Month: October 2016

Fear

Luke 12:5 – 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!
 
Fear can come in many shapes and sizes.  For some, fear is not an issue — they are carefree, daredevils that thrive on those things that scare most. For others, fear paralyzes almost every aspect of their lives — they cannot leave their house, they cannot talk to people. Some people fear small things, like spiders. And, some fear big things, like “the big one”. Most people will say we should not fear, but is that Biblical?
Luke tells us that we must “fear Him!” The Bible tells us that we should fear the Lord, “the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell;” No, our fear for the Lord should not be driven by the false idea that Jesus is “scary”. Our fear should be driven by respect for His power. Whom shall you fear? “the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell;“
I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!

 

Good Tasting Fruit

Ezekiel 36:8-10 – 8 But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come. 9 For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown.
One of the things I pride myself on is being able to select really tasty watermelons. I take great care looking at the watermelons and tapping them to get the right sound.  When we cut it open and taste it, I am always very excited to share it with others to let them taste how great the watermelon is. that seems to happen a lot in life — when something is good, we cannot wait to share it with others.
In today’s passage, the Lord reminds us that we must also share our spiritual fruit with others.  God instructs us, “you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel“.  Recently at our church, we finished a study on the Fruit of the Spirit. Throughout the series, I reminded people that God gave us the Fruit of the Spirit so that we may share it with others. Just like a great tasting watermelon, we should be excited to share the Fruit of the Spirit with all we know so that they can experience the goodness of God, just like us.
I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!

 

Come!

Matthew 14:28 – 28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”  29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
 
How many of us wish we had amazing skills and abilities to do great things in this world? Whether it be wisdom, knowledge, prayer, etc., we want more to do more! Have you ever stop to realize that the “more” we desire is available to us today?
 
Today’s scripture tells us that Peter wanted to walk on water so Jesus said, “Come.” Immediately, Peter stepped out of the boat and “walked on the water to go to Jesus.” It is the Lord’s desire for us to do great things in His name. The Bible tells us that if we ask, the Lord will say “Come.”  Be a risk taker like Peter for the Kingdom of God. R-I-S-K spells faith!
 
I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!

 

Fight or Flight

Matthew 14:13 – 13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.
 
There is a phenomenon known as “fight or flight”. It has to do with how we react during times of crisis. Do we stand our ground and “fight” or do we retreat to a safe and secure place and try to avoid the situation all together (flight). It has been said that those are our only two options in times of trial. This may surprise you, but I believe that we should spend more time on “flight” and less time on “fight”.
 
Let me explain. In today’s passage, we are told that “He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself“. Jesus had just been told that John the Baptist had been beheaded and He “departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself”. Jesus was not running away from a problem or situation. Rather, He was running to His Father. During times of trial, we must remember that before we “fight”, we must run to the Lord for comfort, guidance and direction. Jesus knew that His greatest “weapon” during this crisis was prayer. May that also be your greatest weapon in times of crisis.
 
I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!

 

It Is Not A Debate

Matthew 11:2-6 – 2 Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” 4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”
Some people like to discuss and debate — some people don’t. Some people must research and read before they can have an opinion — some people just look at the evidence. There are many ways that people can come to conclusions, opinions and decisions; some make sense, some don’t.
As I was reading today’s Word, I immediately saw that the Lord has asked us to to report what we have heard and seen about the Lord’s miraculous hand in the lives of others.  Have we personally seen the Lord work and transform the lives of others? Has the Lord worked and transformed our very own life? We are that living testimony that the works of God are alive and well. I will always tell others about how the Lord took a sinner like me and gave me a second chance in life.  For my new life, I am eternally grateful to Christ.

I will go! I will report! Remember that it is very hard for others to debate and question the Works of the Lord in our very own lives. The evidence of Christ is in us. Be that living testimony.

I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!

 

A Word of Encouragement

Matthew 11:28-30 – 28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
 
During the hardest times in my life, there was nothing this world could offer that would bring me peace.  The pain was too deep, the burden too heavy, and the stress too intense.  The only place I have ever found true peace to bring the sanity and stability back into my life was to turn to Christ.

Remember — it has been written and the Word of God is truth.  May today’s scripture serve as an encouragement as you struggle through your trials and temptations. Seek the Lord and He will give you rest.

 
I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!

 

Don’t Be Too Smart

Matthew 11:25 – 25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.
 
I have occasionally met individuals that were so “book smart” that they literally could not function in life. For example, I remember reading once that Peyton Manning is considered a “football genius”, but he did not know how to make Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup from a can. Sometimes the knowledge we gain here on earth prevents us from truly being “smart” in all areas of our lives.
 
Matthew tells us today that the Lord has “hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.” While we should strive to be educated, knowledgeable, and intelligent, we should never allow that to prevent us from being truly wise in the Lord. It is only through the Lord that we receive true wisdom.
 
I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!

 

You Are Responsible

Matthew 11:1 – 11 When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.
 
People often have a hard time “delegating things” because they are fearful that things will either not get done or not get done according to the instructions. Because of this fear, people refuse to ask for help and assume way too much of the work. Our lives, our work, our ministries work much better when we allow others to work with us.
In today’s scripture, Matthew tells us that “When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed“. Jesus knew that He would need to delegate the responsibility of preaching the Gospel to the twelve disciples and to you and me. He understood that more people could hear if more people were involved. Jesus has trusted us with the awesome responsibility to tell people about Him. We cannot look to others, because Jesus is looking to us. Remember when you leave your homes that you are responsible for telling people about Jesus because He trusts that you will do it.
I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!

 

Day 1

Joel 2:12 – 12“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
Today begins a very exciting time at Journey of Faith. We are beginning a 21 day fast as we enter into a deep time of prayer and fasting for our country. No, this is not about an election, a candidate or a party. This is about a country that has walked away from God.
My prayer for all of you is that you will join us on this journey. Take time each day to pray for our country, our leaders, our churches and the lost souls. Pray for a spiritual awakening to take hold over this country and in the hearts of Christians. Pray that we will give all our hearts to the Lord, turn from our sin, humble ourselves and that we as a country would return to Him.
I pray for blessings today for you on your 21 day Journey!

 

I Am Willing

Matthew 8:1-3 – 8 When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. 2 And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3 Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
How many times have we been surprised by someone when they offered help with something we were working on? Whether it be a project at home, work or at church, their willingness to help made all the difference in the world to what we were facing. I have learned that many people are willing to help, but for whatever reason, we don’t ask. Because of that, we struggle without their help.
I was reminded of this fact as I was reading today’s passage. In this scripture Jesus states, “I am willing, be cleansed”. A leper came to Jesus and asked if He was willing to help. If the leper wouldn’t have asked, he would have not been healed. How many of our own problems, struggles and trials are the result of us not asking the Lord if He is willing to help? As Jesus said, “I am willing”. Never see your trials as things you must face alone, because Jesus is willing to help and Jesus is always there.
I pray for blessings today for you on your Journey!