Is Your Faith Being Tried???

Last night in our services, we read through several passages of Scripture, but one stuck out that I wanted to share with you today.

It is found in James 1:2-7..."My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; (3) Knowing this , that the trying of your faith worketh patience. (4) But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (5) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (6) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (7) For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord."

I know it seems like an odd thing to find pleasure in, but when we are tried and tested, we are doing so much of the time because of the stand we have in Christ. If we are living on "Easy Street", so to speak, maybe we should look at our lives a bit closer. We are promised that life will be tough and people will not accept us because of our walk with Christ.

However, we can glory that the trials we face will grow our faith, strength and patience. And notice what verse 4 states..."that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." When we rely on Christ to see us through these times, we realize that with Him we are complete. Like Psalm 23 states..."The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." or the Amplified states it like this..."THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack." We shall lack nothing!!! It doesn't get much better, does it?

Continuing on in verse 5, we see that if we lack in wisdom we can ask God and will receive. Verses 6 and 7 does put forth the stipulation in receiving that wisdom, that we ask in an unwavering faith. For if we ask in unbelief, we shall not receive!

I found this passage comforting and eye-opening...because if I am lacking, all I have to do is ask the Lord for the guidance and HE WILL PROVIDE!!! The key to all of this is to ask in faith. May we allow the struggles we are facing today to make us stronger, more complete, and more perfect in our walk with Christ!

Take the time to share what God is doing in your life with someone else! And, as always, please let me know if you have a special prayer request I can word on your behalf today!!!

God doesn't need a superman...

Earlier this week, while reading one of the many devotionals I read, I was struck by a quote..."A superman would have made it look easy. It took an ordinary man to make it look like God"...That quote has gone over and over in my mind. One of the stories that was brought to my mind was of David and Goliath. It is such a great illustration of God taking the average, if not below-average in stature to bring down the powerful.

Let's just look at a few verses from 1 Samuel 17:38-40..."And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. (39) And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it . And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them . And David put them off him. (40) And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine."

In the first of this passage we see Saul trying to get David all the possible protections for David's well-being. He covers him from head to toe with armour, brass and the mail coverings. But, David was not going to have anything to do with that. He hadn't gone through testing of the equipment. Besides, he knew the Lord would be the protection he so desperately needed.

So David took his staff and picked out some smooth stones and put them in his bag, and with sling in hand he headed toward the Philistine. Can you imagine going toward a giant with just a slingshot and five smooth stones? Think about it...Goliath is shielded head to toe with the armor that David turned away.

The key point...faith. David not only said he had faith in God, but he put it into action! Step out and get in the midst of the battle. You aren't armed with just five smooth stones, but the whole armor of God! You say you have faith...PROVE IT!!!

Remember the quote..."A superman would have made it look easy. It took an ordinary man to make it look like God"...

Please let me know if there is a special prayer I can word on your behalf today...

Exalted in due time...

Today, the verse about the devil walking about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour has been on my mind. We have been walking through neighborhoods, passing out flyers for our upcoming Block Party. I kept thinking about how the devil is seeking to trip us up and keep us from sowing seeds of kindness, that we may reap no harvest. I want to take a look at the passage that contains the verse afore mentioned: 1 Peter 5:6-10..."Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (7) Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (8) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (9) Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. (10) But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."

We start off being reminded to keep things in perspective...humble yourselves under the hand of God and HE will exalt you in due time...not when we deem it, but rather in His perfect time!!! Also, be mindful, that may not occur here as in earthly treasure...would you rather receive crowns above, that you can place at His feet, giving Him glory...which is definitely against our human nature to even think that!

Continuing on, we are to cast all our cares upon Him, because He cares for us. This is one of those hard-to-grasp statements...He cares for me...kinda like He calls me friend...how is that possible??? The Maker of heaven and earth wants to hear from me and likes my story...Say that last sentence out loud...made you smile, didn't it? Well, it's true!!!

