Believing God Today

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Monthly Archives: December 2011


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Thankfulness

Thankfulness

I just read a blog post about praise and worship. The author stated that we need to worship and praise our God daily, and thank Him…makes sense to me.

Some days that is a tall order, but if we can wrap our minds around God and His will for us…then the bad days won’t seem so bad anymore. The Word tells us that in all things by prayer and petition we should present our requests to God. That verse also says we are to be thankful.

To be honest, being thankful at times is tough…despite all that the Lord has given me it is to easy to focus on the bad things. I really dislike my job for instance, why does not matter. I thank God for this job that I “hate”. I was discussing this with a friend recently and her comment was that I should be thankful to God for this job…period. And she was right, as I thought about what she said…this job provides a home to live in, food to eat, clothes to wear, and anything else we need. It also allows us to give to the Lord.

There are if we would just stop and think about it so many things to be thankful for.
Number one would be that because Christ loves us, we are forgiven our sins and given eternal life as gift! How cool is that…and no matter how bad your day was you still have this precious gift.

How about these things that we should be thankful for;
Family, church family, the Word of God, a God who hears our prayers, a God who loves us, A God who died for us, pastors, teachers, food to eat, our homes, vehicles to drive, being able to give and bless others, music, writing, the great outdoors, rainbows, this list could go on forever!

How about the Apostle Paul, and all the things that happened to him and he was still thankful to God and worshipped Him non-stop. Paul was nearly killed several times, was shipwrecked, beaten, jailed…and he suffered all things gladly for the Lord. Wow, and I think life is hard now! Paul is a great example of how we should conduct ourselves in life.

The best example of all of course is Christ Himself. If Jesus who was and is God thought that it was important to pray, and always obeyed His Father…should we not do the same?

Take a moment each day and praise the Lord for what He has done for you. Be thankful to God with a sincere heart. For you are a new creation in Christ, His workmanship that He will finish at the end of days.

gth
12/29/11

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Christmas With Jesus

Christmas With Jesus

John 1:10-14
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

These verses from John were true when the Apostle John wrote them, and they are still true today. Jesus created the world, the universe in its entirety. Then Jesus came to earth and grew up into a man. As Jesus began to teach…He was not recognized for who He was. He was the Son of God, God Himself in the flesh. But no matter His teachings, His miracles, His grasp of the Word that none other possessed…the Pharisees and many others refused to recognize Him for who He claimed to be. Jesus knew the laws of Moses better then the Pharisees or the Sadducees did, and still the people would not believe. Jesus posed questions they could not answer, and the unbelief of the people continued.

In today’s world we do not have the benefit of Jesus being here with us. We are told to walk by faith, believe in what we can’t see (2 Corinthians 5:7). We do however have the rich testimony of the New Testament books. These books of the bible tie into the Old Testament quite regularly. There is so much evidence of Jesus having been here!! The events in the New Testament have plenty of corroborating evidence even in the so-called secular world. Jesus is the most referred to subject by far in the world today, more books have been written about Him than anyone else. The more archeologists excavate in the biblical cities, the more things they find that prove the statements of the bible to be true!

With all this, unbelief is rampant in today’s world. With all the evidence available to us in the bible, in secular writings, in books written by disciples of the Apostles, all the things found by archeologists, and even science itself…it takes more faith to disbelieve Christ than it does to believe in Him. Science says that the world as we know it should not even exist! It (the world) should fly apart, why doesn’t it? The power of Christ is why! Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. Colossians 1:17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

As we celebrate the birth of Christ and all that this earth-shaking event means…lets take a moment to pray for those who do not yet know Christ as Savior.

Father may You open the eyes of the blind that they may see. I pray your Holy Spirit would be working in those who do not know You even now. Let those we know see You in us. May our actions reflect the love You have given us. May your Spirit guide us as we seek to help a hurting world. Amen.

gth
12/23/11
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Hope

I was reading this today and was reminded by my own words that there really is hope. There is always hope in any situation no matter how desperate things may seem. Our hope is based upon Christ, so we do not hope in vain if we know Him. God allows us to go through things for a reason, and though we don’t always understand why, there is a reason. So many things do not make sense in our lives, especially those of us that have died to live as Natalie Grant put it. What does however make sense is that our Father in heaven is always in control and we can trust in Him. Jesus is the author of our faith and died to give us eternal life. We can hold on to hope and truth…hold on to Jesus with all you have-you will never be disappointed.

Hope

Hope is…the never-ending hope we have in Jesus. We place our hope in Him for salvation…the hope of eternity…a new and perfect being…forever with God. Eternal life…where sin will reign no more…heartbreak and sadness will be banished…death will die forever…fear and anxiety will be replaced by love and peace.

