15 Days of Faith – Day 11

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Anxiety or worry is almost as normal as breathing. However, God commands us not to be afraid. We saw in yesterday’s blog the Word of God tells us that worry is actually a sin. What do we do about it? Well, we saw we should pray about everything and worry about nothing. Today we’ll back up a couple of verses from yesterday’s scripture:

Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord, always; again, I say rejoice.”

In today’s video, I share a wonderful definition of joy. I hope you’ll watch it. I’d like to focus this blog on a six-letter word in this verse: always. God says that we are to always rejoice. Really? Is God serious? Yes! He says that we can choose to find joy in every circumstance. How is that possible?

It’s possible when we believe and accept the fact that God is always in control. The Bible tells us that He is sovereign. This means that God is in charge and worthy of my trust and devotion. I can choose joy when I choose to trust God and know that He is working for my good and His glory. I may not be able to understand all of the details or be able to figure out the solution to my situation, but I can have the confidence to know that God is at work in my life. I encourage you to choose joy.

You can watch today’s video on 15 Days of Faith – Day 11 here.

You may also enjoy listening to a song written by Aaron Keyes that my son’s worship team recently recorded on video. You can find it here.

15 Days of Faith – Day 10

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I wish I had an antidote for the Coronavirus I could offer to the world. Wouldn’t that be great? I do have an antidote for the fear caused by the spread of the virus. In today’s video, I talk about this antidote: prayer. I share this antidote from Philippians 4:6-7. I’d like to share a few additional thoughts in this blog. First, look again at Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 

I need to stress that this verse begins with an actual command: Don’t be anxious. Have you ever thought of worry as a sin? Well, God says it is. This passage clearly states that anxiety is a choice. We can choose to worry, or we can choose to trust. How in the world can you overcome anxiety and embrace trust? The answer is prayer.

God tells us to pray, and this passage uses two important words that underscore attitudes we should demonstrate with our prayer. The first attitude is desperation. The word “supplication” comes from a Greek word that means to plead or even beg. The fact is that we are always desperate and dependent upon God. The spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus is just a reminder that we really are not self-sufficient. We need God! So, cry out to Him.

The second attitude is gratitude. God wants us to be thankful. One of the greatest ways to overcome anxiety is to count your many blessings? You can always find blessings in every circumstance. Focus on your blessings and not your struggles. Choose thanksgiving instead of worry.

When we do that, our hearts and minds are open to the peace of God. This peace serves as sentry soldiers to set up guard over our emotions and our will. When our emotions are in check, we’re free to love others and help others in Jesus’ name. When our minds are clear, we’re free to think properly and make wise decisions.

Are you afraid? Don’t be. Trust the Lord. Don’t worry about anything; pray about everything.

You can find today’s video here.

15 Days of Faith – Day 9

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God is unique and creative. He doesn’t always do things the same way, and He doesn’t usually do things the way I would do them. Has God ever surprised you with a strategy to solve a problem? Throughout history, God has used unique ways to address challenges. I spoke of one of those times in today’s video, and the story is recorded in Joshua 6. It was God’s strategy to defeat Jericho. God told Joshua: “You shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. Also, seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets” (Josh 6:3-4).

You’re probably familiar with the story and know that God’s plan worked. The walls fell down and Jericho was defeated. Why did it work? It worked because God did it. God gave Joshua a crazy strategy because He wanted Israel to know that He would always fight their battles for them.

This is an important word for us today. God will always fight our battles for us. We can trust Him. This truth means that we need to keep our eyes on the Lord and follow Him. Trust Him even when we don’t see how things will turn out. God may not address a situation the way we would but trust Him anyway. God’s got it! God can handle it! Trust in the Lord.

15 Days of Faith – Day 8

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America was built upon the efforts of people trying to do the impossible. I’m convinced that one reason our country became such a strong nation is because we were built upon a foundation of the Word of God, and we were willing to follow a God Who does the impossible every day. Because God is not limited by the things that limit us, it doesn’t surprise me that He calls us to a life of faith. He even says, “The just will live by faith.”

In my last blog, I mentioned the scripture in Joshua 1 where Moses died, and Joshua became the new leader of Israel. Joshua was tested right away when he had to lead Israel across a river that was impossible to ford. God, however, specializes in the impossible. He told Joshua to lead His people straight through the river, but of course, they would cross on dry ground. In other words, God was going to perform the same miracle through Joshua at the Jordan River as He did with Moses at the Red Sea.

