Life Lines

Copyright

This book in its entirety—from literary development to artwork and final design—is a creation of Koechel Peterson & Associates.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Amplified Bible (AMP). The Amplified Bible, Old Testament. Copyright © 1965, 1987 by The Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified New Testament, copyright © 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Copyright © 2004 by Dave Meyer

All rights reserved.

Warner Faith

Hachette Book Group

237 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10017

Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com

www.twitter.com/faithwords

The Warner Faith name and logo are registered trademarks of Warner Books, Inc.

First eBook Edition: October 2009

ISBN: 978-0-446-56674-2

Life Line #1:

FAITH

You don't know what tomorrow holds,

BUT YOU DO KNOW

that God holds tomorrow.

God permits in His wisdom WHAT HE COULD HAVE altered or prevented in His power.

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.

JOB 13:15 KJV

WHO CAN IMAGINE the depths of grief or the suffering of the man whom God called "My servant Job"? His ten children perished. From head to toe his body was covered with boils and blisters, His staggering wealth vanished. His wife's only recorded words were a bitter directive to "renounce God and die!" Even his longtime friends, who should have brought comfort, and who should have known better, instead accused him of being a hypocrite in need of repentance. All because of Satan's hatred for Job, and because God was willing to allow Job's faith to be tested. "And the Lord said to Satan, Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life" (Job 2:6).

As a believer, you know your faith will be tried, and Job's life demonstrates it can be tested to the extreme. You may taste of life's bitterness—you may taste more than you could have imagined—but hear God's word to your soul: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28 KJV). Come what may, know that through the Spirit's help God's purpose shall be accomplished. Rest in His unchanging wisdom!

The manifestation of great faith IS TO TRUST GOD without having any indication of what you're believing God for.

If our God Whom we serve is able to deliver us

from the burning fiery furnace,

He will deliver us out of your hand, Oking.

But if not, let it be known to you, Oking,

that we will not serve your gods

or worship the golden image which you have set up!

DANIEL 3:17, 18

KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR had never been addressed like this before. Three young Jewish men refused to fall before the image he had made, evidencing that their faith was greater than their sense of self-protection. It would have been so easy to avoid the king's fury. They could have said it meant nothing, that they were bowing the knee, not the heart. But because these men were holy, they were honest to the core.

These young men were not certain of the effect of their faith. But their faith had brought them face-to-face with God so the king's fiery furnace did not frighten them. To see the Almighty erases the fear of man. Our God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that you ask or think. If you want to be the salt of the earth, be true to your faith no matter the cost.

God wants you to know that if you will do what you can do, HE WILL DO what you can't do.

The Lord God is my Strength,

my personal bravery, and my invincible army;

He makes my feet like hinds' feet

and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror,

but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress

upon my high places

[of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!

HABAKKUK 3:19

WHEN JESUS TOOK the boy's five barley loaves and two small fish and fed the five thousand (John 6), He demonstrated the transformation He works in your life when you are in touch with Him. Apart from Christ the bread was merely bread, but in His hands bread was linked to the divine. No matter how insignificant or weak or lacking in talent you feel, bring all that you are—body soul and spirit—and be joined to Christ. Never focus on your deficiencies. Only make sure you have given yourself fully to Christ. Allow Him to fill your mind with His Word and your heart with the love of Christ. Your abilities, great or small, when joined to Christ by faith, are sufficient for whatever He calls you to do.

In true faith, the PROOF IS NOT in the profession but in the procession.

For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes

is revealed, both springing from faith

and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith

that arouses to more faith]. As it is written,

The man who through faith is just and upright shall live

and shall live by faith.

ROMANS 1:17

UNTIL YOU SEE God face-to-face, you must live by simple faith in Him. Your righteousness both springs from faith and leads to more faith in the ever-living God. Your only source of continued spiritual life is the faith that draws all its sustenance from God. All self-efforts to save yourself and to overcome sin will utterly fail. Only the life and power of the Holy Spirit within you can save you from sin, and faith is the one condition of His working in you.

Abraham so believed God's promise that He offered up Isaac, trusting that God would raise Isaac from the dead. By faith Moses led the millions of Jews out of Egypt. By faith Joshua took them into the Promised Land despite fortified cities and giants. By faith the early church stood strong under persecution and could not be stopped. By faith you must move beyond profession into the procession.

True faith is timeless. It can only be INTERRUPTED by two things—doubt or manifestation.

Jesus said, Take away the stone.

Martha, the sister of the dead man, exclaimed,

But Lord, by this time he [is decaying and] throws off an

offensive odor, for he has been dead four days!

Jesus said to her, Did I not tell you and promise you

that if you would believe and rely on Me,

you would see the glory of God?

JOHN 11:39, 40

THE STORY OF the raising of Lazarus from the dead is a beauty. Martha truly believed Lazarus would not have died if Jesus had been there sooner. She believed in Jesus as the Christ, her Messiah (John 11:21–27). But Jesus was about to take her faith to a new level—a level that defied any hint of natural possibilities. Faith must move beyond the theoretical to where it touches your deepest need at a level that requires the supernatural.

If Jesus could have spared Lazarus before his death, why not believe He would raise him from the dead after four days? Why not move beyond "could" do it to "will" do it? Take His promise and rest in it. You will see the glory of God!

The Bible does not tell you TO MAKE the Word work. It tells you to let the Word work.

Moses told the people. Fear not; stand still

(firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation

of the Lord which He will work for you today.

For the Egyptians you have seen today

you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you,

and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest.

EXODUS 14:13, 14

THANK GOD FOR a leader like Moses. He saw the same impending crisis the people did and faced it with confidence in God's salvation. His courage rested upon his past experience of seeing God's deliverance based upon His word. This was a moment when faith alone would save them—all they had to do was stand still and let God do the fighting.

Perhaps you feel like the Israelites felt—walled in by an overwhelming problem that is absolutely real and threatening to destroy your life. You try to pray but fear grips your heart. You find yourself utterly helpless. It is a dangerous moment when human nature wants to break faith and complain against the Lord and blame someone else for the situation (Exodus 14:11, 12). By faith let God step in between you and the problem, and believe He will work it out.

Faith is now, but the manifestation IS IN DUE TIME. So don't become impatient.

For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance,

so that you may perform and fully accomplish

the will of God, and thus receive and carry away

[and enjoy to the full] what is promised.

HEBREWS 10:36

THE HEBREW BELIEVERS were suffering deeply for their faith and the writer to the Hebrews was concerned that they not "fling away [their] fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward" (Hebrews 10:35). Faith must look beyond the present moment and tomorrow and your lifetime. Faith looks to eternity. You are a Christian for eternity, not for time. Weigh the eternal rewards coming your way against whatever losses you may suffer in this lifetime because of your faith in Christ. There is no comparison.

By His grace continue to patiently believe His Word and hold fast to the truth. The things you have believed, continue to believe. If the storms gather against you and the darkness descends, remember that the morning will dawn. Let your hope hear the distant hallelujahs that proclaim the coming reign of Christ. Rest in the assurance that the kingdom of God will win the day, even if you must step into eternity to enjoy it.

When you start sinking, PAY ATTENTION to what you're thinking.

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything,

but in every circumstance and in everything,

by prayer and petition (definite requests),

with thanksgiving, continue to make

your wants known to God.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6

IF THERE'S ONE