Simple belief isn't all there is to our faith.

(Please see The view of this blog for an important statement on this post)

Simple belief in Christ for salvation isn't all there is to our faith!

I am not going to teach salvation by works, since we are saved by faith alone, and by Gods grace alone...but simple belief is not what is expected of the Christian(1). There is so much more to our faith!

When we make the decision to follow Christ, we literally are called to die to self(2). Our former life of sin is to be put behind us, as we live a life of repentance(3). As so often used in the New Testament, a good tree will bear good fruit(4). You are now a tree....Just kidding, but in all seriousness, a Christian who follows Christ will seek to bear fruit in keeping both in repentance(5), and in following Christs' commands. 

Our faith, which in some ways has been stripped of its substance in the United States, will actually challenge you at times when lived out.

Ask yourself - What is there in my life that is keeping me from God? Pray that He shows you. 

Is it food? Greed? Being kind and loving others? How about sharing the Good News with others? 

Our life here on earth was never designed to be comfortable. There will be trials and temptations(6), but the main question is what do you do with them?

Repentance is to turn away from our former ways, to instead follow the leadership of God. The things that formerly had a hold on us may tempt us later(7), but it is critically important that we fight. 

God offers to us confession and forgiveness when we screw up (8) - but that should hopefully be our last resort. Jesus leads us to instead pray that we will not be lead into temptation. Dying to self can be hard at times, but in a way it is rewarding to know that we are doing the right thing when we follow Jesus' lead.

We must be ready for Him to come back (9); And this entails living here and now for Him.

..."Be holy, because I am holy."...

1 Peter 1:16, ESV

Interested in Christianity? The Gospel in a Nutshell is a great place to start! And Church of course! :)

Cited Verses:

1.) "But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." James 2:18, ESV

2.) "And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." Galatians 5:24, ESV

3.) "And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38, ESV

4.) "So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.Thus you will recognize them by their fruits." Matthew 7:17-20, ESV

5.) "Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham." Luke 3:8, ESV

6.) "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33, ESV

7.) "Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly." Proverbs 26:11, ESV

8.) "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9, ESV

9.) See Matthew 25:1-13, Parable of the ten virgins

A reminder...

 

'When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die'

-Deitrich Bonhoeffer 

"My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."

-James 5:19-20, ESV

Being LGBT is increasingly pushed on our society.

 'Accept us. We aren't doing wrong. Speak against us, and you are hate filled, evil person. 

After all, we deserve rights - Now mind your own business!' 

This is practically the mantra of the LGBT crowd. And as a Christian, should we accept this? Should we endorse LGBT behavior? Can a Trans/Lesbian/Gay/Bi individual be Christian? 

Well, to get things out of the way for that last question, the answer is absolutely 'Yes'! 

Anyone can 'Come as you are' to the salvation offered through Christ. But our faith, which is demonstrated by works(1), will prove that we don't 'Stay as we were'. 

Upon salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells us(2), and convicts us of sin(3). We die to sin, to be alive with Christ - a truth beautifully demonstrated through an immersion baptism. We are 'dead and buried' to sin upon submergence into the water, and 'resurrected' when we rise from the water. 

Sin is an affliction we all struggle with in this life - a persistent struggle between our fallen flesh, and our saved spirit. Every person who follows Christ has sin that must be dealt with(4). 

Christians are to be in this world, but not of this world - Sexual perversion has no place in the Christians life. Homosexuality, transgenderism, bisexuality, and other practices outside of the norms of heterosexual marriage or remaining celibate is considered sinful. (5 - See 1 Corinthians 6:9 below)

As such, as Christians, we should try our best to live holy, God honoring lives(6) - practicing the rejection of sin, and teaching others the same(7).

The warning against teaching others to sin is steep, and it is best to be avoided(8). 

"But its hard! After all, I was born this way!"

The rejection of ingrained sin can be hard. Actually extremely hard! 

