Author: Faith

“Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  – 1 Thessolonians 5:16-18

Another important prayer is thanking God, both on easy and difficult days. It’s easy to Thank God on a really great day. When the sun is shining and our families are close to the Lord, happy and healthy, our prayers seem answered (the way we want). And indeed, all good things come from God :).

But it’s harder to Thank God on bad days. When someone we love is sick and when someone we really care about dies or when we loose our job or home. When we go to the grocery and just can not buy the things are family needs. When someone we’ve been praying for, for a long time, just isn’t willing to accept Jesus as their Savior. (Or at least not they way we think they should). There are many “troubles” in this life; the list, unfortunately, seems endless. But Jesus said, “In this world, you will have trouble” (John 33:16), and we do…

But the thing to remember is, even on days of trouble, the Lord is with us. We are human and sometimes our suffering overwhelms us. But our suffering does not overwhelm Jesus; He knows just what to do. And we need to let Him 🙂 If we follow Jesus, we will come out the “other” side -and we will grow closer to God!

There are many benefits of having a grateful heart. One is , as human beings we are just happier. To look around and see the glass half full instead of half empty is just a happier place to be. And it is a choice; given to us by God Himself! We can count our Blessings or our Troubles, it’s up to us…

So today, let’s really count our Blessings and be Grateful. For no matter how difficult the day, God always leaves us a Blessing to hang onto, we just need to look for it. And if we can’t see it; we just need to ask God to show it to us 🙂

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced” – Pslam 105:4-5

There are so many teachings in the Bible.  The narrative of Moses, of Abraham, of Jesus Himself ?.  There has never been a time that God has not Saved His people.  Notice, “His” people. He does not necessarily save everyone.

When we need food, if we ask God, He will find a way to provide it, as He did with the people of Moses.  If we are in more pain than we can bear, God will help us.  If we suffer more than we can handle, than God will either lift our suffering or send the Holy Spirit to Help us.  But God will never, ever, ignore the cries of His people!

Because God loves us and He is always Good ?

Take shelter from the coming storm while you can.  And that way you will be ready.

Watch, Prepare and Pray.  Be ready! For With God All Things Are Possible ?

A friend sent me this, just had to share 🙂

God’s Word shares with you since the beginning of the world, none have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides your Heavenly Father, who acts for the one who waits for Him. Amen.

Only God knows when you are ready for a specific Blessing. He IS Willing to become involved in every aspect of your life. You have choices to make when waiting on Him. You can try to manipulate the circumstances, to get what you want. You can quit and walk away and not receive His Full Blessings. You can wait and watch God Work in your life. The requirements for waiting on God’s Perfect Timing are Trusting God for ALL and being patient and waiting for His Direction.

Also to have His Courage and Strength to resist temptations to follow your own schedule, the pressure of others and to be afraid. Consequences of failing to wait are that you step out of God’s Will for you, delay God’s Blessings, to bring pain and suffering upon yourself.

God’s Word also shares to wait patiently for the Lord and He Will be inclined to hear your cry, to bring you up out of a horrible pit and out of the miry clay. God Shall set your feet upon a Rock and establish your steps. He Will put a New Song in your mouth. Praise to God! Many will see it and fear and will Trust in the Lord. Amen.

When you wait on God’s Perfect Timing, for He knows All about you, now and forever, He Shall express His Goodness upon you and answer your prayers for His Will and Purpose for you, for you to see the fulfillment of your faith. God Will enable you to win over the struggles of your life and He Will give you His Joy and Peace, now and forever. Amen.

Heavenly Father, Merciful and Good, speak to my heart. Help me to listen to You, for You to Speak Your Truth and for me to seek Your Will and Purpose for me. Help me to be patient and kind for Your Direction and also to Your Children. Help me not to hesitate when You call upon me, your humble servant, your Extended Arms to those in need.

Thank You SO much for the moments You grant me on earth, before You need me Home with You, that they are used for Your Glory and Honor! Help me to Trust in You for ALL I am and will be for You. Thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ and Your Holy Spirit to Help and Guide me. Please forgive me from my sins.  In Jesus’ Name. Thy Will be done. Amen.”

Praying is like breathing, we can’t live with out it! Not in this life, and not in the next 🙂

We pray for so many things and so many others. We pray for protection, for peace, for strength and for healing… We pray for for the strength to resist temptation and we pray for forgiveness. We pray for those we love and those we don’t. We pray for so many things and so many people. And We pray for more faith.

Asking God for more Faith in Jesus’ name is perhaps one of the more important prayers we can pray. Faith beyond the mustard seed is a Gift from God Himself. Remember that verse?

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.“-Epesians 2:8

Faith is the that way. God gives us Faith. We should ever “boast” of having great Faith, because it is not something we do ourselves-God gives it to us. It’s God’s Gift and one He is happy to give.

One important note, God always answers prayers. Sometimes He answers yes, sometimes no. And sometimes not yet. Just keep praying and remember that the Holy Spirit can help us pray! Ask Him 🙂

And ask God, in Jesus’ name, for greater Faith today. He will be happy you did and so will you!

