment
2.    Join a small group for study and accountability
3.    Seek to serve in such a way that your spiritual gifts can bless the church
4.    Make regular room in your schedule for acts of kindness and service to others in the church
5.    Determine not to gossip or act in any divisive way within the church family
6.    Become an official member of your church, thus officially subscribing to the core beliefs and values of the church and submitting to its leadership.

Witnessing


Our Lord Jesus gave us his commission to teach others about the salvation he purchased for them on the cross. When we tell others about Jesus and what he has done for them we are being faithful to his call. Through our faithfulness, others can also respond to God, thereby bringing him glory. Witnessing also deepens our own understanding and faith in the gospel as our outspoken words reinforce our inner faith.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
            Acts 1:8
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
            1 Peter 2:12

Principles of witnessing:
1, Never be ashamed of God and his message
2, Try to genuinely understand people and their need and where they are at in their faith. Lead them patiently in understanding God
3, Prayer is crucial. Understand that it is a spiritual battle and the Holy Spirit needs to convict them. Pray for conviction, for protection from Satan, pray for walls to be broken down, claim them for God’s own possession
4, Know the message of the gospel. Prepare your testimony and understand how to answer some of the more frequently asked questions
5, Create a library of good resources that are helpful for people who have questions about God.
6, Never try to win an argument or criticise another person’s beliefs, but with gentleness and respect, with confidence, just explain what God has shown you.
7, Invite them to experience church. Choose a time that will be more conducive to their needs.
8, Set a good example of what a Christian looks like.