We Have Been Saved

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, -Ephesians 2:8
In the Bible, God says that we have been saved through faith. But what does this mean? To answer that, we have to know what FAITH really means. According to Merriam-Webster, faith is: "Belief and trust in and loyalty to God: belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion." So, to have faith is to trust in and have loyalty. So how is that different from Belief? According to Merriam-Webster, belief is: "A state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing." Key word here: habit. So we could believe there's a God, but, as the Bible says, "...Even the demons believe..." (James 2:19) But God says that by FAITH, not belief, we will be saved. So how can we have faith?
We have to follow the ABC's in a prayer.
A - Admit. You have to admit to God that you're a sinner. (Romans 3:23)
B - Believe. You have to believe that Jesus is God's son and God sent Jesus to pay for our penalty of sin. (John 14:6)
C - Confess. You must confess your faith to Jesus, and confess your sins and ask for forgiveness.
Once you've become a Christian, you must grow. I'll post on that soon.
If you have questions, please email me at: Christian.sisterhood@yahoo.com
Love,
Brooke
 Verse: All things work together for good for all who love God (Romans 8:28)

Song: Please Be My Strength

PLEASE BE MY STRENGTH by GUNGOR
I've tried to stand my ground
I've tried to understand
But I can't seem to find
My faith again

Like water on the sand
Or grasping at the wind
I keep on falling short

So please be my strength
Please be my strength
'Cause I don't have any more
I don't have any more

I'm looking for a place
Where I can plant my faith
One thing I know for sure

I cannot create it
And I cannot sustain it
It's Your love
That's keeping me

Please be my strength
Please be my strength
I don't have any more
I don't have any more

And at my final breath
I hope that I can say
I fought the good fight
Of faith

I pray your glory shines
This doubting heart of mine
And all would know that You

You are my strength
You are my strength
You and You alone
You keep bringing me back home

Oh, You are my strength
You are my strength
You and You alone
Keep bringing me back home

It's You and You alone
Bringing me back home
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VI0pkRBPZw
This is a beautiful song, completely reflecting a human struggling to keep their faith. I really love it! Not to mention the melodies/harmonies and instrumentals are really pretty and sound great. I highly recommend this song!

Love,
Brooke

Verse: They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. -Isaiah 40:31 (NIV) 

"Love Your Neighbor as Yourself"

This is a really tough verse. I mean, there are a LOT of annoying people out there! There's those girls in class that gossip and talk bad about their moms during break, and that grumpy dude across the street who yells at you whenever you get even close to his grass. Not to mention how hard it is to love your siblings sometimes. So how come God wants us to love everybody as much as we love ourselves? Okay. Think of it this way. God loves us. A whole ton. I mean, imagine telling your son to go and die! I mean, that's CRAZY! But think. God asks us to do some specific things, but we sin, and hurt God horribly. And yet He still loves us! That's true love. The awesome thing is, even though we do this to God, he still loves us. So loving those annoying people is showing them God's love through yourself.
So now we know why, but how? How can you possibly put up with these guys, not to mention love them? Sometimes we can just think before we speak. Some people do stuff that can be annoying or mean just for attention. So maybe just a simple compliment. "Hey Ann, nice skirt!" or "I like that hairstyle on you." Can be enough to get their attention. Sometimes, people simply won't be loved. In those cases, pray for them. And ignoring them is sometimes necessary. It's tough, but biting your tongue and not retaliating is what God wants. We are to show His love through loving those people. Here is a story I think can encourage you:
Once there was a bus driver. He hated his job, he was a horrid grump. Every morning a woman would get on his bus, smile and wish him a good morning. The man was puzzled. No matter how grouchy he was, she was always smiling. He began to realize he wanted that. He noticed that she always carried a book with her with Holy Bible written on it. So he went out and bought one for himself. By reading that Bible, he was later led to Christ.
You see? You radiating God's love can show others Him! We are God's workers, working to bring more people to him.
XOXO,
Brooke
P.S. Please be praying for me as I put up with some tough people in my own life!
VERSE: A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly. -Proverbs 15:13-14