Tag: Living Faith

A Believers Believing Heart, The Word of God, The Word of Faith, The Word of Life unto Salvation. Romans 10:6-9.

Salvation is not difficult, but simple. Salvation is not inaccessible, but readily available. It is as near as your mouth & your heart. If you would believe in Jesus with your whole heart, and confess Him with your mouth, you will be saved.

Your heart has been created with a truly amazing capability. Your heart has been given the capacity to believe, and most wonderfully, to believe in God. It is in the heart that faith springs up, dwells, and works (Acts 15:9).

It is unbelief in the heart that draws men away from God (Hebrews 3:12). It is into the heart that God sends the Spirit of His Son (Galatians 4:6) and it is in the believing heart that Christ Himself dwells (Ephesians 3:17).

You need a heart of faith because the place of faith is the heart. How can you have a believing heart? How can your heart be made true and pure?

In our text we have God’s gracious offer of salvation in Christ and the provision of righteousness by faith in His word. God speaks into your heart because your heart is not only the center of your physical-psychological life, but also the very center of your spiritual life.

God opens your heart to speak faith into your heart by His written Word. God builds and molds and shapes faith within the heart of men and women through our receiving, believing and obeying the word of God.

Let me repeat this again because it is that important – Now God’s Word to us is not distant, but always nearby. Salvation is not difficult, but simple. Salvation is not inaccessible, but readily available.

It is as near as your own mouth and your heart. If you would believe in Jesus with your heart, and confess Him with your mouth, you will be saved. And once the Lord Jesus is in your heart you have His righteousness reigning/abiding in your heart also. Let this sink into your souls.

Romans 10:6-9 Disciples’ Literal New Testament

6 But the righteousness of faith speaks[a] as follows: “Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up into heaven?”, that is, to bring[b] Christ down, 7 or “who will go down into the abyss?”, that is, to bring[c] Christ up from the dead. 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”, that is, the word of [d] faith which we are proclaiming, 9 that[e] if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

What an amazing thing to know in your inner most being that you are saved. Through faith in Jesus, your inner man is 100% sealed, sanctified, redeemed.

This transformation into a new creation in Christ happened in your born-again spirit. There was a change on the inside of you when you put your 100% trust into Jesus as your Savior.

Unlike relying on the Law to bring you into right relationship with God, you trusted in Him to provide for you the righteousness that comes by faith alone. This righteousness changes the way we look at the world. No longer do we have to look to heaven or ascend into the deep to find God, because the word of faith proclaims that He is in our mouths, in our hearts and very near all the time.

In our carnal nature it is impossible to live in fellowship with the Lord. This is why trying to be good enough on our own merit will never work.

We set ourselves up for failure if we try to live this way. God understood this and this is why he never intended for us to work for our salvation.

Sin had destroyed us, and the Law helped us to recognize it.

Isaiah said, “The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so, his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him” (Isaiah 59:15-16).

Even God looked around for one that could represent mankind on his behalf to save the world from themselves but there was no one because sin has destroyed us. So, Isaiah said, his own right arm (Jesus) worked salvation for us, and it was His righteousness that sustained him so he could defeat sin once for all. In the same way He broke the power of sin over us.

Through faith in Jesus, we have been translated from the kingdom of darkness, held under the power of sin and death, into the kingdom of his dear son (Colossians 1:13).

We are free from the bondage that sin held us in and born again with a new spirit inside us. We are a completely different being than we once were (II Corinthians 5:17).

That is why we do not have to look for God, instead we simply know that his presence is always with us, His word in is our mouths, and His righteousness and precepts are written on our hearts.

It makes quite a difference in how we live when we understand this truth.

This becomes a reality when we get a revelation of who we are in the spirit.

When we see ourselves as God sees us, we live like who we are instead of living by what we see. This is why God gave us the Holy Spirit, so he could lead us into all truth (John 14:26, John 16:13).

He didn’t want us to have to rely on the physical aspect of life to interpret these things. Instead, he wanted us to know and experience him in a personal way. Jesus told the women at the well in John 4, that “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

God gave us His Spirit so that we could commune with him spirit to spirit bypassing the natural realm. We do not have to have someone teach us these things because God has made them real inside us.

