Steven

Halter

Faith is a wonderful thing. We have been saved by grace through faith ( ">

). By faith we have become children of God ( "> ). With faith, it is possible to please God ( ). When we believe God, impossible things become possible.

But can we believe too much? "Certainly not!" you may say. But to really answer that question, we have to consider what and in Whom we are believing. Too often, we as Christians believe in the wrong things, and we are quick to believe in them, too!

For example, sometimes we're quick to believe in gossip about co-workers (2 Cor. 12:20). We may believe the latest rumors about celebrities. We might believe misinformation and slander about politicians. Bosses could believe a bad report about employees. By doing these things, we can hurt others by believing (and sometimes acting on) something about them that is not true. We misjudge them, and we make it worse by telling others the half-truths and lies we've believed.

Sometimes we hurt ourselves more directly by believing whatever teaching we hear. Or we may believe a smooth talking con artist who is utilizing the latest financial scheme.

How can we protect ourselves and keep from hurting others? There are a number of things we can do. One thing is to not believe just one side of a story that is told about someone. We need to hear both sides of a story, then we can understand the situation better (

).

In addition, we can protect ourselves from false doctrine by comparing what we hear to the whole counsel of the Bible (

; "> ). We should test everything with the Bible and the guidance of the Spirit ( "> ; 1 Th. 5:21).

Let us resolve to not hurt ourselves or others by believing in things that we shouldn't. Let us ask the Lord to give us discernment about what is true and wisdom about what is right. Jesus Himself once said to His disciples, "be wise as serpents and innocent as doves" (

). James wrote, "If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you" ( "> ).

Yes, faith is a wonderful thing! But let's not have too much of a good thing. Let's keep God and His truth as the focus of our faith. When we do that, we will be a brighter light to the world around us ( ">Mat. 5:14). And as God helps us to grow in these areas, we will become more like our wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus! We will be more conformed to image of God's Son ( ">

). Thank God that His love is everlasting towards us as we continue to grow in Him.

Have you ever been pleasantly surprised when looking through the window to see snow falling and doing wondrous things outside? A dull and dreary day was unexpectedly and suddenly transformed into an exciting, lovely, and beautiful day. A drab landscape was turned into a delightful sight as it was blanketed with snow. Bare and seemingly lifeless trees were turned into marvelous works of art as they were decorated with brilliant white highlights.

Our own lives are like that. Like the seemingly lifeless trees, we were once dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1). We were spiritually separated from God and His kingdom.

But then we were cleansed of our sins through faith in Jesus, and were made alive (Colossians 1:13). No longer dark and bare trees, we were clothed in white. We had been given the brilliant clothes of those who are in Christ  (1 Corinthians 6:11). We had become beautiful works of art.

Also, as we are delighted to see a beautiful winter scene, so God is delighted to see His work in our lives. We who once were unsightly, being his enemies, have been marvelously transformed by His grace into children of God (Romans 5:10, John 1:12)  And just as the trees did not cover themselves with powdery snow, neither can we claim credit for our transformation (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We can give glory and thanks to God for what He has done in our lives. Because of His great love, He did not abandon us in a dark and helpless condition. He did not leave us in our sins, separated from Him. Instead, by His marvelous grace He changed and transformed us. He gave us right standing before Him, and made us part of His family. What a wonderful God!

May we allow the transformation in our lives to be a testimony to others of God's work. For the celestial snow that has fallen on our lives can fall anywhere. It can fall on other lives, changing souls. It can fall in China, Russia, Afghanistan, and around the world. May we testify with our words and our actions that God loves to change lives as His salvation falls like snow on believing hearts (2 Corinthians 5:20).

CBN.com - Do you remember how you felt when you found out that Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl had been killed by terrorists in Pakistan? Many of us felt shocked at the brutality of his murder, and sadness at the loss of life. Some of us also felt outrage at the terrible injustice of this killing. And rightly so, for even the Lord hates hands that shed innocent blood (

).

Harming an innocent person is always a terrible thing. Tragically, there are untold numbers of people in our world being seriously harmed or killed, yet most of us are unaware of it. We are unaware because the secular media for the most part ignores their plight. Who are these people? They are our brothers and sisters, part of our spiritual family. They are fellow believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Persecution of our brothers and sisters in Christ is an ongoing tragedy in various parts of the world. Believers have been persecuted in China, North Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, the Middle East, and other countries. They are persecuted by communists and by militant Muslims. They are beaten, imprisoned, tortured, and executed because of their faithfulness to our Lord.

Do you feel powerless to help our brothers and sisters? Do you wonder what you could do for a fellow Christian that is so far away in a foreign country? If so, then don't despair. There is a very powerful action step you can take. You start to take action by getting down on your knees, and then calling upon God in prayer to help them. You see, prayer is a powerful weapon. The apostle Peter was freed from prison while the saints were gathered in prayer for him (

). Numerous accounts have been given by missionaries of miraculous rescues and interventions at the precise time that an intercessor was urged by the Spirit to pray for that missionary.

Our weapons are not natural weapons. They are not knives, M16s or the suicide bomb of a terrorist. Our weapons are spiritual. They include prayers of petition and intercession. Will you join the battle? Will you pray for the Christian woman imprisoned in North Korea? Will you intercede for the Chinese man awaiting a possible death sentence for taking the life-giving Word of God into his country. Will you call upon the Lord to strengthen and rescue believers who are in danger in the Middle East or the Philippines? Once again, remember that these are our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Won't you join the ranks of those who make a difference for fellow believers?

You can keep informed about our persecuted brothers and sisters and ways that you can help them by signing up for a free newsletter from Voice of the Martyrs.