pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: faith


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He Is Faithful

As the wandered in the wilderness without water, the Israelites began to grumble against God and against Moses.  without this basic necessity for life, they were getting testy.  God heard their cry and responded through Moses, bringing forth water from a rock.

How often do we too feel abandoned or question God’s presence?  How common is it to question whether or not He cares when we are walking through a difficult situation in life?  Sometimes in the depths of the valley it is hard to see God’s light and to remain faithful to Him.  Through it all, though, He is faithful to us.  Through it all, He is always right there.

When we look back on our trials, we can usually see how God was there and how He helped or guided us.  As we reflect on and are thankful for His help, we are strengthened in our faith.  Then He is closer when we walk through the next valley or trial, for we know Him more.  God uses our experiences to draw us closer to himself.  We must remain faithful, for He is always faithful.

Scripture reference: Exodus 17: 1-7


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Two Sides of Faith

Faith is at once both personal and corporate.  Most of the time we live out our faith in isolation but we gather periodically with other believers.  Each day we seek to connect with God through prayer, reading His word, and in reflection upon His word.  This connection and relationship shows as we live out our life on a daily basis.  At times we also gather with other believers – perhaps on a Sunday morning for worship, maybe at another time in a small group or class.  These gatherings encourage, equip, strengthen, and support us in our relationship with God.

Much is the same in our two faith lives.  Daily we come before God, laying our sins before Him, seeking to be cleansed.  Daily we offer our thanks and petitions, seeking His presence in our life.  Daily we read His word, seeking to find how He speaks to us that day in the words we read.  As we gather together, these practices are done again, but this time as a fellowship of believers.  Although on one level, the acts are the same, there is meaning and value and much is gained from our time together.  In the songs, the message, the communal prayers, we are united as one.

Both aspects of our faith are essential.  One fuels and builds the other up.  They work together to help us on our Christian journey.  As we seek to grow in our faith, may each day bring us blessings through our connection with God.

Scripture reference: Psalm 105: 1-6 and 37-45


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Walk Boldly in Faith

Paul deeply loved the churches he started and those he nurtured along in their faith, yet he also felt the pull of heaven.  His journey had been long and at times trying.  As he sat in prison and reflected on his journey, he could see that there was work yet for him to do.  The churches he was shepherding still needed his help to continue to grow in their faith.

Paul also had a sense that just as he was continuing the work of Christ, so too would others continue his work.  As he sat in prison, Paul also had a sense that through his faithful example, others we being strengthened in their willingness to be bold for Christ.

Each of us have others that we help to grow in their faith.  It may be family, friends, or coworkers.  It may be the people in our small group.  And just like Paul, our faithful witness to Christ matters to those in our sphere of influence.  As we walk out our faith journey, we too carry Christ with us as we provide an example for others.  May we, like Paul, walk boldly and full of the love of Jesus Christ.  May our faith be the light that helps others along their journey with Christ.

Scripture reference: Philippians 1: 21-26


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Where They Are At

Shortly after being freed from cruel bondage in slavery, the Israelites begin to complain.  Instead of turning to the God who “convinced” Pharaoh to let them go, who brought them safely through the sea, and who destroyed Pharoah’s army in that same sea. they chose to grumble.  At first glance,they appear ungrateful.

Yet for how many of us does a basic need that is unmet become what we quickly whine about?  Ever heard “I’m hungry’ whined from a comfy couch while playing the latest video game on an almost brand-new gaming console?  Ever heard something along the lines of “That’s not fair!” when a coworker gets a raise from the person who just bought a new car?  It is even a greater cause to complain when the person is truly in need.  At least the Israelites where actually wandering in a desert and had next to no provisions.  Today, when one is struggling to find shelter and a bit of food to eat, then seeing anything else is often a challenge.

This is why Jesus calls us to care for the needy and to be generous with what we have been blessed with.  God’s blessings are not intended for our hording.  But to be able to share the good news with someone, we must meet a person’s basic needs first.  It is the old adage – people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.  We must be like Jesus and meet them where they are at.  We must see them as they are and meet their immediate needs first.  Then the Holy Spirit will guide us from there!

Scripture reference: Exodus 15: 2-3


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To Judge or Not to Judge?

Paul cautions us not to judge others but to accept where they are in their faith journey.  When we do not judge we are more open to two important things.  First, we can more fully love then and, consequently, hold nothing back.  Second, we are open to both learning from them and to sharing what we know of faith to help them learn and grow as well.  Too often when we judge another we put up barriers in our heart and mind.

Yet in our human nature we seem to judge, to rank, to compare all too easily.  Although society is a place where tolerance increasingly reign, as a culture we still place a premium on our ‘position’ in life, on how much stuff or money we have, and so on.  This makes Paul’s caution all the harder to adhere to.  But with faith and trust in God we can work towards this ideal.

Judging is personally essential as long as it remains something we do for ourselves and not to ourselves.  We must judge the decisions and choices we face and make.  We must judge if we are growing in the faith and take steps to do so if we are not growing.  With others, love must reign, not judgement.  For love is the most excellent way!

