Category: Faith

Posted on

The Good Fight

and some days it’s a real battle.

This morning I woke up with two scriptures on my mind. “Fight the good fight of faith” and “our God is great”. The two of these run hand in hand. When we try to accomplish things on our own, we can become frustrated, discouraged, disappointed in the battle and then see the same results when we complete the task.

Striving to reach a goal, develop a relationship, coming back from devastating circumstances, or just daily life in general can be an all-consuming endeavor that causes us to lose sight of the joys that are all around us on a daily basis. But when we “go for it” in faith God directs our steps and although our goal may be the same, the purpose for reaching that goal is God centered and it brings a much more pleasant reward.

The other side of the coin is those that don’t even fight. They have no motivation to succeed or venture toward the goal. They live with the outlook of “whatever will be, will be”. So, they never even try to fight or to win.

But when we fight the good fight of faith, our faith isn’t in ourself or our abilities it’s in God and what He has placed within us. Today – make the effort, go for it and most of all trust in God who is there with us every step of the way.

“…Always try to do what is right, to be devoted to God, and to have faith, love, patience, and gentleness. 12 We have to fight to keep our faith. Try as hard as you can to win that fight. Take hold of eternal life. It is the life you were chosen to have when you confessed your faith in Jesus—that wonderful truth that you spoke so openly and that so many people heard.” I Timothy 6:11-12 ERV

Deuteronomy 10:16-18 “Stop being stubborn. Give your hearts to God. The LORD is your God. He is the God of gods and the Lord of lords. He is the great God. He is the amazing and powerful fighter. To him everyone is the same. He does not accept money to change his mind. 18 He defends widows and orphans. He loves even the strangers living among us. He gives them food and clothes.”

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:6-7 ERV

God is more than able!

Posted on

In the Storm

Peace, be still.

Simply put be at rest. Some see peace as the absence of conflict, but I want to show you that we can be at peace in the midst of a storm.

In the book of Luke we read about the final days of Jesus life. He was celebrating the Feast of the Passover with his disciples. He told them that the broken bread and the wine represented what was about to happen to Him. He told them He would be betrayed.

Their reaction was strange.

They began arguing about which one of them would do such a thing and then they began to argue about which one of them was the most important to Jesus.

Oh my goodness!!!

If I had been Jesus, I would have left them all. But instead, Jesus told them that He was praying for them and He gave them instruction on how to live once He was gone.

Then He took them to the garden where He prayed. He told them they needed to pray also. He knew they would need to remain strong. He prayed for Himself and for them, but they fell asleep.

He knew what was about to happen.

In His humanity, He didn’t want to face the cross and the horrible death of crucifixion but in His divinity, He knew He was the only One who could be the sinless sacrifice. Only He could be the One to redeem us all and reconcile mankind to the Father.

He went through great conflict and turmoil; battling His mind and emotions He came to a place of peace, His spirit found rest!

When Judas betrayed Him with a kiss there was no ridiculue or retaliation, when the soldiers were placing him under arrest there was no fight. He was at peace!

Jesus was living the words He spoke to the disciples earlier that day.

“‘I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid.” John 14:27 ERV

The Apostle Paul tells us this:

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” Philippians 4:6-7 CEV

Our storms come in a variety of ways. Some are actual weather-related storms; others are physical and health related. Financial, emotional, relational – storms are storms and their purpose is to rob our peace. They come to distract us from trusting God’s word. They come to steal the seed what God has planted in our hearts.

“…The seed is God’s teaching… But when trouble comes, they turn away from God. 14 ‘What about the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That is like the people who hear God’s teaching, but they let the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life stop them from growing. So they never produce a crop.” Luke 8:11-15 ERV

Are you in the middle of a storm today – do you feel like you’re about to be crucified? Let the Lord’s peace rule your thinking. Don’t be troubled, don’t be afraid. Take refuge in God and trust Him to control the outcome.

Posted on

Dry Times?

I hope you take time to look closely at this morning’s image. Do you see the two little sprouts? They are today’s object lesson on God’s love and faithfulness.

