"THE SOIL


  
    
    
					
						"A QUESTION WE 
						ALL MUST ANSWER" 
      
    
					
      
						
    
                        In the production 
						of
      
    
                        "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" 
                        a moment comes when TEVYE says 
						to his wife, 
                        "GOLDE, DO YOU LOVE ME?"  
                        She responds,  
                        "DO 
						I LOVE YOU?"  
                        She then covers all she has done for him 
						over the years of their marriage. And yet, when she 
						finishes the long list, TEVYE asks, "BUT, GOLDE,  
                        DO YOU 
						LOVE ME?" 
      O yes, we can do and give things to a wife or 
						to a husband, but, that does not guaranty there is a 
						true Love Relationship. Isn't it wonderful that Jesus 
						Christ, our Lord and Savior did not merely give things 
						to His Bride, the  Redeemed Church, "HE 
						LOVED THE CHURCH AND GAVE "HIMSELF" FOR HER." Ephesians 
                        5:25  
                        
						
                        Many are content to just give  
                        "THINGS"  
                        but not 
						 
						
                        "THEMSELVES"  
                        which is the true test of LOVE. When you 
						give  
                        "YOURSELF"  
                        then giving "THINGS" 
                        takes on a new and 
						wonderful meaning. After the resurrection of Jesus 
						Christ from the dead, He spoke to the Apostle Peter, the 
						one who had denied the Lord THREE TIMES when questioned 
						about being a follower of Christ. Now THREE TIMES the 
						Lord asks Peter, "DO YOU LOVE ME?"
						
                        After being asked the third 
						time, Peter said, "LORD, 
						YOU "KNOW" ALL THINGS, YOU "KNOW" THAT I LOVE YOU."
						.Truer words could not have been spoken! THE LORD DOES 
                        KNOW ALL THINGS, and He knows our hearts and in truth 
                        how much we 
                        
                        
                        TRULY LOVE HIM.   
                        "After all He's done for me, how can I do less than give 
                        Him my best, and live for Him completely, AFTER ALL HE'S 
                        DONE FOR ME!" John the Apostle clarifies with these 
                        choice words,  
                        "IN THIS IS 
						LOVE, NOT THAT WE LOVED GOD, BUT THAT HE LOVED US AND 
						SENT HIS SON TO BE THE COVERING FOR OUR SINS"
						Then he follows with these 
						precious words,   
                        
                        
                        
						
                        
						"WE LOVE HIM, BECAUSE HE "FIRST" 
						LOVED US." 
                        I John 4:10-19  
                        
                        
						
                        
                        Believers have often sung: "I LOVE HIM, I LOVE HIM, 
                        BECAUSE HE 
                        
                        "FIRST" 
                        LOVED ME. AND HAS FORGIVEN ALL MY SINS THROUGH DEATH 
                        AT CALVARY." When the Apostle Paul pondered the width 
                        and  length and depth and height of the Love of 
                        Christ, he had to say, "THE LOVE OF CHRIST 
						CONSTRAINS ME, IT MOVES ME, IT COMPELS ME." 
						CHRIST'S LOVE DOES SOMETHING TO ME...IT SETS MY HEART ON 
						FIRE WITH LOVE FOR HIM, WHICH MOTIVATES ME TO GIVE MY 
						LIFE TO HIM TO BE USED FOR HIS GLORY.
                        
    
      

					
						   CHRIST ASKS US ALL - "DO YOU LOVE ME?"
                        HE WAITS FOR YOUR RESPONSE!

					
    
    
					
						For more  
						click here: 
    
						
						www.challengeoffaith.org
                        
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      "THE SOIL 
      
      
             IN WHICH FAITH FLOURISHES!”
      
       
      
      
      
      
      Evangelist D. L. Moody once said,
      "Trust in yourself and you are doomed 
      to disappointment; trust in your friends, and they will die and leave you; 
      but trust in God, and you will never be confounded in time or eternity."
      
      
      

      
       
      
      
      
      
      
      When everything is going just fine, you have 
      a good job, you are healthy, your business is profitable, you have some 
      faithful friends, you have a good wife or husband, and your children are 
      obedient and responsible, it's possible to feel pretty secure in yourself, 
      and without realizing it, you may not be
      
      
      

      
      
      
       
      
      
      "FLOURISHING SPIRITUALLY" 
      
      
       
      
      
      
      
      but in reality, in the midst of all these 
      blessing, your faith may be very weak. You see, the
      “TRIALS” 
      and “TESTS” of 
      life truly reveal the “STRENGTH” 
      of our FAITH! Someone has well stated, 
      
      

      
       
      
       "TRIALS ARE 
      THE SOIL
      
      
      IN WHICH FAITH FLOURISHES."
      
      
      
       
      
      
      
      
      
      When some of these wonderful blessings God 
      has graciously given are suddenly taken away, HOW 
      THEN DO WE REACT? WHAT IS THE RESULT?
      When a person has a "STEADFAST FAITH 
      IN JESUS CHRIST" that one Redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, will say with 
      the TESTED
      and 
      TRIED 
      
      Apostle Paul,
      
      
      

      
       
      
      
      
      
      
      "I DO NOT SPEAK IN REGARD TO NEED, FOR I HAVE 
      “LEARNED” IN WHATEVER STATE I AM, TO BE “CONTENT.” I KNOW HOW TO BE ABASED 
      AND I KNOW HOW TO ABOUND. EVERYWHERE AND IN ALL THINGS, I HAVE “LEARNED” 
      TO BE FULL AND TO BE HUNGRY, BOTH TO ABOUND AND TO SUFFER NEED. FOR I CAN 
      DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.” 
      
      
      Philippians 4:11-13 It takes just that, an
      “UNWAVERING FAITH IN CHRIST” 
      to speak so strongly and with such power.

      
      
      
       
      
      
      
      
      
      So many fellow believers are hurting today, 
      and in their pain and disappointment, some are almost ready to throw in 
      the towel. 
      
      
      NO, NO,
      
      
      FRIEND, DON'T 
      YOU EVER DO THAT! 
      JESUS CAN TURN YOUR SORROW INTO JOY! O YES HE 
      CAN!  
      Jesus never promised you would ONLY 
      see sunshine, and He never said you would see NO rain. BUT, He promised to 
      give you the strength, and a song to even sing

      
      
      
         
      
      
      
      
      ABOUT THE VERY THINGS 
      

      
      
      
      
      THAT ONCE BROUGHT 
      PAIN.

      
      
      
       
      
      
      
      
      Friend, give ALL your shattered dreams, your 
      wounded heart, your broken toys to JESUS and at His feet lay them down. 
      You will hear Him say, "MY GRACE 
      IS SUFFICIENT, AND MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN YOUR WEAKNESS.” 
      Then you will say,
      "LORD, YOUR WILL BE DONE IN MY 
      LIFE, FOR WHEN I AM WEAK IN MYSELF, THROUGH YOU I BECOME STRONG, AND IN 
      YOUR STRENGTH AND WITH YOUR VICTORY, MY FAITH WILL TRULY FLOURISH FOR YOUR 
      GLORY.

      
       
      
      
      Comments click 
      here: djvb7777@aol.com 
      
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"THE SOIL

IN WHICH FAITH FLOURISHES!”

"TRIALS ARE THE SOIL

"THEY ARE WATCHING OVER YOU"

ARE TINY MATTERS COMPARED TO

LET HIM LABOR, WORKING WITH HIS HANDS THE THING

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God

PITY PARTY

BUT, we must discipline ourselves to combat the negativity that can bombard our