One significant thing about this story is that the water didn’t part for Joshua until the priests stepped into the water. Picture this: the priest walk toward a raging river (the Bible says it was flood season), and the water doesn’t change until the priests’ feet are in the water. It makes me think about the exciting and even supernatural things I’ve missed out on in my life because I didn’t move forward when God nudged me to do so.

Is there anything in your life where you feel God is urging you forward? It may be with sharing your faith with someone who is not a believer or possibly a business decision. God wants to work in every area of your life. This unique season in our lives can be a time to remind us that God is sovereign, and He wants to do the impossible through us if we’ll let Him.

Here’s today’s video: 15 Days of Faith – Day 8.

15 Days of Faith – Day 7

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We are drawn to people with courage. Most action movies are popular because people are inspired by the courage of the characters. I especially love movies of courage that’s based upon a true story. Why do you think we’re drawn to these types of movies? I think it’s because we want to have that kind of courage.

Not only do you want to have courage, but God wants you to have courage, too. Our video from today focuses on an Old Testament story about Joshua becoming the leader of Israel, but he was afraid. God told him to have courage. In the video, I speak specifically about God’s words to Joshua recorded in Joshua 1:5-9 where God called Joshua to be courageous.

Look at part of that passage (vs. 8-9), “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous!”

It’s obvious from the context that one way Joshua could choose courage would be if he would stay focused on the Word of God. In verse eight, God specifically told him to meditate on it day and night and be careful to do everything God says. The word translated “meditate” is also used to describe a cow chewing the cud or the cooing of a pigeon. The emphasis is upon the repetition or focus of a thought. This passage is a great word to us.

God wants us to stay focused on His Word during this time and do everything He tells us to do. Will you be strong and courageous and stay focused on the Word of God?

You can see today’s video by following this link.

15 Days of Faith – Day 6

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I can’t think of a time when being unstable is a good thing. I was once in an unstable kayak and eventually fell into the lake. Unfortunately, it was in February. An unstable house will fall, and an unstable computer will eventually crash. 

What about an unstable person? I’m not addressing mental or emotional instability; but rather, I’m talking about spiritual instability. In James 1:8, God calls this person double-minded. The context of this passage deals with asking God for wisdom when our faith is being tested. Look at James 1:5-8:

 “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

I address a few key points in my video for today, but in this blog, I’d like to focus on verse 6. It says that when we ask God for wisdom or help, we should do so with faith that He will meet us where we are and help us through our circumstances. If we don’t trust God, we’re like the sea being tossed about by the wind.

We know that storms are a normal part of life. Being tossed about by those storms can be dangerous, and it will certainly get us off course from the life we want to live. Faith in God during those times keeps us moving in the right direction that leads to joy, peace, and purpose.

The focus of this passage is to ask God for help during trials—specifically to ask for wisdom. We’re going through a trial right now, and God wants to meet us in the midst of our storm. If we fully trust in Him, we’ll find that he is better than a lighthouse to guide us into the safety of His harbor. He wants to turn your test into triumph and your struggle into joy. Will you trust Him?

You can view today’s video here.

15 Days of Faith – Day 5

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I don’t know many people who like being tested. I used to think that if I ever got out of school, I’d never have to take another test in my life. Boy, was I wrong. I have an oral report I give every Sunday (called a sermon), turn in an annual report of my finances to the IRS, submit reports and updates to ministry leaders in my church, and I have to go to the doctor for physicals and the dentist for checkups. Tests are a part of life.

The Bible says that God tests our faith. In today’s video, I speak briefly about why our faith is tested, but I want to write for a moment about how it’s tested. Usually, when something is tested, pressure is asserted. It may be mental pressure, like a student in school, or physical pressure, like an athlete on the football field. You’ll find that in spiritual testing, pressure is also applied to our lives.

I don’t want to say that God initiates all of the pressure on us for the testing of our faith, but I know that God uses it. Sometimes, our faith is tested because someone else acts out their brokenness and we get injured as collateral damage. Everyone is broken by sin. People act like broken people because of sin, and those actions can cause a lot of pain and struggle in other people’s lives. Although God is not the cause of those actions, He always harnesses an opportunity to grow us into the likeness of His Son. Do you remember David in the Old Testament? One of the great tests of his life came from his own son’s rebellion.

We may be tested by physical struggle. This struggle could come in the form of sickness or financial struggle. Again, God doesn’t always cause these issues, but He uses them to grow us and shape us. Job fell into this category. The Apostle Paul also had a physical struggle. We don’t know what it was, but we do know that he asked God to remove it from him on three different occasions. Here’s how God responded to Paul’s request, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9).

Paul learned that being weakened or even broken was not necessarily a bad thing. God’s power grows in our brokenness.