I almost forgot about them completely. Last Spring a dear friend gave me this pot of hyacinths. I love their fragrance! At our home in Rio Rico, before we started RVing full-time, I had a half whisky barrel where I planted hyacinth bulbs. Oh, the aroma that would fill the air when they began to bloom…

Early last summer when the blossoms were gone, I placed this pot in a big storage bench we have on the patio and completely forgot about them. Then the other day, I was looking for some potting soil and there was this metal bucket filled with soil. Much to my delight, one little stock was breaking through the bone-dry soil.

I took it out of the bench, watered it and placed it on a tabletop where it would get the warm sunshine. Yesterday, the second sprout appeared. And this morning, it’s a living example of hope.

“ As long as the earth continues, there will always be a time for planting and a time for harvest. There will always be cold and hot, summer and winter, day and night on earth.” Genesis 8:22 ERV

God has a plan for replenishing. Replenishing the soil, yes, replenishing our hope, our joy, our peace, most certainly.

“Then Jesus said, “What is God’s kingdom like? What can I compare it to? 19 God’s kingdom is like the seed of the mustard plant. Someone plants this seed in their garden. The seed grows and becomes a tree, and the birds build nests on its branches.” Luke 13:18-19 ERV

“And what about the seed that fell on the good ground? That is like the people who hear God’s teaching with a good, honest heart. They obey it and patiently produce a good crop.” Luke 8:15 ERV

The Seed is God’s word. Our hearts are the soil.

“ If you plant goodness, you will harvest faithful love. Plow your ground, and you will harvest with the Lord. He will come, and he will make goodness fall on you like rain.” Hosea 10:12 ERV

“For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children.” Isaiah 44:3 NLT

“ But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Galatians 5:22-23 NLT

“…The Good News is like a sweet smell to those who hear it. 15 We are a sweet smell of Christ that reaches up to God. It reaches out to those who are being saved from the punishment of sin and to those who are still lost in sin.” II Corinthians 2:14-15 NLV

Oh, how I love God’s word!

It is like seed planted in our hearts. Our hearts are the soil. the Lord brings His living water to soften the soil so the seed will grow, and the Holy Spirit creates the fruit and our sweet aroma draws others to Christ. Amen and Amen!

You might be like my little hyacinth – hidden in the dark in a bucket of dry soil but take heart. The dry times are behind you – it’s time to grow!

Posted on

Just Like A Child

A number of years ago, I was reading in Luke and I saw something I hadn’t seen before. In Luke 18 Jesus is telling the story about the Pharisee and the tax collector, who came into the Temple to pray.

The Pharisee looked for a place of prominence, threw his hands in the air and began praying loudly. It’s indicated that folks stopped to listen and commented on his piety.

The tax collector on the other hand quietly went to the corner, bowed his head and prayed humbly. No one really noticed that he was there. Except the Lord.

So this is the conclusion Jesus draws from his story.

” I tell you, when this man finished his prayer and went home, he was right with God. But the Pharisee, who felt that he was better than others, was not right with God. People who make themselves important will be made humble. But those who make themselves humble will be made important.” Luke 18:14 ERV

Jesus wanted his disciples to learn the importance of humility. Jesus said of himself that he came to serve others, not to be served or waited on.

Now what happened next is the new part that I saw.

“Some people brought their small children to Jesus so that he could lay his hands on them to bless them. But when the followers saw this, they told the people not to do this. 16 But Jesus called the little children to him and said to his followers, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people who are like these little children. 17 The truth is, you must accept God’s kingdom like a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it.” Luke 18:15-17 ERV

Jesus had just spoken about humility and his disciples didn’t get it.

Parents brought their children to Jesus and the disciples were turning them away. Jesus was too important – he needed to be talking to the adults – He had thousands of followers; He didn’t have time to be bothered by these kids!

WOW! Stop the action.

Jesus interrupted the event and had the kids brought front and center. Bring the little kids here – let them come to me. It’s their faith that’s pure and their innocence is to be admired. They are examples to the rest of us!

Jesus was humble, he wasn’t too busy or too important that He couldn’t take time for the “little people”. We need to be like him today.

Who are the “little people” or the “sinners” in your life? The Father needs you to touch them with your love today!

Posted on

Take A Walk

When you read the Bible, do you read it as if you are there? Do you take time to look around and see what was going on and how people are affected by the story that is being revealed?