Verse 8 reminds us to be careful and don't lose sight of our adversary, the devil. He is always looking for a way to make us fall...slow us down...ruin our testimony...get any victory in our life that he can. That is another reason why our time in prayer and the Word (daily) is such a must!!! Any opening we allow, he is ready to jump on...

Verse 9 continues to tell us to resist the temptations of the devil and be stedfast in your faith...knowing that the same tests occur to our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is another place to point back to verse 7...cast all your cares upon him (the Lord)

Then in the final verse of our passage today, notice that through our suffering (for a while), God will strengthen, settle, establish, and in the end perfect us...Be of good cheer, the trials only last for a short season...If you're going through a trial and the night seems as dark as it can possibly be, remember...the darkest hour means dawn is just in sight.

Please let me know if there is a special prayer I can word on your behalf today...

Move mountains...

Mark 11:22-26..."And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. (23) 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. (24) Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (25) 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. (26) But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."

This is a bold passage...Jesus states at the beginning to have faith in God. He continues on that with faith, not doubt, in your heart you can literally move mountains. If we believe what we ask for, it shall come. It states that what we desire when we pray, if we believe we shall receive. Would you ever try to get one over on God in prayer? I mean, would you actually ask for something you know that He wouldn't have for you? Just to clarify, God's interests in our lives must be best suited for Him to give what we ask for...once again, the heart is brought up in this context.

Another point is that to be forgiven, we must forgive. If we are holding off on forgiveness of others, how can the Lord forgive us. Is there someone who has done wrong to you? Have they asked your forgiveness, but you turned them away? Was it just too bad??? too hurtful??? too wrong??? What could be so wrong as to send God's Son to die on the cross??? To whom much is forgiven, much forgiveness is required. Just remember that our sins being forgiven cost God His only begotten Son. That makes the petty hurts and even the big ones seem much smaller.

So, from the passage today...forgive others...pray in faith, believing...and you can move a mountain TODAY!!!

Please let me know if there is a special prayer I can word on your behalf...

Is you life barren and unfruitful???

This morning I struggle as many of you do on a daily basis with being patient through trying times. It seems easy to sit back on days that everything is going fine, and let God lead us along. What about the times when things aren't going the way you want them to? What about when you know what is the best for the situation, but can't make it happen? Do we throw our hands up at God and say "I've got this one handled?"

My reading this morning comes from 2 Peter 1:3-8..."According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: (4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (5) And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; (6) And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; (7) And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. (8) For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

It clearly is stated here that through His divine power, we have been given everything that we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him...But, what about this or that??? Check out verse 4...through His glory and virtue we have been given great and precious promises, and by them we can share in divine nature and escape the corruption in this world. Isn't it the corruption that seeps into our minds, allowing us to think we know what is best? I mean, do we really believe that???

Verse 5 goes on to state that for that very reason, we need to add virtue to our faith (in Holman it states supplement faith with goodness) and knowledge to virtue. Faith isn't the only thing to get us through...we have to be involved in the working of the Lord in our lives! Along with our faith in God, we should be striving to do and show good to those we contact. We also are told to add knowledge to our virtue (goodness). Where do you go for knowledge??? In school, you look for a book on a subject to learn and gain knowledge. The knowledge we are to seek is from the Lord...and there is nowhere to find that but in His Word!!!

Continuing on in verse 6, we are called to add temperance (self-control), patience (endurance) and godliness. Self-control...that's a sticky one for many of us, right? The next one can be such a challenge...patience or endurance. Especially when you are following God's plan in your life, it gets frustrating when things still don't go according to plan. The problem is, we are looking at the plan as being ours...not His, right? And if we are able to stay patient and endure through the struggles, we need to add in godliness. I believe this follows a specific order for a good reason. When you add each of these to your life (truly), you are ready for the next step in growth spiritually. If you try to show godliness without self-control, patience, faith, knowledge, etc..what exactly are you showing???

