“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14
Month: January 2016
Life and Living by Faith
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Romans 12:9-12
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Faith…It’s Not About You
“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Philippians 2:1-4
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Nothing Can Separate Us
Paul writes about this in his letter to the Romans but Job experienced the reality of this through the worst suffering this world can offer.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39
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All We Need Is Love
We often tend to make life much more complex and complicated and when we feel overwhelmed and stressed or filled with anxiety and worry…that is the time to stop and change our focus to the love of Christ to help renew our minds.
Paul writes to the Ephesians…
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3:16-19
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Faith, Persistence and Hope
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
Romans 5:1-5
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We All Have Gifts To Share
When you look at the gifts as described in the bible it is interesting to note none of the gifts speak about the need to have money to be able to pursue and share your gifts. Don’t let the world’s image of you define who you are…leave that to God.
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a person’s gift is prophesying, let them use it in proportion to their faith. If it is serving, let them serve; if it is teaching, let them teach; if it is encouraging, let them encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let them give generously; if it is leadership, let them govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let them do it cheerfully.”
Romans 12:6-8
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We Were Never Promised Easy
Jesus said to the disciples…
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome this world.”
John 16:33
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When We Fall
We will all encounter moments when we fall down while on our faith journey. This was true for the most familiar names in the bible…Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Joseph etc.
We all fall down along the way…the key is not the fall or why we fall, what is most important is how we respond when we do fall down. Do not turn away from God in shame…turn towards God, pray, confess and get back up again. He knows our struggles and He will always be with us. Psalm 51:1-17 is a great place to begin to get back up, here is a sample from that passage.
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”
Psalm 51:10-12
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Trust, Learn and Grow
“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Take Your Faith With You 