We Live By Faith

Now it is God who… has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

We live by faith, not by sight.

And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:5, 7, 15

I struggled for years trying to figure out God’s will for my life. I prayed daily God would reveal His plan for my life to me.

“But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you””. 2 Corinthians 12:9a

I now pray daily that I be filled with the Holy Spirit; I commit each day to Him. I pray that He take control of my heart, my mind, my thoughts, my words, my actions, and my attitude. I am His; each day is His and that my friends, is the plan.

God Bless!

The Home Front

 I will sing of your love and justice;
to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.

I will be careful to lead a blameless life—
when will you come to me?

I will walk in my house
with a blameless heart.

I will set before my eyes
no vile thing.

The deeds of faithless men I hate;
they will not cling to me.

Men of perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will have nothing to do with evil. Psalm 101:1-4

As a rule, people put on their best behavior when away from home. But what about your behavior at home; how do you walk before your family?

As believers, our behavior should be consistent without regard to our audience. We should “be careful to lead a blameless life and walk with a blameless heart” always; in every situation.

Most importantly, the first mission field on which we serve is our own homes. “Home missions” is our first priority. If we can’t proclaim the name of Jesus at home, to our family, chances are we’ll find ourselves sadly lacking and unprepared when facing other, less-welcoming situations.

God Bless!

We Are The Created

How great is God—beyond our understanding! Job 36:26a

We may be the greatest of God’s creations, but we are merely human. We are nothing on our own lest in our pride and arrogance we should think otherwise. In Job 38, God speaks to Job and through God’s questions to Job shows him that as a mere human being he not only lacks wisdom but is also weak.

God is the author and giver of creation; He is the divine caretaker; all wisdom and power are in His hands. He is the potter; we are but the clay.

Our God is mighty and awesome. Everything we see serves to remind us that God has a right to our love, to our worship and to our constant adoration. He is the God of grace and the Father of every good and perfect gift.

The wisest of all mankind cannot comprehend the mind of God. It is impossible for the created to out-think or out-do the Creator!

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
(Doxology, Thomas Ken, 1674, James 1:17)

God Bless!

What about Faith?

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2, NIV

What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 tells us faith is the assurance or the confirmation of things we hope for and the certainty of things we do not see. Furthermore, the Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 5:7 we walk by faith and not by sight. In other words, we do not conduct our daily lives by the appearance of things revealed to us by our senses; we conduct our daily lives by the assurance and certainty of what we believe to be true.

How do we get faith? Again, the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 10:17 that faith in God comes from hearing the message, and that which is heard is the word of Christ.

Now would be a good time to ask the question, why would I want to hear the message of Christ? Jesus speaking in John 6:44a answers this question by saying, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him”.

Why do we need faith? Ephesians 2:8 tells us we can be rescued from eternal death and damnation; we can be saved, but only because of the grace, mercy, love and benevolence of God the Father. We can only be saved through faith in Christ Jesus, but no one comes to the Son unless the Father draws him through the urging of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ, the source of and the finisher of our faith, died on the cross, defeated death, rose again so that we might have life eternal. So back to Ephesians 2:8:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Once saved, Paul writes in Galatians 2:20 saying, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Christ lives in us and as we walk on our spiritual journey we are to, “take up the shield of faith” in order to extinguish “the flaming arrows of the evil one”, Ephesians 6:16.

James 1:3 tells us that the testing of our faith will develop patience and perseverance and that our faith will cause us to be active. James 2:26 tells us, “as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

The Apostle John, the beloved disciple, writes in 1 John 5:4,

“For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”

Amen and God Bless!

Called to be Different

Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 1 Corinthians 3: 1-3, NIV

The church at Corinth had problems and Paul told them they were still acting as babes in Christ. Furthermore, Paul told them they were acting as “mere” men. When we, as Christians, are told we are acting as mere men, it is a slap in the face! As Christians we are different; our bodies are temples of God.

Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16

We are not our own; we are bought with a price; the blood of Jesus Christ and therefore we are to honor God with our body, 1 Corinthians 6:20. 1 Corinthians 7:23 also reminds us we are bought at a price and that we are not to become slaves of men. You are called to be different; don’t become slaves to the world.

