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Discussion Forum : General Topics : Believe means what, exactly?

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aeryck
Member



Joined: 2005/1/11
Posts: 234
United Kingdom

 Believe means what, exactly?

Hi RobertW,
It would seem so, I am pleased about this. I was afraid that there were some of the doctrines of Charles Taze Russell, under the surface. I am careful very, very careful knowing that we can very easily be beguiled away from the 'simplicity which is in Christ'. That pure and undefiled total devotion to Jesus, that is the measure of our readiness for His return. Russell had some heavy stuff about Abraham, that he built into a sort of Universalism. So many of this doctrines are very subtle and can engulf one. If one does not have pure devotion to the Scripture, I am continually picking myself up by my bootheels and getting my focus right. So much literture, and the media are saturated with things like Secularism and Humanism, we watch we are being affected, it is sometime painful.

I have had a disgusting passion for books and I will read and read and become absorbed until on one particular morning, I recieved a green cared in my mailbox, no envelope and very childish handwriting...all it said was.

Many books may inform, but only God's Word can transform, I was totally aghast. I was blow away.
I just sat there and looked at this green card and wondered, how on earth. Whew, it was radical, God knew I was burning up my heartlight with all this stuff....

So I now make a concerted effort and check on myself daily, everyday I take on my will, and well the results are GLORIUS, God really speaks to me through his word, and most important of all, I have, VICTORY in my life.

I like what Derek Prince said, about how he was healed of excema, he had it really bad, he just took his medicine three times a day after every meal, God's Word. And what doctors could not, God's word did. Wow.

I cannot now imagine my life without this.

In Jesus,
.A.
:-P


_________________
Eric John Sawyer

 2005/6/16 18:34Profile
aeryck
Member



Joined: 2005/1/11
Posts: 234
United Kingdom

 Believe means what, exactly?

Yo Philologos, whew you really got my head in a huge knot. No harm. You seem to use a lot of words to make a point. Unfortunately with this you seem to have made many points. The final point I love, though for this is the direction that flows, 'Born of God' after all we have Nicodemus up ahead. So much. In truth, as I have been listening to all the Scriptures in this book, I am being more and more confronted by the word 'believe'. It is like growing a beard for the first time, suddenly you notice everyone has a beard.

Seriously, the impact of this one word should not be underestimated.

BELIEVE ! It is amazing that Jesus could not do miracles because of unbelief. We cannot be saved if we do not believe. We cannot effectively pray if we do not believe.

This is really new for me. As I looked at the power. Jesus asking, 'Do you believe' Yes, Lord help me mine unbelief.

It is so huge.

Enough, I will be accused of starting a new craze, the believers, ooops sorry that was what they were called, believers....hahahaha it is so funny, I stumbled across that today. I always thought of myself as a disciple. In Acts I think that is where they are called believers, 'the way' etc.

To end, let me just peg this one straight up, I am not oppossed to letting this thread flow in different directions, I guess I just did not know how you guys were all a buzz here at CF. I am seriously stoked to be among so many wonderful sisters and brothers in Jesus. I am a little startled. giggle.

Now back to the word, 'believe' it is a word with immensely huge dynamic, add this to Jesus, and one leaps over building in a single bound.

Goodnight, it is way past my bedtime...old men need their beauty sleep.

In Jesus,
.A.
:-P

Shalom.


_________________
Eric John Sawyer

 2005/6/16 18:51Profile
Nasher
Member



Joined: 2003/7/28
Posts: 404
Watford, UK

 Re:

Hi Robert, your mailbox is full so I can't send you the file or an e-mail to tell you this.


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Mark Nash

 2005/6/17 2:33Profile
philologos
Member



Joined: 2003/7/18
Posts: 6566
Reading, UK

 Re: Believe means what, exactly?

Quote:
In truth, as I have been listening to all the Scriptures in this book, I am being more and more confronted by the word 'believe'. It is like growing a beard for the first time, suddenly you notice everyone has a beard.


this is always a good sign! When God gets our attention we do discover that the whole Book is just about this one thing. My reaction has constantly been 'now, I'm going to have to go back to Genesis and start all over again'. When God has worked this into the weave of your character you may expect Him to move on to the next thread.

As regards differences of expression, Churchill was right, we are 'two peoples separated by a common language'.


_________________
Ron Bailey

 2005/6/17 3:53Profile
aeryck
Member



Joined: 2005/1/11
Posts: 234
United Kingdom

 Believe, means what exactly?

