Post by Zac Loh on May 10, 2009 3:23:46 GMT -5
I was on an internal journey searching the meaning of life until I became a believer of Jesus Christ.
After many years of being a Christian, I embarked on a different journey, a quest to find-out the authentic Christian living, by delving into the Bible.
What started my study on the subject of faith? I was exposed to much inspiration on faith by various books and speakers. But I finally found that in-depth study on faith was sorely lacking.
Since faith that we are talking about, is connected to God – it cannot work, especially on the long term basis – on inspiration alone.
Knowing God and His ways are crucial. It is God Who answers prayer. It is God Who helps us. It is God Who intervenes on our behalf.
God does not move according to our personal whims and fancies, neither does He changes Himself to suit our individual ignorance.
God changes not (Malachi 3:6). Imagine Him becoming different each time for each person in the whole planet. Imagine Him customizing and tailor-making Himself based on all the varieties of existing perception. Imagine Him altering His mode at every single moment, following each human behavioral change and mood swings.
This book which you hold in your hand is a direct result of my endeavor of seeking God. Everything has been tested in the lab of life.
In the real world business/working environment, our performance is very much affected by how we relate to our suppliers, customers, principals, clients, partners, associates, colleagues, superiors, peers and subordinates. We are very much dependent on others’ support. Good working relationships make a team. When synergies happen, it increases productivity as a whole. Any set-up won’t work well, without good relationships working as well.
There is a common idiom in the market place that says: “it’s not what you know, but who you know.” In the final analysis, everything goes back, or boils down, to relationships. This book is about divine `realationship’: real relationship with our real God.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; (1 Corinthians 13:13)
What does the above Bible scripture verse mean other than the fact that it talks about our relationship with God? It is God Who had instituted that we should relate to Him in faith, hope and love. God is the One Who sets the terms. We relate to Him at His terms, not ours.
God’s terms are crystal clear to us. And God will teach us all that we need to know about His terms. Aren’t you glad that God had set His terms down for our sake, so that we won’t grope in the dark?
THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE
From the listings of Bible scriptures below; you will find that faith, hope and love are interconnected to each other and interdependent on each other.
Faith, Hope And Love - Interconnected And Interdependent
John 3:16; Romans 5:1-5; Galatians 5:5-6; Colossians 1:4-5; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8; 1 Corinthians 13:13; Hebrews 6:10-12.
Faith And Hope – Interconnected And Interdependent
Romans 4:16-18; Romans 15:13; Colossians 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14; 1 Timothy 1:1-2; Titus 1:1-2; 1 Peter 1:3-5;1 Peter 1:21; Hebrews 11:1.
Faith And Love – Interconnected And Interdependent
Romans 8: 37-39; Ephesians 1:15; Ephesians 3:17-19; Ephesians 6:23; 1 Timothy 1:14; 2 Timothy 1:13; Titus 3:15; Philemon 1:5-7; 1 John 4:16; Galatians 2:20.
Hope And Love – Interconnected And Interdependent
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17; Titus 3:4-7; James 1:12.
Practical Scenario A
The love of God compelled someone to fork-out a substantial amount of money to help a brother in Christ who was caught in a desperate financial situation. The amount meant a 10-year savings for emergency, retirement and children’s education - will be completely depleted.
There isn’t any likelihood to the recovery of the sum. Does this take both love and faith?
Practical Scenario B
This person has great faith. Having believed God for financial prosperity, he became very successful.
He spent a whole lot on himself and his family. The question is, wouldn’t he be a better servant of God if the hope of eternity, is strong within him as well, so that he would invest more into the kingdom of God?
THE CYCLES OF FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE
Our eco system consists of cycles. Our earth rotates at an axis. One round is the cycle of a day. Our earth encircles the sun. One round is the cycle of a year.
There is a rain cycle. The land heats up faster that the sea during daytime. Dry hot air moves from the land to the cooler sea.
During nighttime, the process reverses because the sea is then hotter. Water evaporating from the sea forms clouds and moves to land. When the clouds reach the cold mountain peaks in the interior, they turn into rain. The rain water forms rivers which flows back into the sea. Hence, a cycle is complete.
There are seasons of the year in weather, winds, rainfall and temperature. There is a cycle of sowing and reaping (harvesting). And there is a cycle of giving and receiving (Luke 6:38).
Faith, hope and love too, have cycles.
When God initiates His supernatural faith in us, this is God’s faith imparted into us by the Holy Spirit. Hence, we respond by believing God. We act out the faith that originated from God. We trust God, and we believe. And the time comes when we results in our condition, circumstance or situation. A cycle of faith has been completed.
It is the same way with hope. God imparted hope into us by giving us the knowledge and revelation of His eternal plan and prophetic future for us. As a result, we respond by committing our future to God. We see our life changed. And we see ourselves making a divine impact on this world. A cycle of hope has been completed.
