Without Faith

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. ~ Hebrews 11:6

Faith; what a strange concept.  For a lot of us we put faith in things, or people.  Faith that our car will get us to work; faith that someone will show up when we have asked for their help, or how about faith in our communities and government.  However, Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”  Honest, genuine faith comes from accepting, knowing and being confident in what you cannot see.  To please God you must exercise faith in believing He exists, diligently seek Him and watch Him bless you.  I need to make it clear though, this is not just an acceptance, or acknowledgement of God, but a belief and value that your moral being, doing, acting and love for people is built on.  It’s part of your life's fabric.  We must have a faith that follows after God’s own heart to please Him and be blessed by Him.  So many people want God’s blessing without being followers of Jesus.  This is contradictory to God’s Word.  It is impossible to please God without believing He exists.  Atheists cannot please God and therefore, cannot get His blessing.  Some people throw random prayers into the air in hopes of blessing, but no genuine faith.  This is also contradictory to God’s word.  A heart who has faith in His existence, believes and trusts Him, and seeks Him will have rewards here on earth, and in eternity.  There must be a deep conviction that God is real to draw close to Him.  Without believing God exists you cannot have a relationship with Him and therefore, cannot please Him.  Some people have accepted knowledge of God, but have not moved that knowledge to a heartfelt devotion, or genuine faith of becoming a Christ follower and therefore, have not pleased God.  Only through a genuine belief that God is real, and that He exists can one begin to establish a relationship with Him that will hopefully lead to a life of trust and salvation.  Faith.  It’s all you need. ~ Amen

Might Increase

The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase.  But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. ~ Romans 5:20-21

In this verse Paul is making the argument that the Mosaic law increased mankind’s sinning.  In essence, Israel sinned more once the Ten Commandments came into play because now they were actually rebelling against God by doing things they now knew were in direct conflict with Him.  It’s like when people drive however fast they want on the Autobahn highway because there is no speed limit posted. Sometimes no law = stupidity.  Rebellion = stupidity.  No law may mean to some that they can do whatever, whenever they want.  But here in the US of A, there is a speed limit, so going as fast as you want is not permitted and we all know that even though some of us chose to break the law anyway.  Likewise with the Mosaic Law and the Israelites.  Before the law there was no real law, so who really counts sin as sin?  But after the law was revealed, it increased the sinning as an unintended consequence because everyone was made aware of the law they were now breaking.  God, however, had a different plan.  One like non-other before.  While sin increased, His plan of grace and redemption through Jesus Christ was in motion.  Romans 6:23 says,  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  The reality is man was headed down a road of destruction and spiritual damnation because our sin was leading us to a death apart from God.  But God’s son, Jesus Christ, settled our payment through grace when he died on the cross so that we might have eternal life through Him.  Sin increased through the law, but Christ’s great gift of grace through Jesus’ righteousness overcame sin and death.  This is the way God has saved everyone who believes in Jesus Christ no matter your past, or what you’ve done.  You can have an abundance of grace through Him and eternal life with Him.  Where we once were helpless and hopeless in our sin, God showed up.  Through this great gift of grace, we can have joy, peace, and hope even in today’s broken world.  ~ Amen

Unsearchable Things

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. ~ Jeremiah 33:3

Communication with God.  A direct invite from the Creator of the universe to call out to Him. He will answer us.  Call out to Him no matter the time and no matter the problem.  He wants to help His children.  Jeremiah spent most of his life warning Judah and Jerusaleum of the judgement that was to come and was finally imprisoned, but the Lord wanted to remind Jeremiah that He was still there for Him.  By seeking God and calling out to Him, God promised that He will answer.  We may not always get the answer we want, but God is always there ready to help.  We have to remember that His ways are higher than ours and He has so much to teach us if we would just ask and listen.  Jeremiah was told by God that He would restore the Israelites and God wants to do the same thing for us.  He is a God of restoration no matter what you are going through, or where you have been.  Genuinely put your faith and trust in Him, leave difficulties at His feet and call out to Him.  He will answer.  An answer may come that would not have been revealed if you didn’t call upon the Lord; an answer you would have never guessed, or imagined.  If you want to grow a deeper relationship with God, this invitation to call out to Him in prayer is a great place to start.  He will reveal to you things you could have only known by asking Him.  He will reveal to you your true identity – a child of the Most High.  Your soul and spirit will be enlightened.  Trust God in the midst of hard challenges and life’s difficulties by calling out to Him.  Praise Him in good times; call on Him in bad times and converse with Him in the meantime.  Just pray.  Be humble, be faithful, be sincere and wait for His guidance.  He will answer.  Let this verse fill you with hope and assurance that God wants to help.  Call out to Him. ~ Amen