Can you imagine what you would do if you were in their shoes? I am always amazed as I read the account of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, and then the first couple of verses of Matthew 8.

Here Jesus has been teaching all day. The hillside is covered with people, children are playing and adults are trying to hear what Jesus is saying. Jesus has positioned himself in such a way that his voice carries down the hillside, without the amplification that we have today.

“Blessed are those that mourn for they shall be comforted…You are a light on a hill, don’t hide under a bushel…Heaven and earth will pass away but my Word will never pass away…Forgive, be faithful to your mate, don’t seek revenge…Give to the poor, pray often, don’t make money your master…don’t worry…God knows what you need, seek Him first and everything else will be added…take care of the beam in your own eye before you try to remove a splinter from your brother’s…ask & it will be given, seek & find, knock & it will open…bear good fruit…build on a solid foundation (the Word) and you’ll make it through the storms…”

All day long Jesus preached, the multitude listened, now the teaching is over and Jesus heads down the hill with his followers. But this is where the story runs into a road block! A leper, who has obviously been waiting at the bottom of the hill, can’t contain himself. He comes running and puts himself right in front of Jesus.

Unclean, unclean!

I can see the shock and repulsion on the face of the people. This leper should not be in close contact with all of us good “clean” people.

Wow! Weren’t you just listening – about removing beams and judging not? But this leper had been listening. He heard Jesus say, “ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find”.

It seems all the others on the hillside had heard words, words, words. Amen. But this leper had heard a message that would change his life forever. It brought hope and faith so he came to ask and to receive. What would you have done if you were in his shoes?

“Jesus came down from the hill, and a large crowd followed him. 2 Then a man sick with leprosy came to him. The man bowed down before Jesus and said, “Lord, you have the power to heal me if you want.” 3 Jesus touched the man. He said, “I want to heal you. Be healed!” Immediately the man was healed from his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about what happened. But go and let the priest look at you. And offer the gift that Moses commanded for people who are made well. This will show everyone that you are healed” Matthew 8:1-4

He received!!!

He asked and he received. Jesus did tell him to go show himself to the priest and have them declare him clean. He needed that pronouncement according to Jewish law to be able to go back home and live among his family and friends again. And he needed to offer sacrifice.

All the people that heard Jesus preach on the hillside that day but only one came to Jesus to receive! I guess it amazes me because for many years I just heard words, words, words about Jesus; of the things He had done, the way He lived and I read the stories in the Old Testament and thought how neat that would have been. I did let it impact and change my life to a small degree but then the Holy Spirit became my teacher and started showing me that what happened in the Bible was available to me today.

My life has been forever changed and I can identify with that leper. I was unclean but one touch from Jesus has cleansed my life forever! To God be the Glory!

Posted on

Think On These

Yesterday’s blog was very timely – A Changed Mind.

God knows what He is doing. King Solomon put it this way in Proverbs 23:7. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:”

If we see ourselves as God sees us and we meditate on His word, we will be victorious when the battles and the challenges come. We’re told…

…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

…My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. Philippians 4:19

…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16

…If God be for us, who can be against us Romans 8:31

…the thief comes but to steal, kill and destroy but I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly John 10:10

…if any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally James 1:5

…He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed I Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:5-6

…(Abraham) Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Romans 4:17

God tells us that the battle is in our minds and we are to renew them to His way of thinking and not to be caught up in man’s natural way of thinking. Sucessful people throughout time have used God’s principal of renewing your mind and have come through with God-like results.

“The weapons we use are not human ones. Our weapons have power from God and can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments, 5 and we tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:4-5

This is what David did as a young shepherd; all the armies of Israel were in fear of one giant but David knew that God would fight with him and so he had no fear and defeated Goliath single handed. Abraham knew he had God’s promise for a child and so at 100 years old, he held on to God’s word and a miracle of conception took place and Sarah gave birth to Issac. Peter was in a sinking boat when Jesus came walking on the water and at Jesus’ word, Come, Peter stepped out and walked to Jesus.

The men and the women of the Bible were/are people just like us, 100% human, what made them special is they chose to believe that God’s words had power and they let those words change their circumstances. We can do the same today.

