Tag Archive | faith

Mother’s Day

May11

“Behold, everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb concerning you, saying, ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ — Ezekiel 16:44

I’ve been living with my Mom for almost 21 months now, since my Dad’s illness. Over that period of time I have noticed — more than I did before I started living with her — how we often are thinking the same thing. I kid her saying it scares me when she says something and it is just what I was thinking. That happened just last evening. We both had a good laugh about it. Then I found this verse right after that. Coincidence? I think not.

I am now — as opposed to my much younger years — honored to be like my Mother. She is a strong woman who raised four children, many times on her own because Dad was off serving our country. She taught me service and how to love a husband and raise children. She taught me to respect elders, those of different cultures, society status, well basically everyone. She taught me manners, how to sew and crochet and cook, although she is still a much better cook than I. But . . .

The greatest thing my Mom taught me was who Jesus Christ is. Passed down from her Mom to her and then to me. She made sure that her children were introduced to the Savior and she prayed for us and continues to pray for us.

From generation to generation. “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. — 2 Timothy 1:5

I continue the legacy with my children. I pray for them and continue to share Jesus even though they are on their own now. They know that Jesus is alive and well and living in their Mother. I hope they will always see Jesus in me. My gift to them this Mother’s Day and until Jesus comes.

May God bless your Mother’s Day!

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

A Good Minister

Apr10

bible-study-group-6010

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed. Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. — 1 Timothy 4:4-7

What makes a good minister (servant, one who acts upon the authority of another)? One who explains to the brothers and sisters of the word of God and prayer. If you do this you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus. You are one who is nourished by the message of faith and the teaching you have followed. Train yourself to be godly. Practice being like Christ.

Disciple as Jesus discipled. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. — 1 Timothy 6:18-19

Life is all about who we are in Jesus. Life is whatever we do, doing it all to the glory of God.

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. — 1 Corinthians 10:31

Let us seek Him through the Word and prayer so that we are affective for the kingdom of God, bring glory to His name, and enrich our lives because we live every moment for our Lord.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

Unquenchable Joy

Mar23

You have endowed him with eternal happiness. You have given him the unquenchable joy of Your presence. — Psalm 21:6

This verse was shared on Facebook this past week by a dear friend and I immediately thought of my Dad. God, You have endowed him (my Dad) with eternal happiness. You have given him the unquenchableable joy of Your presence. My Dad is in His presence enjoying the unquenchable joy of being right there in the light of His countenance, enjoying a joy that we could not possibly grasp this side of heaven.

These words were actually written of a king. He was endowed this side of heaven with this unquenchable joy. We can experience this joy by simply trusting in the Lord. How is your trust in the Lord these days? Easy when things are good and going your way or even when things are tough and not going your way? At what level is your joy?

One day my joy will overflow, when my faith becomes sight, but in the meantime “I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.” — Psalm 43:4

Trust and rejoice in the Lord our God starting right now and continuing throughout eternity. Eternal happiness, unquenchable joy. Wow!!!!!

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Shine Jesus Shine Pt. 4

Mar13

Shine Jesus shine
Fill this land with the Father’s glory
Blaze, Spirit blaze,
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth Your word
Lord and let there be light.

— Cliff Richard —

 [Glory of the Lord] Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. — Exodus 40:34

but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord. — Numbers 14:31

The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. — Exodus 3:2

And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the mountain top. — Exodus 24:17

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” — John 7:38

and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. — Romans 5:5

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. — Romans 15:13

You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. –Acts 10:38

And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.” Acts 5:32

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, — Matthew 28:19

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” — Acts 1:8

And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. — Acts 11:15

for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord. — Acts 11:24

And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. — Acts 4:31  

He sends forth His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly. — Psalm 147:15

He sends forth His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow. — Psalm 147:18

Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. — Psalm 51:11

For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite. — Isaiah 57:15

Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. — Matthew 13:43

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Pray For Them

Mar9

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. — Romans 1:8

Praise God for those who take the gospel to all the world. I think specifically of missionaries. They are letting the Word of God perform it’s work in them.

All who receive the Word of God and believe the gospel message (Jesus left His throne on high to humbly come to earth for the purpose of reconciling man’s relationship with God, by paying the debt for our sin on the cross. God raised Jesus from the grave so we can live abundant, productive lives that continues on to eternity) are transformed as the Word of God performs it’s perfect work in them. Since the day you heard and understood the grace of God in truth, you are constantly bearing fruit and increasing.

