To think about

Isn't it interesting how our personal relationships often mirror our relationship with God.

Those who genuinely love God will tend to love their friends in a genuine manner as well.

Those who trust God in deed will also tend to trust their friends in a like manner.

Just simply those who have an intimate relationship with God tend to be more loving and intimate with their friends and family.

Amen to being more dependent on God and seeking His Grace and strength to speak out and gladly be a fool for Christ rather than to accept approval of our peers at the risk of quenching the Spirit.

I like what you say about action. There is no Power like faith in action.

J.B. Phillips, in James 2:26, says it this way: " Yes, faith without action is as dead as a body without a soul." Indeed, we will never Know God, or Experience Him or have that Intimacy with Him, until we put action to our faith.

Originally posted by altya
Without faith we cannot please God

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I was thinking about love and faith earlier, and ya know what? It is sure easy to understand that without faith we cannot please God, because it is also true that without faith we cannot even please ourselves.

I mean if we do not have faith can we accomplish anything or we happy? Are we pleased with ourselves? No. Not a bit! There may be a sermon in this somewhere!

Wow.. I have to say this to both Altya and Jerry, I have only just "begun" to participate in this forum, but, I need to let the two of you know, how uplifting and edifying the two of you have been for me.

Altya.. I read the original post of this thread two days ago.. and I have been thinking about what you have posted. Like Gerry , I have been thinking about Love and Faith, it is so true that we will never know the true meaning of faith until we put it into practice. How can we possibly know the peace of trusting God to work for the good in all things(Romans 8:28) until we turn our life "completely" over to Him and allow Him to work? Without putting His words into action, we become as the godless who are "always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth."(2 Timothy 3:7). It all goes back to hearing and reading God's Word which are worthwhile practices which should never cease, however, we must absolutely take the next step toward personal application.

In closing I have just one thing to say to anyone reading this, let's commit to being more than great students of The Word- let's do what it says !!

Amen and God bless you Kim. And thanks so much for those encouraging words. For me they are much needed and appreciated.

And I agree with you, God is calling for a deeper commitment from all of us, and I am making that commitment today.

Boy, we have an Awesome God. Last night I was reading John 15:4-7
(NIV) Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

I am one of those people who tends to try to be too self-sufficient sometimes! I try to do things on my own strength, on my own timetable, without waiting on God, without "abiding" first. And I don't always give God the credit He is due, either. ... And like your original post, and as the above passage points out, we canNOT bear fruit without His help. Any good works we accomplish, and gifts or wisdom we use-- all these come from God. When we try to do things in our own strength, although sometimes God uses those efforts in spite of us, it's not as good as waiting on Him, trusting Him, depending on Him. As the Word points out: Isa 55:8(NIV) For My thoughts are not Your thoughts, neither are Your ways My ways," declares the Lord.

I have had to learn, re-learn and re-learn that lesson on dependance on God, and I'm ashamed to say, that sometimes I have to be in a position where I have NO choice but to lean on God, before I grasp that again !

I hope that those reading this will join me in praying that God will help us to remember ALWAYS to depend on Him, and to give Him thanks for all He does for and through us !

I wish only to bring this to the top again. I am afraid many missed it's message first time around.

I have to say I really enjoyed reading all three of your posts. There was such beautiful harmony, unity between all three of you. You are all a wonderful blessing.

Many thanks to all, and to Gerry for bringing it back up.  Seems that I am getting a lot more messages lately right when I need them.  God works in wondrous ways.