Better Godliness Through Faith
There are some matters in the Christian Church that need to be addressed to every Christian. Miracles happen, Christianity is personal by faith with Jesus Christ and God, belief can be basic to advanced, there are degrees of faith present in every life, and the church will fall corrupt. Knowing these things in a Christian life will help you advance closer to God.
God performs miracles on a daily basis around the world. Most are small and noticed only by one or two people, or maybe not by anyone, we don't know. The day dawns, the rain falls, crops arrive in their season. These are common miracles of God. All good things come from God.
But greater miracles occur. An image of the Virgin Mary appeared over Paris before millions. Flowers rained from heaven. Thousands have been healed and still are healed at Lourdes, France, in ways inexplicable to medical science.
On a more mundane level, scientists have examined prayer and samples of bacteria. One set of bacteria was prayed for. One was not, otherwise they were equal. The one that was prayed for grew substantially more than the one that was not.
Beyond these miracles and others, Jesus cast out demons and said that you will know Christians because they will cast out demons. The only way we can do this is by praying and by faith.
Faith
Romans 14:13 Consideration for the Weak Conscience
"Then let us no longer judge one another, but rather resolve never to put a stumbling block or hindrtance in the way of a brother [or sister!] . I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; still, it is unclean for someone who thinks it is unclean. If your brother is being hurt by what you eat, your conduct is no longer in accord with love. Do not because of your food destroy him for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be reviled. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit; whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by others. Let us then pursue what leads to peace and to building up one another. For the sake of food, do not destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to become a stumbling block by eating; it is goiod not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. Keep the faith that you have to yourself in the presence of God; blessed is the one who does not condemn himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because this is not from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin."
God performs miracles on a daily basis around the world. Most are small and noticed only by one or two people, or maybe not by anyone, we don't know. The day dawns, the rain falls, crops arrive in their season. These are common miracles of God. All good things come from God.
But greater miracles occur. An image of the Virgin Mary appeared over Paris before millions. Flowers rained from heaven. Thousands have been healed and still are healed at Lourdes, France, in ways inexplicable to medical science.
The miracles performed by the Apostles and by Jesus Christ during and after his resurrection are also mighty. Paul, praying to God, commanded a man born crippled from birth to stand up and walk. Immediately, by faith in God, this man's legs were regrown whole on his body, with bone and sinew, and he stood and walked! What would you do if you witnessed this happen in New York?Circa 352 AD in Rome, a wealthy Christian nobleman named John of Rome and his wife both had a dream in which Mary appeared and asked them to build a church on Rome’s Esquiline hill. John told Pope Liberius of the dream. The Pope also had received the same dream, and together they went to Esquiline hill, which was covered with snow --- on August 5 --- in the outline of a church! Construction was begun immediately in conformity with the floor plan. The resulting Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is one of the largest churches on earth.
On a more mundane level, scientists have examined prayer and samples of bacteria. One set of bacteria was prayed for. One was not, otherwise they were equal. The one that was prayed for grew substantially more than the one that was not.
Beyond these miracles and others, Jesus cast out demons and said that you will know Christians because they will cast out demons. The only way we can do this is by praying and by faith.
Faith
Romans 14:13 Consideration for the Weak Conscience
"Then let us no longer judge one another, but rather resolve never to put a stumbling block or hindrtance in the way of a brother [or sister!] . I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; still, it is unclean for someone who thinks it is unclean. If your brother is being hurt by what you eat, your conduct is no longer in accord with love. Do not because of your food destroy him for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be reviled. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit; whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by others. Let us then pursue what leads to peace and to building up one another. For the sake of food, do not destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to become a stumbling block by eating; it is goiod not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. Keep the faith that you have to yourself in the presence of God; blessed is the one who does not condemn himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because this is not from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin."
posted by William Bunker at 4:05 PM
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