Tag Archive for: Faith

Hop Aboard

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Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

Matthew chapter 5 ends with this verse.  Let’s take a look at what it means and what God is truly calling us to.  The word perfect in the Greek actually means to be “mature, full-grown, finished, complete”.  God has called us to a complete life.  A life that is finished and leaves no loose ends.  If we look back over Matthew 5, we will see some of the loose ends that Jesus tied up for us.  He was showing us how to have a complete life in God.

1.  Focus on the Blessings (vs. 3-12)

Jesus started by sharing the blessings that will come with the Christian life.  These blessings come with blood, sweat, and tears.  The life of a Christian is not an easy road.  The truth is we don’t sign up for an easy road, we sign up for the retirement package.  We have a heavenly home awaiting us.  Every blessing reminds us that God sees our pain and He will respond to it.  He will bless those who wait on Him.

“Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven…” (Mt. 5:12)

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Forever Faithful

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Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them– the Lord, who remains faithful forever. (Psalm 146:5-6)

Lately, I have come across a few people who are hurting in many ways.  There are a lot of tough things going on in people’s lives.  One common theme is a desire to see God come through.  A desire to be victorious!  I think it’s so important to stop for a moment and look at God’s record of faithfulness.  I want to explore how faithful He has been and how faithful He will be.  God has a record of being faithful at least a Gazillion times.  More times than we will ever be able to count.

It’s hard to see His faithfulness at work in our lives at times because we see things from our perspective.  We see things unfinished, full of pain, agony, often bewildered by circumstances, and just frustrated by the lack of control we have.  We need to take our eyes off of the circumstances and put our eyes on the One who is in control!  The One who never steps off the throne, never says He’s too busy, never calls it quits, never says He’s having a bad day, so He can’t help us.  He is always there!  We just have to stop and become available.  Stop and listen!  Stop and allow Him to work!  Stop and get a new perspective on the current situation!  Let’s look at God’s record of faithfulness and compare it to our lives.  Let’s see how He has been faithful!

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Jesus Pizzazz

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…Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  You believe that there is only one God.  Good!  Even the demons believe that–and shudder. (James 2:18-19)

There is a controversy that is taking place about what is more important:  faith or deeds?  One person may think they have it altogether because their faith is as strong as a cement wall.  Then you have the next person who thinks they have it altogether because the things they do for others are too numerous to count.  The author of this passage wants us to realize that faith and deeds belong together.  I must live by faith daily and in that faith I take action to lead a life of serving God.  In my service to God, I find many deeds to do along the way.  None of these deeds are to be recognized in and of themselves because they are nothing without my faith.  Let’s start at the beginning!

“…Show me your faith without deeds…”

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Stay Alert

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Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.  Do everything in love. (1 Corinthians 16:13-14)

It’s amazing how God’s Word can be broken down passage by passage and retain such knowledge for us in today!  This passage in particular shares five commands that God has laid out very simply and clearly for us.  They are not to be taken lightly and not to be ignored.  I pray you will take each one into consideration and ask yourself how you can become stronger in each area.  Let’s start at the beginning.

1.  Be on your Guard.

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Your Table is Ready

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For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)

I shook my head in disbelief. This couldn’t be the right place. After all, I couldn’t possibly be welcome here. I had been given an invitation several times, by several different people, and had finally decided to see what this place was all about. But, this just couldn’t be the right place. Quickly, I glanced down at the invitation that clutched in my hand. I scanned past the words, “Come as you are. No jacket required,” and found the location.

Yes, I was at the right place. I peered through the window again and saw a room of people whose faces seemed to glow with joy. All were neatly dressed, adorned in fine garments and appeared strangely clean as they dined at this exquisite restaurant. Ashamed, I looked down at my own tattered and torn clothing, covered in stains. I was dirty, in fact, filthy.

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