We can deal with sin by leaning hard on our savior - Jesus. He understands exactly where we are, our pains, our struggles, and our needs(9). 

It is through brutally honest and heartfelt prayer that we can lean on Him. As we draw closer to God through prayer, actively living our faith, and reading scriptures...Sinful desires are pushed further and further away from us. 

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you" - James 4:8, ESV

We are to be a light to the world(10); The salt of the earth(11). Christians should be making a clear and deliberate effort to reject sin. Sin harms our relationship with God - a relationship that Christ paid for with His own flesh and blood(12). Every time we decide to resist the temptation to sin, we are not only doing to the right thing; but we are also demonstrating to the world the importance and reality of our faith.

The devil is the father of lies and deception(13). He is constantly trying to mislead Christians and humanity in general to prevent us from following God. When we immerse ourselves in reading scripture, we become armed with the truth. This truth is a sharp defense against the lies of the enemy(14).

What gives?!? Being Gay/Lesbian/Trans/Bi isn't a sin! Stop making judgements against us! Jesus said not to judge!

Our faith in Christ, who defines what is sin, is what makes the judgement;

1 Corinthians 6:9 is one verse among others expressly states that homosexuality and the sexually immoral will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality," 1 Corinthians 6:9, ESV, emphasis mine

All Christians are instructed to not judge(15) others...but nowhere are we told to not have sound judgement, and being fully able to identify the sin that separates us from God. Sound judgement is clearly commended by Jesus when He states you will recognize a tree by its fruit (Which you can tell who a person is by their actions)(16).

Galations 6:1(17) actually instructs Christians to gently bring back a brother (or sister) who is living in sin. As a Christian family, we should be building each other up - as iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another(18). 

This post is written to upstage the lies that are being pushed upon our society. God made us male and female - our gender is not an 'identity', but an integral, unchangeable part of us when we are born. No matter what twisted lies are being pushed upon us as a society from the enemy, we can know that we are children of God - A God of peace and order, not confusion(19)! 

We all have things that we struggle with in this life, and my prayer is that the reader not only hears this post, but truly understands it. Who the Son sets free, is free indeed(20)! 

Interested in Christianity? The Gospel in a nutshell is a great place to start! And Church of course! :)

Cited Verses:

1.) "But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." James 2:18, ESV

2.)"even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." John 14:17, ESV

3.)"And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:" John 16:8, ESV

4.)"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23, ESV

5.)"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality," 1 Corinthians 6:9, ESV

6.)"since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”" 1 Peter 1:16, ESV

7.)"And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38, ESV

8.)"but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea" Matthew 18:6, ESV

9.)"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28, ESV

10.)"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:14, ESV

11.)"“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet." Matthew 5:13, ESV

12.) "for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:20, ESV

13.) "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:44, ESV

14.)"and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," Ephesians 6:17, ESV

15.) "Judge not, that you be not judged" Matthew 7:1, ESV

16.)"By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, by their fruit you will recognize them." Matthew 7:17-20, ESV

17.)"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted." Galations 6:1, ESV

18.) "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17, ESV

19.)"For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints" 1 Corinthians 14:33, ESV

20.) "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" John 8:36, ESV

Exploring Catholicism: Transubstantiation of the Eucharist

 

Aannnd....were back at is again. Transubstantiation of the Eucharist is a topic that can provoke a disagreement even among Protestants. There is some among us who cling to a representative approach of the Eucharistic elements, and others who hold that transubstantiation actually happens.

Transubstantiation? What's that? 

This is mostly for newer Christians, but Transubstantiation is the belief/ knowledge that when the Priest/Pastor blesses the Eucharistic elements, the bread and the wine actually becomes the body and blood of Christ. 

The divide is primarily among Protestants, which certain sects have disagreements of whether or not the Eucharist becomes/transforms into the actual body and blood of Christ. 

What's the source of this disagreement? 

