Tag Archive | faith

Unconditional Childlike Faith

Jun18

Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”
Luke 18:17 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/luk.18.17.NASB1995

This verse got me thinking. What does childlike faith look like?

I looked at attributes of a child; attributes of a child toward their caregiver. . .

They are innocent, dependent on and trusting those who care for them. They demonstrate unconditional love. They are curious to learn and explore. They often adapt well to new circumstances because they do not have a care in the world. They feel secure.

I’m sure you can come up with some yourself.

If God is our cargiver and we are His children, do we demonstrate these attributes as we walk with Him?

He (God) has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mic.6.8.NASB1995

and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:3 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.18.3.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

🌹Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Faith Under Fire

Jun10

Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?
Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well.

But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?”

How deep is your faith in the one true God?

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Daniel 3:14-18 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/dan.3.14-18.NASB1995

How assured are you in your faith?
Are you willing to step into the fire?

Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.
Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.”
Daniel 3:28-29 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/dan.3.28-29.NASB1995

Do you have testimonies of faith?

🌹Glory to God!!

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Faith & Works

Jun4

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
James 2:24 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.2.24.NASB1995

How many times have I read this verse? Many times. But when I read it yesterday, it had a whole new meaning. I will give thanks and praise to God, who through The Holy Spirit revealed something new.

My heart goes out, breaks, for the person who is content in their faith because they took a class or walked an aisle, making a decision to be a Christian . . . BUT . . . that’s as far as it goes.

True faith in God commands us to serve God for His ultimate purpose and His glory. Our salvation is about God, not us. His desire is to use us to show His love and salvation to others so they may know Him and receive the blessings He has for His people, His creation.

Faith is more than a prayer. More than a confession. It is to work under the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the purpose and glory of God!

🌹For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
James 2:26 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.2.26.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Faith Saves

Jun3

But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well (saved you).” . . .
Matthew 9:22 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.9.22.NASB1995

And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well (saved you); . . . ”
Mark 5:34 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mrk.5.34.NASB1995

And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well (saved you).” . . .
Mark 10:52 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mrk.10.52.NASB1995

And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Luke 7:50 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/luk.7.50.NASB1995

And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well (saved you); go in peace.”
Luke 8:48 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/luk.8.48.NASB1995

And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well (has saved you).”
Luke 17:19 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/luk.17.19.NASB1995

And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well (saved you).”
Luke 18:42 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/luk.18.42.NASB1995

How’s your faith?

🌹And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/heb.11.6.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Faith

Jun2

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
Luke 17:5 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/luk.17.5.NASB1995

How is faith increased?
Is it by trusting in the giver of faith?
By the word of God?

¹Hebrews 12:2 Jesus is the author and perfecter of faith.
²Romans 10:17 faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
³Colossians 1:23 Continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast in the hope of the gospel.

Is faith increased by the encouragement and fellowship with one another?

⁴1 Thessalonians 3:2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith,

⁵2 Timothy 1:13 Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

⁶Philemon 1:5-7 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints; and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake. For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

Faith is our assurance of things hoped for.

⁷Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
Hebrews 11:6 without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

⁸James 1:3 NASB1995
So let us run this race called life knowing that the testing of our faith produces endurance.

🌹For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
1 John 5:4 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/1jn.5.4.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

¹ https://bible.com/bible/100/heb.12.2.NASB1995

² https://bible.com/bible/100/rom.10.17.NASB1995

³ https://bible.com/bible/100/col.1.23.NASB1995

⁴ https://bible.com/bible/100/1th.3.2.NASB1995

⁵ https://bible.com/bible/100/2ti.1.13.NASB1995

⁶ https://bible.com/bible/100/phm.1.5-7.NASB1995

⁷ https://bible.com/bible/100/heb.11.1-6.NASB1995

⁸ https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.1.3.NASB1995

Faithful Trust

May14

O Lord of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Psalms 84:12 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/psa.84.12.NASB1995

Trust: faith, belief, certainty¹

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/heb.11.1.NASB1995

By faith Abraham trusted God when he was told to go to a new land to receive an inheritance, not even knowing where he was going.  Hebrews 11:8-10

Abraham, by faith, trusted God when he offered up his only heir to the promise of God, that, “In Isaac your descendants will be called”. Hebrews 11:17-18

Then there is the life of Moses and his journey leading the Jews. That took a lot of trust in God.

🌹Faith takes trusting in Almighty God.

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/heb.11.6.NASB1995

I can attest to this for God is so, so good to me.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Genuine Faith and Fruitfulness

Apr16

Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He (Jesus) came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He *said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.
Matthew 21:19 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.21.19.NASB1995

Every branch in Me (Jesus) that does not bear fruit, He (the Father) takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
John 15:2 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jhn.15.2.NASB1995

You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
John 15:3-5 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jhn.15.3-5.NASB1995

If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
John 15:6 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jhn.15.6.NASB1995

With fruitlessness comes judgment.

🌹Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;
Matthew 3:8 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.3.8.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Christian Living

Apr9

For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself;
Romans 14:7 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/rom.14.7.NASB1995

and He (Jesus) died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
2 Corinthians 5:15 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/2co.5.15.NASB1995

Jesus sacrificed His life for us, Christian. Have we sacrificed our life for God’s purpose? Have we sacrificed our will for His will? Have we sacrificed our way to follow His way?

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Galatians 2:20 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/gal.2.20.NASB1995

🙏Lord God, I surrender my life to You for Your purpose. Your will. Your way. Help me to walk in Your Light that others may also submit to You for their salvation and the salvation of others. In the glorious name of Jesus I pray, amen.

🌹Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Belief vs Faith

Apr2

Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.  For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.
Hebrews 4:1-2 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/heb.4.1-2.NASB1995

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.
Hebrews 2:1 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/heb.2.1.NASB1995

Belief is not enough. Faith with obedience to God’s word, that turns to action, is the difference.

🌹You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
James 2:19 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.2.19.NASB1995

Recommended reading:
James 2:14-26 is about faith and works.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Favorite/Life Verse(s)

Mar18

Do you have a favorite verse(s)? Or a verse(s) that keep you focused on your walk with God? Some may call it their “Life” verses. I would love to hear from you if you’re willing to share.

Here’s mine:

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Galatians 2:20 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/gal.2.20.NASB1995

And . . .

He must increase, but I must decrease.
John 3:30 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jhn.3.30.NASB1995

Looking forward to hearing from you. 😊

Continually Seeking Him,

🌹Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org