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I have a favorite Old Testament verse that many will probably find odd: "Man that is born of woman is of a few days full of trouble. Job 14:1 The reason it is my favorite is because it helps to explain why there is so much suffering in my life and in the world. It can be my favorite bible verse because of my favorite New Testament verse: " In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33 Be certain that troubles will continue. But we can be more certain that when we put our trust in the Lord Jesus, we are able to overcome the troubles and trials and tribulations of this life.
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As the wind blows we cannot see where it goes, so is the working of the Spirit of the Living God
September
I am continuing the investigation of the scriptures from Mrs. C. Nazum's book The Life of Faith
Life of Faith Scriptures
Life of Faith Scriptures
August 7, 2023
To develop a closer relationship with Christ, I have determined to improve my knowledge and reliance on the scriptures. I decided to take the scriptures that Mrs. C. Nazum used in her book and relate them to my life to develop a closer relationship with the Lord
Life of Faith Scriptures
December of 2006 I was given a small book written by Mrs. Cornelia Nuzum, a missionary to Mexico. The book was given to me by a dear friend in Christ, Linda Nichols.
I browsed through the book and found it had some interesting things to say about faith. I put it aside for a while planning to pick it up at a later date.
16 years later I began to read the contents of the book as part of my morning devotion. I was seeking to know God’s will for me. I had been walking with the Lord for 50 years or so and I felt my faith had not grown. I felt that there has to be something I was missing or lacking. I had begun a devotional study written by Henry Blackaby called Experiencing God. I had read his book several years ago, but I never did the devotional.
The combination of the Experiencing God devotional and Mrs. C. Nazum’s book were enlightening for me. I had completed her book rather quickly because there are only 18 chapters in the book. However, I kept returning to re-read several of the chapters as they often spoke to my spirit in ways that helped me to not only read the scriptures but absorb them as part of my thinking and responding to many of my enquiries.
Henry Blackaby’s devotional was having a profound impact as well. I was learning that I needed to adjust my life to what God was doing as opposed to asking God to bless what I wanted or was doing. His devotional helped me to re-arrange my thinking about why I was not being used by God in ways that I felt He ought to be using me. The fact is I had not developed a relationship with God that would allow the spirit of God to flow through me as I observed in others. I still do not hear the voice of God (like the still small voice that Elijah heard), I do not experience the powerful impressions upon my spirit of what God wants to do in my life like Abram whom God called to leave his family and home and go to a place where God would show him; I do not perceive the moving of the spirit of God as clearly as I desire to. One thing I have gained, one thing I have heard in my quiet times before the Lord, is that ‘God has my times in his hand’, ‘God knows my thoughts’, I am willing therefore to wait on Him to manifest Himself to me in His time.
To develop that closer relationship, I have determined to improve my knowledge and reliance on the scriptures. I decided to take the scriptures that Mrs. C. Nazum has used in her book and relate them to my life to develop a closer relationship with the Lord. It was through the scriptures that I understood my need for the savior and how I became convinced that his plan of salvation does indeed include me. Therefore, shouldn’t it be the scriptures to develop in me the closer relationship with my God.
The outcome that I am looking for from this exercise is to grow in understanding and knowing the Father better; To meditate on the word of God purposefully day and night that the scriptures become a part of my thinking and responding to my situations as well as others.
I am sharing with you what I have gotten from these meditations.
Chapter 1. I Am Come That Ye Might Have Life
“I am come that ye might have life” Jesus said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 Jesus is referring to anyone who comes to him and believes in him shall be saved and walk in a new abundant life, full of God’s favor. This verse of scripture was in response to the disbelief of the Pharisees who questioned him because he healed a blind man on the sabbath. When Jesus condemned the leaders of the people (specifically the Pharisees) as thieves and robbers whom the sheep will not follow, he also says, “I am the door: by me if any man enters in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
The Pharisees were offended by his words, they were not able to recognize the offer (the gift) of salvation that Jesus was making. They were blinded by their own self-importance and concern for maintaining their authority. But his offer still stands if any man acts on Jesus’ word, they will receive the abundant life in him that he offers. The Apostle Paul emphasizes the impact of this abundant life. He writes, “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall He not with him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)
What then is this abundant life that Jesus is referring to?
