Our Faith Jouney

I want to offically say, “Welcome to New Life Design”!  We are glad that you are checking out our site.  It was four years ago that God began speaking to me about the vision of a grace-based discipleship coaching and teaching ministry in our area.  As we have followed Christ and His timing with this, He has brought all of this together so perfectly. 

I want to use part of my time on the blog to share with you insights that Father has shown me with regards to us having the faith to follow Him wherever He leads, seeing His plan and purposes unfold and knowing our place in all of it.

If you would have told me years ago that I would be doing what I am doing today and that I would sense an inner faith deep within me allowing me to walk in confidence, I would not have believed you.  I am constantly amazed at how the Holy Spirit working within us will bring us to places that we never thought possible.  It is surely the work of God and not anything of ourselves.

Through a maintained relationship with God I have found that He reveals Himself in three specific ways:  He reveals His Character to us, He reveals His Purposes to us, and then He reveals His ways to us.  Through seeing His Character we learn who He is and our level of trust in Him begins to grow.  As our trust begins to take shape He begins to show us His purposes.  It is here that we realize that often His purposes are quite different from ours.  It is only by growing in our understanding of His character and purposes that we can begin to understand His ways. 

Often when one experiences anger towards God it is because they have never been discipled and taught the character and purposes of God.  I am sure most of us have been there at some time in our lives.  Although, even when we have been learning a proper concept of God our circumstances can still send us reeling emotionally and experiencing many unanswered questions.  However, it will be that sure foundation of knowing more of who God is that will stabilize us over time and as the fog begins to clear we will see more clearly.  One word of caution here – I am in no means saying that we will always understand God.  He is way to big for that!  What I am saying is that as we come to know Him deeper through His character we come to love and trust Him more.  So, when our world is rocking with shock and heartache, we have a firm grasp in Christ and can depend on Him and trust Him during the storm.  When it all clears, there we see our faithful Father continuing to care for us and provide.  Yes, this is easier said than done but as children of God we have this precious priviledge as apart of our spiritual inheritance that the apostle Paul speaks of.  So, in our faith journey it is crucial that we begin to see a proper concept of who God is, His purposes and His ways.

An example of this is found in the gospel accounts of the Disciples and their journey with Christ.  They were completely confused and distraught over His arrest, mock trials and subsequent crucifixion.  Their world was rocking and they hid in fear desending deep in their grief.  They still had not grasped the deeper understanding of who Jesus was, what His purposes were and the way in which they were to be carried out.  As you can see for yourself in the book of Acts when they did catch a radical understanding of what Jesus was all about and why He came, it completely altered their actions and requests.  Again, it was the Holy Spirit within them (given at Pentecost) that revealed truth and presented the clear picture of who Messiah was, what His purpose was and how that was to be accomplished.  This truth led to them fulfilling God purposes for their individual lives which invovled the advancement of the Kingdom of God and our understanding of salvation today. 

My prayer is that each of us would grasp a better understanding of the character of God, His purposes in our generation and the ways in which He is calling us to partner with Him in accomplishing the advancement of His Kingdom.  It really is all about Him.

Hebrews 12:1-3 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith who for the joy set before Him endured the cross despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him who endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.”

Stay tuned for more on Faith and Hebrews 10 and 11!!

Enjoying The New Design,

Dana

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