Category: Belief

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Trust

“Seek the Lord, and find rest. Do what is good, and right in the sight of the Lord, and prosper. Remove and break the idols, the things binding you and become mighty. Trust in the lord, and prevail against an army.”

Though you may feel weak, and feeble, you possess the power of the universe.  One touch from the Master’s hand, and the weak become strong, the poor become rich, the oppressed are made free.   Trust in His mighty power.  Trust and believe that all things are possible to those who believe.  Trust that your problems are solved.  Trust that He will take care of you.

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised);… Hebrews 10:23   God is not a man.  God can never lie.  He is faithful and just, and His word is true.  Trust in the light and love of Christ.  Trust in Him who never fails.  Trust the Lord of lords, and the King of kings today.

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Joy’s Fountain

A Classic Devotional from D.L. Moody

“Happiness is caused by things that happen around me, and circumstances will mar it; but joy flows right on through trouble; joy flows on through the dark; joy flows in the night as well as in the day; joy flows all through persecution and opposition.  It is an unceasing fountain bubbling up in the hearts; a secret spring the world can’t see and doesn’t know anything about. The Lord gives his people perpetual joy when they walk in obedience to him.

Joy is love exalted peace; peace is love in repose; long-suffering is love enduring; gentleness is love in society; goodness is love in action; faith is love on the battlefield; meekness is love in school; and temperance is love in training.  The world does not understand theology or dogma, but it understands love and sympathy.”

God, thank you for the joy that transcends all situations, problems, conditions.  Help me this day Lord to walk more closely with you, and be a Joy foundation filling up all those empty vessels with Your everlasting joy.  Amen

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Wait on the Lord

Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote the following passage, ” It may seem an easy thing to wait, but it is one of the postures which a Christian soldier learns not without years of teaching.  Marching and quick-marching are much easier to God’s warriors than standing still.  There are hours of perplexity when the most willing spirit, anxiously desires to serve the Lord, knows not what part to take.  Then what shall it do? Vex itself by despair? Fly back in cowardice, turn to the right hand in fear, or rush forward in presumption?  No, but simply wait.

Wait in prayer, however. Call upon God, and spread the case before him; tell him your difficulty, and plead his promise of aid.  In dilemmas between one duty and another, it is sweet to be humble as a child, and with the simplicity of soul upon the Lord. It is sure to be well with us when we feel and know our own folly, and are heartily willing to be guided by the will of God.  But wait in Faith.  Express your unstaggering confidence in him…”

Psalm 27:14 [NJKV] “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your Heart; Wait, I say again, on the Lord.

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The Mercy of God

The mercy of God is not a little thing.  God is not little, nor is His mercy small or puny.  It is a wondrous thing; full of light, life and love.  Meditate on God’s mercy.  It is so sweet and tender. It heals, and restores the broken heart.  His mercy changes the look and feel of our bodies. Oozing wounds are bound up.   It soothes our troubled minds, and bring joy to our souls.  Mercy puts a smile on the face, where moments before there was a frown.  God’s mercy is wide and infinite.  It can’t be measured or put in a bottle to be stored and saved for a rainy day.  It always ready, and available to everyone.   Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, the psalmist wrote.   Mercy brings us to the throne of Heaven so we can dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The mercy of God is ours.  Psalm 52:8

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Wisdom

Wisdom is a precious jewel given to us by God.  Wisdom is a priceless gift that points the way to life – God’s life.  In our world, we don’t seek nor prize wisdom.  Our clamoring and searching for the brass ring leads us to the deep pits of despair.  But wisdom gives us light, and peace and even more than, that it provides us a way to a blessed life.

Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth forever.”

James 1:5 , 6 “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. 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.”

James 3:17 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

Ecclesiastes 7:12 “For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.”

Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/15-wisdom-quotes-from-the-bible/#ixzz23cSnsq80

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The Promise

There is coming for those who believe a day like no other.  It is a day when all; the spirit, soul and flesh will behold the promise – the great light of Christ. (Isaiah 9:1)  No matter how dark the circumstances, how bleak the prognosis – the promise will come again. 

