Proven Faith by: Charles Stanley

1 Peter 1:3-9 says;

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade-kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

Faith is perhaps the most central element in the Christian life because it is the means by which we enter into salvation. But that’s only the beginning. From then onward, our faith—or lack of it—shapes our lives and determines what happens to us when the winds of adversity blow. Some Christians never lose their footing even in hurricane-force winds, but others are toppled by the slightest gust. To understand why this is true, we need to examine the source of our faith.
Inherited faith: If you grew up in a Christian home, you probably adopted some of the beliefs of your parents. This kind of godly foundation is a wonderful gift from the Lord, but eventually, each person must assume responsibility for his own beliefs.
Textbook faith: The Bible is the ultimate guide for establishing our beliefs. But that’s not the only source of influence. Books, preachers, teachers, and friends all impact our convictions. Our theology may in fact be sound, but faith is merely mental acceptance until it’s put to the test.
Proven Faith: Only when we trust the Lord through the fires of adversity will we have faith that can stand. It is no longer based on what others have told us or what we’ve accepted as true but on our firsthand experience of His faithfulness.
To evaluate your faith, consider how you react to adversity. Do you cling to the Lord or get angry at Him? Is your attitude one of rejoicing because He’s making you more like His Son, or are you bitter? No one can escape adversity, but those with proven faith will benefit from it.

 ~Taken from Charles Stanley email: Your Daily Devotions for August 7, 2012~

If you would to read more by Charles Stanley, go to the In Touch Ministries to read more uplifting devotionals!


God Bless!

God Can Heal Us!

It is so true...God can heal us! Our Heavenly Father can heal us from any hurt we encounter, pain the world will gives us everyday, or just physical pain. He can heal us all in His perfect way.

I have some Bible verses on Healing. This is a wonderful way for anyone to feel healing from God, just by reading His words.

-Isaiah 40:29,31- He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak...those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. 

-Jeremiah 30:17- But I will restore you to health and heal you wounds.

-Psalms 103:1,3- Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name...Who forgiveth all thine iniquities: who healeth all thy diseases....

-Psalm 147:3- He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

-Isaiah 53:5- But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him: and with his stripes we are healed.

-1 Peter 2:24- Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by who stripes ye were healed. 

There are many more verses on God's healing. Please do not hesitate to read them all in the Bible. All of God's words are healing to our wounds.


God Bless!!

"I'd Rather Have Jesus"

I'd Rather Have Jesus

I'd rather have Jesus,

then silver or gold,

I'd rather be His, then have riches untold, 

I'd rather have Jesus, then houses or lands,

I'd rather be lead, by His nail pierced hand.

Chorus

Then to be, the king over vast domain,

or be held in sin's dread sway,

I'd rather have Jesus, then anything,

this world, affords,

today!!

I'd rather have Jesus,

then men's applause,

I'd rather, be faithful to His dear cause,

I'd rather have my Jesus, then worldwide fame,

I'd rather be true to His holy name.

Chorus

Then to be, the king over vast domain,

or be held in sin's dread sway,

I'd rather have Jesus, then anything,

this world, affords,

today!!

I'd rather have, Jesus,

then anything,

this world,

affords,

today.

This is my favorite song. I would rather have Jesus then ANYTHING this world may try to give me. For the things of the world are not eternal, but very short. I want to focus on my Heavenly Father and looking forward on spending eternity with Jesus.

God Bless!!

Bible Verses on Temptation

I want to share some verses on Temptation. Satan sends us so much temptation. Especially temptations that he knows we could fall for easily. But lets remember....God is watching. He does not want us to be tempted, so we need to ask for God's strength when we feel Satan tempting us.



-Luke 4:8- And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 

-1 Corinthians 10:13- There hath no temptation taken but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to to tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

-Ephesians 6: 10-12- Finally brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 

-James 1:2- Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 

-2 Peter 2:9- The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to preserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished...

-Proverbs 1:10- My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

-Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

-Luke 22:40- And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. 



We need to ask God every morning before we start our day for Him to help us fight off any temptations Satan sends our way. Remember, with God ALL thing are possible!!!


God Bless!!

Having Faith in God During the Toughest Times

Wow I have not posted in forever. :( Lately I have thought about faith. Faith in God. Faith in tough times when I don't understand what God is doing in my life. Why would God put me through these trials I am having for nothing? We can find His wonderful answers to those questions in His Word.

Here is a verse that makes us think: "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." Isaiah 7:9 What God is telling us in this verse is that when we stand firm in the faith God gives us, we can stand through any trial that comes our way.

Jesus says this: "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible to you." Matthew 17:20  When anyone has little faith in God, nothing will happen. We need to have so much faith in God, that people will see it in us. All of us can be a light to the world by expressing our faith in God. And in turn, when we have a mountain (trail) in front of us we can say to that mountain "move over there," because we have so much faith from God.

Many times we are tested by God. Our Father only puts us through trails because it makes our faith grow stronger in Him. Abraham was an excellent example of this. Genesis 12:10 says, "Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe." Why would God strike famine to the land He just called it Abram? Because it was a test of Abram's faith, and guess what....Abram passes. Many believers of God immediately encounter many obstacles. The next time you come across such a test, trust God, don't question or blame God for the tests He gives us. TRUST HIM!

I gave three good verses to remember. Look up the word faith in your Bible. You will have a new verse for everyday!




 Have a Wonderful Day!!

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

I absolutely love this verse. What God says is very true. He knows every plan for all of us, what we will do and where we will go. Sometimes I can a little nervous wondering what plan God has for me. Is He going to do something I never wanted to do, or where I didn't want to go? But then I remember those soft words being spoken to my heart, "Trust me," God says. He is telling me to trust Him in every step He wants me to take. And when we trust God with all of our hearts, the plans God has for us will help us thrive, not harm us. Plans to give us a hope and a future. Isn't that wonderful? I think we can all feel better knowing God has marvelous plans for our lives. 

Today, let's all ask God for Him to reveal His plans in our lives. He will, if we ask. We just have to be willing to obey God's plans and to listen to Him. 

Have a wonderful day!!

Psalm 138:8a

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose in me." Psalm 138:8a

Has anyone ever thought why on earth am I here for? I guess I haven't really thought about it until I started reading the book by Rick Warren called The Purpose Driven Life. I then came across this verse. I asked God what is my purpose? When are you going to fulfill your purpose in me? He then says, "Trust me and wait on my timing."

If anyone is struggling today wondering what your purpose is, ask God, He will reveal your purpose....in His time. While you wait, though, just keep seeking God with all your heart and follow his directions.


Verses to remember:

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." Romans 1:16

"Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before you eyes!" 1 Samuel 12:16

"Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple." Job 5:2

"The righteous will live by faith." Galatians 3:11


Have a wonderful day!!

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year Everyone!!