Living by Faith

I recently heard someone say that "some people need to get some faith." Actually the Bible tells us that everyone has a measure of faith (Romans 12:32)  Each of us has faith, it just gets low sometimes. The problem is that sometimes we don't know where to put our faith.People let us down. Opportunities don't come out quite like we expected them too. Finances dry up. The list goes on ...

I am reminded of the scriptures where King David said, "some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God." Our God has never failed us. When our faith begins to get low, we need to remind ourselves of the times he has provided for us. If he has ever answered a prayer for you, he can do it again.

Jesus compared our faith to a grain of mustard seed. It is a tiny seed but it eventually will grow into a great tree if given the right opportunities. It needs the right amount of sunlight, rain, cold, and heat to become the tree it is destined to be. The lesson is that all of us go through different seasons in our lives. Just as the mustard seed needs these different season, so do we. God has a destiny for all of us. We are on the path to become what he has promised we will be.

Some might feel like you are still a seed. Some might be a young sapling. Still others are in the latter stages of life and have become that mighty tree the Bible talks about where others can find rest. No matter the stage of your life, we all need continual spiritual nourishment. We need to feed and water our faith. We do this by daily doses of God's word and prayer.

In John 15:5 Jesus said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."  

No matter what stage you are in, don't quit watering your faith. Let it grow as long as you live. You never know what it might become!

Living by Faith,

Pastor Jones 

Can you perform a miracle?

Do you believe we have power to do the things Jesus did while He was on earth? That is hard to comprehend for some people? You mean I can perform miracles? I can speak to someone and they will be healed? I can cast out devils? Let's see what the word of God says about matter. 

John 14:12 
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

When Jesus went back into heaven he left his followers with power to carry on his work. Naturally the power isn't in you or me. But it is resident in us if we are filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit and the name of Jesus we can do all kinds of things for God. There is no limit to what God can do and no limit to what He is willing to do through us if we are surrendered to His will daily. 

Just imagine - I can do all thing through Christ who gives me strength! (Phillipians 4:13)

Life's a dance

We all have to make decisions in life. Some decisions are easy like whether to order a cheeseburger or a big Mac. Others can be more complicated such as considering a mid-life career change or whether to buy a house or not. No matter how old we get there are choices to be made.  The young are contemplating marriage and the older are contemplating retirement. The choices seem never to end.

The Bible tells us in Psalm 37:23 that the steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord. I am of the opinion that we worry far too much about asking God to order our steps. What we should focus our attention on is “being good.” In other words, if we will do what is right, we can trust God to order our steps. Sometimes we simply will not know which decision to make. We just pray, trust God, and make the most informed decision we can. In the end, if we have studied the situation out, sought Godly council, and prayed we just go forward and trust God.

In my own life I have too often feared making the wrong choices. It is good to be careful but it is not good to be afraid. Fear of making the wrong choice paralyzes an individual into doing nothing. It is better to try something and find out it wasn’t quite the right way than to put off doing anything until it is too late.

We would all like for God to just give us a road map through life with all the highways, pit stops, and detours marked. Fortunately for us, he doesn’t do it that way. If life were so laid out there would be no adventures, no lessons learned, and no trials to make us stronger. Sure there will be heartaches along the way. Some decisions we will regret and others we will be glad we made. The important thing is to go forward. If we make an honest mistake, God can fix it. Trust Him, he’s got this.

In closing let me give you the words to a popular song. (Pardon the preacher for using the words to a country song)

Life’s a dance you learn as you go

Sometimes you lead and sometimes you follow

Don‘t worry about what you don’t know

Life’s a dance, you learn as you go

The important thing is to keep dancing, keep the faith, and don’t lose heart.

God bless,

Rev. Sullivan Jones