Give God’s word more credibility than the word of your neighbor, your spouse, a trusted friend and think on His words. Your situations will change as you put your faith in God.

Posted on

HOW GREAT!

Very often, early in the mornings my heart fills with song. Sometimes it’s just a spontaneous outpouring of gratitude, at others it’s a prayer put to music. Then there are the occasions that the song comes as a result of something I’ve read in my Bible as I start the day.

“ Follow my example: Even the Son of Man did not come for people to serve him. He came to serve others and to give his life to save many people.”

46 Then they came to the town of Jericho. When Jesus left there with his followers, a large crowd was with them. A blind man named Bartimaeus (meaning “son of Timaeus”) was sitting by the road. He was always begging for money. 47 He heard that Jesus from Nazareth was walking by. So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, please help me!”

48 Many people criticized the blind man and told him to be quiet. But he shouted more and more, “Son of David, please help me!”

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”

So they called the blind man and said, “You can be happy now. Stand up! Jesus is calling you.” 50 The blind man stood up quickly. He left his coat there and went to Jesus.

51 Jesus asked the man, “What do you want me to do for you?”

He answered, “Teacher, I want to see again.”

52 Jesus said, “Go. You are healed because you believed.” Immediately the man was able to see again. He followed Jesus down the road.” Mark 10:45-52 ERV

Immediately! he followed Jesus. I can’t help but believe that he followed praising God, singing, shouting, rejoicing in God’s goodness. How great You are Almighty God!

There have been many times I felt like the blind man. Circumstances beyond my control, financial hardship, chronic health issues, broken relationships and I couldn’t see. I couldn’t see how things would change.,,

and then I realized that Jesus was walking by – in fact, I realized that I wasn’t alone. He had promised to never leave me or abandon me. He had said, “Ask and it will be given” and “Call on me” and “Come to Me and I will give you rest”.

He never once turned me away when I called. He welcomed me with open arms. His word instructed me not to be afraid but to trust in the Lord.

Reading this man’s story my heart began to sing, “How great Thou art, How great Thou art!” https://youtu.be/a-m_6KN5ISA.

Maybe that’s what you need this morning.

Call out to Jesus – give Him your blindness to the answers that you are seeking. Tell Him you want to see, see how He is going to work in this situation and then follow Him as He leads the way.

Oh Lord, how great thou art!

Posted on

Wrapped in Kindness

Each morning when I come out to the living room my routine is the same. My coffee, my Bible, my journal and my blanket. Even in the middle of summer and yes, it always includes my blanket.

This is my comfort zone, my happy place, my quiet time when its just the Lord and I.

As I was finishing yesterday’s blog this phrase came to mind, wrapped in kindness. It stayed with me all day long and this morning it was still resounding in my heart. So much so, that I want to share a few thoughts and verses with you.

“God has been kind to you. He has been very patient, waiting for you to change. But you think nothing of his kindness. Maybe you don’t understand that God is kind to you so that you will decide to change your lives.” Romans 2:4 ERV

As a child, I never understood why preachers felt they needed to preach “hell fire and brimstone”. It was scary but it didn’t convey the heart of God.

We all know that we don’t measure up in our own efforts. That’s why God displays His kindness – kindness is revealed in His love, His mercy, His grace, His forgiveness and it’s those very things that bring us to a point where we want to change and dedicate our lives to Him.

“Think about what we have in Christ: the encouragement he has brought us, the comfort of his love, our sharing in his Spirit, and the mercy and kindness he has shown us. ” Philippians 2:1 ERV

He gives us the courage, the power, the desire and the ability to walk in His love, to be free from fear.

“ The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control.” II Timothy 1:7 ERV

God is patient and He is kind. He is love. “ Love is patient and kind.” I Corinthians 13:4 ERV

“God treats everyone alike. He accepts people only because they have faith in Jesus Christ. 23 All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. 24 But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins. 25-26  God sent Christ to be our sacrifice. Christ offered his life’s blood, so by faith in him we could come to God.” Romans 3:22-25 CEV

He treats us so much better than what we deserve – that’s grace, that’s kindness on display.