Ha! Philologos,

Going back to the beginning of the letter, would be far enough, for me, right now. Infact I am reading Isaiah and John at the same time. Well, I read John a lot, I have been through Isaiah 'quite' a few times. They both seem to have a common stream, 'pun intended'. I love reading John though. We are certainly different in this regard. Allow me to explain by way of a story.

'In 1982, thereabouts. Due to the nature of military service in SA, at the time, though I had finished my compulsory training, I was still eligible for 12 years of camps, about 1-2 months out of every year. The hair would be cut the beard trimmed. In my case the old apache beard would be lopped of by their barber. Hence the whole humiliation and degrading thing. I am not sure but back then the first great copies of the NASB had come out. It was regarded as the greatest study bible of the time. I digress.

Well, upon entering the bungalo at the Airforce base, they had no space in Simonstown for campers, that is what we were called, and as I entered the door of the bungalo, it was immediately clear to me that I was going to fast. I do not understand fully the mechanism, and am not requesting a teaching on fasting. So the fast duly begun, I placed my NASB in clear view on the table in my section of the train like bungalo.

Days went by, and I am not sure of the date, be it the 6th or 7th or whatever. Rising on what was to be the end of the fast, I noticed how beautiful the sunrise was, fasting as you know heightens one's sense awareness, well it does so to me.

Approaching my new bible, I opened it to a place and it just happened to be John 1:1. I began reading and by the time I had got to verse 2, I understood what is contained in verse 14. [before getting there.] I understood that Jesus is the Word.[in my innerbeing]

I was dumbstruck at the implications. Hence, that particular text has been one that always reminds me: that what upon the surface merely seems to be a combination of words, when fasted over and read is entirely different. One might say there is another story behind the words of the human author, and that is the story of the Divine author.

So it is that I have a snail like approach to revelation and am not with haste to attempt to assemble further knowledge until the veil has been lifted and the Holy Spirit then leads me to the next passage. How may I say it; 'that was 1982, and I am only on verse 12 at the moment.'

So you are right about going on to the next verse. However, whereas you seem to have assured yourself that the passage has reached it's point for you, it is certainly not the same with me.

John 1:12 is still very much part of 2005 for me.

The Holy Spirit does clearly move differently in each of our lives, and sometimes we share common airstrips, even common jets.

I am reminded of the Neverending story when the good luch dragon turned to the hero and said, "Leaving so soon........."

It is much the same for me in prayer. 'When you get up to go, that is the time you should sit down and begin.'

In Jesus,
.A.
:-P


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Eric John Sawyer

 2005/6/17 5:41Profile
philologos
Member



Joined: 2003/7/18
Posts: 6566
Reading, UK

 Re: Believe, means what exactly?

I have been meditating again in John. The whole 'record' is an aid to believing cf “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” (John 20:30-31, KJVS). There is often an assumption among Christians that John is the ultimate evangelistic tract but as with all the gospel accounts he is really writing for the 'converted'. Believing, for John, is a continuing process not a moment't spectacular leap. To those who had 'believed' He warned that 'continuance' in His word was what created disciples and that only disciples would know the truth that would make them free. “As he spake these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:30-32, KJVS) This is so different to the easy believism which many of us were raised with.

For John, faith/believing is setting to it your seal that God is true. “He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.” (John 3:31-33, KJVS) In other words, personal authentication of the word spoken into the heart. The 'amen' of the whole being.

The famous John 3:16 is important in this context.
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
(John 3:14-16, KJVS) See the kind of 'believing' that is in mind in these verses. It is the desperate gathering up of the last dregs of our strength and pinning everything onto one glimpse of the snake on the pole. Nothing else can in the slightest alleviate his condition. No antidote, no support groups, no effort, no attack on snakes, no promises not to get bitten again... just a look. This is bible faith, everything on one shot. As Amy Carmichael used to quote "upon a life I did not live, upon a death I did not die; on another's life, another's death... I stake my whole eternity. This is 'believing' in John's record... all our eggs in one basket.


_________________
Ron Bailey

 2005/6/19 13:23Profile
aeryck
Member



Joined: 2005/1/11
Posts: 234
United Kingdom

 BELIEVE MEANS WHAT, EXACTLY?

Philologos,

Do you believe that all scripture is inspired of God?

A simple Yes/No will suffice.

In Jesus,
Aeryck.
:-P


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Eric John Sawyer

 2005/6/21 12:34Profile





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