An amazing thing was what the prophets foretold concerning the New Covenant through Christ Jesus,

Jeremiah said, 

“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:33-34, Hebrews 8:10-12).

This is the word of faith. God is written himself on our hearts; we don’t need to look anywhere else for him. He dwells inside us, so close that he is in our minds, our hearts and overflowing from our lips.

Paul was quoting from Deuteronomy 30 in today’s passage. This passage immediately follows the law, but this chapter shows that it is man’s heart that God wants, this was always His intent.

The chapter ends with an amazing call to his children that still applies to us today, 

“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” ( Deuteronomy 30:19-20 ).

God said, choose life and you will live. We know that life only comes through Jesus. He is the way to the Father. Through him, he gives us the capability to love the Lord, listen to his voice and hold fast to him. He is our life, and he incredibly blesses us as we walk with him.

Today, I encourage you to choose life so that you may also live. I am so thankful that God has provided a way for us to remain in fellowship with him at all times.

I am blessed to know that his faithful love and his faithful word flows out of me and that I am never without him. This is the word of faith that I proclaim today, may you be blessed by this revelation of God’s wonderful plan for you, Amen!

In the name of the God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

O God may the faith within us get out, onto our lips, into our feet and hands, through our hearts.

May what we sing and pray here in this place, get past our inhibitions and into our actions this week.

May the passion for your Gospel burn within our hearts, so that we cannot be silent in the face of deception or injustice.

If old-fashioned ways of sharing faith do not ring true to us, then let us persist until we find ways to tell our story that reveal Your presence in our lives.

Help us, God, please help us to just get it out, not arrogantly, but as our humble confession of what we believe. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

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Luke 19:33-34 ||Devotion in Action|| “My God! The Lord has need of ME!?”

“My God! My God! The Lord hath need of ME!?!”

Who is saying this?

The Twelve Disciples standing behind Jesus as he rides the donkey?

The crowd which is before Jesus as he is about to enter the city gates?

The small man in the tree – remember the newly repentant Zacchaeus?

The small man in front of the donkey holding the palm in his hand?

The donkey itself as it carries Jesus on its back with a small smile on its face?

The owner of the donkey who gave his ascent to his animal being taken away by men he never met before who told him simply: “The Lord Hath Need of It?”

The City of Jerusalem itself now in the midst of celebrating the Passover?

The citizens of Jerusalem aware and/or unaware of Jesus’ arrival?

The Priests and Workers of the Temple – the Center of Religious Life for the Jewish people. Where people come to worship and sacrifice as God requires?

How about the mountain – “The Mount of Olives?”

How about the rocks on the ground which the people and donkey walk on?

How about the man, Itinerant Master Rabbi Jesus Himself?

A whole lot of revelation is going on here – each one singularly unique!

Each one saying to themselves ….

Each one shouting unto and into the heavens ….

“MY GOD! MY GOD! THE LORD HATH NEED OF ME!”

“MY GOD! MY GOD! THE LORD HATH NEED OF ME?”

And so, Jesus comes unto the city …. on the back of a donkey ……

This is the moment they were living in, as the events unfolded.

It is now the 21st Century, the year of our Lord and Savior 2022.

Today is Palm Sunday – we will gather for worship this morning.

We will have our families with us.

Those who only come once or twice a year – will miraculously appear.

We have those who cannot or will not come to church – but have some connection to a social media site – Facebook, or You Tube, or ZOOM.

God will (hopefully, prayerfully) have their undivided attention again.

We still have the ancient stories of the Gospel narratives.

We have the benefit of history.

We have the benefit of their struggles and the fruits of their labors.

We have the benefit of the full Biblical Canon, God’s Holy Scriptures.

We have the benefit of commentaries and sermons and devotions.

We read, re-read these Gospel Narratives year after year after year.

As we consider one angle after another trying to be original, trying to reach the older generations and communicate to current and coming generations of both believers and non-believers alike – unto into those “great clouds of witnesses,” “MY GOD! MY GOD! THE LORD HATH NEED OF ME!?!