Wise Understanding

Who is wise and understanding among you?  Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ~ Jame 3:13

I like how James opens chapter 3 talking about the need for all of us to control our tongues and then asks, “who is wise and understanding among you?”  I don’t think that was by coincidence, but rather he was telling us that one way we could show our wisdom is by our actions and not our words.  Sometimes we need to be quiet and let our lives be our example.  Proverbs 17:28 says, “Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.”  Buying into the world’s wisdom that is mostly understood by senses, emotions, feelings and intellect is not necessarily bad, but if you put that wisdom before God’s you will be most likely disappointed.  Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”  So we cannot always follow our heart as the world would tell us to do.  Before we can be considered wise, we must fear the Lord.  Not fear Him as be scared of Him, but fear Him as meaning to have great reverence, or respect for Him.  To be in awe of Him.  We must put Him in His rightful place as the leader in our lives.  The headship.  By putting ourselves to the side, and humbly coming to Christ for His guidance we show wisdom.  Many people believe that wisdom comes from knowledge and intellect, but Godly wisdom comes from a humble heart that lives out the daily life in pursuit of God’s righteousness.  True wisdom has nothing to do with earthly knowledge, but everything to do with our relationship to God and how we live that out.  To lead a life of submission to God will produce a life of wisdom through humility and gentleness.  We will act and live our lives out according to the wisdom we follow; we will act worldly and for knowledge and ambition, or we will act in kindness, in goodness, in humility, in love for others and in Christ first.  The only way I know to get Godly wisdom is to seek God py prayer, studying His word, and living the way God has instructed us by putting Him first and humbling ourselves before Him.  The wisdom we want from Him will be a light to others by our good conduct and our humble attitude.  This is the good life. ~ Amen

Stumbling Blocks

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.  If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. ~ Romans 14:13-15

To be a follower of Jesus means we are called to serve others and be mindful of what is good for them and to be considerate of their well being before our own.  Yes, you have been given grace to have a glass of wine with dinner, but who are you in company with?  If one of your table guests struggles with alcohol, you should put your right to a glass off to the side so that your friend does not stumble.  Our right to do something is not as important as our friend’s spiritual well-being, so put your right aside.  Most people are concerned about their own personal satisfaction and have a “me first” attitude, but as followers of Jesus, we are to put others first.  The world thinks of “me first” and we, the church, should be striving to be “we first” starting with the very family of Christ we are a part of and continuing out to our communities.  Most of us are self-absorbed (myself included), but how different our world would look if we put others before ourselves and genuinely helped people become better versions of themselves spiritually and walked humbly by their side.  I don’t ever want to be a stumbling block for someone else, so I must remember that just because something may be permissible for me, that does not mean it is for every believer, or even that it is beneficial.  The heart of a Jesus follower should always put others first no matter what the situation, or circumstance.  Be mindful of those around who are learning from you and help them grow without being a hindrance. ~ Amen

