Only Believe

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#0099FF" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Evangelical Herald              </B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Evangelical Herald "><B>home</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="four_rs.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Four Rs">Four R's</A>   |   <A HREF="profit.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Profit">Profit</A>   |   <A HREF="building.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Building">Building</A>   |   <A HREF="require.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Require">Require</A>   |   <A HREF="friends.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Friends">Friends</A>   |   <A HREF="was_that_all.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Was That All">Was That All</A>   |   <A HREF="kids.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kids">Kids</A>   |   <A HREF="joy.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Joy">Joy</A>   |   <A HREF="jesus_mission.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jesus Mission">Jesus' Mission</A>   |   <A HREF="christianity_or_churchanity.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Christianity or Churchanity?">Christianity or Churchanity?</A>   |   <B>Only Believe</B>   |   <A HREF="mourningcelebration.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mourning/Celebration">Mourning/Celebration</A></div> <div> <A HREF="faith.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Inspiration"><B>Up Level</B></A></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=170 BGCOLOR="#9999FF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>"Do we really believe?"</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>"Once we permit the power of our belief ... there is nothing we can do except place ourselves entirely in God's hands"</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>"Take my life ..."</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>"Take my hands ... take my feet ..."</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>"Cause my lips to be moved with messages from thee."</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>"Take my time!"</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>"So take the little mental faculty I have and use it."</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>"Nor would I hold my silver and my gold -- my money!"</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>"... my heart can only be in those things that pertain to thy kingdom."</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>"Take my will, Lord, and make it thine"</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Only Believe</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>The Evangelical Herald</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>ONLY BELIEVE</B></div> <bR> <div> In this day of secularism and convenience religion, we must ask ourselves questions to examine our belief system.  "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves." (2 Cor 13:5 KJV)  Do we really believe that our God is the creator of this vast universe?  Do we really believe that He is without beginning and without end?  Do we really believe that God is involved with humans and our affairs?  Do we really believe that there is an eternal reward for faithful believers in Christ Jesus? </div> <bR> <div> If we claim our belief in Jesus then the answers to all these questions should be in the affirmative, for Jesus is the embodiment of the entire divine plan.  Is it not evident that such a belief should change our entire perspective of life?  Of what value are the transitory toys of this short and uncertain life when we compare them with the privilege that is ours of being "co-workers together" with God? (IICor. 6:1)  Once we permit the power of our belief, with the presence of the Holy Spirit, to take proper hold of us, there is nothing we can do except place ourselves entirely in God's hands to be used according to the wise leading of His will.  </div> <bR> <div> Many a Christian hymn talks of giving our lives to our God, but do we really mean it?  What is involved in giving our lives to God?  To us who have accepted that God has a great and glorious plan in motion for mankind, the giving of our lives involves all areas of human activity.  </div> <bR> <div> So, Lord, take my life - I realize that I have wasted much of it, marred by sin, and very imperfect; but I want thee to have it and use it, for I believe in all of thy arrangements for mankind and for me.  I believe in Jesus and the merit of His blood.  Lord, if I did not believe, I would have little heart in offering thee my life - it is so imperfect; but because I believe, I know that my life will be acceptable, Yes, I thank thee for the assurance that this, my "reasonable service" will be "holy and acceptable unto thee." (Rom 12:1) </div> <bR> <div> I want every part of me used in thy service.  So take my hands. There isn't much they can do, but I do want them used for thee.  I want thy great love to be a moving part in my life, causing my hands to serve thee.  So show me things for my hands to do.  And my feet also, I want them to be swift on errands for thee.  And give me more errands to do that my feet may be ever in thy service. </div> <bR> <div> And Lord, I want my voice used for thee.  May it ever bring honor and glory to thy name!  Take my lips too.  May the impulse of thy love cause my lips to be moved with messages from thee.  There is so much to be said concerning thy love.  Eternity will not suffice to tell it all; but Lord, I want to be faithful in telling as much about it as I can; so take my lips, sanctify and use them to thy glory. </div> <bR> <div> And take my time!  It is a fleeting thing, but help me "redeem" as much of it as possible to be used in thy service.  There are so many things, Lord, which crowd in upon my time and take it away from use in thy service, but help me to be more watchful, for I want all my moments and all my days to be used in ceaseless praise to thee because thou hast called me out of darkness into thy marvelous light. </div> <bR> <div> And take my intellect.  Lord, I know that it is only in thy great mercy that thou wilt be able to use that which is so inferior.  Angels, cherubim, and seraphim could be used far more efficiently, but I believe the promise to give me the spirit of a sound mind.  So take the little mental faculty I have and use it.  I am renewing my mind day by day the best I can through the study of thy word.  In all that I do I know that my shortcomings will be covered by thy blood; so, I say again, "Take my intellect and - Every pow'r as thou shalt choose." </div> <bR> <div> Nor would I hold my silver and my gold - my money!  I know, Lord, that the cattle on a thousand hills belong to thee, and that thou dost not need my money, but I want to give it as an evidence of my belief.  I want to give it to show my faith in thy promises to care for me.  I want to give it to show my love for thee, for the truth, and for the brethren.  I want to give it because it is a part of my all which I have devoted to thee in full consecration.  "Nothing, Lord, would I withhold." </div> <bR> <div> And take my heart, too - my affections.  I don't want them to be set on things of this earth, but upon things above.  I esteem the things of this earth as of trifling worth, and in view of what thou has promised concerning the everlasting kingdom and its glorious fulfillment of life's meaning, my heart can only be in those things that pertain to thy kingdom.  So give me a heart renewed with the power from above that in all things I may be moved to love as you would love, to serve as you would serve, to forgive as you would forgive. </div> <bR> <div> Take my will, Lord, and make it thine.  I don't want any will of my own.  I want my life to be used as thou  wouldest have it used.  I want my hands to serve as thou, my Lord, desirest them to serve.  I want my feet to go where thou wouldest have them go. I want my intellect to search out thy ways and not my own.  I want my silver and my gold to be used for thy glory and not to further any of my selfish desires.  I want my every moment to be devoted to thee and to the doing of thy will.  In no way whatever do I want my will to be done.  So take my will, Lord, take it and make it thine.</div> <bR> <div> Finally, Lord, thank you for your love in making provision through the sacrifice of your Son to accept my life as a living sacrifice, thank you for permitting me to be used for your eternal purposes.  May I be ever faithful to you, to bring honor and glory to you who are the beginning and the end - the everlasting Creator and Savior. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I>Author Unknown</I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>