First and foremost, Jesus says we will be saved. Salvation is essential for all of mankind because of the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden. Jesus came to the world to seek and save the lost. Jesus is the good shepherd. He lays His life down for His sheep.
We see the signs at football games JOHN 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Being freed from the impact and penalty of sin in our lives is only a part of the abundant life that Jesus offers. Sin separates us from God and all that he could do in our lives. But beyond that the scriptures tell us that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) Jesus’ death on our behalf redeems us from that life of separation. Jesus’ death on the cross paid the penalty for our sins. Now we have access to the Father who has demonstrated His love for us before we even knew Him.
In John 10:9 Jesus also says that we will “go in and out and find pasture.” When I considered what this portion of the scriptures meant to my Christian life I remembered the 23rd Psalm.
Because Jesus is my shepherd, He is my provider, He is my keeper, He is my guide. Consider the Psalm.
1. I shall not want
2. Green pastures and quiet waters
3. He restores my soul.
4. He leads me in paths of righteousness.
5. I will fear no evil, He comforts me 6. He prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies.
7. He anoints my head with oil, my cup overflows
8. Goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life
9. I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
All that we could ever seek after in this life is encompassed in this Psalm. Then at the end of this life there is the eternal promise of eternity in the house of the Lord.
August 7, 2023
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Father, I thank you for the timelessness of your Word and your Promises. I pray you will use these words to encourage your children as they grow in their relationship with you. I pray that you will work in the heart of every person who does not know you as Lord to bring them to yourself, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Life of Faith Scriptures
Life of Faith Scriptures
September 9, 2023
To develop a closer relationship with Christ, I have determined to improve my knowledge and reliance on the scriptures. I decided to take the scriptures that Mrs. C. Nazum used in her book (Life of Faith) and relate them to my life to develop a closer relationship with the Lord
I Am Come That Ye Might Have Life
Chapter 1. I Am Come That Ye Might Have Life
Life of Faith Scriptures Continued
“Old things are passed away” Paul uses this phrase to sum up the impact of being “in Christ”. He develops the concept in 2 Corinthians 4: 7 when he says, “we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” Paul makes the point that we have been given the opportunity to have Christ Jesus live through us. When we die to our way of doing things and pleasing ourselves and choose obeying Christ, we are allowing him to live through us. In the process we become more like Christ than ourselves. We exchange our old life for a new life in Christ Jesus. It means we have to set aside the old ways that we lived, thought, and responded to life choices that are not of God. We practice choosing what Jesus would do and say, we choose Jesus’ way over our own old way of doing, thinking, and acting.
Paul points out that this new life in Christ is still filled with trouble, distresses, and persecutions. He says we daily live with the reality of the death of Christ Jesus in order for his life, His resurrection life to daily, be made manifest in us.
So, the idea is to daily put off the old man that we might indeed be new every morning; that we might renew our new walk of power with Christ. We do this with the full knowledge that it is not our power, not our abilities, but rather the power of Almighty God working through us. Then his assertion will be fulfilled, “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5 17
Mrs. Nazum makes this declaration that ought to be both an inspiration to us and an aim: she writes, “when I look back at what I was, and see what I am, it seems incredible.” (The Life of Faith p. 13)
To understand how incredible, it was to her you need to understand that most of her childhood and early youth she was so sickly she was not expected to live. But as the Lord began making her the new creature it included strength, courage, and passion that allowed her to endure great deprivations and still enjoy abundance. She received health and strength that drove her to neglect her own health and safety to care for the various people the Lord put in her path as a missionary.
In Romans chapter 8 Paul speaks of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. (“Conformed to the image of Christ” v.29). Verses 26 and 27 of chapter 8 lets us know that the Holy Spirit is making intercession for us before the Father. There are times when we do not know what to pray or even how to pray. It is for these times that we have the Holy Spirit who makes intercession before the Father for us. The Spirit of God is able to make intercession for us because he knows the will of the Father for each of us. It is also the work of the Holy Spirit to bring to our remembrance the things that Jesus taught when he walked in this life. It is the Holy Spirit who is in the background fulfilling verse 28 “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.” The Holy Spirit of God who knows the mind of God is at work in us to bring about the purposes of God. As we allow him, the Holy Spirit takes whatever comes our way and weaves it into the will of the Lord.
