pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: faith


by Leave a comment

Being Good Soil

How good is our soil?  Are we receptive to the seeds God wants to sow into our faith?  When we are good soil, we hear the word of God and understand it.  As God’s roots take ahold of us, He becomes a part of all aspects of our lives.  We in turn come to bear fruit not only with our words but also with our actions and deeds.

As we seek to be sowers, we must be humble and submit to the yoke of Jesus Christ.  As we seek to build the kingdom we must acknowledge the fact that all we can do is sow.  We are utterly dependent upon God to make the seeds grow and for new life to spring forth.

When we accept God’s call upon our lives, we take up that yoke 24/7 by connecting to God through prayer, study, worship… to nurture our faith, to better understand the Word, and to better equip ourselves to be sowers of seeds of faith.  We have to first be good soil to sow into other’s lives.  Work your soil!

Scripture reference: Matthew 13: 18-23


by Leave a comment

Bearers of the Greatest News Ever!!

We form a relationship with God in a personal way.  We also experience and welcome in the Holy Spirit in a personal manner.  But growth as we continue our journey of faith must be made within community.  This community is both within the walls of our churches and also outside in the big wide world.

We are all part of the body of Christ, each a valuable member.  As we live out a Spirit-led life, we participate in the mission of the church.  The man mission of the church is the transformation of the world.  Once we participate in this we begin to see what God has in store for our world.  These little glimpses of ‘heaven on earth’ fuel our desire to make disciples of all nations.

Just as we struggle from time to time with sin, so too do the people we are trying to reach.  They just do not yet know the power of Jesus Christ to defeat that sin and temptation.  We are called to sow seeds of faith into people’s lives so that they too can come to know the redemptive love of Jesus Christ.  May we be bearers of the greatest news we have ever heard to those who need to hear it today!

Scripture Reference: Romans 8: 1-11


by Leave a comment

Faithful Pursuit

What is God’s call upon your life?  God has a plan for all of us.  The plan He has for each of us is a part of His overall plan to redeem mankind and the earth.

Each of us are gifted with skills and abilities to accomplish what God has called us to (or will call us to).  Some people know their gifts, know God’s intent for their lives, and are working the plan.  Others wonder what their gifts are and haven’t heard God’s call yet.  Others remain in between – some questioning the gifts and/or the call and others knowing gifts and call, yet hesitant to begin the work for a variety of reasons.

In His pursuit of us, God asks that we remain open to His guidance and direction.  If we are faithful, He will reveal the plan.  If you are getting along in years and wonder when the plan will finally be revealed – remember, God used some people that were ‘advanced in years’ to do His work.  (See childbirth at almost 100?!)  Keep faithful.  And if you are young and wondering ‘now?” remember, He used some teens in the Bible to accomplish His work too!  (David anyone?)  Be faithful!

If we look for opportunities to share our faith story, to serve others, to offer love where needed, then we will come to know both our gifts and God’s call upon our lives.  Faithfully pursue God and He will use you just as He has always intended to use you!

 

Scripture reference: Genesis 25: 19-34


by Leave a comment

Faith and Trust

The invitation to Rebekah to go and marry Isaac runs so counter to our culture today.  On a day like every other day, Rebekah goes to the well to draw water.  Only on this day she meets a stranger who asks her to move many miles away to marry a man she has never met.  And she says yes and is married by the end of the chapter.

How clearly Rebekah must have sensed the hand of God at work in the scene playing out.  How in tune with God she must have been!   Her submission to God shows great inner strength.  Her faith in God is of the mountain-moving variety.

On the one hand she is an awesome and inspiring example.  On the other hand, she humbles me when I see how far I fall short of her faith and trust in God.  If someone were to come up to me today and ask me to move away to ‘x’ to help plant a church or to start a mission, I’d falter.  I’d hesitate.  What would you do?

In Psalm 100, we hear what our answer should be: “Know that the Lord, He is God!  It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.”  We are His.  All we have belongs to Him.  We are in the care of God as we roam His pasture.  May I learn to trust and obey my one and only savior, Jesus Christ!

Scripture reference: Genesis 24: 34-38, 42-49, 58-67


by Leave a comment

Receive the Blessing

When the 72 are sent out by Jesus, they take next to nothing with them.  They head out to share Jesus with others and are trusting that those they encounter will care for them.  If not, they will simply move on.

I wondered if I could d this – just head off and trust God to provide.  Could you?  To me it would be hard to rely on the welcome and care of total strangers for my basic needs.

And for some of us, it is hard to be the receivers.  We can give and provide for others and even for those in need.  But t be the one in need is doubly difficult in our independent, self-reliant society.  For some it is even hard to take in a compliment!

Yet our willingness to accept the gift or the hospitality allows someone else to offer the presence of Christ to us.  At times, we just need to receive it and spend a little time in the blessing.

Scripture reference: Matthew 10: 40-42


by Leave a comment

Count the Cost

Remember this song – “I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus – no turning back, no turning back”?  How well the author knew our human condition!  The walk of faith can be hard and it can be challenging to stay the course.

