Tag: faith

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That’s Not Reasonable!

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We need to Reject Reasoning

That idea came to my mind and I immediately thought, “That’s not reasonable!” After all, reasonable is the least we can be right? And then it hit me, “When did God ever settle for the least?”

Mark 8

Jesus had had quite a day! He’d been challenged by the disciples and fed 4,000 people with seven loaves of bread and a few fishes. (Mark 8:1-9) He’d been challenged by the Pharisees for a sign (Mark 8:10-12) and gave them nothing; and He’d again been challenged by His disciples when they failed to remember who He was only hours after the miracle (Mark 8:13-21). They thought they’d let Christ down.

Christ, who was fully God and fully man. What kept the man side of Him from smacking people in the back of the head, I have no idea. When we’ve seen God do great things, why do we expect less. God didn’t settle for less, why should we? The world will tell you that failure is acceptable. Don’t worry about measuring up. Settle for what bread and fish you have. And so we do and tell our kids, it’s good enough. And God says, not so.  Look what I can do with what you have, stop settling for less.

We reason His provision

We say we believe Matthew chapter 8, and yet we don’t allow God to move like that in our lives. We’ve never trusted our bread and fish to Him. I’m not a prosperity gospel believer. I don’t believe you speak wealth into your lives any more than you can speak yourself onto the moon. But I believe in provision. And sometimes God gives us the miracle and sometimes He gives us instructions. And I believe we should show our children that if we trust what we have to Him and obey His words, He’ll provide for us. They need to know Who it is that controls the world. And to the world, that’s not reasonable. The disciples had just seen Christ feed 4000 and then got into a boat and thought God was upset with them because “they” forgot the bread. They forgot He was their provider.

We reason His providence

Christ left that miracle feeding or 4000 and was faced head on by the religious of the day who sought a sign; (Matthew 8:11-12) to which He replied “There shall no sign be given unto this generation.” God doesn’t have to prove Himself to anyone. And yet, someone with a sincere heart, who willingly gives and does for the cause of Christ, to them God says in Malachi 3:10 ~ Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

Our families need to know that God doesn’t have to prove Himself to anyone, but He will to those who love Him.

We reason His precepts

Mathew 8:15-16 ~ And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.

The disciples thought it was about them. Christ said “No, it’s about Me.” The desire of the religious leaders to have a sign was a rejection of His ministry. Jesus warned the disciples not to reason Him out, just trust Him. We need to understand that if the Bible says it, it’s truth. There’s no work involved in getting to Heaven, just trust and obedience. They go hand in hand. If we believe what the Word says, and we trust in Christ, we’ll obey. It’s not to say we won’t occasionally fail, we will. But it’s then that we understand the protection of God. He does not condemn His children; He helps them back up and puts them on the path again. That is the challenge that He sets before us to show the world Who is in control. Sometimes God puts our own world out of control so that we have only Him to lean on. It’s then that the world can see Him. It’s not when “we” can do it. It’s when there is absolutely no reason “that” should have worked. And God says, “that’s ME.”

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As He Is, So are We

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Psalm 26:2

Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart

In Psalm 26 we find David confident is his walk with God, asking God to open up his heart and look within him, test him and see what direction he would go. He was confident that his relationship with the Lord was in such good form that God would be well pleased. I’m not so sure that I could ever pray that prayer with great confidence! Maybe a window of twenty seconds… maybe then I could get my heart right enough to say God, look now! But please do it quick.

My wonderful husband got me a new camera for my birthday which is coming up in a few days and I was super excited about it! As I looked through the lens at various subjects in my living room, including Sammy the Jack Russell which lay by my side I was well pleased that a snap shot of his fur gave such clear detail. You could see each strand of hair in fine detail. And then I began to wonder if God examined me in such close proximity what would He find? Would it be a picture worth framing or one I’d rather delete? God knows.

In the teen class Wednesday we talked candidly about the subject of Christian testimonies and how important it was to walk as closely to God as possible for we were all examined by our peers. It would do no good to stand and testify about the glorious goodness of God on Sunday morning if we had shouted expletives at a ballgame on Friday night. While none of us are perfect, nor was David as he wrote the Psalm, we must still examine ourselves. Paul said as much in his second letter to the Corinthians but he capped it off with the good news…

2 Corinthians 13:5

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

While I on my own cannot with clear conscience say “All is well within my heart,” because there are seeds of doubt, temptations and pride that can rear their ugly heads at any time; I can say “IT IS WELL” in Christ. His blood has covered my inadequacies in finer detail than any camera can capture. Were it not for that I would live defeated.

So many Christians, myself included, fail to examine their faith before we examine our lives. I speak on the assumption that you who read are saved. If you’re not sure of salvation (click here), otherwise, read on!