I pray that you have accepted that gift and that each day you experience being wrapped in God’s kindness.

Posted on

Measuring Up

Have you ever felt like you don’t measure up? You know, comparing yourself to others is something we never seem to outgrow.

Not as fast, not as smart, not as attractive, not as athletic, not as…

Comparing isn’t just for kids or for those seeking to succeed in their professions. As a retired “senior” adult, I sometimes fall into that trap as well. Maybe you have too.

Even good church going people can be plagued by thoughts of unworthiness.

Have I read my Bible enough, prayed enough, gone to church enough, served my community enough – plain and simple been good enough for God to love me?

The answer is No. But before you become condemned for your answer let me assure you that is exactly the answer you should give. None of us have ever done enough good to earn God’s love; we couldn’t measure up.

But God chose us anyway!

“ Yes, it is because we are a part of Christ Jesus that God raised us from death and seated us together with him in the heavenly places. 7 God did this so that his kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of his grace.

8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. 10 God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.” Ephesians 2:6-10 ERV

None of us have a right to brag about our good works giving us an “in” with God. It’s all because of what Jesus did.

“Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could be right with God.” II Corinthians 5:21 ERV

Before any of us were born, before our parents and grandparents were born, God had a plan for us.

“ I pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace! 3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven! 4 Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.” Ephesians 1:2-6 CEV

We were chosen – you were chosen by God to be His adopted child before the world was created. Did we measure up? No, far from it. It is by His grace that we have been adopted.

“You were all baptized into Christ, and so you were all clothed with Christ. This shows that you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26-27 ERV

When we are clothed in Christ, we can stand tall knowing that because of Him we measure up!

Posted on

Not A Game of Hide N Seek

When I was a kid we loved to play hide n seek. The neighbor kids would all come together in our front yard and we would scatter from there. Our houses had been built in a pecan grove so there were lots of trees to hide behind to avoid being caught.

We would play for hours. The darker it got the easier it was to hide. Then someone would turn on a porch light and the game was over.

As I was reading in Proverbs this morning, it dawned on me that the Holy Spirit is that porch light. Let me explain.

Jesus gave instruction to His disciples that when He left this earth the Holy Spirit would come and guide us into all truth.

“I have so much more to tell you, but it is too much for you to accept now. 13 But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth. He will not speak his own words. He will speak only what he hears and will tell you what will happen in the future. 14 The Spirit of truth will bring glory to me by telling you what he receives from me.” John 16:12-14 ERV

There are so many times that I pray, “Holy Spirit, I need wisdom and I thank Jesus that you came to lead me into truth”.

It’s not a game of hide n seek. The Holy Spirit is available 24/7 to lead us. Let’s look at Proverbs 8.

“Listen, Wisdom is calling. Yes, Understanding is shouting for us…4 “I am calling out to all of you.  I am speaking to everyone. 5 You who are ignorant, learn to be wise. You who are foolish, get some common sense. 6 Listen, I have something important to say, and I am telling you what is right. 7 My words are true, and I will not say anything that is wrong.
8 Everything I say is right; there is nothing false or crooked about it. 9 These things are clear to any intelligent person.  They are right to anyone with knowledge. 10 Choose discipline over silver and knowledge over the finest gold. 11 Wisdom is better than pearls,
and nothing you desire compares with her.” Proverbs 8:1-11 ERV

The great thing about wisdom is that it isn’t hiding. Wisdom, God’s wisdom, is available to all of us.

“ Do any of you need wisdom? Ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to everyone. So he will give you wisdom. 6 But when you ask God, you must believe. Don’t doubt him. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is blown up and down by the wind.” James 1:5-6 ERV

Ask God. He enjoys giving wisdom. How do you know it’s God? Well, the Bible says we will be led or our hearts will be guarded by peace. If you need to make a decision pray about it and then proceed in the direction that gives you peace. No peace, don’t do it.

I’ve heard people say, “I just had a gut feeling this was right” or “I felt uneasy about that, I should have gone with my heart”. When we ask for wisdom, we can trust God to give it. Don’t be tossed about like a wave in the sea.

Seeking God’s wisdom is not a game of hide and seek. It’s a life of trust and it’s better than gold!

Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress