Miracles

 

Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe." The royal official said' "Sir, come down before my child dies."  Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live."  John 4:48-50

While recently praying for clarity, peace, and direction, I was tempted to ask God for a sign; anything to prove that my prayers were not falling on deaf ears.  I never actually asked for a sign, but once I began to notice God's presence in my life, it became clear and apparent that not only Has he had His hand on me, but He continues to, even when He seems miles away and distant.  

The above verse from the Gospel of John recalls Jesus' second recorded miracle in Galilee.  A royal official approached Jesus with his sick son and pleaded for Jesus to heal him.  The official took Jesus at His word and his son was miraculously healed at the seventh hour, which is when Jesus said that "his son would live."  The official and his family became believers after the boy was healed.  After pondering this verse, the key is not the miracle itself, it's actually the matter of faith that Jesus mentions.

Do we believe without seeing miracles or wonders?  Do we trust that Jesus is ever-present with us?  Do we have faith in His ability to answer our prayers?    Ask yourself these questions and allow His truth into your heart...

The Rising

 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:35-39

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the tragic events that took place on September 11, 2001, and life as we knew it here in the United States was forever changed.  It’s hard for me to fathom what the grieving families and friends of the victims of the terrorist attacks are still feeling on this sad anniversary.  Their day probably began like any other, but unfolded into a nightmare by mid-morning.  By the time news of the first plane crashing into the World Trade Center had gained national media attention, a second plane crashed into the second tower and frightening reality that our nation was under attack began to sink in.

I was in New York City for a concert two weeks prior to September 11th.  The highlight of my trip was taking a tour to the top of the World Trade Center and the seeing the utterly amazing view of the city.  Less than a week later, I watched the horrific events of that day unfolding and people jumping to their death, I felt broken, helpless, shaken, and scared; were the people I saw when I was in the World Trade Center still in the building when the planes crashed?  For weeks, I mourned the loss of innocent lives and remained glued to the television every night as the rescue efforts continued.  I was depressed, angry, and confused during those dark and dreaded days.  The only bit of hope and security that I had at that time, was in reading my Bible, specifically the above passage from Romans.

Our world is an uncertain and always changing place.  Many people seek security in material possessions, wealth, affluence, relationships, and power.  Regardless, none of these things are guaranteed from one day to the next.  The events that took place on September 11, 2001 provide proof that any of those things can be taken from us in a matter of seconds.

For believers, even during chaotic times, we can rest assured that nothing can tear us away from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Today, as we remember the brave men and women who lost their lives during the terrorist attacks on the United States, let us also remember where we can find true security.  Place your hope and confidence in the solid rock of Jesus.

Saving Grace

 

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. Hebrews 6:19

It has taken many years in my walk of faith to overcome the thought of trying to do ‘enough’ to please God.  This is, unfortunately, how many people live their lives; hoping that they have been to church enough, read their Bibles enough, and prayed enough to please God.  They hope God will forgive them and are often times uncertain that He actually will.  They hope that they will one day be considered worthy of heaven.

Hope is vastly different from God’s point of view and He doesn't want us to just live our lives trying to fulfill some sort of ‘Holy status quo.’  True hope comes from being thankful that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross for us, thus saving us from certain death.

We can look back to the past to know that God never breaks His promises to us because He is just and He is good. His grace is not something we can earn or work towards like bonus points on a credit card or airline.

True hope comes from knowing that He loves us and that’s why He sent Jesus to this earth to save us, even though we don’t deserve it.

True Faith

 

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:1

Jesus gave us all blessed assurance and promise about our prayers when He stated: 'Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

Jesus made this statement to assure each of us that the new covenant is true-the way to Kingdom is based on faith, which is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we don't see.

Whatever you ask for, you must believe that you have received it.  Sometimes, don't be surprised if you don't see it, we could not have faith if we did.  We only have sight and vision, but God honors those who have faith.  He will always keep His promises to us and will bless those who trust Him with certainty!

Drifting

 

Don’t look for shortcuts to God.  The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time.  Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do.  The way to life-to God-is vigorous and requires total attention.  Matthew 7:13-14, The Message

For quite some time now, I have noticed that I have managed to drift through my life by living it in such a routine and mediocre fashion.  I show up to watch worship on Sundays, say the same prayer each and every daily, punch the clock at work, and turn around and repeat the same process the very next week.  It’s easy to slip into this pattern when you lack personal motivation and easy to look for success in things that require minimal effort.  Why do you think that weight loss pills are so popular?  If you could just take a pill and shed the unwanted pounds, why would you bother to exercise and maintain a healthy diet?

Living that kind of lifestyle is a poor substitute for living a life of excellence, which was God’s plan for each one of us from the very beginning.

We must seek God and learn what His good plan is for our lives and then pursue it with all of our might.  When you pursue God with vigor and determination, your life will be filled a sense of purpose and fulfillment with His abundant blessings!

Livin' Thing

 

The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.  Isaiah 40:8

Looking back at some old photos taken of me from my youth, I am dumbfounded by some of the trends and fads that I actually embraced as a child.  Whoever thought that the long, colorful, Bermuda shorts from the 80s, otherwise known as ‘Clam diggers,’ were a good idea for a short and pudgy kid, was out of their ever-loving mind!!  Thankfully that fashion trend came and went and as I entered the ninth grade in 1990, I proudly rocked a pair of Bugle Boys.  Okay, enough about me and my fashions; you get the point….

I am always amazed at how I can open my Bible and read a passage of Scripture that has a relevant meaning for exactly what I am going through at the exact time that I needed to read it.  It’s no wonder that the Bible contains the very few words of the almighty God and it is the only document that is ‘living.’

‘Living’ means that the Scriptures in the Holy Bible are relevant for all people in all places in all times.   The Word is as contemporary as the latest trend, yet as lasting as eternity.  Praise God’s holy name!!

Heart to Heart

 

People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.  1 Samuel 16:7

In a romantic relationship, often times it is the initial physical attraction that draws two people together. Once the relationship evolves and two people fall in love, it's what is on the inside that matters the most.  In fact, looks alone can only take someone so far...

It’s natural for us to look first at someone’s outward appearance, but God sees past physical appearances and looks directly into our hearts.  Sadly, our society places too much emphasis on physical appearance without giving much thought to how beautiful a person’s heart is.

To God, true beauty comes from the inside, the heart, not what we look like!