In certain of life’s situations we may ask this question? It is likely a good question to ask, even before we become desparate or disappointed? During Gideon’s days Israel was under extreme oppression from rival nations. An angel appeared to Gideon saying, ” ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’ ‘Pardon me, my lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.’ The Lord answered, ‘I will be with you, and you will…
Living Life On God's Terms
Tagged Faith
Healing By Faith
“Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.” (Luke 4: 38-39). Who has ever prescribed a rebuke to relieve a fever? When you hear “faith and healing” do you think of charlatans and fakes who deceive people in order to get money? Have you dismissed all healing except by modern medical science? If so, are you taking…
Taking Thoughts Captive
“Do not copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” II Corinthians 10:4-5. Whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,…
Faith the Size of a Mustard Seed
“So the Lord said, ‘If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you.’ ” Luke 17:6. “So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.’ ” Matthew 17:20. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we…
Prayer Group
I’ve been in many prayer groups, most were great. We had a small one at work that did exploits in the Spirit among people, organizations, crossing boundaries. The one most unusual was with a group of women, who allowed me to join them, (I had secured my wife’s concurrence and she knew them all). This group was for the prodigal’s we knew, but the Holy Spirit led the prayer. If you have ever been among a group led by the Spirit, you will know that He loves variety and knows exactly what is best in that day and every minute.…
Prayer Reminder
The scriptures remind us to pray, even to do so continually. (1 Thess. 5:17). I trust you to implement ‘continually’ as you best discern, but I want to remind you of an equally, perhaps more important necessity, which is to pray with faith. My boots were worn out, so I started wearing my hikers to work in, which promptly destroyed their waterproofing. I have a camping trip planned and need dry feet in the middle of the winter. I prayed about purchasing some new boots, which is not an ordinary purchase. I started looking around, which I considered compatible with…
God’s Gifts to Man
There is a lot written about identifying one’s spiritual gifts. Much of it centers around a description of the various gifts recorded in scripture. This is good and even so, there remains a considerable amount of uncertainty on the subject, principally regarding application. Everything that pertains to God and scripture must be understood, experienced, and acquired with faith. Faith is the key to heavens door, accordingly the door is locked to those without it. The opposite of faith is not unbelief, it is self-reliance. Many people in scripture struggled to believe. One man asked Yeshua to deliver his son saying,…
The Gift of Faith
“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit…” I Corinthians 12:7-9. The gift of faith mentioned here as one of the Gifts of the Spirit is not specifically defined in Scripture. This gift is to be distinguished from saving faith given to all believers and is apparently a gift whereby the Spirit provides Christians with extraordinary assurance that God will answer their prayers…
Two Responses to Yeshua
“Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?’ they asked. ‘Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?’ And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.’ And he did not do many miracles there because of…
Glorify God in Your Trials
We all sometimes wonder why God allows trials to come into the lives of Christians such as death of loved ones, poor health, loss of jobs or positions, or unhappy family situations. We understand that we are just passing through this life and Heaven is our ultimate destination but why cannot this life be at least comfortable for us at all times. God’s purpose in allowing trials is to test our faith and show the genuineness of it and to glorify God by humbling ourselves to submission to God who allows both good and bad things into our lives as…
Christian Generosity
We watched a portion of a TV travel show about flying over southern Italy. It was very beautiful and the ancient ruins were visible in great detail from the areal perspective. As they flew over Rome the great Roman Catholic cathedral of Saint Peter was pointed out as the seat of Catholic religion. I thought, “if someone were in great need, this would be a place where help could be counted upon”. Then I qualified myself, although one may need to be a member of the Catholic church. That reminded me of an incident when I was attending University. My…
The Just Shall Live By Faith
In Zephaniah 1:12 a pronouncement is given upon those who are settled in complacency, who say in their heart, “The Lord will not do good, nor will he do evil”. This is an appropriate scripture for today as people, even those who believe in God, become complacent looking at and caught up in the world around us. Where is faith in God’s active and real loving-kindness, providence, sovereignty and compassion. As we repent and wait on the Lord in faith, He says, “I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name…
A Friend and God’s Faithfulness
I have a long time friend, who is as good a friend as one could ever want. We were hired at the same time by the same organization. We went through divisional training together and worked together several times through the years. Early on in our respective careers, I noticed that my friend had a high concept of fairness and/or justice; consequently, when he was turned down for a promotion or special assignment, he would object and dispute any injustice…
Keep The Faith
From my youth I knew God, having a child’s faith that there was a God in heaven who had made the world and everything in it. From that time God has drawn me closer to him and given me more revelation of Him, mostly through His word, the Bible, but all proceeding from His Holy Spirit. God is Spirit and those who seek Him must do so in spirit and truth. Moreover, God Is the Author and finisher of our faith. It surely is inconceivable to the natural mind that God grants faith to us, although He states it is…
In the Small Things
Does God care about the small things that we deal with in this life. By small, I don’t mean insignificant or material necessities of living; He promises to give us food and clothing, things we need. No, I’m referring to small decisions regarding matters that affect us and the others around us, over which we have authority and responsibility to dispose of in our own ability. The Bible is full of instances of such items in Jesus life. They range from where to go next, or when to go there, or what to do in certain situations and encounters. …
Atheist And Proud Of It, But Why
This is a partial list of celebrities who are purportedly atheist by News N Buzz website and comments attributed to each. It is likely profitable to be atheist in Hollywood, so as to the true heart-felt beliefs of these folks, it is hard to say, and since they are alive, they may yet come to faith, particularly, as they age or drop out of the limelight or favor with Hollywood or the political left who seem to run it. However, these objections to religion and/or God, provide an interesting sample of complaints, demands, dreams, and misunderstandings to support their unbelief.…
A Word of Encouragement
You can have greater faith now. Hear, think, remember, read, meditate, pray, seek, ask, inquire about Messiah Yeshua, and as you do listen, faith will rise. Everywhere God is blessing His people, even those who are just turning to Him, those who are weighed down by the cares of this world, the brokenhearted, those in great need, those in peril, the weak and wounded, and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord. God is good. God is loving to all He has made. Every good and perfect gift comes from God. He is near and He knows all…
Feelings vs Mental Assent
These are two aspects of faith and they offer much to debate and divide those who favor a particular view. In revival we see each in operation, but mental assent is much more difficult to observe than the emotions and associated feelings which flood out in all sorts of expression. Is a particular revival event truly a work of God or simply a show of men? Always and necessary is the Bible’s admonition to test the spirits (1 Thess. 5:19). That test is based on the fruit that is produced. A relevant scripture…