It is the repulsion to the idea that Christ is being sacrificed repeatedly, each time the Eucharistic blessing is done. If this is the case, we have an instance where we make a complete mockery of Christs' work on the cross - that His singular death wasn't good enough, and we must re-sacrifice Him repeatedly over and over again. 

This is problematic when you look at it this way...or is it? 

Not really - Let's compare scripture on this matter. Consider this:

‘The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink' John 6:54-55, NASB

And also this:

'And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' Luke 22:19, NASB 1995

It is in these two passages that show us the following:

1. Jesus Himself saying that His flesh and blood are true food and drink 
2. Jesus Himself saying that we should do communion in remembrance of Him.
3. That, Not only in John 6:54-55, but in several other places we can see that one needs to eat the flesh and blood of Jesus to have eternal life - and this is done through communion.

Therefore, it is logical to show from this that the Eucharistic bread and wine must actually transform (or transubstantiate) into the flesh and blood of Jesus. Interesting, isn't it?

This doesn't answer the question above though - Are we re-sacrificing Christ each and every time that communion is held? As a Protestant, I can see how this would be problematic - and I hope that you can to!

The answer to this question is relatively simple - We are not re-sacrificing Christ with every communion!

"but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD," Hebrews 10:12, NASB

One sacrifice, for all time. The Church can never legitimately claim a re-sacrifice. So what really happens then?

It is through the Eucharist the a Christian can participate in the original sacrifice of Jesus. In a sense, one is not 're-sacrificing' Christ, so much as the Eucharist is 'becoming' a part of Christs original sacrifice, which happens when the Eucharistic bread and wine is blessed and transubstantiated.

Quite amazing - that Christians can participate in the same practice that has been done for millennia, and by extension participate in the literal same communion!

What do you think? Do you hold that transubstantiation really happens? Comment below!

This a post in a series, Exploring Catholicism. Previous posts include Apostolic Succession, and Praying to saints?

Interested in Christianity? The Gospel in a Nutshell can be a good place to start! And Church of course : )

 

 

Christian Morality is absolute and objective - Heres why!

Christian Morality and the World around us....

So much of Christianity has come into focus in recent years - Politics, Society, and so many others have looked at Christianity and asked 'How could you! That's intolerant!'

What really is being questioned here is not us - no, it is the moral groundwork we stand on. 

Simply put, and not to sound to much like a cliché, Christians answer to a higher power - God.

As Christians, our example in this life is Jesus Christ, who is God incarnated in human flesh. It is through Him that we are saved (See The Gospel in a Nutshell), but also Christ is our teacher. He laid the groundwork of morality itself, and lived a perfect life without moral error.

This is why Christianity has absolute morality which is objective in the sense that it is not dependent on us deciding what is right from wrong. God is perfect and holy to Christians. He has set before us what is right, and what is wrong. There is no in-between here - and to wrong God is considered sin (literally committing an action that separates us from God)

This raises the question though - What does God define morality as?  And how does this square with others who might not believe in God?

This question is actually one of the central topics of the Christian faith - How are we going to live our life?

Without going to far with citing the bible here, Christians are instructed love God, and love our neighbor(1). These are a major foundation to our faith.

We love God first, by following His commands, and trusting in Jesus for our salvation.

We love our neighbor by wanting what is best for them. This might not always be what they want, but should reflect what they need. This includes caring for them, not wishing bad things on your enemies, helping them where you are able, etc.

We love our neighbor by wanting what is best for them. This might not always be what they want, but should reflect what they need.

What this does not include in giving your neighbor things that will harm them. We should not help supply a drug addict, give support to morally compromised legislation (ie: supporting abortions, supporting the LGBTQ crowd for marriage/ adoptions, going to war 'just because', etc)

We would not (and should not) lend our support to these because they either are going to harm others, or go directly against what God has defined as right from wrong. 

