<DIR><B>
This is an e mail I thought I would share.
Diligence</B> Heb 11:6 <B>But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.</B> My friends: do you diligently seek God? Can your life be characterized by the tireless pursuit of the knowledge of God as He has revealed Himself in the Scriptures? I'm not asking you whether you're busy about doing what you believe God wants you to be doing. I'm not asking you if you are adamant about being at one of the local synagogues every time it's doors are open. I'm not even asking you if you have a regularly scheduled time where you read the Bible and pray. I'm also not asking you whether you are performing some work for God, such as preaching the Gospel of Christ. For all of these things may be done (in pretense or in truth) without the daily pursuit of God. What I am asking is this: Are you striving on a day to day basis to know the God of the Bible, and to acknowledge his presence and operation in your life -- and, most particularly: to see Him as He has revealed Himself in and by His word? There is NO good reason why your answer should be NO. What reasons may you have for not seeking God with all your might? Or rather, what stumbling blocks might prevent you in your pursuit of God? <B>You must believe that He is. </B>You are not going to have the energy to pursue a god that you invented or borrowed from someone else. However you attempt to convince yourself of your god, YOU KNOW that you've only imagined him, and, when the "rubber meets the road", you're going to look to yourself or to other men for your deliverance. <B>You must know and believe what God says about Himself.</B> It would be next to impossible to pursue God with all your might, if you (openly or secretly) believe that God is unworthy of such a pursuit. Perhaps you view God as a tyrant, or a bully. Perhaps you resent God for one reason or another. Whatever the case, if you've forgotten, or never knew, that God was good, right, faithful, and just, you will have no energy to pursue him. It is absolutely imperative that you see God as He is: as He has revealed Himself to us through His word. If you have an erroneous view of God, believe what the Bible says, and repent. Repent of your false judgments and accusations against Him. Repent of your pride -- for thinking "you knew better". Let your attitude be this: "Let God be true, and every man a liar", even if (especially if) that man is you. <B>You must know and believe what He says about YOU.</B> If your opinion of yourself is too high, or too low, you will be unable to have the faith that allows you to approach the throne of God. On the one hand, God says that your righteousness is as filthy rags. On the other hand, God says that you are righteous, if you have believed on Jesus Christ. God says that his ears are open to the righteous, and that he hears their cry. If you believe God, and you cry out to God, GOD IS LISTENING TO YOU. If your opinion of yourself is not in accord with the Scriptures, you will have no energy to pursue God, because you will constantly be consumed with the thought of your own righteousness, whether you have sufficient merit to gain entrance to God. God will resist you for your arrogance, for God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. <B>You must know and believe that the diligent pursuit of God is a worthy endeavor.</B> You will not have the energy to pursue God, if you aren't convinced, and believe with your heart, that God has great reward in store for you, if you seek him with all your might. Why would you take away from your daily schedule, to do something which you feel is only going to detract from time that you could be spending otherwise. After all, (you think to yourself) I really need to get this done, or really want to go do that while I still can. You see little immediate benefit to the pursuit of God, and thus, your effort is confined to those times that you can afford to lose (however rare that may be). It is true that the pursuit of God may not immediately profit you -- but this walk is a walk of faith. We don't perceive God with any immediacy. He is distant from us, as far as we can tell. Therefore, in the seeking God, we simply MUST BELIEVE that God will reward us for searching Him out. If we truly believe that God will greatly reward us for seeking him with all diligence, every excuse and distraction would fall be the wayside. Believe it, for it is true. <B>You must not wait for the desire to pursue God to overcome you</B> If you are waiting until you have the desire to pursue God, it is likely that you never will ACTUALLY (that is, in truth) pursue God. If you only have the energy to seek God after you've heard that firey sermon, or had that discussion with your zealous Christian brother, then you need to seriously consider what you actually believe. Zealousness is contagious, but only temporarily, because it does not affect any actual, lasting change. You must kindle your own fire. No man can do it for you. Every man stands alone before God -- and if you only "want God" while the crowd around you cheers you onward, you will be found in the end only to have believed in the crowd. <B>Conclusion</B> If you have been slack in your pursuit of God, consider these things soberly. You and God know why you do not seek him with all your might. I exhort you: put every excuse aside, believe what the Bible says, and pursue God with all diligence: for as you pursue Him, you will become more like him, as the knowledge of Him dwells in you, and works in you the will to do His good pleasure. John 6:29 <B>This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.</B>
All the righteous works of men, including seeking God, are begun in faith, sustained by faith, and concluded with faith.</DIR>
This is an e mail I thought I would share.
