Verse: Luke 1:45    

“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished. "

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Believing God is far different than believing in God.  Even the demons believe and shudder states James 2:19.  Many people believe in God and do not know Him as their savior and Lord.  To walk in the victory He won for us on the cross, we must believe:

God is who He says He is.
God can do what He says He can do.
I am who God says I am.
I can do all things through Christ.
God's Word is alive and active in me.

(These statements of truth are from the book and bible study, Believing God, by Beth Moore.) This weekend will challenge the candidates and team to begin believing God by acting as if we believe. It will challenge one to move from mental agreement to acting upon the Word.  I might mentally agree with the scripture that states that "I am the temple of the Holy Spirit," but do my actions show that I believe it?  Would I be in the backseat of this car with my boyfriend or at this party if I believed the Holy Spirit was with me?  Would I be making fun of my friend's clothes if I believed Jesus when He said, "as you do unto the least of these, you do unto Me?" Do I believe I am who the world says I am, or who God says I am?  I act according to who I believe I am.  Vida Nueva #9 will challenge me to believe "I am who God says I am," and that through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, living and active in me, I am becoming the young woman God has called me to be.  Mary, in spite of being a virgin, believed the Angel Gabriel, when he brought her news that she was highly favored by God and she would bear the Christ child. VN #9 will challenge us to believe every aspect of His Word by acting upon it!
"Lord, help my unbelief!"  

Marilyn Hough