What are we to anticipate in the coming minutes and hours ahead?

As we consider the words – “THE LORD HATH NEED OF ME ….”

Relevant or Irrelevant?

Absolutely Meaningful or Utterly Useless?

Are we exclaiming it or are we questioning it?

Are we accepting the possibility or are we brushing it away and denying it?

Is anybody even seriously reading or studying, listening or praying, teaching or preaching the critically true meaning and absolute importance to the words?

“MY GOD! MY GOD! THE LORD HATH NEED OF ME!?!

Luke 19:28-40 Amplified Bible

The Triumphal Entry

28 After saying these things, Jesus went on ahead [of them], going up to Jerusalem.

29 When He approached Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, He sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village ahead of you; there, as you enter, you will find a [donkey’s] [a]colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anybody asks you, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ you will say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” 32 So those who were sent left and found the colt just as He had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They said, “The Lord needs it.” 35 They brought it to Jesus, and [b]they threw their robes over the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As He rode along, people were spreading their coats on the road [as an act of homage before a king]. 37 As soon as He was approaching [Jerusalem], near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the entire multitude of the disciples [all those who were or claimed to be His followers] began praising God [adoring Him enthusiastically and] joyfully with loud voices for all the miracles and works of power that they had seen, 38 shouting,

“Blessed (celebrated, praised) is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven and glory (majesty, splendor) in the highest [heaven]!”

39 Some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples [for shouting these Messianic praises].” 40 Jesus replied, “I tell you, if these [people] keep silent, the stones will cry out [in praise]!”

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

The Lord Needs It – Luke 19:34

I wonder how much our faith, hope and love would affect our daily lives if we lived to exclusively serve Christ’s needs instead of our own?

Is that even possible? Would our churches be filled with people on Sundays because the Lord needed them to be there? Would missions throughout the world be fully funded because the Lord needs affluent Christians in the West to ‘pony up’ and provide from their ample resources all that is needed by Christ to medicate, educate, feed and clothe people living in poverty across the globe?

If we are 100% comfortable doing religious things without being challenged by the radical nature of the surprise and scandal of the Gospel, then we are going to go through life as spiritually shallow people.

However, if we take time to really think about what Christ needs us to do with our lives and resources, then everything will change about how we ‘do’ church and how we share our faith.

The owners of the colt in today’s Gospel passage (Luke 19:28-36) could have told the disciples to “get lost or I will call the cops”, or that it was inconvenient, or that it would be okay the next day. They didn’t do that; when they heard the words “The Lord Needs It,” they gave over the colt freely and perhaps gladly.

In these 21st century times, would we be so accommodating or dismissive?

The Lord hath need of many things from each and every one of us ……

YEA OR NAY ……

21 So get rid of all uncleanness and [a]all that remains of wickedness, and with a humble spirit receive the word [of God] which is implanted [actually rooted in your heart], which is able to save your souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth]. 23 For if anyone only listens to the word [b]without obeying it, he is like a man who looks very carefully at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he immediately forgets [c]what he looked like. (James 1:21-24 Amplified)

Questions for personal reflection

What does the Lord need of me?

Am I willing to give my time, talents, and resources to Him for His work?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Lord Jesus, Your Gospel brings goodness and forgiveness, strength and love into our lives. It also presents us with unique challenges and causes us to reflect upon our daily choices. Help us so to live according to Your needs and liberate us from our insecurities, as well as our desires. In Your Holy Name, we cheerfully pray. Amen.

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So, Have I Not Commanded You? Be Strong and Courageous! Joshua 1:9

We all face situations in life when we feel scared and alone. We are in that pit of indecision. “Do I stand still and do nothing – Am I a Coward?” or “Do I stand my ground as David did before his Goliath?” “Do I go forward?” or “Do I retreat?” “Do I stay in the pit I have probably dug for myself or fight, claw my way out?”

“Do I turn to the right or to the left?” “Do I take out my compass?” “Do I stand firm in the faith, hope, love and trust of my Savior Jesus Christ?” “Do I stand upon the power, presence of God as revealed through His Word?” Or do I just choose: “talk a great game when I need to because I’m waiting for another to come along and give me a vaccination against the call of God for my lifetime?

