Do We Believe God?

In God's word, Luke chapter one tells us about the announcement of John to Zechariah and Elizabeth and the announcement of Jesus, the Son of God, to Mary. I have read this account many times, but today I realized something that I had not noticed before. In the beginning of chapter 1 of Luke, the angel Gabriel tells Zechariah that his prayers have been heard and that Elizabeth will bear him a son and that they, Zechariah and Elizabeth, are to call him John. Verses 18-20 of chapter 1, Luke says “Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”  The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” (NIV emphasis mine).

 Later in the chapter, Luke writes that Elizabeth is six months along in her pregnancy when the angel Gabriel appears to Mary in Nazareth. Mary is told by Gabriel that she is favored and that the Lord is with her, and that she is going to have a son. Mary is told to give her son the name Jesus, and that he will be called the Son of the Most High. While Gabriel is talking to Mary he also tells her that her cousin Elizabeth is in her sixth month of pregnancy. Starting in verse 38 we read, “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (NIV emphasis mine) 

Notice, Zechariah was struck silent, and unable to speak until the time was right for Elizabeth to give birth because of his unbelief. Mary’s faith and belief were confirmed when Gabriel left her and Elizabeth was filled with God’s assurance and shared it with Mary. Mary believed God! How often do we say we “hope” that something will happen or that we “hope” that things will go well. As a believer, we have hope in God’s plan that is far better than ours. As a believer we have the assurance of God’s presence and desire to be with us. Do we believe God as Mary did? Instead of saying that we “hope” that something will happen or that things will go well, shouldn’t we be saying that we believe God will walk with us through the situation we are in or that we believe God will work all things in our lives for His glory. We need to begin believing God – as I was reminded in a recent Bible study – God is who He says He is and God will do all that He says He will do!

A New Day

Today I am starting afresh. I am looking at God’s word and taking it into my soul. I am praying God’s word back to Him as my request for forgiveness, my praise for all that He is doing and has done, and my desire to hear from Him again today. Do you have to start afresh frequently?

I was reminded recently that I have not been writing my blog. My excuse, ‘I am overwhelmed’. Why am I feeling overwhelmed? Is it because I am putting myself, my things, my desires, my issues, (get the point here – me, me, me) above God! YES! Absolutely!  Whenever I have the feeling that things are closing in on me, it comes back to me over God. Thank you to saints that have reminded me of this in recent days!

God is all around us – in every minute, of every hour, of every day. Over the past several days I have been asking God to give me a portion of His wisdom. (Check out the book of James) This morning I was reading some notes from people on my Twitter account and Beth Moore posted that “…God calls people, gives them vision, starts them on their way & just when it’s looking good, humbles and crumbles them. After the diving humbling and crumbling, the called is sure he’s blown it & it’s over. He doesn’t realize that only now is he ready to serve.” I identified with this statement. I believe beyond a shadow of doubt that God does call us and God does equip us. In order to serve and be obedient to all that He has called us to, we need to be humbled and crumbled. And through this process we seek God’s wisdom, grace, and mercy to mold us and teach us.

James 1:5-6 tells us “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask god, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.” (HCSB) Part of the humbling and crumbling process in my life is to grow in my faith, actively seeking all that God desires for me, and that requires me asking for His wisdom. Additionally, I need to pray for all situations and ask others to pray for me! Ephesians 6:18 says “Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.” (HCSB). During the past week I have asked for God’s wisdom. I have asked other saints to pray for me. I have seen God work in every situation that I was praying about and not only did He give me wisdom, He gave me a heart that was slow to speak and quick to listen. He provided direction, humbling, and strength. God is gracious to provide, respond, and love.

It’s a new day. Are you spending time in God’s word? Are you asking Him for His desires in your life? Are you seeking Him in prayer, in His word, through other believers? Life can and will get crazy, but God is always near and waiting for us to seek. Start afresh today!

Yellow, Black, Red, White, and Green

This week I was blessed to walk around our church property and see about 90 children between the ages of 5-11, and about 90 youth, young adults, and other adults participating in High Power Soccer. It was amazing to see all that God had done during the weeks of planning and preparation play out each evening.

During the final evening worship time the message of the Gospel was presented. Actually, the Gospel was being presented every night as every night the leaders wore a specific colored shirt to represent a part of the Gospel. The first night, yellow was the color - representing heaven and the beauty and brightness that will be there; next was black - representing the sin that is in all of our lives; then red - representing the blood of Christ that was shed for each and every individual; white - showing the way that we are cleansed, made clean and all of the sin was washed away through Christ's sacrifice; the final night the color was green - representing the growth that we as Christians experience as we spend time in God's word and prayer. During the last night of worship the children were reminded that in their bags were stretch bracelets with these 5 colors, and they were encouraged to share the Gospel message with their friends.