Christ is our lighthouse; a light wave blazing through the darkness of our souls; a glistening promise of new life. So bright is His light; so pure is His light that it lifts us out of the darkness of our sins. it radiates and cleanses; it restores and heals; it delivers and makes us whole again.  God’s Promise of our Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace is not to be taken lightly.  It should give us assurance; a blessed assurance that all will be made right today.  No matter how deep the pit – the promise can reach you.  We can rise up this day with shouts of joy and victory that the Promise has come, and will come again.

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Burden-bearer

“Give me a stout heart to bear my own burdens. Give me a willing heart to bear the burdens of others.

Give me a believing heart to cast all burdens upon Thee, O Lord.” 

 John Baillie

Read the quote above again.  Do you see the difference, dear friend?  Baillie asked the Lord to give him a stout heart to carry his own burdens, and a willing heart to carry burdens of others.  There are two different types of burden-bearers.

First, I am to carry my own burdens with a stout heart.  Stretch my spiritual muscles, and lift those cares He wants me to carry as I work out my soul salvation.   Yes, we can do all things, however we still need to know which burdens to carry, how many and for how long.  Carrying burdens brings pressure, and that pressure, or the attention caused by the burdens may keep our minds on the burdens, and not on Christ.   Also, additional strength may be required due to the weight of these burdens.  So, you and I need to be fully aware of the weight of those burdens, the limitations and the risks involved in carrying those burdens.

Oftentimes, we are tempted to carry too many things at the same time, or carry the wrong things.   We need to stop, and drop some things before moving forward.  God is a “rewarder of those who diligently seek him“. [Hebrews 11:6]  Stoutness of heart requires not only strength, but wisdom also.   James wrote God gives wisdom liberally to those who ask for it. It is through a sound heart encased with wisdom that we learn the amount and types of things we are to bear.    Carrying our own burdens as directed by the Holy Spirit, turns us into effective witnesses of how to carry burdens, and also demonstrates the power of Almighty.

Don’t carry someone else’s burdens, no matter how tempting.  Don’t do it!   “Each one should carry his own load.” Galatians 6:5 tells us everyone has his own burdens to bear.  Stop trying to rescue everybody, or fix everything.  Prevention can be worst than the cure.  Some will have a Job experience, others a Jonah.  But each person has to carry their own load.   There is a Damascus Road encounter awaiting.  Don’t be like Sarah who created Ishmael, instead of waiting for the promise Isaac.  She tried to carry the burden of giving Abraham a son, instead of allowing God to complete the divine plan.  People stretch their spiritual muscles from carrying their own burdens.  They also learn to trust God if allowed to grow through the experiences.  Rushing in deprives them of the Damascus Road experience.  They need to meet the Lord, and learn from Him how to carry their own load with a willing heart.  Let them grow. Let them learn to trust the Lord and seek Him.  They must pick their cross daily and follow Him.  Besides, if we are burdened down with their load, then we will be unable or unwilling to successfully carry our own.

However, look at the second sentence in the above quote, “Give me a willing heart to bear the burdens of others.” Seems like a contradiction from what I just wrote. But it really isn’t.  God wants to bear the burdens of others, but by doing it His way.  Some believers’ spirits are being crushed by emotional and physical distress. They need us to fulfill the divine law by sharing God’s love.  However, sometimes, we are unwilling, or go overboard.  That is our lesson.  Ask God for a willing, and discerning heart to know when and how to bear another’s burden.   We must understand what it means to be a burden-bearer.   Show Christ to others with a willing heart, and as we do, we demonstrate His commandment to love one another as Christ loved the church.  The whole experience strengthens everyone, including ourselves, and brings Him glory.  Remember, the key is a willing heart.

Finally, with a believing heart bring ALL the cares to Christ, the Power that calmed the raging seas, gave sight to the blind, and healed the sick, and gave us new life.  In spite of our stoutness and willingness, we still need to bring all the cares, all the burdens to Him – our ultimate burden-bearer.  

So don’t hold those burdens.  Give them to Christ, and rest in the knowledge that He is fully capable of carrying all things, according to His perfect, divine plan far better than we ever could.