Love, too, has cycles. God first touched us with His love (1 John 4:19). And we respond to God’s love by giving our life to Him. People around us are being moved and touched because of God’s love in us. Hence, a cycle of love has been completed.
There can be many simultaneous cycles of faith, hope and love overlapping each other - in every area of our needs, desires and wants.
Each cycle has its own time frame. These cycles are sync to God’s divine order and plan for each person.
THE FACULTIES OF FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE
The numeric three is symbolic of the divine. Our God is the triune God whom we generally call The Trinity. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit: these three divine persons are in total unity and complete oneness.
Man was created in the image of God, in God’s likeness (Genesis 1:26). God created man as tripartite/three-dimensional being: spirit, soul and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Not only are we three-dimensional beings, but God has also designed His interaction with us to have three faculties: the audible, the visual and the tangible.
As children in school, we are taught that there are five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste. This is derived from ancient times. Now, it is commonly agreed that there are at least seven different senses in humans, and a minimum of two more observed in other organisms.
Biblically, the faculties in our interaction with God are divided into three:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life- (1 John 1:1; underline mine)
The Word of life in the above scripture was referring to the person our Lord Jesus Christ when He was on earth in His human form.
1. The Audible Contact: `heard’; and
2. The Visual Contact: `seen with our eyes’; and
3. The Tangible Contact: `looked upon, and our hands have handled’.
When we put our hands on a person’s shoulders in a warm gesture, with a friendly hug and a holy kiss; the senses of touch, smell and taste are all involved.
These expressions were a norm in that culture of the Bible, as still is, in the Middle Eastern/Mediterranean culture today. Men greet their relatives and friends as such (examples: Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12).
Without air-conditioning and outdoor travel, you can expect a little smell of bodily odors, and a slight saltiness through the touch of sweat on the lips which sips to the tongue. The sense of smell happens as the hair-like cilia of the neurons inside our nose, comes into physical contact with odor molecules in the air.
So the senses of touch, smell and taste fall under The Tangible Contact category as far as the Bible is concerned.
Abraham In His Divine Interaction With God
1. The Audible Contact: Abraham heard the promises of God by what God said (Genesis 12:1-3); and
2. The Visual Contact: Abraham saw the promises of God by looking at the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5); and
3. The Tangible Contact: Abraham touched the promises of God by the sand he walked-on which he took and held (Genesis 22:17).
The emphasis now is on the spiritual interaction we can have with God: in the audible, in the visual and in the tangible.
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63)
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24)
God is seeking us, to worship Him in spirit and truth. In the same vein, He is seeking us, to relate to Him in spirit and truth.
After many years of being a Christian, I embarked on a different journey, a quest to find-out the authentic Christian living, by delving into the Bible.
What started my study on the subject of faith? I was exposed to much inspiration on faith by various books and speakers. But I finally found that in-depth study on faith was sorely lacking.
Since faith that we are talking about, is connected to God – it cannot work, especially on the long term basis – on inspiration alone.
Knowing God and His ways are crucial. It is God Who answers prayer. It is God Who helps us. It is God Who intervenes on our behalf.
God does not move according to our personal whims and fancies, neither does He changes Himself to suit our individual ignorance.
God changes not (Malachi 3:6). Imagine Him becoming different each time for each person in the whole planet. Imagine Him customizing and tailor-making Himself based on all the varieties of existing perception. Imagine Him altering His mode at every single moment, following each human behavioral change and mood swings.
This book which you hold in your hand is a direct result of my endeavor of seeking God. Everything has been tested in the lab of life.
In the real world business/working environment, our performance is very much affected by how we relate to our suppliers, customers, principals, clients, partners, associates, colleagues, superiors, peers and subordinates. We are very much dependent on others’ support. Good working relationships make a team. When synergies happen, it increases productivity as a whole. Any set-up won’t work well, without good relationships working as well.
There is a common idiom in the market place that says: “it’s not what you know, but who you know.” In the final analysis, everything goes back, or boils down, to relationships. This book is about divine `realationship’: real relationship with our real God.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; (1 Corinthians 13:13)
What does the above Bible scripture verse mean other than the fact that it talks about our relationship with God? It is God Who had instituted that we should relate to Him in faith, hope and love. God is the One Who sets the terms. We relate to Him at His terms, not ours.
God’s terms are crystal clear to us. And God will teach us all that we need to know about His terms. Aren’t you glad that God had set His terms down for our sake, so that we won’t grope in the dark?
THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE
From the listings of Bible scriptures below; you will find that faith, hope and love are interconnected to each other and interdependent on each other.
Faith, Hope And Love - Interconnected And Interdependent
John 3:16; Romans 5:1-5; Galatians 5:5-6; Colossians 1:4-5; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8; 1 Corinthians 13:13; Hebrews 6:10-12.
Faith And Hope – Interconnected And Interdependent
Romans 4:16-18; Romans 15:13; Colossians 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14; 1 Timothy 1:1-2; Titus 1:1-2; 1 Peter 1:3-5;1 Peter 1:21; Hebrews 11:1.
