Hello, Rebecca. I love this thread! Thank you for starting it.
It's interesting you should mention Christmas. I have all the respect in the world for those who elect not to celebrate the holiday, but Christmas means the world to me. Yesterday in church as we sang carols, I was flooded with joy. It happens every year.
I was not raised in a Christian home, but as a little girl there was such a magic and joy about Christmas, and I was always so sad when it was over. As I got older, that wonderful feeling surrounding Christmas went away, and I missed it.
Then I became a Christian when I was 18, and that joy came back with a flood. It's still there, every year. I love the music, the decorations - everything about it. It always brings back to me the wonder of the Incarnation. It also affords opportunities every year to talk to people about Jesus who normally wouldn't listen.
I love the song "Mary Did You Know." It's an oxymoron to call it a modern classic, but that's what it's become:
http://tinyurl.com/5hgyo8
Blessings & peace,
Anne
Hello, beloved. I don't know if people are watching these videos, but worship through music is such a lifeline for me that I can't help sharing.
Below is a link to a video that I have watched over and over again, singing along with the English sub-titles. It's a Chinese song: "Jesus Loves Me," deceptively simple and quite different from anything I've heard before.
When was the last time you sang in church about Jesus' faithfulness through hunger and persecution? I know I never have. This is a constant reminder to me of how costly it can be to faithfully follow the Holy One of Israel, the Great I Am, the Everlasting Lamb. It also helps me remember to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world who are suffering persecution.
http://tinyurl.com/6qnan7
The disipline of Faith and Hope, and the hindsight and foresight of Love
I have many things on my mind, the most important of which I think is to become more disciplined in the matters of God. Seeing that a desire to keep the law is simply a result of sincere faith in Y’shua, the relationship to be cultivated and developed through the discipline of the Holy Spirit is greatly to be desired. The most demanding disciplines are upon which all others can be framed. The discipleship of believing on and in the Lord Y’shua is revealing in that without Him as Lord, life is left with no one worthy of worship, allegience, and the giving of praise and Glory.
Science has worked and calculated itself into a corner with a never ending disatisfaction that life itself can be derived from physical law, formulas or proven hypothesis.The theories of millions of universes still do not answer the basic question of purpose for the fine tuning and habitable conditions of this one with the necessary constants precariously balanced as if on a razors edge, nor do they answer who provided the necessary pre-existing components and elements that make these universes (that yet are to be proven exist) possible.
As further evidence is found that gives us insight into the miraculous construction of our world and surroundings, and as the best minds dismantle the genetic code and contemplate super string theory, the concensus among creationist in the scientific field has been that these are no mere “accidents” and that our universe in actuality was designed for us, that we should actually begin to understand what a beautiful designer the Creator really is. Simple to him has proven complicated and awe inspiring for even the most intelligent minds. (Consider the lilies)
When will the best of us realize faith is a substance that gives reason to unexplainable circumstances and phenomena, and calls us to look for the greater purpose that our Creator has for us.
Now to this discipline of faith in Christ, some may balk. Yet for us to dismiss Him,
His Father and His Holy Spirit without and open mind, and open heart leaves too many unanswered questions. What other attitudes are there?
Honor to self and self-sufficiency?
Dissatisfaction and distrust with what at times seems such an insignificant role we as humans play?
Outright contradiction from a self given to no discipline at all?
Convinced that Christ is the poor uneducated mans philosophy?
Of course these are all conditional based on our upbringing, education, environment, circumstances, difficiulties and the way we have interacted with others and what others are inclined to say, promote or think concerning faith itself.
Let’s face it, we all have some form of hope, even if it be only that others would take our side of the issues. Faith empowers hope to remain fixed in the mind. Then we might say, “I have faith that what I am hoping for will come to pass, or has already taken place.” Upon receipt of this conviction we find an effectual resident abode, and also a purpose inspired of the loving and beautiful kind Spirit in the heart we call “Holy.” (Christ’s gift and promise)
Faith, the Subject or Object or “Noun” becomes active. We are “quickened”. The verb of abiding in that hope, and our faith to keeping us fixed on that hope. This self-same Holy Spirit comforts us without us knowing all the “hows and Whys”. God’s revelation in His word is sufficient. He created us for His glory. That we should be to the praise of His Glory. In my case my actual hope is Christ. We have his testament. We have that earnest desire (as we are created in His image) to do good things worthy of His praise. As a forgiven sinner who knows of that concept we call grace, Our hope is Christ. Also, we patiently wait for Him and His appearing, for when we see Him as He really is, we wil be like Him.