How easy is it to remember these colors and share the good news with those that you encounter? This week ask God to provide you with an opportunity to share the Gospel with someone know.

A Simple Reminder!

This morning I was reminded that studying God's word is critical for my life and my relationship with Christ. This should be a no brainer - right! Too often we as believers pick up a book to read that is about God or about how to study God's word. I believe we ought to read books. I believe we can use books or Bible study books to grow in our faith. But far more than that, we have to, we must, read God's word for ourselves.

How do you study God's word? Let me encourage you to begin with a purpose - a purpose of striving to know God more and for your faith to expand. You can follow a reading plan such as http://www.ewordtoday.com/ - you can choose which version of the Bible to read from and how you want to read, for example from beginning to end, chronological, or historical to name a few. You can start by reading a book of the Bible - if you are a new believer I would suggest beginning with John. Each day when you begin to read, pray and ask God to open your eyes to see something new and fresh from His word. Ask Him to give you a clear understanding of what He wants you to learn from that day's reading. Be willing to move slowly through the passage you are reading, look at the cross-references listed for the verses you are reading, and write down what you are learning.

A simple reminder - God wants us to know Him more. He wants us to grow in a relationship with Him. We can accomplish God's desires by being in His word; studying, praying, and learning. We can read other peoples writings, but first, it is critical that we read God's writings to us!

Crisis of Belief - Faith and Action

So many times, in today's world, we do not believe that God speaks. We don't hear an audible voice. We don't see Him in person. But, we do know from His word that He speaks. Henry Blackaby reminds us, in his study Experiencing God, that God speaks to us through prayer, His word, through activity of God in circumstances, and through the body of Christ - other Christians. Are you listening daily to hearing God speak?

Inevitably when God speaks we are going to face a crisis of belief. We are going to have to make a decision about what we truly believe about God. Are we going to follow His leading because we know He has the best plan or are we going to go on our own plan. My actions, after I hear from God, truly reveal what I believe about God. Is my faith truly lived out in my actions?

Just this week I have had a dear friend/family give birth to a beautiful baby girl. This family was told early on in the pregnancy that their little girl was going to have extreme difficulties including being paralyzed, possibly no brain function,  and inability to breathe on her own to name a few. The parents were encouraged from the medical professionals to terminate the pregnancy. The family stood firm on God's plan being best. The mom carried the little girl to almost 39 weeks, which was far longer than the doctors predicted. The little girl was born and shortly after her birth let out a very loud scream, breathing on her own, sucking a pacifier, pulling her legs up underneath her, moving her arms around, and responding to touch. Yes, this little girl and her family will undergo tests, and surgeries, but she is a miracle of God.

The family I mention above had a crisis of belief many, many weeks ago. They knew they were pregnant and expecting a little girl. They knew that this little girl was a gift from God. They knew that God had a plan for them and for her, even though they didn't understand all that was happening. The family's response to the crisis of belief - their faith grew! Their faith was and is a testimony to all that God can and will do. They put their faith into action. The family openly shared their struggles, gave witness to God's peace when there was turmoil, praised God for allowing the mom to carry the baby for 39 weeks, and they have shared all of God's goodness to anyone that is in earshot.

How would I handle a situation like the one above? My hope is that I would respond similarly. I absolutely believe we hear God speak. My desire is to respond with putting my faith in action and following what God tells me. My prayer is that my faith will grow so much that I don't miss God speaking. How will you respond when you face a crisis of belief?

(check out Henry Blackaby's Part 5 Crisis of Belief http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggcAY6p0Y2k)

How's Your Confidence?

Ephesians 3:12 "In him we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him."  By our faith we are saved through God's grace. By our faith we have a relationship with the creator of the universe. By our faith in Him, we have boldness. By our faith we have confident access to Him.

WOW!  It has been an eye opener to me this morning. Because of the grace that God has given, and I have accepted through faith, I have been given access to the mysteries of God. I am not going to know all that God does or all that He is, but I have complete access to go to Him, talk with Him, grow in a relationship with Him.

