Tag Archives: faith

Opposition Brings Success

Right before success you face your worst opposition. Look at the Lord Jesus, He was facing death by on a cruel Roman cross, but resurrection is coming in 3 days. His resurrection makes the way for all sinners to receive eternal life, just as He promised. Now we can believe in Him for eternal life.

So don’t be down and don’t be low, hope is coming. People who invent things spend a lot of time in the drudgery of details until success comes.

Faith in Action

Beth Shean, Israel

Beth Shean, Israel

What is “Faith in Action”, it is just believing into Him, trusting Him and walking with Him.  It’s all about “Him”, that is its all about “Jesus”.  He is the author and perfector of our faith, the beginning and the end.  He started our Christian life and He is the only one able to complete it. Look at Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Beth Shean, Israel

Beth Shean, Israel

Look where we are today, we should thank Him for what He has done.  Don’t look at the problems or even ourselves, look to Him the source of our Christian Life.

So don’t be angry, be thankful and trust Him. There is choosing, believing, abiding, and remaining steadfast in our walk with God.

Beth Shean, Israel

Beth Shean, Israel

 

God Uses People Like Gideon with Little Faith

God even uses people with little faith. Do we ever wonder why God put us in some situations? Well Gideon also wondered.  Look at this Bible passage. Gideon almost gave up, until the Lord spoke to him. And after the Lord spoke, Gideon had trouble believing God.

Judges 6:13-14
And Gideon said to him, “Please, sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? ’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”

Judges 6:16
And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”

Multnomah Falls Oregon

Multnomah Falls Oregon

Gideon still did not believe what God said, and so asked for a “sign”. The Jews also asked for a sign at the time of Jesus. Both situations were considered evil in the Lord’s eyes since they did not just take God at His word. But it’s hard to do that, and Gideon being a man of faith, well sort of a man of faith, really did not fully believe God’s word. So Gideon asked several times for a sign. Notice that God did not rebuke Gideon, but sort of went along with his crazy requests. So Gideon really did not have that much belief and faith in God, but God still used him just as he was.

In the New Testament The Lord Jesus put up with a lot of failures and unbelief from His disciples. He put up with Peter, Thomas and more. Well the point is, God puts up with us just the way we are, and still let’s us work with Him for His Kingdom.

Faith and Courage

Courage, which is the ability to face anything, comes from God. Courage comes from God, Faith comes from God. The best Bible verse for this is:  Joshua 1:6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. So never give up, God loves you. Sometimes we need to fight through and trust The Lord.  The secret of victory over fear is very simple – it is trusting Jesus.

Anxiety Kills Vision

As soon as we get anxious, we loose our vision of Jesus and began to sink into despair.

Sunrise, Sea of Galilee, Israel

Sunrise, Sea of Galilee, Israel where probably Peter got anxious when he took his eyes off Jesus

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you

Sunrise, Sea of Galilee, Israel

Sunrise, Sea of Galilee, Israel

Matthew 14:27-32 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

Peter looked at Jesus and walked on the water, then looked down at the troubled water and sank. As soon as Peter got anxious about the water he was walking on, he lost his vision of Jesus and began to sink.

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
But a good word makes it glad.

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Its All By Listening

Spokane River near Downtown

Spokane River near Downtown Spokane

Did you know, faith comes by hearing, and hearing the Word of God.  That’s from Romans 10.

Do we really trust God at His word. Do we really believe His speaking.  In the end all is gone, but God and us, our stuff will be gone. So live for eternity. One day this world as we know it is over. We don’t take our toys and electronic gadgets to heaven (or hell).   By grace the promises comes to us. So listen to God’s speaking via His Word, the Bible.

The encouraging verse is Romans 10:17  So faith comes from hearing, and what is heard comes through the word about Christ.

Here is Faith

The Israeli spies saw giants, but Joshua and Caleb saw God! Faith can see God. God has spoken, He wanted them in the good land, the land of Israel. But it seemed like a lot of problems and issues to get there. It takes faith to believe that God has given us all we need to obey Him.

Prayer is Faith and Speaking

Matthew 21:21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” 23 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

Again the Lord Jesus emphasis is on speaking (say to this mountain, ask in prayer) and faith (believing).   Notice the action verbs “say”, “ask”, and “believing”.  There is always action in prayer, but not some outward doing, but just faith and speaking.