Why do I believe in Yeshua. Because I am a man raised of a father; Genius among men's standards ; who taught me everything and nothing. He believed in Science, and proof of existence, and I believed him. I did not believe in any religion, and considered it weak to rely on a strength outside of my own! 26 years ago I fell from a Union chemical leak , and fell 28 feet on my head, on concrete and metal pipes underground in a filtration compound . In the deep dark void there were demons that tormented my soul and gave me no hope of comfort only the torment of Hell, and then a blue, but white, glass watery river flowed with light that led me into a raging river and I awoke ; A miracle?, and it was Jesus! Not Budda, or Mohamed, or any God but He! Why do I believe? Because He made me believe!Jesus told me to write to Israel, and to tell others of Him, I said; I am not good enough, or know enough to do what you ask? and He said; When you think you are good enough, then I cannot use you! Shalom. I am alive; a miracle and I have seen Heaven, and Jesus, and Jesus fulfills every scripture of the Old Testament, but there are mistakes in translations, and misunderstandings of men, Not G-d? There is an answer to every question, if you know Jesus is the Truth, and the way, and the Light; G-d in a man named Jesus; The G-d of Israel! Soon; All shall know Him!
My Eyes Have Seen Holy, Bebo Norman
http://tinyurl.com/bvltkz
Am I unfit for You
Remember me, the one who turned from You
I come in rags tattered by the Fall
And all the earth, a witness to my crime
Mercy, weep over me
Let Your tears wash me clean
Majesty, be merciful with me
For my eyes have seen Holy
Hear my prayer at night
Let the morning find me alive
For I am tired and weakened by the Fall
Let all the earth bear witness to my cry
Let the Amen sound from Heaven as You lift my soul
Let the Amen sound from Heaven as You lift my soul
Let the Angels sound from Heaven, Holy is the Lord
I believe simply because I have my faith that he exist. I am not emphasizing His physical appearance rather His existences deep within me.
This wonderful thread was started by Rebecca to share the worship song "Why I Believe." Since that time it has also become a place where people share . . . why they believe. In keeping with both traditions, the following song answers the question of why I believe: because I come in rags, tattered by the Fall, and my eyes have seen Holy. The link to the music is below; so are the words if you would like to sing along.
http://tinyurl.com/bvltkz
My Eyes Have Seen Holy, by Bebo Norman
Am I unfit for You
Remember me the one who turned from You
I come in rags tattered by the Fall
And all the earth a witness to my crime
Mercy, weep over me
Let Your tears wash me clean
Majesty be merciful with me
For my eyes have seen Holy
Hear my prayer at night
Let the morning find me alive
For I am tired and weakened by the Fall
Let all the earth bear witness to my cry
Let the Amen sound from Heaven as You lift my soul
Let the Amen sound from Heaven as You lift my soul
Let the Angels sound from Heaven Holy is the Lord
Why do I believe in Jesus? This morning my heart is heavy, and my body aches in pain. My hands hurt to type these words,and my knees and feet swollen and hard to bend,my eyesight blurred and my ears ringing as they drown out the sounds around me ! My inspiration and thinking feels empty. I could take a few pain pills[ though I haven't filled the prescription] ,and go back to bed and do nothing!, but I feel I must rise to meet the day ahead of me!, and look past myself into the Holy Spirit and push on into the day that is awaiting for me to perform.Wherever I seem to go ,G-d's blessing seem to follow upon others; but when home, my enemies surround me, and persecute my reasoning and family laying division between them. My words ring empty in thier ears, as they tell me not to preach to them a sermon of G-d's grace, and healing; but listen to the darkness of despair! in which I canot accept! I feel like I stand at the opening of a dark cave deep into the earth trying to shine a light and a rope of hope and comfort in Yeshua, and call to them ,it seems with words unheard!, and heart rejected!.Once I was filled with this world seeking only my own desires; hurting people with selfishness, and greed, money, and breaking hearts, and filling myself with the world,though it seems then I was more accepted and liked than today! I felt much guilt what I remember of that man , and broken ,Yeshua brought me back from death . I stood empty, and naked from this world, not accepted because I had nothing to give or take from others, but upon that empty man ;Yeshua built my character, and restored my mind, forgave my iniquities, and filled me with love, and compassion!for myself and others! I think now; when times become oppressed, as today ,I know the Lord always brings to me this day the courage and strength to conquer the oppression, and stand fast of who He is in me!I always look at the beginning of my emptiness; with nothing, and feel his presence in me , commanding my soul to rise!2 Timothy [4:2,5]It's not always feeling happy, esteemed among my peers, speaking words of wisdom, or producing miracles of G-d that others may see His greatness in me. It's that no matter who I am , He will always be there in the beginning to the end ;There is no other way to believe! my friend who nevers leaves! Jesus