Hope is always here…waiting for us to discover it. Hope can be found in any place…any situation. Hope is on the horizon of each day…shining forth brightly like a beautiful sunrise…bright and new each day. Hope propels us forward through each day…helps us to weather every storm.

Hope is like a diamond…it’s facets reflecting the light…beautiful to look upon…hope is also so much more…hope is there for us to reach out and grasp it…take hold of it and never let go. Hope is a reflection of God’s love for us…Romans 5:5…And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Hope is…the hope for a better tomorrow. Hope that we will walk more in the spirit…and less in the flesh. Hope that love will win out over anger, disappointment, fear, failure, unkind thoughts and words, and selfishness.

When hope resides within us…it strengthens us…that we may have enduring faith…especially during the storms that will assuredly come. A faith that will not be broken…though we will be. Hope increases our ability to love others… for through our hope in Him…love is given to us…that we may share this hope with others.

Hope is powerful…able to lead us out of the darkness and into the light that is Christ. Hope can shine forth through the worst situations in life…it can release us from misery. We need only to allow ourselves to see it…feel it…embrace it. Hope may only be a small ray of light on a cloudy horizon…it is always there however…search it out…actively look for it…concentrate on it. Slowly the ray of light grows brighter as the clouds dissipate and the sun shines through in brilliant color…so to will our hope…because our hope is not of this world…it is of Christ.

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The Miracle Of Christmas

The Miracle Of Christmas

I listened to a short program today about what else, Christmas! And the birth of Christ was mentioned of course and this is a very good thing. This got me to thinking, I hear a lot about the fact that Jesus was born for us. Of course Jesus was born for us, but what if we looked at it in a more personal way?

Although biblically correct, (Jesus was born for us) it is also correct to state that Jesus was born for me. Each of us should when we think of Christ’s birth, think that He was born for me, that makes it personal. When we accept Christ into our lives and agree that we are sinners in need of a Savior, Christ comes into our hearts and gives us a new heart made of flesh instead of stone. There is supposed to be more to it than that, we are to enter into a personal relationship with the Lord. So it only stands to reason that Christ was born for me, and for each of you individually. If we look at the birth of Christ as a blanket event, it does not mean as much, compared to when you view His birth as something He did for you personally.

How much more so does this same principal apply to Christ’s death. Jesus Christ, the very Creator of the universe, the One who spoke the universe into existence, the One who holds all things together by the power of His word…this Jesus came to earth and died for me. It is correct to say that Jesus was born to die for us. If I know Christ as Savior, and I do…then Christ died for me. Personalizing what Jesus did makes it all the more sweeter. The Alpha and the Omega, the Lord of lords, The King of kings, the Sustainer of all things…actually came here to our world as a human while at the same time still fully God. This God/man, our Redeemer, redeemed us (me) from the penalty of our sins. Jesus paid our penalty which is death, for we all have sinned…Jesus died for us (me).

As you celebrate Christmas this year, take a moment and reflect on what Jesus did for you by becoming a human, more specifically a helpless baby born in an unclean environment, probably a cave. He was born where the animals were housed, not humans. If that is not humble I don’t know what is. God sent Himself in the form of Christ to a pay an outstanding debt that I owed to the Father. There is no way I could pay this debt, but Jesus came and paid it for me. All my sins are paid for, even the ones that I have not committed yet.

Yes the birth of Christ is an astounding event, worthy of celebration. Christmas is not about presents, although that is part of the fun. Christmas is about Christ, this Christmas lets all worship the One who saved us, and thank Him for the gift we have received…the gift that began with the birth of a little baby named Jesus.

gth                                                                                                                                                                                                                             12/21/11

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Jesus Is Lord

 This particular piece was co-authored by myself and James Williams. It is not long, but we feel it is a good read! Hope this blesses you!
Jesus Is Lord
“ if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;”  Romans 10:9

Jesus is Lord. It’s one of the best-known phrases in all of Christianity. Everyone says it…but how many people know what it really means? How many people make this truth central to their lives?In Romans 10:9, the Greek word for Lord, κύριος, is derived from “kuros”, meaning “supremacy”.  In this verse, it means “he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.” In modern American culture, the idea of looking to anyone as having supremacy in our lives is unfamiliar to us, but it’s a lack we need to overcome if we are to be in right relationship with Jesus.Jesus is Lord … what exactly does that look like? What is He Lord of? First, Jesus is head over all others in authority. He is Lord of lords. When someone was referred to as “lord” (lower case) in Jesus’ day, it meant people of importance, such as a prince or a Roman emperor. From the perspective of the believer, Jesus is Lord of lords and King of kings.   Jesus is supreme over all people or beings everywhere. Just as a lord in the Roman empire reported to the Roman emperor who was lord of that empire, all the greatest of the lords of the earth, or the kings of the earth are subordinate to Jesus. Jesus is Lord of all; there is no one above Him.

