Saturday, October 11, 2008

What Kind of Example are You Setting

Quotes from magazine



How do we grow in this thing called faith? It is simple. We just do what Israel did not. Whenever trials come upon us, we face them as opportunities to build faith, rather

than as calamities to be feared. We know that although the physical circumstances may look disastrous we look to an invisible circumstance that can affect the outcome.

God is that invisible reality standing beside us ready to make "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28).



Our daily troubles are opportunities to build faith. Problems intrude into all our lives. Our trials can come from almost any area of life school, work, home or play. We also have Satan's influence and the pull of the world to continually cope with. We have to contend with our own human nature. Unless we fearlessly approach these trials as

opportunities to build faith in God, life can become a tremendous burden. None of us enjoy adverse circumstances in our lives, but if we can accept them as necessary in building faith, then we can at least approach our trials with. a positive rather than negative attitude. Peter said "the trial of your faith" is "much more precious than ... gold" (I Pet. 1:7).



Why? Because faith is the essential element we must build in order to do the Work and enter the Kingdom of God. Without faith we would all fail. At times life seems filled with many "Red Seas," some little and some so big they look impossible for us to cross. But let us learn the beautiful truth that ancient Israel did not- that there is no "Red Sea" too big to cross with God. Let's view each day of our lives, with all its joys and sorrows, as just another step toward the Kingdom of God.



June-July 1980 Good News

What Kind of Example are You Setting

By David Carley

Love Thy Neighbor Just What Does It Mean

Quotes from the Article



Trials and tests are common in all our lives. We have trials, and so does our neighbor. While Christ was undergoing the trial of His life, He was praying for Peter, a key disciple whom Satan wanted to destroy. And yet Christ Himself was about to be sacrificed. What a selfless love! Christ instructed Peter, "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:31-32). This is the type of love we must manifest toward our neighbor.



The same as loving God



God actually puts Himself in the place of our neighbor. Whatever we do to our neighbor, we are actually doing to God (Matt. 25:31-46). Do we always consider, as we deal with another human being, that we are doing to God whatever we do to that person? This knowledge should have powerful impact when we consider our relationship with our neighbor!





Do we begin to see the importance God places on relationships between human beings made in His likeness? Every human being is a potential member of the God Family, and we must not do anything to deter our neighbor from fulfilling God's purpose in his life. This must be the underlying premise upon which we base our every thought and deed toward our neigh bor.



Good News Feb.82

Love Thy Neighbor Just What Does It Mean

By Ellis LaRavia