The Bible says that God has a purpose for our testing, and the bottom line is that it’s always for our good. Testing matures us and strengthens us. It helps us to know ourselves and teaches us how to depend upon God.

Are you being tested now? Cry out to God. Learn from God during this time and let Him work in your life. One day you’ll see that you will come through the fire and survive the struggle. You’ll find that you are stronger in the Lord than before and more equipped mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually to serve the Lord.

In the meantime, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,       knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

Watch today’s video by clicking this link.

15 Days of Faith – Day 4

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What does it mean to fix your mind on something? Have you ever had a problem you needed to solve, and you thought about it continuously throughout the day? I remember a serious problem I had a few years ago, and there seemed to be no solution. I pondered the issue for days. I awakened one night with the solution. For starters, I believe God gave me the solution, but it all came about because my mind was fixed upon it (and I prayed fervently about it).

Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” For starters, I like the idea of perfect peace. God’s Word is 100% true, and it says perfect peace is a possibility. The Hebrew literally says, “peace, peace” — a double load of peace. It was a Hebrew idiom or way of saying something is complete.

Do you see the word “keep” in that scripture? It means to “secure or guard as with a garrison.” God says He is going to stand guard over those who fix their minds on Him and fully trust Him. It reminds me of another passage found in the New Testament:

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Do you want “peace, peace,” perfect peace? Keep your mind fixed on God. How do you do that? I suggest first to fill your mind with Scripture. Meditate on the Word of God throughout the day. Sing songs of worship that magnify God and praise His name. Pray without ceasing. Talk to God all day long about what’s going on in your life and in the world. Christianity is a relationship to be experienced not a program to attend.

If you fix your mind on God, he will set up a guard over your heart and your mind. You will find a peace that is mind-blowing and soul healing.

I invite you to watch my video for additional thoughts as you choose daily to keep your mind fixed upon God.

15 Days of Faith – Day 3

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Have you ever placed your faith in something that wasn’t worthy of your trust? I have. I’ve fallen through the ice on a frozen, shallow pond. I sat down once in a chair that immediately broke into pieces. I’ve trusted people who later used my confidence to hurt me. These kinds of disappointments can make us hesitant to trust anyone or anything.

God gives us a definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” This passage is not telling us to place our faith in things or people who are not worthy of our trust. The remaining verses of the chapter make it clear that God is calling us to put our faith in Him.

The Hebrew word from which we get our English word assurance points to a foundation or support. This passage is saying that faith that is well placed in the character of the trustworthy word of Almighty God is a foundation and support for our hope.

What are you putting your faith in? I’m grateful for our government leaders and all they are doing for us during this time, but ultimately, my trust is not in them. They are mere humans who may make a bad choice from time to time. My faith is not in myself. I don’t know enough to always make the wisest decisions. My faith is in God because He alone is worthy of my trust.

This assurance or support for my life has brought about a deep, abiding conviction that God is always at work in my life and in my world to accomplish His purpose. The Bible also tells me that while God’s work is for His glory, it is also for my good.

I’ve shared more thoughts on a video, and I invite you to watch it.

Will you trust God today?

15 Days of Faith – Day 2

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I’ve heard all of my life that we should come to God with childlike faith. That exact phrase is not in the Bible, but Jesus did tell us that we should “receive the kingdom of God like a child.” Look at the story found in 

Mark 10:13-16 “And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” 16 And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.”

Jesus wasn’t telling us to be childish. We’ve probably all heard stories over the last several days of childish behavior from adults. He was telling us, however, that we should demonstrate faith in God like children do. Some people have tried to turn this passage into a lot of things it’s not, and others have worked to develop some additional theological message from this encounter. This story is nothing more than parents wanting their children to see Jesus and to be blessed by Him and Jesus using the event to teach us a lesson about authentic faith.

Many years ago, when my youngest son was about three years old, I took my family on vacation to Myrtle Beach. I remember standing in the pool at a campground in waist-deep water. My son yelled my name. I looked up in time to see him start running across the concrete toward the pool. When he got to the edge of the pool, he flung himself into the air toward me. I was stunned at first, but I recovered in time to catch him before he sank in the water.

My son couldn’t swim at that time, but he could trust. He knew his father was not only capable of catching him but also willing and always ready.

God is fully capable of catching you, and He’s waiting on you to call out His name. We are living in some strange times indeed. Although the danger we are encountering right now because of the spread of this virus is temporary, it is reminding us that we need to place our trust in our God Who is much bigger than a virus. Will you trust Him today? I’ve shared a few more thoughts on a video. I hope you’ll watch.