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” – John 3:16

Our Father created the world in which we live.  His Power is without question.  It always will be, even if there are many who seek to forget it (What a surprise they are in for!).  And whether it is the Old Testament or the New Testament, the Creation of the World or the Ending of it, the events of Moses’ life or the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the existence of God’s Power is clear.

But perhaps one of the most Powerful Gifts that God uses is the Sword of Truth.  For it is the Truth of Jesus Christ that creates an eternal future for us in Heaven and creates a Bridge to our Father today.  It is the Truth of God’s Mercy and Judgement that decides our forever future.  It is God’s Truth, written in the Holy Bible, that is our Roadmap for our life.  It tells us how to live and who to love.  It tells us what God considers to be sin.  And it tells us how to be forgiven ?

It shares with us that we can, with God’s Help, lead a righteous life or a sinful one.  It’s our choice, given to us by God Himself, but we also need to remember that choices have consequences.

It’s important to note that there is not a person alive that can lead 100% of their life without ever falling committing a  sin at some point.  We all sin and we all need forgiven.  And we are forgiven-through accepting the Gift of Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

God would not have allowed Jesus to suffer so if there was another way, because God so loved His Son.  It’s hard to even imagine how much our Father must have suffered watching His Son suffer so!

But that is also how much He loved us!  And Jesus loved us too, so much.  And our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit love us that much now! ?

“On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”- Mark 2:17

Often, we struggle with our own guilty feelings; we let them separate us from our Father. And we let our sin, which so offends God, create a distance between us and God. Jesus is the bridge!

He came to heal us, and to bring us home. He created a way for us to reach our Father again and ensured that the Holy Spirit would Help and Comfort us while we live here on earth!

Thanks to Jesus, no matter how difficult the present is-the future is bright!

Sometimes we struggle with thinking God is unfair. It seems, especially right now, as if the “bad” guys are winning! But God is always Fair. We see only this moment, but God sees all the moments-the past, the present and the future. And He judges accordingly.

“Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just. If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, they will die for it. And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so.”-Ezekiel 17-19

God is always Fair!

The road ahead will be filled with difficult times. We will look back and say these were the easier days. Thought the coming days will be difficult for believers and non-believers alike, but God will answer prayers. And in the end-those who Follow Jesus will be Saved 🙂

Because God is always Fair 🙂

“Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,  nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”-Isaiah 59:1

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” – Romans 4:7-8

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” – Ephesians 1:7

“Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” – Acts 2:38

Above are some Bible verses about God’s forgiveness.  There is also much written in the Bible about our need to forgive others if we want God to forgive us.  But some still ask, how do I seek God’s Forgiveness ?.  We ask (pray) in Jesus’ Name.  It really is that easy and that simple!

Father, Please forgive me my sins.  (it’s helpful for us to list them out).  Please forgive me for the sins I have committed, as well as any sins of omission (like when we fail to help someone).  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.  Thank You.

Why list our sins when God already surely knows them?  Because it helps us!  One of the reasons we often feel far from God is our own feelings of guilt over our sins.  Listing them simply reminds are that we are indeed forgiven ?

Why ask God to forgive us both for our sins of commission and omission? Because sometimes our sins of “omission” are even graver than our sins of “commission”. Why? Sometimes, despite our best efforts we fall to temptation and “commit” a sin. But sometimes the actions we “omit”, like failing to help someone or reach out to someone, are graver!

We are not here on this earth to please ourselves, but to love God and love each other. Helping others and reaching out to those who need us, needs to be second nature to us 🙂

Why say “Thank You”. Because God’s Forgiveness is the Greatest Gift we will ever receive.

Jesus suffered greatly, gave His life and rose so that we could be forgiven.  He created the bridge between us and God. 

Jesus created a way for us to be forgiven; He was God’s Greatest Gift ?

“But that you may know that the Son of Man (Jesus) has the power on earth to forgive sins”-Mark 2: 10

Sin is so harmful for two reasons: First, it offends God! Second, it can make us feel so guilty that we draw away from God. Fortunately for us, Jesus has the power to forgive sins! But we want to avoid them as much as possible 🙂

The Bible defines and lists sins. So if we need more knowledge as to what constitutes sin-we can simply read it and ask the Holy Spirit to help us, for self control is one of the Holy Spirit’s Gifts 🙂

The Holy Spirit was sent by God to help us: “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.”– John 16:7

So when we feel overwhelmed, we simply need to ask the Holy Spirit for help. And He will be happy to give it :).

On a drive from Tennessee to North Carolina, I saw 12 Crosses, each reminding me to pray and that Jesus was with me :). Some were trees that were fallen. Some marked a place where someone died. Some had clearly been built by someone who loved Jesus and one was a utility poll, lol.

The above picture is simply God’s light coming through a window.

But they all were reminders that Jesus was with me. Calling me to Follow Him Home. He is calling you too 🙂