Many tough and very legitimate questions believers and non-believers alike are confronted by. However, we can all take some measure of courage from what today’s Bible verse offers our tendency to commit to a course of timidity. We don’t have to be scared or dismayed because the Lord is with us wherever we go.

One too many times, we can want to turn away from situations that seem scary or overwhelming. such as the calling God has placed into our hearts. However, we can face those situations with confidence when we begin believing what this verse says. We begin to believe that we’re not alone and that we’ve got God with us wherever we go we can face any situation. We’ve got God’s help on our side!

Joshua 1:1-9 Holman Christian Standard Bible

Encouragement of Joshua

1 After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua[a] son of Nun, who had served Moses: 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites. 3 I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great Euphrates River—all the land of the Hittites—and west to the Mediterranean Sea. [b] 5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you.

6 “Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance. 7 Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. 8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite[c] it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. 9 Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

There he was, a summer camper, about halfway up a 100-foot-high rock face.

He started the climb with plenty of self-confidence, but now his palms were sweating, calves were quivering, and fingertips were slipping. He looked down, confirmed the instructor was definitely right when he said not to look down.

How much longer could he hold on?

One of the main reasons he came to rock-climbing camp was to show to his friends exactly how “strong and courageous” he was. He thought they’d all be suitably impressed when he “scampered up the rock wall like a mountain goat chugging a gallon of energy drink.” And now everything was coming unraveled.

Joshua 1:9 These ancient words speak to us today, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” What are they saying to you now?

Rock climbing takes a good healthy dose of both strength and courage. And God definitely calls us to be “strong and courageous.” In fact, He repeats it 3 times!

In fact, in this verse, he COMMANDS it. That’s no mere polite suggestion. If you believe in God, it should inspire confidence and courage for everything you face! Ah, but here’s the catch: This whole “strong and courageous” thing isn’t really about rock climbing, and it isn’t about your strength and courage.

Notice what this verse says is the basis of our strength: “for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” This verse is not describing a kind of strength and a courage that’s based on our own ability to be “strong and courageous.”

No, it’s an invaluable lesson on character building and development: strength and courage based only on who God is; on how strong and courageous HE is.

Like when the neighborhood bully was about to give you a new “lesson in life” (so nice of him), but as the lesson was to begin, you both saw your dad coming.

A new surge of strength and courage rushed over you, not because you were suddenly bigger and stronger, but because of the strength and courage of your dad, and you trusted in that. That’s the kind of “strong and courageous” this verse is talking about. This kind of courage is based on something stronger than us: Something significantly, immeasurably, undeniably stronger outside of us.

Back to our climber left dangling on the rock face. At just about the point, he was going to give up, the guide yelled down “I’ve got you! Just sit back in your harness and take a break: lean into the strength of the rope.”

See, he began the ascent by strapping into a harness and attaching that to a rope so that he couldn’t fall. He leaned back on the rope for a moment. His legs stopped shaking. Arms stopped quivering. His toenails recovered. He realized he was safe. He couldn’t fall. Even if he slipped. He was soon able to relax himself, regain his strength and footing and his courage and continue up the mountain.

When you encounter the difficult trials of life, you can try to lean on your own strength and courage for some measure of time and long concourse of seasons, but there comes a point you need something stronger than yourself to continue.

Lean into the strength and the courage and the wisdom of the Lord.

Lean into the promises and truths of the Word of God.

Use God’s Rope, His Knot, Live Life Upheld by God – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Who do you think of when you think of someone who is modeling “strong and courageous?” What person comes to mind? How do you want to be like them? What do you think is their main source of strength and courage? What area of life do you feel like you need a healthy injection of strength or courage today? 

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

God, My Father, we all face situations every day when we need strength and courage. And we are often too tempted to lean on our own strength and courage, to depend on ourselves. Help us to look unto you first and foremost and to lean upon the strength and courage of who you are in every situation. Give us your strength and courage to boldly trust you completely to meet our every need. I pray this in the strength of the name echelons above all other names – Jesus Christ, My Life, My Lord, My Rock of My Salvation! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

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