Faith

We talk about it. We sing about it. But, how much of it do we have? What am I talking about? Faith. We place our faith in the person of Jesus Christ and that He substituted His body on the cross in place of ours. We stand at a distance and say, “Whew! That’s great. I didn’t have to go through the scourging and crucifixion. Thank You, Jesus. I believe.” But when God says to exercise our faith in regard to cutting off our sin we say, “No way. Can’t do.” He says to exercise our faith and forgive as He forgives us and we say, “Not gonna do it.”  He says to lay aside our old self and put on the new self made in the image of Christ Jesus, and we march through our day as if we didn’t hear Him. He says to take up our cross and follow Him by laying down our life for the Kingdom and we go on with our day as if He wasn’t talking to us. If we really had faith that God “calls into being that which doesn’t exist,” as Romans 4:17 states, then wouldn’t we obey His commands, trusting that they lead to the promised abundant life?  So the question is, where is our faith…in us or in Jesus? Here’s another question – how can we exercise our faith today by obeying something He’s calling us to do that doesn’t come naturally to us?

Lord Jesus, You CALL INTO BEING THAT WHICH DOESN’T EXIST. Open our eyes today to one of Your teachings that we’re not following, to serving You in the way You’re calling us to serve.  Call into being our obedience as we place our faith in You. 

Friends, you’re invited to my study – End Times: What You Should Know, What You Can Do.  Learn more about the study here. You can read, watch, and/or answer the study questions at your convenience. I pray you’ll join me! Invite someone to join us for the study so you can discuss and share what you’re learning.

If you live in the Texas Hill Country, please join me for Acts, Part 2. New teachings each week. Learn more HERE.

Do you ever think about pleasing God? Did you know that it’s possible to please God? Hebrews 11:5-6 states that Enoch was pleasing to God and that God is a REWARDER to those who seek Him.

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Hallelujah! Does that make you want to shout in praise of God? It does me! God “took him up” before his body died. Zap! In the air. Gone from the earth. Friend, the same is going to happen to believers at the time of the rapture.  Unbelievers will look around and say, “Where’s mom?” The ones left behind who have some Bible knowledge may realize that “God took us up.” Yes. Up. Let that sink in for a minute. How can we be assured God will take us up and not leave us in our morally declining, evil world that calls evil good and good evil? We can be sure because we have placed our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins. Yes, faith. Without it, we can’t be saved. Without it, we can’t please God. Without it, we won’t go to heaven. With it, we will be saved. We will be rewarded. Are you saved? Then shout hallelujah and ready yourself for Christ’s return. He’ll be handing out rewards on the basis of what you did for His kingdom. (Remember the 10 minas story? Luke 19:11-27) If you’re not a follower of Jesus, think about the role of faith and how we exercise it all the time. We exercise faith when we get on a plane. (Is the pilot mentally stable? Will the oxygen flow correctly? Is there a terrorist on board on a suicide mission?) So, yes. Exercise your faith for the salvation of your soul. Exercise your faith that Christ is coming again just like He promised. Live in a way that pleases Him. Set your mind on the things above, not earth. Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit so you walk out His kingdom’s purposes. God is a REWARDER to those who seek Him. Will you seek Him?

We talk about it. We sing about it. But, how much of it do we have? What am I talking about? Faith. We place our faith in the person of Jesus Christ and that He substituted His body on the cross in place of ours. We stand at a distance and say, “Whew! That’s great. I didn’t have to go through the scourging and crucifixion. Thank You, Jesus. I believe.” But when God says to exercise our faith in regard to cutting off our sin we say, “No way. Can’t do.” He says to exercise our faith and forgive as He forgives us and we say, “Not gonna do it.”  He says to lay aside our old self and put on the new self-made in the image of Christ Jesus, and we march through our day as if we didn’t hear Him. He says to take up our cross and follow Him by laying down our life for the Kingdom and we go on with our day as if He wasn’t talking to us. If we really had faith that God “calls into being that which doesn’t exist,” as Romans 4:17 states, then wouldn’t we obey His commands, trusting that they lead to the promised abundant life?  So the question is, where is our faith…in us or in Jesus? Here’s another question – how can we exercise our faith today by obeying something He’s calling us to do that doesn’t come naturally to us?

Lord Jesus, You CALL INTO BEING THAT WHICH DOESN’T EXIST. Open our eyes today to one of Your teachings that we’re not following, to serving You in the way You’re calling us to serve.  Call into being our obedience as we place our faith in You. 