In verse 7, we continue with brotherly kindness and charity. Brotherly kindness should be an easy one, but many times quite the opposite. When we speak of brotherly kindness, we aren't speaking of human families, but in the family of God. You don't get to pick your family...but you do have to show love to one another. Our preacher has a saying he got from an elder in church years ago that I believe sums this one up, "We can disagree, but let's not be disagreeable". This is so true. We may not like the same songs, college teams, musical styles, activities, carpet and tile combinations, etc but we are in this for the furthering of God's kingdom. If we can't show love to one another, how can we show charity (love) to those who aren't a part of the family?

Finally, in verse 8, we realize that if all these above are in us AND ABOUND (can be seen, not tucked away), we will not be barren and unfruitful in our knowledge of the Lord. I also believe that not only our knowledge will be fruitful, but our works will as well. Strive to follow these today and everyday from now...the Lord will bless you!!!

Let me know if there is a special prayer I can word on your behalf today...

He calls me friend...

One of my favorite songs is "Friend of God" and it just amazes me that the God I serve would call me a friend. In the last part of James 2:23, speaking of Abraham, it states..."and he was called the Friend of God."

Looking before and after in the chapter, it is speaking about faith accompanied by works. This is talking about when he took Isaac up Mount Moriah in Genesis 22. That will always be a favorite passage of mine. Abraham not only had faith in his Lord, but he put his faith into action.

In verse 24 of James 2, it states..."Ye see then how that by works man is justified, and not by faith only." This is most definitely a call to work. Not sit and let someone else do the work. We have all been called to go out a preach the word to others. Not all of us are called to lead a Sunday School class, direct the choir, sing specials, speak to large congregations, but we are all called to tell others. That is where our works match up with our faith.

The final verse of James 2 reads..."For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." So, don't sit idly by and wait for someone else to carry the Word for you. Look around, who are you neglecting to share with??? If they see your faith put into action, they will want some of what you've got...Don't hide it under a bush, let it shine!!! You're a friend of God and others are looking for a true friend...

Come boldly...

Hebrews 4:15 & 16..."For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.(16) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

This is a note of hope for all of us. When we have sin in our lives, God is not off fighting for someone else with His back turned to you. He is our All in All. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He can do all things for everyone at once. He is ever merciful and gives us the necessary grace to make it through the battles we face.

There is line from a song that says "If He carried the weight of the world on His shoulders, I know, my brother that He will carry you"...There is no problem that He can't solve. No disease He can't cure. No battle He can't win. Read the end of the Bible...I think you know who wins!!!

With our faith in a God so powerful and wanting to help in times of need, we must COME BOLDLY, not timidly. Remember, in Matthew 21:22, Jesus said "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." The key element of this verse is BELIEVING. When we ask in faith, all things are possible.

I would like to leave you with one final passage. It comes from Matthew 11:28-30..."Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

So, next time you have a trial or a tribulation you are facing, come before the throne boldly and lay cast all your cares upon the One who can carry them. He wants to give you rest and peace in a world that knows nothing of either...

A charge to keep...

This morning in our worship time, we spoke of the enduring of hardships, while being faithful to the Lord. One of the passages is 2 Timthy 4:7. I came home and was reading the beginning of the chapter and would like to share a thought or two with you...

In verse 2, we are called to preach the Word, be the same always, and teach with longsuffering and doctrine. Verse 3 says the time will come when men will not listen, but will follow after their own lusts and listen to those who tell them what they want to hear. Verse 4, they will turn away from the truth. Verse 5, watch yourself...do the work of an evangelist (Tell others), let people see what you are. Verse 6 his time has come. Verse 7 he has fought the good fight and kept the faith...The key point in verse 8... there is laid up a crown of righteousness not only for me, but to all that love his appearing...

Be sure that there will be trials and tribulations in your Christian walk, especially when you make a stand for our beliefs. The good news is that the pains we endure as Christians on earth will be overshadowed by the blessings we receive in heaven.

If you are going through a struggle today, I pray that a peace will come over you, and the hand of the Lord will be seen in your life. Fight the good fight, finish the course, and keep the faith!!!