Faith (Page 9)

It’s common in the history of Christendom that great truths are so often expressed that it loses their gravity, weight, and impact on the mind and hearts of the believer. It is a sad and unfortunate thing how truth reduces to a cliche, but regardless of its everyday modern use, the truth is still the truth, and we should be guilty of allowing its truthfulness to flood and affect our minds. Such is the word “altar.” Altar, to some, engenders…

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” – 2 Timothy 1:7 [ESV] In some versions of this verse, you’ll see “sound mind,” but it’s pretty much the same thing. God gives us a mind to do good so that we can glorify Him. We aren’t going to be perfect, but we can live a life pleasing to God because of His Holy Spirit. We are no longer bound by our flesh,…

“I will wash my hands in innocency: So will I compass Thine altar, O LORD” – Psalm 26:6 [KJV] David, who wrote the above verse, is an example of a man who fiercely sought God’s will. David is sometimes regarded as the holiest man that ever lived outside of Jesus. Throughout this whole chapter of the Psalms, David was asking God to test his heart to see if his ways were pure. David’s legacy continues with us today. The Book…

“Nobody’s perfect” is a common refrain usually voiced by an individual seeking to generalize imperfection and, perhaps, escape accountability. This phrase is also a defensive counter to the high moral ground typically understood by Christianity and its adherents. That is to say, regardless of the ethical expectations imposed by God upon humanity and by Christians to non-Christians especially, nobody can really live up to them. Therefore people should be treated with laxer and “understanding.” This counter-measure is so common that…

“Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.” – Proverbs 22:13 [NLT] It’s easy to ignore the poor when you have made it, but how would you feel if you lived on the streets? I know what it’s like not to have anything. I remember when nobody was able to help me when I got evicted last summer. It’s not fun to be in that situation. I remember…

The word “Christian” has been so distorted that it’s hard to tell if someone’s really saved or just pretending. Christians are humans just like everyone else, but there are ways to distinguish a true born-again believer of Christ from someone who just says they are a believer. The Bible does say, “you will know a tree by its fruit.” (Matthew 7:20) 1. A born-again Christian must believe on the cross. What makes a Christian a Christian is that they believe…

“The poor is hated even of his own neighbor: But the rich have many friends.” – Proverbs 14:20 [NKJV] In Proverbs, Solomon uses the words “poor” and “rich” quite a bit. Many times, Solomon is talking about material wealth, but in this verse, he’s talking about the heart. Rich people are often lonely because they don’t know if people love them for them or for their wealth. Rich people can feel just as empty and isolated as poor people. Again,…

I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” – Ezekiel 22:30 [NIV] This verse is a scathing indictment of God’s people in a troubled time. For those who don’t know the context of Ezekiel Chapter 22, it is this: shortly before the siege of Jerusalem and the takeover by the Babylonian…

One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.” Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.” So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech. While she was there, Boaz…

“Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, ‘Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: “Leave us…

I just got a job offer as a travel agent. It’s a job that wasn’t really on my radar, but I have applied for a few travel agencies on Indeed to write for them. To make a long story short, I applied for several writing jobs but none accepted me. I had an email from a travel agent, and I got hired. I can work from home while I travel the world. No matter where I go, I know God…

“Don’t be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” – Nehemiah 8:10c [NASB] When we start to stray from the basics of our faith, the tell-tale sign is that we lose our joy. During a troubling time with his team, the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi, the famous American football coach, decided he needed to go back to the basics. He held up a football in a team meeting and said, “gentlemen, this is a football.” One…

“But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.” – Exodus 23:22 [ESV] Again, I’m reading through the Bible for the entire year, and I suppose I’m going to take you along for the ride! The Word of Almighty God is filled with so many truth gems that it requires constant digging to unearth it and appreciate it. I’m grateful for…

“Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.” – Proverbs 17:1 [NIV] Toxic environments are the one thing Satan will use to throw us off track. When you’re in a place that is filled with negative energy, it will quickly bring you down. I remember living in New York City for my freshman year of college. New York City is known for being stressful. I remember living in the projects, and it…

I was talking to a friend on Discord and we were talking about living on your own in your twenties. I’m 25 and she’s 27, but she never lived on her own before. She stated the reason why she never really pushed herself was that she always had the comfort of her parents’ support. I told her had my mother never passed away I probably wouldn’t be as ambitious as I have been. God takes away things that are convenient…

I watched a video on Youtube from a doctor who was homeless during his teenage years. He talked about how he had to sleep outside in a tent in the middle of Winter in Buffalo, New York. What makes his story even more inspiring is that he said he didn’t want to rely on the government or foster care (he was homeless due to his parents splitting up). He was able to pull his bootstraps and get through nine years…

I just had my first Zoom meeting for my sales job. One of the guys talked about the course we have to take and what purpose it serves. He said we only have to know 10 percent of the course, but the test serves as a way to weed out those who are motivated and those who are not. God does the same thing to us. God puts through tests and trials that may seem pointless, but it’s worthwhile in…

David said in Psalm 27:13, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” I imagine this anointed king writing this as he reflected over his childhood, enduring the rejection from his family, notably his father and brothers. I see him penning this as he muses about the struggles of fighting giants, being betrayed by the king, and finally running for his life. He writes from a place of…

“Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.” – Proverbs 22:1 [NLT] I talked to one of my friends from my church in Florida last night. We were discussing how much I was missed at church. It really meant a lot to me because it was tough fitting in at the church I was attending. That conversation made me realize that what I had in Jacksonville was special. I didn’t…