There is nothing that touches our lives that takes the Father, by surprise. What the enemy of our soul means for evil, the Holy Spirit of God is able to turn for our good. As he, the Holy Spirit was with Jesus and in him to help him fulfill all the will of God so too he is here to help us. We have the Holy Spirit of God from the Father to be conformed to the image of his Son (29). We have only to daily surrender our will to the will of the Lord. And the Holy Spirit of God, who knows the mind of God, will work in our lives to bring us more and more in line with who Jesus is, the Son of God.
I am being conformed to the will of God daily as I yield to the Holy Spirit of God. I want to earnestly say it is Christ in me that does the work.
Paul expresses it this way in Romans 8:12-14
”Therefore brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” This putting to death the deeds of the body is our daily choice to choose to follow the teachings and example of Jesus. Letting go of our old habits and ways of approaching life that will only lead to eternal separation from God. But rather let us choose the abundant life of obedience and faith toward God.
Published 9/09/2023
Life of Faith Scriptures
Life of Faith Scriptures
September 25, 2023
I have determined to improve my knowledge and reliance on the scriptures. I decided to take the scriptures that Mrs. C. Nazum used in her book (Life of Faith) and relate them to my life to develop a closer relationship with the Lord - continued-
Chapter 2. In Him Is Redemption
“Redemption … in Christ Jesus”
Mrs. Nazum discusses our need to walk in the redemption that is ours through Jesus. In Chapter two of her book, she notes that when we truly walk in redemption we are redeemed from the curse of sin. In this chapter she argues that if there is any of the curse that still clings to us, we are not fully redeemed.
Mrs. Nazum explains, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse”, all of it, not some, nor even much of it, but all of it” (p.14) In 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 30 Paul tells us that our redemption is from God, “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” It would make perfect sense that when God sent Jesus to redeem mankind from the curse of sin that he did it to redeem us completely. The work of the Lord Jesus is complete. Unfortunately, we do not always pursue the complete redemption. It may be a lack of knowledge that there is more to this walk of faith. Or it may be that the things of this life are too attractive. Whatever the cause, there are many of us who do not walk wholly redeemed. Here I want to ask the same question that Mrs. C. Nazum asked way back in 1928 when her book was first published, “Are you there? Does none of the curse cling to you? All that is not of life, health, strength, soundness, comfort, purity, and holiness is of the curse. (p.14)
When I consider this check list, I have to ask myself, am I blessed with the abundant life that Jesus came to bring me? Am I in good health? Regardless of my age, am I in good health? Or am I chronically in poor health? Does my poor health hinder my representing Christ?
At this time of my life, I have a bad ankle and bad knee, and a shoulder that resists being moved in certain positions. The doctors explain that “at your age’ you do not bounce back as quickly from these sorts of injuries. And I think is this part of the curse? I have to acknowledge that it indeed is part of the curse. What then? I have to also acknowledge that though these aches and pains accompany many of my days they do not rule my day. They do not hinder my being used by God. These pains are temporary and can be alleviated with external support. They do not impact my relationship with God and service to others. I personally would prefer a much healthier body that can still run and play but ‘at this time of my life’ I am grateful for the mobility and ability that I have. In fact, God is my strength and help. He keeps me from being discouraged about the pains that come more often than I care for them to come.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 1 Paul is addressing a contention that was brewing in the church. Some were choosing Paul as their authority, others were choosing Apollos, and still others were choosing Peter. Paul wanted the believers in Corinth and even us today to understand our salvation, our redemption, our life in Christ was not due to the working of any man. Paul concludes that it is God’s choosing, God’s working in our lives that we are in Christ Jesus. It is not the gift of any man. It is not of our own work, we cannot boast, we cannot take credit for the free gift of God. We are redeemed from the curse of sin not by anything that we have ever done but by the work of the Holy Spirit of God. We need to be aware of the work of the Holy Spirit of God in our lives to avoid any of the curse. We must work to be molded in the image of God’s dear Son. According then to this verse, the threefold work of the Holy Spirit must be to make us righteous, holy and redeemed.
Mrs. Nazum refers to Proverbs chapter 26 verse 2b, “the curse causeless shall not come” So I looked up the context of the bible verse. Proverbs 26 verse 1 and 2 state,
“As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not seemly for a fool. As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.”
