Tag: Faith

³¹ The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. ~ Proverbs 10:31^NKJV

Whenever we see the Bible talk about perverse this or perverse that, I always think of this in modern Church terms. Usually, when the Church uses the word ‘perverse,’ it’s in regard to sexual perverseness, but that’s not actually what King Solomon is talking about in this verse. Here, he’s actually referring to the faithless. See, he uses the word tǎh·pû·ḵā(h). This word is given a definition by God while He is rebuking the Israelites and all the sins they have committed.

²⁰ And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be, For they are a perverse generation, Children in whom is no faith.’

Deuteronomy 32:20^NKJV

King Solomon is saying that the words of the faithless will not last. Those who claim to be in the Church but speak words of doubt, words contradicting faith, it is their tongues that will be off. Their words that will be found to have been false. Those who say Christ cannot cure depression, anxiety. Those who say there are no more miracles, signs, wonders, healings. Words of a faithless generation won’t change the Truth. The Truth is that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in us. The Truth is that whom the Son sets free is free indeed.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Cut Off Your Perverse Tongue.

¹⁴ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵ And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,

Who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:14-15).

Paul is not stating an absolute fact here; he is claiming a principle. How shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? Or how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard?
These are legitimate questions to ponder. For indeed, how shall they believe if not told? Here is the thing, though. Jesus is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that which we can ask or even think. He can use whatever means He so chooses to use.

There are stories of Jesus coming to Muslims in dreams. Even in prison cells. Jesus is God, and He can use whatever means He wishes.

Now, here is the point. If Jesus can and will, and has used dreams, visions, and other means to reveal Himself to unbelievers, how much more will He reveal His good and perfect will to those who do believe? We are not abandoned; we are loved, and God desires a relationship with us. But if we say that we see or know Jesus, yet we do not seek Him, or have no desire for Him, then our belief is in vain. But if we put our own desires aside and seek His face, He will gladly reveal Himself to us.

So, do not be dismayed, and do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is for you and not against you. He will deliver you from the fowler’s snare, and pull you out of the pit. Your job is to seek Him while He may be found, and call upon Him while He is near. Do it now. Do it today. You will not regret it.

But someone might say, “I am seeking.” But they never really pray. They never worship. Seeking is more than just mere words; it is building a sincere and sure relationship with the LORD Jesus. So, do it today. Set a time and place of prayer, and let nothing steal your time and your friendship with the LORD Jesus.

Father, please deliver me as You have promised. LORD Jesus, come and abide in me that I might abide in You. Teach me how to worship and teach me how to pray in Your name. Amen.

¹² For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. ~ 2 Timothy 1:12

This is the second letter that Paul wrote to Pastor Timothy, probably while he was in prison in Rome awaiting execution by Emperor Nero. In his letter, Paul acknowledges his suffering and hardships, such as the prison chains he was bound with at the time. But that was not his focus. Amid all the suffering and persecution, and the realization of certain martyrdom for him, he wanted to write words of encouragement and instruction to Timothy, a young pastor of the flock there in Ephesus. Still, even more importantly, Paul focused on the greatness of God the Father who, through grace, gave us Jesus.

Paul then reminded Timothy of all that Jesus has done for us by abolishing death and giving us eternal life through belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, of which he said he was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. Then he wrote these amazing words: “for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”

Paul doesn’t say “whom I have believed in,” but rather, “I know whom I have believed…” That shows a personal relationship. It’s not someone he has heard about, or heard someone else describing, but those words suggest that he had a personal relationship with Jesus, his LORD and Savior. He knew Him intimately, and did not need someone else to help him believe. Paul was completely and totally convinced that Jesus was more than able to do what He had promised to do: raise him from the dead on the last day and give him a crown of righteousness along with eternal, immortal life. He placed all that he had suffered at the hands of the Jews and at the hands of the Gentiles—his imprisonment, the beatings, the stoning, his ministry, his very life that had been poured out for the sake of the Gospel—he placed all of that in the hands of Jesus knowing fully well that he would receive a just reward that was not even worth comparing to all that he had suffered and gone through.