Be different and be ready to tell others why you are different! 1 Corinthians 3 ends by saying, “you are of Christ, and Christ is of God”. Amen! Celebrate Christ today; keep your focus on Him. Make the most of each opportunity to declare His precious name!

God Bless!

Wisdom through the Spirit

We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:12-14 (NIV)

As believers, the Spirit of God lives within us and is in constant communication with God; interceding (intervening, mediating, arbitrating, negotiating) on our behalf. It is through the Spirit the truths of God are revealed to us. It is through the Spirit God’s messages are delivered to us.

The Spirit speaks to us in a small still voice; teaching us, leading us, directing us, urging us onward. What are we to do? Stop. Listen. Obey. Repeat.

God Bless!

Great is Our God

He stretches out the north over empty space;
He hangs the earth on nothing.
He binds up the water in His thick clouds,
Yet the clouds are not broken under it.
He covers the face of His throne,
And spreads His cloud over it.
He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters,
At the boundary of light and darkness.
The pillars of heaven tremble,
And are astonished at His rebuke.
He stirs up the sea with His power,
And by His understanding He breaks up the storm.
By His Spirit He adorned the heavens;
His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand? Job 26:7-14, NKJV

In the above verses Job is commenting on the vast greatness of God, but ends by wisely saying, what we know of God is but a mere whisper of who He really is; there is no one who can understand His providence and power. We are the created and therefore can do no more than hint at the magnitude of the Creator.

If you aren’t convinced of this, I challenge you to read passages from Isaiah 6, Ezekiel 1, Daniel 7-8, and the book of Revelation to get a mere glimpse of the power and greatness of Almighty God. These are but a few examples.

Yes, our God is omnipotent (all powerful); omnipresent (present to the whole of creation and its parts); and omniscient (all knowing) and yet He not only created us but loved us so much that He gave His one and only Son to die on the cross so they we might be saved; “that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16.

Thank-you, Lord, for loving even me.

God Bless!

The Struggle For Obediance

After His suffering, He showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Acts 1:3-5, NIV

It is a wonderful thing to serve a loving, all-knowing, all-powerful, Almighty God. As Jesus was preparing to ascend into heaven He reminded His disciples that He would be sending them a Helper and Comforter in the form of the Holy Spirit. He KNEW we’d need help along the way and He provided for it!

Once we have accepted Christ as Savior the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our hearts. He fills us (in as much as we open ourselves to it), He teaches us, He guides us, He leads us, He walks with us, He enables us and empowers us—He is Helper and Comforter—that says it all.

When we struggle, He is there making obedience possible for us. The Holy Spirit draws us to the Father, uncovers and reveals sin in our lives, guides us into repentance and helps us realign our lives to His will and His way. Praise God!

Dearest Holy Spirit, Fill me completely leaving no room for my pride and arrogance. Mold me and make me into the person you intend me to be. Amen.

God Bless!

Speak with Confidence

"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised." Job 1:21 (NIV)

The story of Job is a familiar one. Job was a very wealthy man but within a short period of time he lost his wealth and his children; afterward he praised the Lord. Later, when Job loses his health his reply is,

“Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?” (Job 2:10)

The steadfast faith of Job—saving faith is never destroyed. If you read through the book of Job you find Job never discovers the reason for his suffering but his trust in the sovereign God, the all-wise Creator, endures.

Believers, in the midst of suffering, draw near to God. In God we find comfort; in Him we find peace. When our world crumbles around us, speak with the confidence and expectation of Job saying,

I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25-27

Unbeliever, you too can have the steadfast, saving faith of Job. Accept Christ today. You may never discover the cause of your troubles but you can have the peace knowing Jesus brings.

How? Admit—Believe—Confess: Admit that you are a sinner; “for all have sinned…”—Romans 3:23. Believe that Jesus is God’s Son; “for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son…”—John 3:16. Confess your faith in Jesus; “for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”—Romans 10:13.