Secondly, Jesus is Lord of our lives. Think back to the story of Esther, for whom approaching the throne could have cost her her life. Think of David, who, even when he knew King Saul was after him, still showed reverence for him, because of his position as king. In our innermost being, where the course of our life is decided is a throne room. In this room is a throne, and it only seats one. Who is sitting on the throne in your heart? Is it you, or is it Jesus? Are you trying to share it with Him? You can’t serve yourself and Jesus at the same time. Jesus will share the throne with nobody. He will not come where He is not invited.

What does it mean to live for Jesus, as opposed to living for yourself? If you live for yourself, Jesus is not on the throne; you have taken His place. If Jesus is Lord, you are willing to do what He demands of you, even when it requires submitting your will to His. His demands could be long-term: if He says He wants you to quit your job and go into the missions field, you do it if He is truly your Lord. And it is short term: if He demands that you confess that sin, or make that phone call and offer forgiveness to one who has wronged you, you do it if He is truly your Lord.
Philippians 2:10 tells us that one day, every knee will bow to Him and call Him Lord.  Every knee.  Every tongue.  Each man, woman, and child will agree that Jesus is who He says He is. Blessed is the one who recognizes it, and walks in it, long before that day.

gth
James Williams

7/23/11

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Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual Warfare

I was reading a book on Spiritual warfare today and the chapter I was reading dealt with how Satan wants us to be ignorant of God’s word. If we are ignorant of the Word of God, we can and will get ourselves into much trouble.

It never ceases to amaze me how the Word of God backs itself up. Or how Jesus is always a prime example of what the bible teaches. Here is the companion verse that came to mind as I was reading Matthew 4:1-11. James 4:7  Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. The first thing we see in this verse is that we are to submit ourselves to God. Jesus did this very thing at all times in all ways. John 5:19, John 5:30, John 6:38, Matthew 26:39. In all of the preceding verses we see that Jesus states in no uncertain terms that He follows the will of the Father, not His will. Even Jesus the Son of God, being God Himself submits to the Father. Isn’t that incredible? How much more then should we submit to His will? In the second half of James 4:7 it tells us to resist the devil, and then he will flee from us. In Matthew 4:1-11 the story is told of Satan tempting Jesus. Jesus though here as a full and complete man was also at the same time completely God. Jesus never gave up His deity, it is very important to understand this when reading in the Word of God examples of how Jesus dealt with things. This then, the tempting of Jesus is a prime example. Jesus, being hungry and exhausted after forty days of fasting is then tempted by Satan. Satan says, since you are so hungry why not make bread out of these rocks? How does Jesus handle this temptation along with the other two temptations? He uses the Word of God! Just as we are told to do, Jesus being God could have fed Himself on the spot, and then vaporized Satan where he was standing! But Jesus used the Word of God to defeat Satan! Jesus resisted the devil, and the devil did flee.

We can do the same thing Jesus did. When we are tempted by un-Godly things, we can quote scripture to ourselves as to why we should not do that. We can protect ourselves with the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) to ward of Satan’s attacks on us. Contained with-in the armor is also an offensive weapon; this is of course the sword of the Spirit. We mount our offense against the enemy using the Word of God that the Spirit who in-dwells us guides and leads us in the use of.

In order to be effective in the battle against Satan and our own weak flesh, we need to be spending time in the Word of God. Every believer should know their bible, so that when any situation arises, we can look to the Word for help, for reassurance, defense, and offensive actions we can take to keep ourselves safe in this fallen world. The best offense for the believer is to know and practice (this is the most important part) what the Word of God says to us.

gth                                                                                                                                                                                                                             12/19/11

 
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Fear Anxiety and God

Oh my Lord my God, calm my beating heart. It beats so as to jump out of my chest. I fear and I worry, I have no rest day and night. My dreams pursue me my days are downcast.

Oh my Lord my God, won’t you vanquish these demons that chase me? Lord break these chains that bind me. My God my God, release me from the prison I have built for myself. I despair of ever attaining true freedom.

I tell you truly, I Am. My grace is sufficient for you. Take heart, for I have overcome the world.
I tell you truly, I Am. I am love in that I came to the world to save you from your sins. I am the Lord God of heaven and earth. Nothing on earth, nor in the heavens will ever separate you from My love.
I tell you truly, I Am. Come to Me you who are weary, and I will give you rest. Believe in Me and walk with Me in the spirit, and the peace that surpasses all understanding will be with you.
I tell you truly, I Am. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. All those who have the Son have life. Trust in Me, I am the Way and have walked the path before you. Trust in Me, listen to My voice, My flock knows My voice.
I tell you truly, I Am. Set your worries before Me, and I will ease them. Cast your anxiety upon Me, I will take it from you. Confess your sins, I will forgive them.