Examine Me

We know that we’re all sinners,  Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” so how can one say “Examine me, O Lord?” Because we’re being examined through our faith. And not just our faith, but His!

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Did you catch that, He is faithful! Our part of the deal is to come to Him and acknowledge that we’ve messed up, once that’s done He cleanses us, we can do nothing to cleanse ourselves. So upon further examination God sees a clean heart.

Prove me

While I by no means believe there is salvation by works, when I received the salvation of God I desire to work! James 2:17  says “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” Apostle Paul told the Galatians in  Galatians 6:4 “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” A desire to serve God brings joy to the soul and upon examination is further proof that you are His child, covered by the blood of Jesus!

Try me

1 Peter 1:7 says “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

I don’t know if you remember, but I remember what it was like to go through a trial pre-salvation vs. post-salvation. And although trials are still not something I enjoy I’ve never been in one that my relationship with the Lord did not grow. And when I came out on the other side I could look back and say, “It is well with my Soul!” Because God never left my side.

So when I say “Lord, Examine me, prove me and try me.” It’s not that I’ll be found perfect. It’s that I know that God will be found perfect.

John says it well in 1 John 4:17 ~ Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

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How to Mess Up a Blessing

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In the midst of our annual tent meeting and a great moving of the Holy Spirit through the people, I have to examine my own life; because I believe that every Word of God, jot and tittle in the King James Bible is truth. So when I read Mark 11:26 – “But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasss,” I believe it. And I think to myself, is there anyone that I have not forgiven? Because it’s certainly possible. And though I’m not a grudge bearer, (I don’t waste my time with people who have wronged me because I truly consider it their loss), I still have people in my life who when someone brings up their name, my heart sinks a little. And I don’t want that coming between me and the full blessing of God.

Did you catch that? Not only will we not be forgiven of our own sins (which for me is many) but we’ll also miss out on the blessing of God. Let’s look at the scripture leading up to the previous text. Mark 11:22-26. It lays out a message outline as clear as day on how to mess up a blessing.

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Doubt. Woah baby! I’ve messed myself up with that one on more than one occasion. I did not realize that there was a method to this mayhem that I created. Jesus said if we have doubt in our heart it will come to pass. Good night a mighty! How many times have I doubted something good was going to happen and what I essentially did was cause it not to? Now God’s allowed many things to happen in my life that I doubted… that’s called grace. But how much more would He have allowed if I had not doubted it; and spoke it aloud allowing Satan and his band of havoc wreaker’s to hear.

The second step to messing up a blessing is to ask for something while carrying un-forgiveness in your heart. Jesus said that God wants to give us our heart’s desire, but… as you’re standing there praying for it, examine your heart because God won’t give over un-forgiveness.

If you ask me the desires of my heart today I can tell you flat footed and eye to eye it is this:

  1. That my church catch fire to see soul’s saved.
  2. That my entire family get right with God so that there will be no eternal separation.
  3. And for health and stamina to continue on in the ministry that God has blessed me with.

Three serious prayers with eternal ramifications. Why on earth would I let anyone stand between me and those requests? Look seriously at your own life. What has anyone done to you that is worth holding onto and losing that?

I hope today find you and I both with hearts full of love, faith that moves mountains, and forgiveness in abundance.

Psalm 51:10 ~ Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

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Things that Restore a Relationship

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#thingsthatdestroysarelationship

Trending today on twitter ~ things that destroy a relationship

I find it somewhat odd that most everyone wants a great relationship with those they love but the media caters to anything but. Television, social media, print media and most all other forms of media have a fascination with promoting the worst of the worst. It’s a most definite trend for people young and old to make their heartaches known to the world on social media and then in the next post tell the world to mind their own business. What irony! And the end result of all that ranting is more heartache and a destroyed relationship, the very thing they didn’t want.

So… how do we not destroy our relationships?

1 Corinthians 13:13

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.

The greatest of the three is love, but love alone is not enough to keep from destroying a relationship else many couples would still be together; all three are crucial.

Faith

While a foundation in the faith of Christ Jesus is key to any good relationship, I have unfortunately witnessed many Christians with lousy relationships, in many of these cases I’ve seen that a relationship moving too fast destroys the entire relationship. Somewhere between “I do” and “I’m done” they lost faith in one another. I don’t throw stones; I may have the 33 year wedding anniversary tee shirt but it’s got some holes in it. But as I grow closer in my relationship with Christ, what I discover is my relationship with David grows closer too! We haven’t always been perfect, or anywhere close, but there are some things that have kept us together, and faith in each other is one of them.

Mariam Webster’s definition of faith is:

1)     Allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty. A fidelity to one’s promises,  sincerity of intentions

2)     Belief and trust in and loyalty to God: belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion; firm belief in something for which there is no proof, complete trust.