Faith And Love – Interconnected And Interdependent
Romans 8: 37-39; Ephesians 1:15; Ephesians 3:17-19; Ephesians 6:23; 1 Timothy 1:14; 2 Timothy 1:13; Titus 3:15; Philemon 1:5-7; 1 John 4:16; Galatians 2:20.
Hope And Love – Interconnected And Interdependent
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17; Titus 3:4-7; James 1:12.
Practical Scenario A
The love of God compelled someone to fork-out a substantial amount of money to help a brother in Christ who was caught in a desperate financial situation. The amount meant a 10-year savings for emergency, retirement and children’s education - will be completely depleted.
There isn’t any likelihood to the recovery of the sum. Does this take both love and faith?
Practical Scenario B
This person has great faith. Having believed God for financial prosperity, he became very successful.
He spent a whole lot on himself and his family. The question is, wouldn’t he be a better servant of God if the hope of eternity, is strong within him as well, so that he would invest more into the kingdom of God?
THE CYCLES OF FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE
Our eco system consists of cycles. Our earth rotates at an axis. One round is the cycle of a day. Our earth encircles the sun. One round is the cycle of a year.
There is a rain cycle. The land heats up faster that the sea during daytime. Dry hot air moves from the land to the cooler sea.
During nighttime, the process reverses because the sea is then hotter. Water evaporating from the sea forms clouds and moves to land. When the clouds reach the cold mountain peaks in the interior, they turn into rain. The rain water forms rivers which flows back into the sea. Hence, a cycle is complete.
There are seasons of the year in weather, winds, rainfall and temperature. There is a cycle of sowing and reaping (harvesting). And there is a cycle of giving and receiving (Luke 6:38).
Faith, hope and love too, have cycles.
When God initiates His supernatural faith in us, this is God’s faith imparted into us by the Holy Spirit. Hence, we respond by believing God. We act out the faith that originated from God. We trust God, and we believe. And the time comes when we results in our condition, circumstance or situation. A cycle of faith has been completed.
It is the same way with hope. God imparted hope into us by giving us the knowledge and revelation of His eternal plan and prophetic future for us. As a result, we respond by committing our future to God. We see our life changed. And we see ourselves making a divine impact on this world. A cycle of hope has been completed.
Love, too, has cycles. God first touched us with His love (1 John 4:19). And we respond to God’s love by giving our life to Him. People around us are being moved and touched because of God’s love in us. Hence, a cycle of love has been completed.
There can be many simultaneous cycles of faith, hope and love overlapping each other - in every area of our needs, desires and wants.
Each cycle has its own time frame. These cycles are sync to God’s divine order and plan for each person.
THE FACULTIES OF FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE
The numeric three is symbolic of the divine. Our God is the triune God whom we generally call The Trinity. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit: these three divine persons are in total unity and complete oneness.
Man was created in the image of God, in God’s likeness (Genesis 1:26). God created man as tripartite/three-dimensional being: spirit, soul and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Not only are we three-dimensional beings, but God has also designed His interaction with us to have three faculties: the audible, the visual and the tangible.
As children in school, we are taught that there are five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste. This is derived from ancient times. Now, it is commonly agreed that there are at least seven different senses in humans, and a minimum of two more observed in other organisms.
Biblically, the faculties in our interaction with God are divided into three:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life- (1 John 1:1; underline mine)
The Word of life in the above scripture was referring to the person our Lord Jesus Christ when He was on earth in His human form.
1. The Audible Contact: `heard’; and
2. The Visual Contact: `seen with our eyes’; and
3. The Tangible Contact: `looked upon, and our hands have handled’.
When we put our hands on a person’s shoulders in a warm gesture, with a friendly hug and a holy kiss; the senses of touch, smell and taste are all involved.
These expressions were a norm in that culture of the Bible, as still is, in the Middle Eastern/Mediterranean culture today. Men greet their relatives and friends as such (examples: Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12).
Without air-conditioning and outdoor travel, you can expect a little smell of bodily odors, and a slight saltiness through the touch of sweat on the lips which sips to the tongue. The sense of smell happens as the hair-like cilia of the neurons inside our nose, comes into physical contact with odor molecules in the air.
So the senses of touch, smell and taste fall under The Tangible Contact category as far as the Bible is concerned.
Abraham In His Divine Interaction With God
1. The Audible Contact: Abraham heard the promises of God by what God said (Genesis 12:1-3); and
2. The Visual Contact: Abraham saw the promises of God by looking at the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5); and
3. The Tangible Contact: Abraham touched the promises of God by the sand he walked-on which he took and held (Genesis 22:17).
The emphasis now is on the spiritual interaction we can have with God: in the audible, in the visual and in the tangible.
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63)
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24)
God is seeking us, to worship Him in spirit and truth. In the same vein, He is seeking us, to relate to Him in spirit and truth.