Wait Patiently

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. ~ Romans 8:25

Sometimes waiting in anticipation of something to happen is part of the excitement; other times it can be excruciating.  Like waiting for two more days before you go on that vacation of a lifetime; waiting another week before the arrival of your first child; the anticipation of walking down the aisle to your prince charming.  The anticipation, the expectation, the forecast, or hope for all of these journeys and milestones is exciting.  As followers of Christ, we should have the same hope and excitement for our glorious eternity with Jesus and our new redeemed bodies.  Being made to wait for anything good is hard, but while we are on this side of eternity, God is still using us and blessing us to help others and build more of His character into our faith.  Most people struggle with waiting; after all, patience is a virtue, but in God’s view, waiting and perseverance almost always leads to significant growth.  We want to hurry up and get to the end goal of things, but Christ would have us cherish each step and take note of lessons learned along the way.  Hence one of the reasons you are still on this planet earth.  The path and purpose God placed you here for, specifically your calling, is yours alone and is not finished yet.  While we wait we should be producing a faith filled life full of good fruit for us to share and for others to enjoy.  Your mission here on earth and to mankind has not been fulfilled if you are still here.  God has bigger plans for you still; more for you to do and more for you to grow.  Be open to the waiting and be confident in what is to come.  Keep planting seeds of faith here for others to see.  Spread the good news.  Know that there is a purpose in the waiting and anticipation and learn to be glad in it.  I may not always understand, but I do believe He has perfect timing in everything He does; which means I will be in His glorious presence at the right time.  In the meantime, I will live my life the best I can to serve Him and wait with anticipation and hope. ~ Amen

Myself Nothing

By myself I can do  nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. ~ John 5:30

I don’t know about you, but if Jesus says He can do nothing without His dependance on God, then I know that I must learn to depend more on God myself.  Jesus is the son of God and is in the will of God and wants to stay there to please His father.  Dependance is necessary.  We know that Jesus is part of the Holy Trinity and so has great power and authority, but here He proclaims that He will do nothing aside from what His father has told Him to do.  He has surrendered to God’s ultimate will and plans.  The Jewish leaders of the day were jealous of Jesus and tried to discredit Him and harm his ministry, but to no avail.  By laying down what might have been His own will, Jesus stayed in His father’s will and God was given all the glory.  We see in Jesus the example laid out for how we are to live our lives; doing only what the Father tells us to do.  Humbly human, but still all deity, Jesus showed humanity what it looks like to follow God’s will instead of getting caught up with our own desires.  There is hope for us; we can live as human beings with desires, but we can learn to be consistent in making sure our desires line up with Christ’s.  We can be fully human and show Christ.  Hearing God’s voice, making the right choices, and controlling our thoughts and talk are all easier to do when you are in constant communication with Christ.  When you are trying to please others, or your worldly desires, God’s voice can become clouded, or drowned out, but when you put His voice first His plans will become louder and clearer.  Who are you listening to?  Who are you trying to please?  Lord, I pray I would see, hear and do what is in your will for my life.  Help me to consistently be dwelling in you.  Work through me Lord. ~ Amen 

Will Forgive

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. ~ Hebrews 8:12

In the Old Testament, when the Israelites had sinned over and over and over again they had to make animal sacrifices each time to atone for their sins.  Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t?  I mean there were something like 600 rules under the old covenant with God; how could anyone not break numerous rules everyday?  This old covenant was doomed to fail from the beginning because it relied on flawed human beings being able to fulfill a long list of requirements.  But even while the Israelites were living under the old covenant, the Lord declared to the prophet Jeremiah that something better was coming (read Jeremiah 31:31-34).  A new covenant, and in this new covenant, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins, this covenant cannot be broken because Christ himself will fulfill the requirement.  So if you are a follower of Jesus Christ and have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior and accepted that He died on the cross for your sins, then the Lord God is merciful and just to forgive you of your sins.  Period.  We have to hold onto that truth when the enemy of our souls wants to dredge up our past mistakes.  Do not let him keep you stuck.  God has forgiven you and the devil has no right to attack you with your mistakes, so don’t let him.  Identify yourself as a child of Jesus Christ and move forward.  God has chosen not to penalize us for our sins because He is a God of mercy and grace.  Let that wash over you.  It’s not that He has lost His memory about our mistakes, but that He chooses to look at us through the blood of Jesus and the fulfillment of the price paid on the cross.  Thank God Almighty that the old covenant is gone and I pray I may see myself in the same light that Christ does. ~ Amen

Show Respect

“Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God.  I am the Lord.” ~ Leviticus 19:32