3)     Something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs

Can you see why it’s so important? Allegiance, fidelity and a sincerity of intentions… that’s what we all want! But we’re human, we let each other down, break our promises and sometimes our sincerity is about as real as a signature at the bottom of a letter to “To Whom it may concern.” I speak truth, do I not? But when faith in God comes into the picture we learn to trust Him to help us trust each other and it’s that “strong conviction” that will keep a relationship together in the toughest of times.

Hope

1)     To cherish a desire with anticipation; to desire with expectation of obtainment

2)     To expect with confidence: trust.

3)     To hope without any basis for expecting fulfillment

Sometimes that’s all we have. Faith appears to be gone, the “I love you’s” are no longer spoken, but we hope (a cherished desire) that a certain relationship will be mended. It would be a sad world without it. With it we can dream and imagine of that day when our relationship with that person is restored and whole again and with faith God can align all the circumstances for that very thing to happen. I have that “tee shirt” too.

Charity (love)

The greatest of these. And why is it the greatest? Because it is the foundation of both faith and hope.

John 3:16 – 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. God gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we could have the ultimate relationship with both Him and those we love. He gave His Son for an example that we might understand loving people takes sacrifice.

How do we not destroy a relationship? We continually take an honest look at ourselves first and in so doing we’ll see that we’re messed up too. If Christ can give His life on the cross for us, surely it’s not too much to ask for a little compassion and understanding from us toward our family and friends.

#ThingsThatRestoreARelationship

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Sunday Morning Shipwrecks and Warfare

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I Timothy 1:18-20 – This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Speak of warfare and Korea will likely top the headlines or another warring country, but the greatest war of all is being battled on our own soil, regardless of where you are as you read this. When I Googled warfare a video clip came up of an actual military maneuver where the U.S. military were following a vehicle hauling weaponry. Their video cam zoomed in close enough to make out what they were carrying and 8-10 people on the ground, they discussed it a little while longer, received permission to deploy missiles and two seconds later those 8-10 people were in eternity and everything around them was dust.

I can assure you that Satan doesn’t call headquarters to get permission to deploy his weaponry on you this morning, we often provide our own. Wow… that was a sobering thought.

Timothy was about to go full time into the ministry, and the Apostle Paul lays a charge to him along with some heartache and sorrow from previous experience. He warns Timothy that he’s about to go to battle and his weaponry will be faith and good conscience which Paul previous ministry partners shipwrecked by walking away from the church and denying God.

My heart breaks at the friends of faith who have walked out on God. I’m not saying they blasphemed, but they at the least broke God’s heart. Satan’s missiles of choice are human. Sometimes self-inflicted wounds and other times by the words and actions of others. Usually a little of both. Because if truly we are holding onto faith we’ll let no man come between us and our Lord.

Please do not say to me that you can be as good a Christian outside of the church as I can in the church, because you have now put Satan between us, and I’d rather be looking at you this morning. It’s a lie out of the pits of Hell that you can lay out of church and not have it affect you spiritually. Little by little your faith will suffer.

What about those who cannot physically get to church you ask? First of all, ask them where they’d rather be. I believe that God takes care of us in every season of life, and there may be a season in any of our lives where we cannot attend church. But if you’re healthy and have means to attend God says in Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

As time quickly passes by, we do not know the hour or day of Christ’s return. This certainly is not the time to give credence to Satan by allowing our friends and family to see us dishonoring God by being out of service.

God loves you, and I love you! I hope today finds you in the house of the Lord and celebrating your faith with good conscience. Don’t let anything or anyone keep you away from the house of the Lord. Christ died for everyone in it, there’s not a one of them perfect. I’m at the top of the list of imperfections…

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You have power in His Name. Are you Ready?

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Acts 3:1-16

I shared with my youth over the weekend how it was for me as a young person when I had to stand before my peers and give an oral report. I would absolutely go into hysterical, uncontrollable laughter until my teacher would see that it was futile, give me a mercy grade for my attempt and allow me to return to my seat. So imagine my surprise when God called me to sing and speak! He has such a sense of humor!

When Peter and John arrived at the gate called Beautiful a lame man sat begging, waiting to receive the mercy of provision. I highly doubt he sat in the arrogance of entitlement that many sit in today; he most likely sat in humility for having to rely on others for his livelihood. So imagine his surprise when Peter said in verse 6 ~ “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” And then he did! He didn’t just walk, he got leapt up! He went into the temple, leaping and shouting Glory Hallelujah!