Friends, you’re invited to my new study – End Times: What You Should Know, What You Can Do.  I’ve been preparing for months and am passionate about us studying Revelation together. You can learn more about the study here. When you sign up for this free study, you are not committing to a certain day, time, or place. I’ll email the study to you and you can read, watch, and/or answer study questions at your convenience. I pray you’ll join me! After you register, please share with your friends so they can join us.

Do you ever think about pleasing God? Did you know that it’s possible to please God? Hebrews 11:5-6 states that Enoch was pleasing to God and that God is a REWARDER of those who seek Him.

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Hallelujah! Does that make you want to shout in praise of God? It does me! God “took him up” before his body died. Zap! In the air. Gone from earth. Friend, the same is going to happen to believers at the time of the rapture.  Unbelievers will look around and say, “Where’s mom?” The ones left behind who have some Bible knowledge may realize that “God took us up.” Yes. Up. Let that sink in for a minute. How can we be assured God will take us up and not leave us in our morally declining, evil world that calls evil good and good evil? We can be sure because we have placed our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins. Yes, faith. Without it, we can’t be saved. Without it, we can’t please God. Without it, we won’t go to heaven. With it, we will be saved. We will be rewarded. Are you saved? Then shout hallelujah and ready yourself for Christ’s return. He’ll be handing out rewards on the basis of what you did for His kingdom. (Remember the 10 minas story? Luke 19:11-27) If you’re not a follower of Jesus, think about the role of faith and how we exercise it all the time. We exercise faith when we get on a plane. (Is the pilot mentally stable? Will the oxygen flow correctly? Is there a terrorist on board on a suicide mission?) So, yes. Exercise your faith for the salvation of your soul. Exercise your faith that Christ is coming again just like He promised. Live in a way that pleases Him. Set your mind on the things above, not earth. Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit so you walk out His kingdom purposes. God is a REWARDER of those who seek Him. Will you seek Him?

We talk about it. We sing about it. But, how much of it do we have? What am I talking about? Faith. We place our faith in the person of Jesus Christ and that He substituted His body on the cross in place of ours. We stand at a distance and say, “Whew! That’s great. I didn’t have to go through the scourging and crucifixion. Thank You, Jesus. I believe.” But when God says to exercise our faith in regard to cutting off our sin we say, “No way. Can’t do.” He says to exercise our faith and forgive as He forgives us and we say, “Not gonna do it.”  He says to lay aside our old self and put on the new self-made in the image of Christ Jesus, and we march on through our day as if we didn’t hear Him. If we really had faith that God “calls into being that which doesn’t exist,” as Romans 4:17 states, then we would obey His commands, trusting that they lead to the promised abundant life. So the question is, where is our faith…in us or in Jesus? Here’s another question – how can we exercise our faith today by obeying a command that doesn’t come naturally for us?

Lord Jesus, You CALL INTO BEING THAT WHICH DOESN’T EXIST. Open our eyes today to one of Your teachings that we’re not following. Call into being our obedience as we purposefully place our faith in You. 

I have a question for you. Is it true that whatever we ask in prayer, believing, we will receive? Yes or no? _____ What is your Scripture reference? If you said yes and provided Matthew 21:22 as your source, then why didn’t God answer Jesus’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane? Certainly, Jesus asked in prayer, believing. On a more personal level, why doesn’t God answer the prayers of the faithful to heal their dying loved one? I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I do know that it is important for us to take the whole counsel of God rather than “cherry pick” verses. In the context of prayer, Jesus has already taught His disciples important, foundational principles of prayer in “The Lord’s Prayer.” We have a Father in heaven who alone is holy. He has a kingdom and will. Twice in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus referenced God’s kingdom – at the beginning and end of the prayer. It was clearly on His mind and a central part of His teaching on prayer. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus echoed Matthew 6:10, “Your will be done,” even while He allowed us to hear His “Son of Man” desire to avoid suffering, shame, and separation. As disciples of Christ it is critical for us to study and know the whole counsel of God. In the context of today’s question, we must remember Christ’s foundational teaching on prayer – praying God’s will. First John 5:14-15 is helpful. “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” Can you trust your life and loved ones to God’s will?

Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for not only teaching us how to pray but for also modeling it. We love and adore You. Help us be wise stewards of Your word by our words and life. 

Prayer of My Heart – where I record my prayers and my Heavenly Father’s responses. Available on Amazon.