At its core though, Christianity teaches love. God first loved us, and as Christians, we are to spread this love to others. We try - but Christians are human, and mistakes happen. People commit horrible crimes in our name, but they don't even represent a shadow of those who truly follow Christ and place Love first in their lives. 

In its purest form, Christianity is a reflection of Love itself - and this Love is literally God(2). And it is this same Love we hope to spread and change the world.

Interested in Christianity? The Gospel in a Nutshell can be a great place to start! And Church of course : )

Cited Verses:

1.) "But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.  “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And t*he second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”"

Matthew 22:34-40, ESV

2.) "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:8, ESV

Blessed.

As a Christian, You are blessed. 

You may have had a bad day...or month....or even years, but that doesn't change anything. We had eternity to look forward to, in Heaven with God! He has graciously and mercifully forgiven us, sparing us from the punishment we deserve. We can always thank Him for this! 

This is the nature of our Christian life. We can know daily how much He loves us. If one was to compare themselves to Christ, who we follow, we have much to be grateful for! 

Jesus was homeless during His ministry(1). He was regularly tested, facing hunger, thirst, beatings, and loss of clothing while He was killed. He was cruelly mocked. Upon His death, He took the punishment of all humanity upon Himself willingly. This included being separated from God for a time. 

Your worst day in life probably doesn't look like this.

Ask yourself -

 Do I have a home?

 Health?

 Food? 

Clothes?

People who love me? 

Give thanks to God for what you do have -it came from Him(2)! 

We have so much to be grateful for, even excited about our future! Those who love Him and follow Him will be able to spend eternity with Him! 

Why then want? He cares for us, so don't worry(3). Remember to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you(4) - God comes first in life. 

This is the nature of our Christian life; We can live joyously, knowing our future is secure with Him, and telling others the Good News of Christ!

Interested in Christianity? The Gospel in a Nutshell can be a good place to start! And Church of course :)

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Bible Verses cited:

(1.) Luke 9:58 ESV

"And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”"

(2.) James 1:17 ESV 

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

(3.) Matthew 6:34 ESV

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

(4.) Matthew 6:33 ESV

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Hope in Crisis

(Note: This is a follow up on the topic covered here -Why does God let bad things happen?)

 What is your hope in Crisis? How do you respond?

Really think about it - Some readers may know how they respond; others not as much.

We don't have to fear - or even worry! Death is not the end for followers of Christ! We are to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and He takes care of us. (Matthew 6:25-33)

Matthew 6:25-33 ESV

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,  yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

This is an amazing truth. The longer you walk with God, and the more you see in life of how true this is. 

God loves us - whatever hardships we may be going through now, they will cease. Remember that life is a journey Heaven bound - when we die, we exchange the pains of this life for eternity with our Creator who loves us immensely.

If you are in a crisis - or even not - keep this at the forefront of your thoughts. We can fearlessly live - and more importantly, proclaim Christ to others. 

  Matthew 22:37 ESV

"And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. "

This is the first of the two greatest commandments I think for a reason. Literally everything else in life follows this - When you place God first, your life has focus. You realize the meaning of life, and how to live it. Furthermore, you realize that life does not end when you die, but just begins! Love becomes the focus of life. (The Gospel in a nutshell) 

And because of this love, we as Christians can be empowered to tell others about Christ, and how much God loves people. (See Should you share the Gospel?)

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The Gospel in a nutshell

Maybe you are already Christian. Or leaning Christian. Or just thinking about it. Or maybe you just want a simple, clear, no frills info on the core of Christianity.

Anyway you slice it, this is for you. What you find below will affect you for eternity. Lets get to it!

_______________________________________

The basis of Christianity is Love. God's amazing love for humanity and the world. This is His story-  simplified.

The Backstory

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth(1), along with all that is in it(2). He is all-powerful, perfectly loving, and perfectly just. People were made in the image of God during this time.

He gave people free-will to make their own decisions.  He did this by giving early humanity a choice, by telling them not to eat the fruit of a certain tree. Their options were to follow His instruction or do otherwise.