Diligence</B> Heb 11:6 <B>But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.</B> My friends: do you diligently seek God? Can your life be characterized by the tireless pursuit of the knowledge of God as He has revealed Himself in the Scriptures? I'm not asking you whether you're busy about doing what you believe God wants you to be doing. I'm not asking you if you are adamant about being at one of the local synagogues every time it's doors are open. I'm not even asking you if you have a regularly scheduled time where you read the Bible and pray. I'm also not asking you whether you are performing some work for God, such as preaching the Gospel of Christ. For all of these things may be done (in pretense or in truth) without the daily pursuit of God. What I am asking is this: Are you striving on a day to day basis to know the God of the Bible, and to acknowledge his presence and operation in your life -- and, most particularly: to see Him as He has revealed Himself in and by His word? There is NO good reason why your answer should be NO. What reasons may you have for not seeking God with all your might? Or rather, what stumbling blocks might prevent you in your pursuit of God? <B>You must believe that He is. </B>You are not going to have the energy to pursue a god that you invented or borrowed from someone else. However you attempt to convince yourself of your god, YOU KNOW that you've only imagined him, and, when the "rubber meets the road", you're going to look to yourself or to other men for your deliverance. <B>You must know and believe what God says about Himself.</B> It would be next to impossible to pursue God with all your might, if you (openly or secretly) believe that God is unworthy of such a pursuit. Perhaps you view God as a tyrant, or a bully. Perhaps you resent God for one reason or another. Whatever the case, if you've forgotten, or never knew, that God was good, right, faithful, and just, you will have no energy to pursue him. It is absolutely imperative that you see God as He is: as He has revealed Himself to us through His word. If you have an erroneous view of God, believe what the Bible says, and repent. Repent of your false judgments and accusations against Him. Repent of your pride -- for thinking "you knew better". Let your attitude be this: "Let God be true, and every man a liar", even if (especially if) that man is you. <B>You must know and believe what He says about YOU.</B> If your opinion of yourself is too high, or too low, you will be unable to have the faith that allows you to approach the throne of God. On the one hand, God says that your righteousness is as filthy rags. On the other hand, God says that you are righteous, if you have believed on Jesus Christ. God says that his ears are open to the righteous, and that he hears their cry. If you believe God, and you cry out to God, GOD IS LISTENING TO YOU. If your opinion of yourself is not in accord with the Scriptures, you will have no energy to pursue God, because you will constantly be consumed with the thought of your own righteousness, whether you have sufficient merit to gain entrance to God. God will resist you for your arrogance, for God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. <B>You must know and believe that the diligent pursuit of God is a worthy endeavor.</B> You will not have the energy to pursue God, if you aren't convinced, and believe with your heart, that God has great reward in store for you, if you seek him with all your might. Why would you take away from your daily schedule, to do something which you feel is only going to detract from time that you could be spending otherwise. After all, (you think to yourself) I really need to get this done, or really want to go do that while I still can. You see little immediate benefit to the pursuit of God, and thus, your effort is confined to those times that you can afford to lose (however rare that may be). It is true that the pursuit of God may not immediately profit you -- but this walk is a walk of faith. We don't perceive God with any immediacy. He is distant from us, as far as we can tell. Therefore, in the seeking God, we simply MUST BELIEVE that God will reward us for searching Him out. If we truly believe that God will greatly reward us for seeking him with all diligence, every excuse and distraction would fall be the wayside. Believe it, for it is true. <B>You must not wait for the desire to pursue God to overcome you</B> If you are waiting until you have the desire to pursue God, it is likely that you never will ACTUALLY (that is, in truth) pursue God. If you only have the energy to seek God after you've heard that firey sermon, or had that discussion with your zealous Christian brother, then you need to seriously consider what you actually believe. Zealousness is contagious, but only temporarily, because it does not affect any actual, lasting change. You must kindle your own fire. No man can do it for you. Every man stands alone before God -- and if you only "want God" while the crowd around you cheers you onward, you will be found in the end only to have believed in the crowd. <B>Conclusion</B> If you have been slack in your pursuit of God, consider these things soberly. You and God know why you do not seek him with all your might. I exhort you: put every excuse aside, believe what the Bible says, and pursue God with all diligence: for as you pursue Him, you will become more like him, as the knowledge of Him dwells in you, and works in you the will to do His good pleasure. John 6:29 <B>This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.</B>
All the righteous works of men, including seeking God, are begun in faith, sustained by faith, and concluded with faith.</DIR>
