Tag: Faith

¹ Then Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples, ² “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. ³ So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. ⁴ They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. ⁵ Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. ⁶ And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. ⁷ They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’” ~ Matthew 23:1-7^NLT

Jesus warned the people not to leave the temple or ignore the teachers because they taught Truth but didn’t follow what they preached. Today, so many people leave the Church because of a pastor and what he or she does. They leave the Church entirely because of someone else. Jesus is telling us not to do that. Too often, we base our own relationship with God and our faith in Him on other people’s relationship with God. We base our actions on other people’s actions.

Our relationship with Jesus should never be based on someone else. It’s only about us and Jesus. A lot of our pastors and leaders are like the Pharisees and Scribes of Jesus’ day. They teach Truth, but they don’t live it. Just like we’ll have to stand before God on Judgment Day and give an account for all that we did and didn’t do, so will our leaders. If we allow someone else’s downfalls and slip-ups to affect our relationship with God, then we’ll be judged for that on Judgement Day. Jesus told Peter a very difficult statement to come to grips with.

Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”

John 21:22

We can’t control how our leaders act, but we can control how we act. We have to remember that we don’t follow men; we follow God Himself. We follow the forerunner of our faith. The one who went before us and made a way where there was no way.

Dear LORD, please help me to follow You. Help me not to be distracted by others and how they choose to live their lives. Help me to keep my focus on You. Help me to keep You and You alone as my North Star and the center of my world. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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³⁶ And leaving the crowd, they took Him with them in the boat, just as He was. And other boats were with Him. ³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. ³⁸ But He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹ And He awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” ~ Mark 4:36-40

Even though Jesus intended and expected the disciples to have enough faith to calm the seas, when they called for Him, He still came to their rescue. Why? Because they ran to Jesus when they felt they couldn’t hang on and do anything themselves. Jesus scolds them for their lack of faith and their succumbing to fear, but He doesn’t leave them. He only corrects them. He disciplines them because He loves them.

Today, many of us are in the middle of a storm. The wind and the seas are blowing. The boat is threatening to flip with us in it, yet Jesus is asleep. He’s at peace in the stern, but we are wide awake and being tossed about on deck, watching in horror as the wind and the seas get more violent. Jesus isn’t awake; He’s asleep. Why? Because He has given us authority through His name to calm the wind and the seas. This is our test. Jesus is still with us, asking if we have the faith. We’re not alone in our test; the Teacher may be silent, but He is with us. He is asleep because He is expecting us to take His powerful name and calm the storm that is threatening to sink us. So, be not afraid. Even the faith of a tiny mustard seed can move the largest mountain. Nevertheless, if your faith fails you, run to the master. Scream out His name. Call on Him. Seek Him, and He will awake. He will calm the winds and the seas, and you will be saved. This promise from God you can stand on.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Calm The Raging Seas.

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¹⁹ Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. ²⁰ Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.” ~ Daniel 2:17-19^NLT

Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s lives were on the line because King Nebuchadnezzar demanded that one of his enchanters, sorcerers, magicians, and astrologers tell him the disturbing dream he had. Then they were to explain it to him. But when no one could do it, he called for all of their execution. Daniel’s response wasn’t fear; it was to fervently pray to his God in faith.

When things go wrong, and we’re at the end of our rope, how many of us have the faith to pray fervently to God? How many of us are willing to put all of our faith in the Almighty? Daniel’s hope was gone. His request was impossible. Nevertheless, he had hope. He believed that his God was the God of the impossible.

We serve that same God today. That same God that did the impossible and saved them. And our God does not change. If He did the impossible yesterday, He’ll do the impossible today. He’ll make a way where there’s no way. He’ll open shut doors. He’ll return what the Devil stole from you. He’ll answer your prayers if you would only have faith and put all of your trust in Him.

Dear LORD, please forgive me for my lack of faith. Please strengthen my faith so that I may see the answers to my prayers. Help me to discipline my body, mind, and soul so that I might produce more fruit. So that I might produce more gifts. So that I might hear from You and You might hear me. Help me to seek You with all that is in me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. ~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The Word of God has been given to us so that we may grow as disciples of Christ in righteousness and relationship with Him. We can have confidence in His Word because it was God-breathed and not the opinions, thoughts, or misunderstandings. The Bible is the Word of God that we are to stand on. This is a part of our spiritual armor.

¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

Ephesians 6:15

We’re to stand on the Word of God. We’re to build our lives on His Words. His unshakable, infallible, untainted Word. How do we stand on the Word of God? We read it. We study it. We learn and memorize it. So that we can have confidence in our beliefs. The more we learn about God, the closer we draw to Him. The closer we draw to God, the more peace we have. The more confidence we have because we can then always be ready to defend our beliefs against anyone who would try to cast doubt on them (1 Peter 3:14-16).