Just go to Christ in heart-felt prayer; right now, in this very moment, confessing you are a sinner and your need for a Savior. Invite Him into your life; He’s waiting for you. Amen.

God Bless!

Forward Progress

Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 1 Thessalonians 4:1, NIV

On Sunday I had the pleasure of visiting the church where a childhood friend is the pastor’s wife. They were celebrating their 25th anniversary of serving in this particular church. One of the sections of the day’s program was a review of the church’s history. The church was established some 55 years ago and they have had four pastors to serve; I cannot remember the length of time the first two pastors served but the last two lengths of service I do recall—21 years and 25 years. The numbers in membership have grown tremendously; an average of about 50 in Sunday School has grown to about 250; around 500 have been baptized in the last 25 years and they now average offerings of about $13,000 each Sunday. It is truly amazing what can happen when you let go and let God; blessings follow obedience.

In all of this I was reminded the Christian walk should be one of growth and forward progress. As we follow our Lord in obedience to Him, we should be moving onward, learning, growing, maturing as we walk on the journey of faith. This should be true of our individual journey and should be true of our local body of believers, and thus should be true of our church.

As parents, we look forward excitedly to our children learning and progressing through each level of maturity. It is also the will of our Heavenly Father that we learn, mature and make forward progress in our spiritual journey.

Are you where you should be in your journey of faith? Are you doing what you should be doing? If not, why not? Seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit; spend time alone with God; confess, repent, believe; He not only has the answer; He IS the answer.

God Bless!

Performance Review

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

When I worked full-time, each year I was called in by my supervisor for an annual performance review. I had an overall job description and working from that description a list of performance objectives had been generated. Each year I would be graded as to how well I had performed each task. This served as a review or a reminder of what was expected of me daily.

Romans 12 is one of those, “In case you’ve forgotten how you are supposed to act, here’s a reminder” chapters of the Bible. If you ever feel confused or perhaps in denial about what you should be doing in terms of your daily Christian walk, read Romans 12.

It begins by telling us that in view of God’s mercy, we are to offer our complete selves to Him in worship. As a child of God we are to be nonconformists in regard to the world; we may live in the world for a short time but we are to walk in the way of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are to be humble; to have fellowship with other members of the Body; to use our spiritual gifts; to love all sincerely; to live in harmony with everyone without partiality; to live peaceably and we are not to avenge ourselves—God will take care of that.

I challenge you to read Romans 12 today. Evaluate yourself using the performance standards listed. I don’t know about you, but there are some areas on which I need to focus.

God Bless!

Got Questions?

How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.

I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:9, 11 (NIV)

I sometimes wonder how we as Christians can willfully neglect the reading of God’s word. The Bible is a treasure. It God’s holy word…WRITTEN DOWN and highly accessible!

Do you want to know about the character of God? Read the Bible.

Do you want to know more about the will of God? Read the Bible.

Do you want to learn about the promises of God? Read the Bible.

Do you want to learn more about how God blesses those that obey Him? Read the Bible.

Do you want an instruction book on how to live the best kind of life possible? Do you yearn for hope and joy in your life; do you need assurance that you are loved? Read the Bible.

Do you need, want, or desire greater faith? "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ", Romans 10:17, (NASB); READ THE BIBLE!

The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. (Psalm 119:72, NIV)

Your word, O LORD, is eternal;
it stands firm in the heavens. (v. 89)

How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth! (v. 103)

Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path. (v. 105)

All your words are true;
all your righteous laws are eternal. (v. 160)

May my tongue sing of your word,
for all your commands are righteous. (v. 172)

Got questions? The Bible has the answers.

God Bless!

Is That Your Final Answer?

You are the one I am teaching today.
I want you to trust in the Lord.
I have written 30 sayings for you.
They will give you knowledge and good advice.
I am teaching you words that are completely true.
Then you can give the right answers to the one who sent you. Proverbs 22:17-21 (NIRV)

When you are asked about things spiritual, how do you reply? Do you become flushed and frightened and attempt to change the subject or do you answer gladly and without hesitation? Solomon wrote we need to be able to hear and then speak the wisdom of God to others with accuracy.

