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CURRENT RADIO SERIES Stores of the Bible   CURRENT TV SERIES All Things New

While bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. --1 Timothy 4:8 I see people all the time outside jogging, running, and biking down the street. That’s great, because it’s important for us to take care of our bodies.  I just wonder sometimes if these people care as much about staying in good spiritual shape as they do about staying in good physical shape. For the Christian, it’s not an either/or situation. As we have discussed over the last few days, the Bible urges us to stay in top shape both physically and spiritually. It’s a matter of having balance in life. We make an effort to work out and stay in shape so that we can live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. The same should be true spiritually. Having strong, healthy bodies prepares us to deal with the physical world we live in. In much the same way, strengthening our spirits through regular times of prayer, Bible study, worship, and service to the Lord will prepare us for the spiritual atmosphere of heaven, where we will worship and serve the Lord forever! Just as athletes do, we must practice to be ready for the big game, which in our case is heaven! We’re practicing for the big event, so let’s give the Lord our best today—whether it’s in our prayer life, the study of His Word, or our service.  Practice hard every day, and you’ll be prepared and in shape when the time comes to enter heaven. Don’t neglect your daily spiritual workout! Make time for your spiritual workout every day!

Believing the Impossible

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.”
John 11:20–23

Outside of the disciples, Jesus had no closer friends on earth than Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. They welcomed Him into their home near Jerusalem, providing Jesus a place to rest and eat during His busy times of ministry in that city. When Lazarus took sick, Mary and Martha immediately rushed a message to Jesus, asking for His help. Yet the Lord delayed coming until Lazarus was dead and all hope was lost.
At some level, however, in Martha’s heart, there was a faith that even reached beyond the grave. Even as she expressed her disappointment that Jesus had not come to heal her brother, she expressed faith that Jesus would do the will of God. As you read this passage, you see Martha’s faith rise and fall somewhat throughout it. But she trusted that God wanted what was best for her and her family, and that He could deal with any problem she faced. In the end, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, and God was glorified.
Too many Christians miss out on what God could and would do for them because they lack the faith to ask. James wrote, “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not” (James 4:2). Why do we not pray as we should? While there are many reasons for prayer failure, the greatest is a lack of faith in God. No matter what we may say out loud, in our hearts we do not believe that God is willing or able to help.
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

If our faith is limited by what seems possible to us, we will never see God work in miraculous ways.