There is an order to the gifts of God. The blessings of God that give pleasure to our lives are part of His order of things. Certain principles were set in motion by the Lord when he created this universe. Light and darkness, night and day, the seasons are all part of the blessings of the Lord. So too because of the fall of mankind, because of sin, the curse upon all of creation brings thorns and thistles. Our lives are filled not only with good things but because of the fall we also experience the struggles of life. But there is a cause. If we continue to walk contrary to the will of God, we continue to walk under the curse of sin. As we allow the Lord to redeem us from the curse of sin we walk in new life. We walk as new creatures in Christ. Old things are being passed away and behold all things become new. Mrs. Nazum declares that we can be and should be redeemed from all of the curse. Which requires that we must be willing to walk as Jesus walked, in total obedience to the Father. Our faithfulness and obedience bring redemption from every part of the curse. So once again as Mrs. Nazum asked, let me ask, “Are you there? Does none of the curse cling to you?” Redemption is accomplished in total obedience and faithfulness. Redemption from the impacts of the curse result from obedience and faithfulness to the will of the Lord for us as individuals. As we are not all called to be Apostles, Pastors, or Teachers, so too we are not intended to be called to the same walk of faith. Some are affluent, some are not. Some are exalted to high office, some are not. Whatever area of expertise or gifting we walk in, we do it for the Lord God who has redeemed us from the curse of sin.
September 25, 2023
Life of Faith Scriptures
Life of Faith Scriptures
October 23, 2023
Scriptures from The Life Of Faith - continued-
Colossians 2:6 “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.”
I see this verse as an explanation of the remedy for the curse of sin that often clings to us. When we first came to the Lord we recognized our need for his salvation, his redemption. We submitted to his teachings; we obeyed his words. His words brought us salvation and a new life in Christ. Some old things fell from us as though miraculously. Some things we had to devote more effort in walking circumspectly to the word of God and in obedience to the work of the Holy Spirit. But after a while some things seemed to be even harder to be freed from. For some it became easier to rationalize them as a part of who we are. For some they became giants that could not be forced out of the land. Remember in the book of Judges Chapter 1 and 2, the children of Israel had not rid the land of the Canaanites. There were still pockets of the old inhabitants that Israel either could not or just did not destroy. Those nations became thorns in the flesh of the people of God. The angel of God came down to chastise the people and let them know that the inhabitants of the land that were not destroyed or forced out would become as “thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you” Judges 2:3b. So too in our spiritual walk with God if we do not consistently and continually destroy, dispossess, subjugate the old nature that is contrary to the will and Word of God, it will become a snare to us.
Mrs. Nazum challenged her readers with two New Testament verses: 1 John 2:6 and Hebrews 6:1.
1 John 2:6, whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked “. (ESV) This is the challenge to all believers in Christ Jesus. If we claim to be His disciple, His child we should be emulating Him in every way rather than emulating fallen man or the devil. This phrase walk in the same way is in reference to the way disciple would follow a rabbi. The rabbi did not sit the disciple down and say this is how you should live. The disciple was to listen intently to understand what the rabbi taught. The disciple would study how the rabbi taught. The disciple would watch how the rabbi interacted with others. The disciple would become like his rabbi by emulating him.
You and I are to do the same. This sometimes means letting go of old habits, prejudices, and teachings that are contrary to the teachings of Jesus. We are to conform ourselves to the Image of Christ Jesus.
In Hebrews 6:1 the writer is encouraging his reader to mature in Christ: not laying again the foundational teachings that brought them to Christ. “Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God”. The key phrase to focus your attention on ought to be let us go on unto perfection. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in us to perfect us in Christ. Redeeming us, making us righteous in God’s sight, making us Holy. None of these can we, in our own actions, complete. But as we are obedient to the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit we become more like Christ Jesus. It is a lifelong process that we must stick to.
Published Oct. 23, 2023
If you have questions about the message or about being saved or need further understanding of the plan of salvation that Christ Jesus offers please send your questions or requests through the Review Page of this website.
If you have been encouraged by this message please share the website with others. Use the review page to share your thoughts
Father, I thank you for the timelessness of your Word and your Promises. I pray you will use these words to encourage your children as they grow in their relationship with you. I pray that you will work in the heart of every person who does not know you as Lord to bring them to yourself, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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