But make sure in your hearts that Christ is Lord. Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope you have. Be ready to give the reason for it. But do it gently and with respect. 1 Peter 3:15 (NIRV)

We are to be prepared to share the story of Christ with others; don’t play the role of “Artful Dodger”—don’t live your life as an under-cover Christian, hoping no one will find you out.

So we are Christ's official messengers. It is as if God were making his appeal through us. Here is what Christ wants us to beg you to do. Come back to God! 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIRV)

We are ambassadors for Christ. If you’re a little rusty on the definition of an ambassador allow me to refresh your memory. An ambassador is a “diplomatic official of the highest rank, sent by a sovereign as its resident representative” (dictionary.com).

We are the official messengers sent out on behalf of Christ appealing to the world, "Come to God" or "Come back to God", whichever message is appropriate dependant upon the person to whom we are speaking. As Christians, our purpose in life is to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Be ready!

God Bless!

Help Me!

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)

When Jesus said He would send us a comforter and a helper in the form of the Holy Spirit, He was not speaking metaphorically; He was speaking literally. Once you accept Christ as Savior and Lord of your life, the Holy Spirit takes up residence within your heart.

F.B. Meyer wrote of the Holy Spirit saying, “When the Spirit comes in power to the soul, He teaches us to know God, and truth, and things hidden from the wise and prudent.”

Likewise, Henry W. Beecher wrote, “I understand this: that there is a divine influence which is moving upon men, and which is developing itself in the form of yearnings, and of vague aspirations, and of spiritual longings, for which we have no expression; and that these yearnings and longings are the product of God’s Spirit in us, dwelling in us, stimulating us, exciting us. This is the evidence of His presence, that there is that vital longing, that incessant yearning, for something higher and better…with soul moanings—the most affecting of all things.”

Take comfort, you are never alone. The Holy Spirit is with you, guiding you, leading you, teaching you, comforting you, helping you, and always making intercession on your behalf.

If you are without the Comforter, accept Christ today. Admit that you are a sinner; “for all have sinned…”—Romans 3:23. Believe that Jesus is God’s Son; “for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son…”—John 3:16. Confess your faith in Jesus; “for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”—Romans 10:13.

Go to Christ in heart-felt prayer, confessing you are a sinner and your need for a Savior. Invite Him into your life; He’s waiting for you. Hold fast—help is on the way! Amen.

God Bless!

We Have Come to Worship

For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised, Psalm 96:1a

This morning I got up singing a scripture song I learned as a child: “The joy of the Lord is my strength”, which comes from Nehemiah 8. Nehemiah and Ezra had gathered together the remnant (from captivity) of the Jews in Jerusalem, reading and teaching them from the book of the Law of Moses. Upon hearing the words of the book the people were grieved and began to cry, however; they were told, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

How often do we, as God’s people, humble ourselves before Him? How often are we brought to tears—tears of conviction or tears of joy—upon hearing God’s word? How often do we stop and contemplate, the joy of the Lord is our strength; that without Him we are nothing?

Psalm 96 tells us our God, “is great and greatly to be praised” (v. 1). Our God is the Creator who made the heavens (v. 5)—honor, majesty, strength and beauty are before Him (v. 6). Our Lord reigns (v. 10).

I challenge you today to take the time to praise and worship our great God; right now in this very minute. Forget your list of needs, wants, and desires; forget about how busy you are. Just take a moment, clear your mind and go humbly before the Lord and worship Him. He is worthy! Amen.

God Bless!

Trials Will Come

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. James 1:2-4, 12

James tells us that trials will come to us but that is not a bad thing. For through trials we are refined; character, integrity and patience are developed as we become mature and complete. Without the process of refinement, upon testing, we would be easily broken.

No one becomes a long distance runner overnight. It is a process. Muscles are stretched, tested then rested and tested again until endurance and perseverance are gained. (Remember, once endurance is gained, it must be maintained.)

Are you being stretched and tested through the trials of life? Hold on; don’t be afraid; Christ is with you. Remain joyful for you are being perfected for the journey ahead.

God Bless!