Jesus knew well the cost of discipleship.  He faced rejection and ridicule and was often outcast.  When He spoke of man against father and daughter against mother, He was speaking of the possible opposition our faith may bring us.  He knew it may come with a cost.

At times our commitment to our faith will cost us things.  It may cost us relationships, a promotion at work, or the way we are called to do business may run counter to the world’s way and cost us customers or income.  Jesus knew our faith may cost us.

Jesus wants us to choose Him.  There will be no forcing us.  It is a free choice.  Maintaining our faith continues to be a free choice.  But it is free in choice only.  Are we willing to choose authentic faith and to gladly count the cost?

Scripture reference: Matthew 10: 34-39


by Leave a comment

In Our Moments

Have you had someone suddenly mad at you or suddenly lost a friend and had no idea why?  In that moment, you were probably stunned, sad, angry, hurt.  Sometimes you figure it out and become friends again, sometimes you do not.  Sometimes you just never know.

Hagar was Sarah’s maidservant.  Sarah was barren and advanced in years, but desperately wanted a family.  So Sarah convinced Hagar to sleep with her husband Abraham to bear them a child.  I imagine it was hard to  bear a child for a man who would never love her, who already had a wife he loved.  But she did.  I imagine that Hagar felt like she had done something special for Sarah and Abraham.

Fast forward a few years and now Sarah is pregnant and bears Abraham a son named Isaac.  Sarah becomes jealous and protective and wants Hagar and her son Ishmael sent away into the wilderness.  Abraham is unwilling but God reassures him of he plan and he sends Hagar and son out into the desert with some bread and water – presumably to die.  As this happens, can you imagine what is going through Hagar’s mind?  Do you hear her thinking, “But after what I did for you…?”

After they run out of water, Hagar walks off a little way from Ishmael and resigns herself to death.  She cannot bear to be near him and to hear his cries for water.  Hagar is in anguish.  But then suddenly a strange thing happens.  God sends an angel who asks her, “What is the matter?”  What a question!  God provides water, reassures her, and continues to watch over them as the boy grows up.  It all turns out OK for them.

Has God ever asked you, “What is the mattter?”  Has God ever entered into your brokenness?  You and I are blessed – always just a prayer away from God’s presence.  Yet sometimes we too are like Hagar – too broken and distraught to even offer up a prayer.  In these moments God will seek us out too.  Our God is a God of love.  A God who will seek out to lost and the broken.  Praise be to our God!!


by Leave a comment

We Too Will Be Blessed

Do you recall a time when you let go of something that you did not have to, in order to be in a better place or situation?  Maybe it was a house or a town, maybe it was a friend or someone you were dating, or maybe it was a job or volunteer position.  The promise or call of what lay ahead drew you forward.  Yet there is still some pain in the letting go.

In times of decisions like these, we need to spend time in prayer with God and to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  When we have wrestled with the decision with God at our side and the Holy Spirit leading us on, we move forward in a much different manner than if we go it alone.

Like Abraham, when God told him to send Hagar and Ishmael (his firstborn son) out into the wilderness, we too can move forward with God at our side.  Despite the pain of watching them walk away forever, into a wilderness, Abraham knew this was God’s plan and he trusted and obeyed.  He did so because he knew God is faithful.  He knew God’s promise is to never leave us.  He knew God’s promise is to always love us.  Upon His promises we too can walk forward with confidence and assurance.  And we too will be blessed.

Scripture reference: Genesis 21: 8-21


by Leave a comment

He Loves Us!!!

Satan is crafty and wise.  He is skillful.  And he is always on the prowl.  The angles and means of his attacks are actually quite impressive.  Satan uses many voices to plant fear, doubt, anxiety, guilt, lust… in our heads and hearts – some from inside our own heads, some from the voices of those we know, some from society and the media.At every chance he is working to build up our pride, our stubbornness, our individualism.  All with one goal – to pull us away from God.

But God doesn’t pull back.  He simply invites us into a relationship.  He says, “Here I am, come.”  He offers us love, no strings attached.  God is our true friend.  These things never change.

In our faith we need to be vigilant and alert to Satan’s attacks.  But just as sure as the attacks are to come, we can be even more sure of God’s love and care.  When we call upon  the saving name of Jesus, then Satan will flee.  God will strengthen us and will help us to be steadfast and firm.  God will never fail us because He loves us too much to allow that to happen.


by Leave a comment

Waiting on Glory

In this life is joy and sorrow, elation and suffering.  All of us go through the ups and downs of life.  At times our choices and decisions bring sorrow and suffering upon us.  Suffering can take the form of caring for a family member dying from an illness.  Suffering can come in how people treat us because of our faith.  Suffering can come from the decision we make based upon our faith in Jesus Christ.  All of these things are part of the cost of following.  All of these things also test us.  Despite the testing being difficult, it will help us grow in our faith.

Peter tells us that we should rejoice in our suffering for Christ because that will bring us a greater joy when His glory is revealed.  By accepting and embracing the sufferings, we can draw closer to Christ, the source of our strength.  In times when we rely on Him, we become less and He becomes more.  In this we begin to see His glory revealed.  It is only a glimpse now, but we begin to see what it may be.  And, in the end, He will make our joy complete.