…for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.

Are we that confident in who Jesus is and His trustworthiness to keep all that we have committed unto Him until that Great Day of Judgment? Can we truly say, “I will not try to get even or bring judgment on someone else for what they have done to me, but will leave all things, all judgment to God who will recompense on the great and eternal day.”

Father, thank You for who You are, and for sending Jesus Christ Your Son who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross that brought us salvation. Thank You, LORD Jesus, for coming and abolishing death and giving us life and immortality. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.

²⁴ And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. ²⁵ But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. ²⁶ Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. ²⁷ And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁸ But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” ²⁹ And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” ³⁰ And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone. ~ Mark 7:24-30

In Mark 7, Jesus leaves the familiar territory of Israel and travels into the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon. This is significant because Jesus Himself said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). Yet here He is—35 miles from Galilee, in foreign territory, entering a house and hoping no one would know He was there. But Scripture says, “He could not be hidden” (Mark 7:24). Why? Because there was a desperate mother whose daughter needed a miracle.

This unnamed Syrophoenician woman had only heard about Jesus. She did not know Him personally. She was not part of the covenant people of Israel. She had no religious standing, no prior relationship, and no guarantee of an audience. Yet when she heard about Jesus, hope welled up in her heart.

Faith comes by hearing. Romans 10:17 reminds us, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Something about Jesus stirred her to believe that if she could just get to Him, everything would change. And so she came. She fell at His feet and pleaded for her daughter’s deliverance. Mark says she “kept asking Him” (Mark 7:26). She was persistent. She was determined. She refused to be denied.

Even when Jesus seemed silent, she continued to ask. Even when the disciples were annoyed, she stayed. Even when the response sounded unfavorable, she did not lose hope. This is the kind of faith that moves heaven. When Jesus said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs,” many would have walked away offended. But not this mother. She turned what looked like rejection into an opportunity.

“Yes, LORD,” she replied, “yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs” (Mark 7:28). What humility. What boldness. What faith. She was essentially saying, “LORD, I know I may not have a seat at the table, but I believe there is enough power in even a crumb from You to change my daughter’s life.” Jesus immediately responded: “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter” (Mark 7:29).

Her miracle came not because of her status, but because of her faith. How often do we quit praying too soon? How often do we mistake delay for denial? This mother teaches us something powerful: persistent faith does not let circumstances dictate its confidence in God. Maybe you’ve been praying for a child, a marriage, a healing, or a breakthrough for what feels like forever. Perhaps heaven has seemed silent. Maybe opposition has made you wonder if God hears you at all.

Do not lose heart. Delay is not denial. The same Jesus who could not be hidden in Tyre and Sidon still responds to sincere, persistent faith today. He is still moved by hearts that refuse to quit. This mother did not let silence stop her, obstacles discourage her, or offense derail her. She worshiped, persisted, and believed. And her daughter was healed instantly.

What if your breakthrough is on the other side of one more prayer? One more act of faith? One more moment of refusing to give up? Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. Jesus still hears. Jesus still heals. Jesus still responds to faith.

Father, help me to be tenacious. Help me to be steadfast in my beliefs and in my prayers, in Jesus’ Name, amen.

¹⁴ You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. ~ Matthew 5:14-16

In John 9:5 Jesus states that as long as He is in the world, He is the Light of the World. Jesus however, prepared His followers for His leaving the world and them taking up the mantle of being the light of the world. Now, what I find interesting is that Paul takes this a step further and states that it is no longer us who live, but Christ who lives through us (Galatians 2:20).

We, the Church, are now the light of the world. It’s up to us to spread the Gospel. It’s up to us share the good news of Jesus to all people willing to listen. So many Christians today say that we should keep our religion and beliefs to ourselves. They even say that if we tell others about Jesus and warn them about sin, that we’re hateful and unloving. That we’re nothing like Jesus.