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The Power is On

“Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 NIV

Power on, power off. Storms have wrecked havoc across our state.  People are coping, but it has been a challenge.  Anytime the power is off communications, recreational activities, emergency services, and basic living conditions can be negatively impacted.  However, when it is running smoothly life move forward.  The same is true for us.  When we’re connected to the right power source, our lives flow at the right tempo.

God urges us to call him, and He will provide answers to those “great and unsearchable things.”  Answers to the “Why is this happening?” Answers to What do I do now?  Questions about Who am I and Why am I here, and Can I really be forgiven are always available through our power source-God the Father.   There are lots of other power sources out there, but they have faulty wiring and cannot be trusted.  Those other power sources will shut off, or go down at a moment notice.

Isn’t it reassuring to know the Great Power of the universe will never be off? 

To receive answers to questions, and directions for our lives, we must be connected to Him. 

The Power is On.

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Staying Connected

John 15:5 states,  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

God is not in the business of making those who are strong stronger, rather He takes the weak and makes them strong through His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.   And how is this accomplished?  How do we become instruments for His plan and purpose in this world?  By staying connected to the true vine.   No movement, growth, development takes place without staying connected to the power source of the universe-God.  We can’t bear fruit [His fruit] without Him.  We try, and fail miserably.  There is ample proof of that.  But when our lives are devoted to Him, when our hearts seek Him, when our eyes are fixed on Him, we become stronger, more creative, more loving, more giving, we become more like our Christ.  But we must stay connected to the vine.

One of the ways to stay connected is through prayer.  How is your prayer life?   John Bunyan wrote, ” Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan.”  The Holy Scriptures encourages us to pray, and provides many examples of how to pray, and answered prayer.  In fact, we are obliged to pray. It is our duty to pray, and it is a blessed privilege to engage in prayer.  Think of it, we mere confused, hurting, sinful mortals can speak to God through Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.  The Bible tells us God wants to hear from us and speak to us, because of His great love for us.   We also discover through prayer there is great power, great wisdom and great love.  We learn how to better manage our bodies, minds and spirits by staying connected.  All the issues; and “the personal, pertinent, and all-important questions for every soul” brought to Him in prayer are effectively, and efficiently dealt with. Enemies are defeated, grace and favor is applied.

You have an amazing day and life ahead of you.  Don’t waste it.  Don’t get side-tracked or distracted. Draw closer and  stay connected to Christ today, and experience the amazing and miraculous.

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If I Were The Devil

This comes from a radio broadcast aired October 13, 1964 by Mr. Paul Harvey.

If I were the Prince of Darkness I would want to engulf the whole earth in darkness.

I’d have a third of its real estate and four-fifths of its population, but I would not be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree.

So I should set about however necessary, to take over the United States. I would begin with a campaign of whispers.

With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve, “Do as you please.”

To the young I would whisper “The Bible is a myth.“ I would convince them that ”man created God,” instead of the other way around. I would confide that “what is bad is good and what is good is square.”

In the ears of the young married I would whisper that work is debasing, that cocktail parties are good for you. I would caution them not to be “extreme” in religion, in patriotism, in moral conduct.

And the old I would teach to pray — to say after me — “Our father which art in Washington.”

Then I’d get organized.

I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull, uninteresting.

I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies, and vice-versa.

I’d infiltrate unions and urge more loafing, less work. Idle hands usually work for me.

I’d peddle narcotics to whom I could, I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction, I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.

If I were the Devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions; let those run wild.

I‘d designate an atheist to front for me before the highest courts and I’d get preachers to say, “She’s right.”

With flattery and promises of power I would get the courts to vote against God and in favor of pornography.

Thus I would evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, then from the Houses of Congress.

Then in his own churches I’d substitute psychology for religion and deify science.

If I were Satan I’d make the symbol of Easter an egg, and the symbol of Christmas a bottle.

If I were the Devil I’d take from those who have and give to those who wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. Then my police state would force everybody back to work.

Then I would separate families, putting children in uniform, women in coal mines and objectors in slave-labor camps.

If I were Satan I‘d just keep doing what I’m doing

~~ Paul Harvey