The Name of Jesus gave him Mobility

Acts 3:16a  ~ “And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong.” He on his own went into the temple. He may have never been in the doors of the temple before, but this time he went in shouting the house down! When God laid it on my heart to sing and speak I had to move on it! I began studying the word of God, making it known that God had called me into this field, because just like the beggar, I was so thankful that I no longer had to  but was now in the service of the Lord. If God has called you to do something you have to get mobile! Start moving on it. Sometimes it happens all at once, but other times it’s a slow process, but get moving!

The Name of Jesus gave him Reliability

Acts 3:16b ~ “Whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness.” Soundness can be defined as reliability. They knew what he was, but now they could see what he is. This man no longer had to depend upon them for sustenance and survival but he could now provide for himself, and so can you! If God has called you to it, He will  walk you through it

The Name of Jesus gave him Ability

Acts 3:16c ~ “in the presence of you all.” There he stood on the porch with Peter and John ministering to the people. I love where it says in Verse 11 says  “the lame man which was healed held Peter and John.”  They didn’t hold him, he held them. He was no longer dependent upon someone to hold him up but he could hold up someone else. The people were in awe at the miracle, but Peter and John quickly reminded them, it’s not the miracle, it’s the Master! Don’t be surprised at what you can do when the Lord’s in it. If He can breathe the very life into our bodies, why are we shocked when He can place ability in them?

All Jesus requires is Availability

The beggar was at the gate ready. Are you?

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Wait for iiiiiitttttt…. Bring on the rain!

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James 5:17-20 ~ Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

I love passionate Christian people! They not only stir my soul but things happen when you’re around them. Sometimes it happens quickly and other times you have to patiently wait for the rain. For three years and six months Elijah prayed for the rain. You can almost hear him saying “Wait for iiiiittttt….” No doubt there were people who laughed him to scorn, his friends may have stuck with him for a while but some of them likely walked away shaking their heads saying “Po ol Elijah, he just don’t get it.” Yeah, I know they didn’t speak country in Israel but I can still see it. More than that I see Elijah watching them walk away and being a little broken hearted that they didn’t have his faith. They served the same God, they’d seen and heard of His miracles, they knew God wasn’t on the clock, why couldn’t they believe? But that was okay, because Elijah had enough faith for all of them.

Passion isn’t for the faint of heart, but it is for anyone who will believe. James said Elijah was a man of “like passions.” He was just like us, he put his under-britches on the same way we do. I’ve been waiting for God to move in an area of my life and I know there are people out there who are saying “Po ol Shari, she just don’t get it.” Well I’m waiting on the rain! Have I been tempted to move to another mountain with a moister climate? Plenty of times!But the truth of the matter is, if I moved there I know in my heart that that land would be dry and barren too. God said “Wait” and I so I am…

In I Kings 18 we find Elijah still waiting in faith, God had rained down fire on the altar on Mt. Carmel and Elijah knew that the sky was about to open up. In verse 41 “Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.”  He hadn’t seen the first drop, but he could hear it! He had been faithful, He had kept his eye on the sky believing it was on its way. He was passionate about his purpose in life, to show others the power of his God.

So here we passionate people are. Is there something you in faith have been waiting for God to do?

Elijah told them to go seven times and check for the rain, Let me know if I can pray for you and at Wait for iiiiittttt…7 tonight I’ll check the posts and lift your request to the Lord.

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Why are you cryin’ to me?

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Exodus 14:15-16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

I’m starting an extreme study on Exodus for an upcoming event that I’ll be announcing on January 1st. And this scripture is my launching point. The images that flood my mind of the Israelites exodus from Egypt are vivid. Although Hollyweird has given us an idea of what it may have looked like, I’m certain the reality of it was greater than anyone could imagine! Here stands Moses with the sea before him and the enemy behind him and God says (to country quote it) “Why are you cryin’ to me? See that rod in your hand? it has a purpose…”

I am just now discovering the rod that God has placed in my hand. Today its an iPad, tomorrow it will be my voice in a Sunday School class room at Victory Baptist Church. On April 12-14, 2013 it’s a whole new day! God does the work, but He does it through the tools He has blessed me with. I’m about to get happy!

Here Moses stood with the enemy on his heals at the bank of the Red Sea and God says “Why are you looking at me, I’ve given you what you need to be successful, hold it up and go! Our lives are all about lifting The Lord up for others to see. I’m ready. God has been filling my tool box with rod’s that I hadn’t even noticed. He sent me countless Aarons and Hur’s (Exodus 17:12) into my life to strengthen me in the times of battle. Not until eternity will I have enough time to thank them.

But this message is for you too. I’m not an exclusive, I’m a messenger. Open up your Bible (the ultimate tool box) and find out what The Lord has for you today. I guarantee it’s something. He is faithful! Are you looking for direction? Hold up that rod and watch the waters part. Can I pray for you? It would be an honor….