Obedience and Concepts (SSL)

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In a message dated 97-10-03 01:04:50 EDT, Sis. Lunsford writes:

<< If you never trust God enough to step out by faith as Moses did when
 stepping out in the red sea, you'll never know the joy of seeing him make a
 place for your foot.(as he did for Moses).
 There are many times when tithing is not only a matter of obedience to the
 word, but having faith in God.
 God can supply my needs without having to go through church family.
 <snip>
 So If you'll do your part, God *will* do his part.>>

Me:

Well put, Sis. Anyone can have faith when things are going well....it's
easier to tithe (being obedient) when there is enough money to go around, and
maybe even have a little left over. But the *real* test of a tithe payer is
when there doesn't seem to be enough to make ends meet.....this is the real
test of faith in God. 


Heb 11:1
1	Now *faith* is the substance of things *hoped* for, the evidence of things
*not seen*.


Rom 8:24-25
24	...: but *hope* that is *seen* is *not hope*: for what a man seeth, why
doth he yet hope for?
25	But if we *hope* for that we *see not*, then do we with *patience* wait
for it.


Rom 5:3-4
3	And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that
*tribulation* worketh *patience*;
4	And patience, experience; and experience, *hope*:


PATIENCE 

	Forebearance under *suffering* and endurance in the face of *adversity*. 
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
(Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Obviously, patience , by its very definition, does not exist outside of
tribulation , tests, and trials. Being patient in tribulation will result in
experience, and that experience will give us hope to make it through the next
trial. We don't always need more money, we need a little more patience. God
will bring us through.

James 1:3-4
3	Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4	But *let patience have her perfect work*, that ye may be perfect and
entire, wanting nothing.


You: 
<< And others of us *have* been in your shoes before.
 (it is a trick of the enemy to make you think that no one has gone through
 what you have gone through, that no one understands, believe me please,
 some of us have been to the bottom of the well of despair only saved by
 clinging to the hand of Jesus).>>
 
Me:
I enjoyed your testimony that God is faithful to his promises. But, I believe
that instead of saying "others of us", you would have been correct to say
"most of us" have been in those shoes (with holes in the soles) before.

Pastor (been there, done that) Joe