Unfortunately they choose the latter. Their act of disobedience is called sin, and resulted in being cursed. This curse resulted in death and affected both people and the earth. Sin affects all people and creation.

Humanity was tarnished by sin. Imperfect people could not be in a clear relationship with a perfect and Holy God.

No matter how hard we tried to be 'good', it would  not be good enough(4).

The bad news

This sin results in death(5), and eternal separation from God, whom all good things come from(6). This is what Hell is, eternal separation from God(7). No person on earth can fix this, and all people must go to Hell because of sin....Unless they accept below🙂.

The Good news

God is perfectly loving! He loves you more than words could discribe, more even than you could understand. God IS love(8)!

Immediately after delivering the punishment for humanities sin, He began to tell of a way that people could be with Him(9).

That Way is our Savior, Jesus Christ(9).

Christ was fortold of long before He came(10). He was fully God and human - He is God's Son. He lived a perfect, sin-free life, and was then beaten, murdered, and separated from God for a time. He then rose from the dead three days later. By doing this, He took your eternal punishment for sin;  Allowing you to live eternally both in Heaven and the new Earth to come(11).

This is Life, Gods amazing gift to humanity. It can never be earned, but is given freely to those who believe in Christ.

To accept this, all you have to do is the following:

1.)Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Christ is your savior(12).

2.)Repent (turn away from, stop doing) of your sin(13).


Then What?

This is the Gospel. It is Gods amazing mercy on humanity, and possibly the greatest act of love. After we decide to follow Christ, we try our best to live a life of repentance from sin, following His commands, and sharing this amazing news with others(14).

Of course the above is a very simplified overview - but it is the core of our message. We teach Christs' work, commands and the repentance of sins. I am blessed to be able to share this with you!

Please share this with people you know, even other Christians. It is important to keep our focus on finishing the race strong, and to try to bring as many people to Christ as we can.

Praise God!


Footnotes, All verses from ESV bible:

(1) Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

(2)Please read Genesis for more on the creation event, and the fall of humanity.

(3) Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image,in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them"

(4) Romans 3:10 "...None is righteous, no, not one;"

(5) Genesis 3:19 "' By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”" - Part of the curse given

(6) James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

(7) 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 "in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,"

(8) 1 John 4:16 " So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him."

(9) Genesis 3:15 "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring;he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”"

(10) the entire old testament has well over 100+ prophecys telling of Christs' birth and life.

(11) Read the Gospels. Mark is the shortest and most concise, Luke and John are very detailed. The Gospels tell of Christ's life and death, His commands and His sacrifice.

(12) Romans 10:9 "because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

(13) Acts 3:19  "Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,"

(14) Matthew 28:18-20 "And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”"

Gratitude

Be grateful. No matter what, you have something to be grateful for. 

God gave you life. 

As a Christian, no matter how hard it is now, know that we have an amazing future! God has gifted you life! 

He loves you literally beyond your belief. The Creator of the universe cares so much that He listens to your prayers. 

Remember that every good thing comes from  God(1). Pray to Him with with not only your requests, but thanksgiving and humility(2).

(1) James 1:17 ESV "Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same."

(2) Phillipians 4:6 ESV "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God"

Holding on to your faith

 Hold on to your faith 

 

Never, ever give up on your faith in God. He is real.  

 

If you begin to look, you will see Him acting. Yes, at times you will have to be patient. You will have to wait on God.  

 

Remember to pray. Remember to “Seek first His kingdom and His rightousness...” (Matt 6:33, ESV); and to put God first above anything else in your life.  

 

Remember how much He loves you. He literally loves you to the point of death. He will never leave you or forsake you.1   

 

Moreover, Remember that this is not our home, that Christians are travelers spreading the news of Christ to others as we journey home.  

 

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 

Romans 12:12, ESV 

 

1.) “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Heb 13:5, ESV 

 

 ---The Writer at The Curious Christian

Published October 5, 2021