Scripture reference: Romans 14: 1-12


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A Day to Pray

In one of my devotional readings today author Catherine Cavanagh tells of an experience she had in Bethlehem. She was in Israel and it happened tobe during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month.  As she and her companions were sitting at a table by the main square, the nearby mosque announced the call to prayer.  She observed many Muslims headed to the mosque.  But soon it was full so they began to fill the public square in front of her and her companions.  Each unrolled their prayer mat and dropped to their knees and began praying, totally oblivious and unconcerned with anything or anyone except their time of prayer.  She was awed by this simple example of their dedication to their faith.  I too am moved when I picture the scene in my mind. As I think about this scene that unfolded before her, it also makes me wonder.  If we were to show up on a Sunday morning and our churches were all full to the brim, would we drop to our knees on the sidewalk and pray?

Outside of the church and our own private homes, Christians generally do not pray in public.  You do see it some.  A family may pray before a meal when they are out at a restaurant or a group of football players will huddle up and pray when another player has been significantly injured.  You may see a group out in a public space that prayers before they begin their Bible study.  And I don’t think people mind.  Yet we feel hesitant to pray in public at times.  We too need to be bold for our faith and to offer up a prayer when the situation calls for it or when we feel led by the Spirit to pray for someone or a situation.

So when you are out and about today, bow your head and offer up a prayer when you feel God calling you to do so.  And please remember this day to include those who were and are affected by the tragedies of 9/11.  Maybe that is just what you choose to pray about periodically throughout your day today.  Welcome and encourage the conversations that may come from others seeing you in prayer.  A chance to share our faith is always a good thing!!

Scripture reference: Romans 14: 1-12


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Trust in God

As life became very difficult in Egypt, the Israelites could have chosen to rebel and fight.  They were numerous and probably coud have rebelled.  But instead they chose to turn to God and to trust Him.  Once they fully relied on God in their situation, amazing things happened.

In our lives, difficult people and situations will come.  Often our first instinct is to fight or to react.  In almost all cases this is not our best option.  Our best option is the same as the Israelites’ best option – God. To take a step back from the situation or person, to spend time in prayer, to turn it over to God – these are our best options.  As we faithfully trust God, we too will see some amazing things happen.

I see some parallels between Israel’s plight in Egypt and the persecution faced today by Christians around the world.  When I think of our brothers and sisters in Christ that face torture, death, and chaos on an almost daily basis, I am both very grateful for our freedoms here and also moved to prayer on their behalf.  I cannot imagine what it would be like to suffer for my faith in such a way.  May we hold our fellow Christians in prayer each day, that they may continue to be strong in the faith and to trust fully in the Lord.

Scripture reference: Exodus 14: 19-31


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Are You One?

I believe God has a plan for our world.  When one looks at the amazing organization of planet earth, you can see that God is a planner and organizer.  Every single event and choice is not predestined, but God has an intent for how things will unfold.  Sometimes we see our role in His plan, but, more often than not, we don’t see it or at least its after the fact.

The key to being part of God’s plan is to be open to where He places us and to be willing to step into the situations that come before us.  To do this takes courage, boldness, faith, and trust.  God will provide all we need for all situations He places us into.

Like Moses’ sister by the riverside, we need to step into what God places before us.  Our role may be to simply offer kindness or to meet a basic need.  It may be grander or more significant.  That matters not.  God is looking for faithful servants, willing to build His kingdom. Are you one?

Scripture reference: Exodus 1:8-2:10


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Praying with Faith

Daily we come to God in prayer.  Often times we come with requests or pleas during our prayer time.  We all have items or situations we would love Jesus’ help with – some are personal and some are for other people.

In Matthew 15 the Canaanite woman comes to Jesus seeking healing for her daughter.  But she is an ‘outsider’, a person who most every Jew would not even speak to or would even shun or avoid.  And she knows this.  Jesus reinforces this when He tells her that He came to the ‘lost sheep of Israel’ and when he refers to her as a dog.  Yet she persists.  She persists because she knows that Jesus has something that she desperately desires – the power to heal her daughter.

Don’t we come with the same hope? When we come before Jesus to pray for this or that, don’t we hope for the healing or the solution or the need?

But do we know the same Jesus that the Canaanite woman knows?  Do we have the same absolute faith in Jesus’ power?  Jesus offers us the same thing He offered her – the power to do anything.  May we pray with her persistence as well!

Scripture reference: Matthew 15: 21-28


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Natural Connection

Do people of faith always feel connected to God and to other Christians?  Do we always feel like we are part of the family?  At times I think we all feel disconnected from God and from our community of faith.  We are never truly disconnected, but at times we feel like it.

As life tosses us about we can wonder if God is present in the midst of the storm.  We do not see Jesus walking on the water towards us.  As emotions of sadness or loneliness sink in, we question if He is there.  We do not see His hand reaching out to pull us up out of the turmoil.  As we pass through difficult seasons in life, we sometimes look around but fail to recognize Him.  We do not see Jesus in the people God sends our way.  Yet we feel apart from God only in our own minds – God and His love are always present.

In these trials, how do we maintain contact with God and our community of faith?  It starts long before the storm, before the sad emotions, before the season.  If we spend time reading, praying, studying, we build up that “reserve” that will carry us through the trials.  The more we know God, the more natural that connection becomes.  If we spend time in fellowship and in caring groups within our faith community, then we are known and we know others in ways that will sustain us in the trials.  Just as we can learn to sense when another needs us to walk alongside them, others too will come to sense when we need that as well.  We train for the race so that we can run it with perseverance, with strength, and with God’s presence.

In Psalm 31, verse 3 we read: “You are my rock and my fortress; for Your name’s sake You lead me and guide me.”  When we know Him as rock and fortress, trials are so much easier to walk through.

Scripture reference: Romans 11:1-2a