Aging.  These days a lot of people try their best to stop the process of aging.  I myself have never fully understood why.  Sure, I don’t necessarily like that I have put on extra weight, or have some lines in my face, or that I am not able to move like I used to, but I am okay with it.  You know why?  I have always viewed aging and getting older as a privilege and wisdom filled.  I am okay with aging because I know I have gained knowledge, experiences and wisdom (both worldly and spiritually) that I didn’t have in my twenties.  I have grown and matured and become a better version of myself comfortable in my own skin and I don’t want to go backwards.  Forwards equals more knowledge and wisdom in Christ.  I have earned my gray hair and consider it “wisdom glitter”.  Some of it was earned through great pain; it’s a badge of honor.  Proof that God brought me to the other side.  We need to turn the world’s negative connotation of aging around.  This verse causes us to look at ourselves and how we treat the aging, or the elderly.  Today’s culture sometimes values youth over age; which is totally contradictory to how the Lord asked and wanted the Israelites to behave.  The elderly were esteemed for their wisdom and knowledge and the younger generations were advised to seek counsel from the elderly so that they could soak in some of that wisdom and knowledge.  Fast forward to the nineteenth century and a lot of us are quicker to ask counsel and wisdom from someone in our own age bracket than to ask our seasoned grandparents for their advice.  I dare say we have lost our zeal for the aging, or elderly.  They are living, breathing encyclopedias full of worldly and biblical wisdom that we should value a lot more than we do.  So let’s teach our children and their children the true value of grandpa and grandma.  Maybe it’s not that we are afraid of growing old; maybe we are afraid of being forgotten.  There is great value in every person, especially those who have lived and experienced life for a long time.  That’s who I want to strive to be; a grandma full of wisdom and experiences to share. ~ Amen

Live Securely

He will stand & shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.  And they will live securely for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. ~ Micah 5:4

Approximately 700 years BEFORE the birth of Jesus, the prophet Micah prophesied his birth.  If you have never dug deep into and studied the many prophecies that were foretold in the Old Testament that came true years, HUNDREDS of years, later in the New Testament, I encourage you to do so.  It’ll blow your mind.  I mean 700 years before Jesus even came on the scene.  Let that sink in.  Micah was prophesying about someone he would never see this side of heaven.  Why would he procalm such craziness?  Doesn't he realize this makes him look like a mad man?  Would you have believed him?  So much sin, corrupt politics and bad leaders and all forms of idolatry were happening throughout Israel.  Micah proclaimed that judgment was coming and that Israel would be exiled for their disobedience to the Lord, but that God would restore them once again at an appointed time.  The Messiah, according to Micah, would be born from the small town of Bethlehem.  How could he have known that unless he was hearing straight from God himself?  At its core, this prophecy from Micah is a powerful reminder that God is faithful and will fulfil his promises. God sent Jesus to be born in a small town; to be birthed by a young girl who was engaged to be married, but who was seen as faithful to God, and to be born in the most humble of places – a manger.  But for Israel and the rest of the world, what this man, the Messiah, would do for us would secure us with redemption if we would accept him as our Lord and Savior.  Thank you Jesus! ~ Amen

Have Fullness

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace with his blood, shed on the cross. ~ Colossians 1:19-20

How many times have you been pleased to make a sacrifice?  I can’t think of any time I was pleased to make a sacrifice.  In fact, quite the opposite is true; I’ll do it, but it’s going to come with a lot of pride and self-righteousness and probably a side of complaining.  We will never fully understand what it cost Jesus to follow through with the reconciliation mission God sent Him on.  The fact of the matter is God fully dwelled in Jesus here on earth to bridge the gap between Him and us even knowing full well that thousands of us would turn our selfish cheek from this gift.  He asked his son to bear a very horrible burden and to surfer even a more gruesome death.  Jesus asked for this burden to be lifted, but was willing to do whatever would please his father and thus followed through with the mission to save this broken world.  God loves us so much that He was willing to sacrifice His son for people that Jesus would never even met while here on earth; this was a mission for eternity.  God can now find complete joy in us through the sacrifice of his obedient son.  God is pleased with us because, as followers, we have accepted His perfect gift and have acknowledged that Jesus did something for us that only He could have done.  God is pleased with us through our belief and ultimately He can be pleased with us because of Jesus Christ.  God is pleased with the reconciliation plan Jesus completed and is pleased with us when we accept this invitation of freedom.  Take the gift.  Accept Christ and come back to your Creator.  Don’t turn from this gift that brings the greatest peace you’ll ever know. ~ Amen