Jesus told us to be the light of the world. To shine His Light, His Truth, His Gospel into the world. That we shouldn’t hide our faith, testimony, or beliefs. Therefore, how can we do anything other than share the Word of God with others? When did Jesus remain silent? When did the disciples remain silent? Never. They spoke the Truth of the Gospel, Jesus, sin, and faith. How can we expect to make it into Heaven and do anything less? Our faith isn’t for us alone. It’s to share with the world that is trapped in darkness.

That was the mission of Christ. That is the mission He passed on to us.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Hide.

¹¹ For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: ¹² “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. ¹³ But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. ¹⁴ And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ¹⁵ And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” ~ Isaiah 8:11-15

Temple Mount is one of the most controversial and sacred sites on earth. Three major religions all revere this one area. The Muslims. The Jews. And The Christians. Why? Muslims believe that the Dome of the Rock is “al-Sakhrah,” which simply means “the rock.” They believe this is the stone that Muhammad stood on and ascended to heaven from after his night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem. Now, Jews on the other hand, believe this same stone to be sacred as well, but for other reasons. The Jews believe that this is the foundation stone. That this stone is the center of the world, from which creation began, the location where Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac, and the place where the Holy of Holies stood in the First and Second Temples—the most sacred part of the Temple, where God’s presence dwelled. Now, this is where Christians begins to differ.

Both the Muslims and the Jews cling to this site because of this stone, whereas Christians don’t cling to this site because of the stone but because of the Temple. See, most Christians don’t even realize or have any idea about the Foundation Stone or al-Sakhrah. Most Christians have no idea why the Dome of the Rock is even important to Muslims and they have just the mere basic understanding of why it’s important to Jews. Most Christians, if you were to ask them, would most-likely tell you that the Dome of the Rock is a mosque. When in actuality it’s a shrine to al-Sakhrah.

This rock deemed sacred and in need of reverence by two major world religions is quite overlooked and unimportant, if you will, to Christians. Why? Because our Rock that we hold sacred is Jesus. Jesus, who to Jews was simply a criminal and rebel who tried to start an insurrection and was killed for it, and to Muslims was simply a prophet and the Messiah. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Jesus, the Rock, has become a stumbling block to both of Abraham’s two eldest sons (Ishmael and Isaac). See, both of these religions can see the importance and sacred nature of a simple rock. An inanimate object that cannot see, hear, or speak. Something that has no way of communicating with them or helping them. Something created by the Creator, yet they still revere it and hold it as sacred. But the Creator. The Word of God. The literal Rock they stumble over. They misrepresent and they try to overlook in order to not bow their knee to Him. Why? Because He doesn’t fit their idea of God.

What both the Muslims and the Jews stumble over is the very key to salvation. Jesus. He is the way. The Truth. And the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. He is the Rock. The only Rock worthy of reverence and worship. The only Rock worthy of praise and adoration. The World can say what it wants to say. It can deem a created rock as sacred if it so chooses to, but it can never change reality. And the reality is that Jesus is The Rock.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Revere The Rock.

¹³ … as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the Ark of the LORD, the LORD of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap. ~ Joshua 3:13b

God went ahead of the Israelites after they left Egypt, just as He had promised He would. He led the way, because they had not passed that way before. So, if He went ahead of those who acted in faith under an action-driven covenant … how much more will He go ahead of those who act in faith under our New Covenant of faith?

But it will require action along with faith, just as it required action for Peter and John when they healed the lame man at the Beautiful Gate in Acts 3:1-10. We can’t wait until we see the results; we must act believing the results.

Remember, it was not until they had “Step Out into the Waters” that the waters stopped flowing and were cut off. God requires faith followed by actions. Actions = Obedience = Faith, which results in signs, and wonders, and miracles. As Christ-followers, we are not called to sit on the bench until the ideal situation or moment of impact, and we know all outcomes.

We walk by faith—ho pistis— and not by sight.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Walk Not By Sight.