In the Old Testament we read that only the high priest had access to God and that was only once a year. If anybody other than the high priest, entered the temple, the Holy of Holies, they would be struck dead. But God provided for us His son, Jesus Christ, who walked on this earth just as we do. He was tempted here on earth just as we are. We have the High Priest that knows what we are going through daily. Because of our faith in Jesus Christ we can confidently go before the throne of grace, before the One true God. (see Hebrews 4:15-16).

Do you access God daily? Do you boldly go before the throne of God knowing that He will hear you and respond. God's grace has been extended to all. Some accept His gift and some walk away. It is imperative that we walk with the boldness and confidence of God and share with others about God's grace. Talk with someone today about your faith. Better yet, talk with someone today about your access to the One and Only. Be bold. Be confident. God is with you and walking right beside you in all that you do today.

Who is your Comforter

The other day I woke up with somewhat of a heavy heart. I have been with my brother, sister, nieces, great nieces and great nephews for a week. My dad, who is 87, made the trip with me. Every time we go on a trip I do wonder how many more trips we will be making.

When we face moments that are challenging, difficult, or sad, who do we turn to?  As a believer we can always turn to God. He always hears us and responds. He has told us that He has given us the Holy Spirit to be our comfort.

Additionally, we are told to be the church to others. That means we are to represent Christ as He was to the people he walked with and is to us today. God speaks to us through His word, through prayer, through circumstances, and through others. Do you know of someone who needs to be comforted? Can you be God's representative to them?

The same day that I was experiencing the heavy heart, I finished praying and asking God to give us safe travel home, and to be the comfort that my family needs today when we leave family. GOD does and always will hear us and respond". I then opened my email and found the devotional below! How awesome is God!


(From Lifeway - Devotional courtesy of TQ)


And we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you concerning your faith. 1 Thessalonians 3:2

Dealing with intense opposition and the rigors of travel from city to city, Paul wanted a good friend and strong coworker like Timothy close by. No doubt he would have benefited from his companionship and encouragement.

But that was not Paul’s style. His personal comfort was second to his concern for the new believers in Thessalonica, who were struggling against threats from the enemies of the faith. Therefore, for Paul the decision was easy: Timothy, as God’s servant, must go to them to offer support and comfort.

In our day the comforters God sends to help new believers just may be us! These new believers may be other church members, coworkers, children, or grandchildren. Through our presence, testimony, prayers, and instruction, we have the opportunity to encourage someone to grow spiritually, to be strengthened against satanic assault, and to know victory in Christ. What a calling; what a mission.

Father, send me to someone to whom I can be a comforter in the faith. 

Check out Jeremiah 2:1-8, Revelation 2:2-5

Every Breath is an Opportunity

This morning I was reminded that my LORD walks with me through every day. Then I once again realized that what that really means is He is with me every moment of every day. As long as I am breathing I have an opportunity to praise Him with every breath I take. If I really acted upon this I would be living out what the LORD told Moses to teach the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6:4-7 "Listen, Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is One. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart". Christ repeated this command in Mark 12 when He is questioned by an expert in the law. Mark 12:28-30 "One of the scribes approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked Him, "which command is the most important of all?" This is the most important," Jesus answered: Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength."

With every part of my being, my heart, my soul, my mind, and my strength, I am to love God. I fall short of this love all of the time. We are told in God's word, in the Deuteronomy passage above, that we are to talk about this command when we walk, when we lie down, when we are with our children, and we are to bind them to our hands, and to put them on our doorposts. Basically, the command to love God with our entire being is to be lived out daily in every aspect of our lives!

Today, I pray that God will give me the reminders throughout the day of His blessings. Today, I want to love the LORD, my God with my entire being and recognize that every breath that I take I have an opportunity to praise Him. With my current breath, I praise Him for the beauty that surrounds me as I look out my windows and see His creation blooming, chirping, and buzzing. What are you praising Him for right now?

Praying and Personalizing God's Word - What a Blessing!

Tonight I had the privilege of being in a room with 23 women who put into action, true ministry, the act of praying God’s word for one of our sisters. If you are not familiar with praying God’s word, look it up! Beth Moore wrote a Bible study – Breaking Free – several years ago, from that came a book Praying God’s Word. In short, this is taking the truths of God’s word and praying them back to God,  personalizing the truths with your name, the name of a loved one, a friend, an acquaintance, and yes, even and enemy. This is an awesome way to take God’s word, put them in your heart, and share them with others.