I am, the Great I Am, forever faithful, always true.

Stop for a moment…what are your first thoughts after reading the above first two paragraphs? “Yeah that’s me”, or maybe “He’s got that all wrong”. Something else all together maybe? I wrote that after a really bad day. Let’s look at the first part as the second part speaks for itself.

First “my beating heart”, says louder then words anxiety. Well what should we do when that happens? God’s word says we should pray. “I fear and I worry”, and “my days downcast”, meaning of course depression, also means I should be praying when this happens.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
We all have our days, but if we are faithful to spend time with the Lord each day, preferably first thing when we get up in the morning…it will help. Time spent in God’s word and prayer, along with worship are tools to help us in our spiritual walk with Christ. If anyone has a lot of days that are like the above, well you might want to examine your walk with Christ.

Vanquish demons of the mind, break the chains that bind, finding true freedom. We don’t need God to do this for us. What? We don’t need God to do these things for us, because He already has!
When the Word became flesh (John 1:14) He lived among us. When Jesus went to the cross and died to pay our debt of sin…He also defeated the god of this world (Satan). Jesus said to us in John 16:33, “But take heart I have overcome the world”. In all things in all ways, Jesus has already won the battle. Satan’s time here is short, he rules this world because the Lord allows him to! Therefore, we don’t need the Lord to break the chains that bind us, destroy the prisons that our minds languish in…He already has! All we need to do is educate ourselves and use the tools that Jesus gave us.

God has given us the victory through His work. We can’t possibly outwit Satan, or hope to strive with him in any way, he is way to powerful for us. But in Christ we can win! We remind Satan that the Lord has already won and that we are His! (James 4:7) This is why bible study is so important because all the tools we need for a successful life are there. This does not mean that life will become easy, or that we can expect to change ourselves (we don’t change ourselves, God does through the Holy Spirit) overnight. It takes time and diligent study.

God made the rules, and God also paid for them. Since our Lord has given us such a great and precious gift to accompany the most precious gift of all (Eternal life) should we not use this gift, which was and is His intent for us? If time with the Lord is not part of your day each day, would you consider making God a part of your day every day? We have to do our part, we need to work at it. Faith should produce works, (James 2:17) and we need to work out our faith (Philippians 2:12).

gth
12/12/11

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Original Sin

Original Sin

The consensus is sin originated with Adam and Eve. Here is another thought. Sin originated with Satan…before Adam and Eve sinned Satan sinned. God had created the angels, and Satan was a powerful angel in His service. At some point in time Satan decided to take hold of his power and use it for himself instead of the glory of God. Satan an angel created by God decided to turn against his Creator. As if this was not bad enough he enticed other angels to his service. Then Satan went after his greatest victory…or so he thought.

Satan tempted God’s finest creation into sin. I am of course talking about Adam and Eve, man and woman. Modeled after the image of God Himself. Satan managed to turn God’s own people against Him. What a victory this must have seemed to Satan! Satan of course knew how serious sin is and what the penalty was for it. This was a huge victory against God…or so he thought.

God was not napping when all this happened. God didn’t say to Himself, “OH NO, what am I going to do about this?” Satan did win a battle when he tempted Adam and Eve into sin. Let’s be clear about this though…Satan won the battle because he was allowed to. Why did God allow all this to happen? It’s all part of the divine plan, God was and is and always will be in complete control.

Now, more time has gone by…enter in Jesus Christ on earth. Can you hear Satan saying to himself…OH NO. Satan knew that Jesus being here was a serious problem for him, why else would he have attempted to tempt Jesus into sin. Jesus let Satan tempt him as if to say, “give it your best shot, it’s not going to work anyway.” Remember those supposed great victories of Satan’s? Jesus came to our world and eradicated those events. Satan was made powerless in what Jesus did on the cross.

We are still going to sin, we are still going to face temptation. We will fall down, and we may even find ourselves wandering at times. We may walk away for many years before returning to Him. We will do all these things and more. That does not change the victory won for us by Jesus. Jesus paid for all sins for all time for all people. Christ nullified the works of Satan by His death on the cross. The prince of the air has already lost the war, he will inflict damage upon us but he can’t win.

We have only to give ourselves to Jesus, and accept the great gift He has offered to us. By Jesus sacrifice…we are forgiven our sins and are given a place in eternity with Him. We have not the power to contest with Satan…but our Lord gives us the strength to resist him each day. Our strength, our purpose, our character, and all things in between should be found in Jesus.

The victory over sin is assured. The final outcome is not in doubt. This victory can be yours for the asking. Jesus has done all the work for us. We simply need to open the door of our hearts and ask Him in…accept Him as Lord and Savior.

Have you asked Him?

gth                                                                                                                                                           1/2/11

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