The Word of God is a foundation. We build our faith through our relationship with Him, which only comes through knowing and learning about Him and spending time with Him. Let your faith grow by growing your knowledge and understanding of Scripture.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Confidently Stand On The Word of God.

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²⁸ When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” ²⁹ And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to Him. ~ John 11:28-29

Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus had just died. They were currently in mourning when Jesus came four days late. Martha heard that Jesus was on His way and got up and ran to Him, but Mary remained in the house, mourning. After speaking with Jesus, Martha came back to the house for Mary and told her that Jesus was calling for her. It was only at that time that Mary got up and went to Jesus.

Sometimes grief distresses us to the point of blindness. It blinds us from seeing where our hope is because we begin to play the blame game. We blame God for our problems instead of trying to understand, instead of seeking comfort in the Comforter. We know that if we love God, He will work all things out for good. We have to put our faith and trust in Him. We have to walk according to faith and not according to sight.

When things go wrong, run to the only Way. When you’re in distress, run to the only Comforter. When you’re grieving, run to the only source of Joy. The LORD doesn’t always run to us; sometimes, we have to run to Him so that He can show us a new perspective. A new way of seeing our current circumstance.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Run To The Good Shepherd.

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²³ By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’ ~ Isaiah 45:23

The foundation of Christianity is that Jesus wasn’t just a man from Galilee but that He is God. With each generation, the belief that Jesus was, is, and always will be God dwindles. Doubt seems to be sweeping across the world throughout the Church, the Body of Christ. Why? Maybe it’s because we no longer read our bibles. Maybe it’s because we no longer base our beliefs on the Bible but try to make the Bible fit our beliefs. But the Word of God is clear. We don’t just have any old person as our savior. We don’t have just any old person being our Rock and Deliverer. We have God Almighty being our Savior, Rock, Deliverer, and Friend. Jesus is God.

So that there would be no doubts in our minds, He wrote out His Word and preserved it throughout each generation so that we might know Him. So that we might know how to live and grow in righteousness. The LORD prophesies through Isaiah that every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear allegiance to Him, yet Paul in Philippians 2:9-11 that this will be to Jesus. This isn’t an error in Scripture; this is confirmation that Jesus Christ is God.

Don’t allow anyone to weaken your faith with verses taken out of context or bold statements. Search the Scriptures for yourself. Study them. Meditate on them, but most importantly, seek guidance from the Spirit of the LORD. Let Him guide you and not your own mind (or anyone else’s). Let the LORD be your Truth. Let Him lay your foundation of faith so that it may be strong and unshakable.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Encourage Your Faith.

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²⁴ And He said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. ²⁵ For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” ~ Mark 4:24-25

Jesus told us to pay attention to what we hear, but what does that mean? Jesus is simply saying, use your faith, and you will receive a reward. The more you use, the more you will receive, and the more will be added.

Jesus said that all you need is a Mustard Seed of faith. Understand that a mustard seed starts out small but grows into a mountain-moving faith, and it doesn’t have to take very long. Because the measure you use will be measured back to you, and still more will be added.

That is why Peter and John were so confident when they said, “Silver and gold I have not, but what I do have, give I unto you,” and then proceeded to say, “In the name of Jesus, rise up and walk,” in full confidence that it would be so.

That is why people could bring handkerchiefs and aprons and place them on Paul’s body, and demons would come out, and diseases would be healed. That is why they would place sick people in Peter’s path just so that his shadow would fall on them as he passed by, and just his shadow would heal them. They didn’t just have faith; they put that faith into action.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Grow Your Mustard Seed of Faith.

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¹⁵ He who has ears to hear, let him hear. ~ Matthew 11:15

The Word of God is living and active; therefore, it cannot lie dormant or inactive; it must be stirred up within us. How do we receive the Word of God? Through hearing. Once we receive the Word, then we must mix it with [(ho) Pistis] The Faith and put it into action. We put it into action through word and deed.

In other words, we live what we preach, and we preach what we live. No one hides a lamp under a bowl but puts it on a stand so that the whole room can be lit and those in the room can benefit from it. It’s the same principle in the Parable of the Mustard Seed. When it’s fully grown, it grows into the largest of all the garden plants, and the birds of the air come and nest in the branches. It benefits all.

Jesus declared that there is a right way and a wrong way to hear; that is why He solemnly warned us to be careful how we hear. When we study the original Greek, we find that there are two types of hearing. One where we let sound or words pass through our ear canal and right out the other ear canal. Those words are meaningless to the hearer because they did not meet or did not mix it with [(ho) Pistis] The Faith. It’s as the saying goes, “My words fell on deaf ears.” Therefore, it was of no benefit to those who heard.

Then there is a right way to hear. It is the hearing that is both present and active, as well as past and active. When a word is spoken to us, we immediately receive the Word, like the fourth hearer in the Parable of the Sower, and it is immediately mixed with [(ho) Pistis] The Faith, and it produces a harvest of a hundredfold.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Hear The Living Word of God.

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