Let me share some things that God is teaching me right now. Over the past several months there have been many changes in my life. I am a middle aged woman, married for 32 years, the mother of 2 children that are now adults, a semi-retired educator, care giver for my father, the youngest of 3 children, and most importantly a child of the King of Kings – adopted by the blood of Jesus Christ. Late in November I was diagnosed with herniated disc in my lower back. This was the third time in 3 years that the disc herniated. I found out during the beginning of January that I would have a third surgery. In December, our daughter and her husband moved in with us as they relocate to our area and while trying to sell their home at their previous location. Also in December, our son moved in with us following a divorce after 6.5 years of marriage. Our home is full! I don’t think this is what my husband and I felt we would be experiencing at this time of our lives. What I know is that God knew this would be our life right now. What a blessing to have a home that God has provided for us that has enough room for all of us! I am learning that my plans are not God’s plans, my schedule is not God’s schedule, and my ways are not God’s ways. But, oh how blessed I am that as I walk through uncertain times and challenges that God’s plans, schedule, and ways are far better than I could ever imagine. Additionally, what a blessing to have God's word to provide support and direction for us with every step we take.

Several of my dear friends are experiencing trials that are challenging. One of them is the woman that all 23 of us prayed for this evening. This woman, in the past few months, has walked through many medical challenges and the loss of her father. She was preparing for back surgery next week when another medical issue came to light. She has now been diagnosed with endometrial cancer and instead of back surgery next week she will now have a hysterectomy. What is God teaching me through this event? To begin with He knew that my friend would be going through this trial at this very moment in time. God has blessed her with a husband that is compassionate and now has a job that allows him to telecommute and he has sufficient leave to be with her during this time. Just this week, following my surgery, I again began driving. I was able to travel to town with my friend today and be with her while she had some pre-op tests. I have seen God work in the lives of 23 women just today, as we came together to take the truths of God’s word and pray for one of our sisters. What a blessing to be a part of the family of God.

God desires us to be in a relationship with Him. He has provided us with direction for developing the relationship. His word is our guide. Spending time in prayer with Him and in His word provides us with hope, confidence, strength, encouragement, peace, comfort, direction, and so much more. I encourage you to seek God’s direction through His word. Then, take the promises that you find in His word, and claim them for yourself, your loved ones, your friends, and yes, your enemies. If you are facing a difficult illness or you have someone that is in a similar situation, look up the verses below and personalize them, and pray them back to God. He wants to hear from you! He wants to be your comfort.

Philippians 4:19, 2 Corinthians 4:16, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, 1 peter 1:6-7, , 2 Samuel 22:33, Psalms 73:26, Isaiah 40:30-31, James 5:13-18, Psalm 121:1, Ephesians 3:17-19

Faith Challenged

God created human beings and a relationship was created. Adam and Eve had interaction with God – then they made a choice to separate themselves from God through disobedience. God made provisions for them and sent them from the Garden of Eden. From the beginning of time, God’s desire was to be in a relationship with us, to make a provision for us to be with Him forever. Unlike Adam and Eve, we don’t have face to face interactions with God, but through His word, our prayer time, fellowship with other believers, and our circumstances we interact with God. We are able to worship God, please God, and walk with God, all through faith.

Our relationship with God requires faith. Hebrews 11:1 tells us “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” (HCSB) Faith starts with our belief in God; acknowledging that He is God, the creator of all and the source of our life through Jesus Christ, His son; recognizing that we are sinners, disobedient and separated from Him; and confessing our sins to Him, asking for forgiveness and for our relationship with him to be active and alive.

Hebrews 11:6 says “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (NIV) Part of our relationship with God is pleasing Him – think about a child’s interaction with her parent – the child wants to please the parent, do what is right, and be close to the parent. The parent is pleased! We are a child of God and pleasing Him is part of our relationship with Him. Our faith is the means to God’s pleasure.

Our relationship with God is a walk, a walk of faith - the two go together – they don’t work independently.

My faith is being challenged – in a great way! I’m not wavering in my faith; I’m growing in my faith. I’m seeking God. Hebrews 11:6b tells us to “earnestly seek him”. Strong’s concordance defines seek as 1) to seek out, search for 2) to seek out i.e. investigate, scrutinize 3) to seek out for one’s self, beg, crave I like the last word from the 3^rd definition ‘crave’. Do I crave God? Do I seek him, craving to being in a relationship with him? Do I crave interaction with him? Even more, do I earnestly or diligently crave him? Do I continually crave him? This is how my faith is being challenged!

I am working through Beth Moore’s, Believing God Bible study with a group of women. I am excited to learn more about truly believing God. I am confident that it’s going to challenge me, my behaviors, my actions, and my faith! I’ll keep you posted!