What can we do for our missionaries and one another — since all believers are technically missionaries to their portion of the world? We can give thanks to God for them and mention them in our prayers.

How can we pray for them? “Ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” (Colossians 1:9-10).

God is at work in the world today through believers so let’s pray continually for all believers. Together Jesus will accomplish His work in and through us to His glory. Let us join God in His work to bring the lost to salvation by uniting together and praying for one another so the power of His Word will travel to all parts of this earth.

Testimonies Of Faith

Feb28

Their belief in the truth that they have been taught must be strong and steadfast so that they will be able to teach it to others and show those who disagree with them where they are wrong. — Titus 1:9

Is this discipleship? You bet. We are to pass on what we have learned. As much as I love the Word of God it does not do much good for me or those around me if I don’t live it out. When I live the Word of God my life becomes filled with testimonies of God, testimonies to share of His glory, to tell of the things which my eyes have seen.

To live out the testimonies of God I need to implant His Word in my heart. This helps me to keep the faith and a good conscience. It helps me retain the standard of sound words which I have heard, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. I must hold steadfast and strong to the word I have been taught through God’s Word, through other brothers and sisters in Christ, and an intimate relationship with Jesus.

We are not only to teach and learn from one another but to also be a witness to those who do not know the Lord.  We can help those who disagree with the Word by our faithful walk as it makes them aware of their wrong thinking. Let us shine for Jesus and pass His Word on to others by our actions and the testimonies of God’s work in our lives.

Testimonies are encouraging and uplifting to others. Please feel free to share testimonies of God’s work in your life. I would be encouraged by them as I know others would be too.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

“Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons. — Deuteronomy 4:9

keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. — 1 Timothy 1:19

Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. — 2 Timothy 1:13

Do You Hear?

Feb25

Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” — John 18:37

Jesus speaks. Are we listening? Do we recognize His voice? Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;”. If we are His sheep who hear His voice then we will be following Him. That means we are obedient, putting our faith and trust in Him, walking in His ways. We have a relationship with Jesus. When we have a relationship with someone we can recognize their voice before we even see them. We have yet to see Jesus face to face but we should recognize His voice.

Through our relationship with Jesus, grace and truth are realized. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:7). This Truth, Jesus Christ, sets us free. In response to His voice we come and are saved from the wrath of God, from our own demise. In response to Christ, we desire to hear His voice. We seek His Word, listen to teachers and preachers, and in quiet prayer we listen for the still small voice of our conscience.

As we develop our relationship with Jesus we start to recognize His voice more and more. We know Him intimately and when others speak we are able to decipher the spirit of truth from the spirit of error. Those who are of God hears the words of God.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; — John 10:27

For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.– John 1:17

and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” — John 8:32

We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. — 1 John 4:6

He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” — John 8:47

Sufferings to Glory

Feb19

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. — Romans 8:18

Life is tough. I don’t know of anyone who has not suffered in some form or another — loss of a loved one, illness, disabilities. Then there is the sufferings of strained relationships – marriages, parent/children, employer/employee, etc. – the stress of life-changing decisions and so many more that you could come up with yourself that you have experienced or are experiencing.

Far beyond all comparison are these momentary, light afflictions which will produce for us an eternal weight of glory. They may not seem to be light afflictions at the time but when we compare them to the glory of God, His glory overshadows our afflictions or sufferings. Seek the Lord and rely on Him instead of focusing on the situation, ailment, disability. Reminding ourselves that He loves us and will never leave us nor forsake us, He also promises that glory will be revealed to us!

Our reliance and trust in the Lord during suffering strengthens our faith. Even when our faith is tested by fire our faith is refined and more precious than gold which is perishable. Our refined faith will result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Suffering is a part of life but we don’t need to be defeated. Endure to strengthen your faith, leaning on the everlasting arms until that glory is revealed to us.

Can we even begin to compare our sufferings to the sufferings of Christ? Oh what He did on the cross for all humanity. Oh the sufferings He endured for us. In our sufferings let us keep on rejoicing so that at the revelation of Jesus Christ’s glory we may rejoice with exultation.

To God be the glory revealed in Jesus Christ.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, — 2 Corinthians 4:17

so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; — 1 Peter 1:7

but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. 1 Peter 4:13

Walk in His Ways

Feb11

“Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,                                                                                    — Deuteronomy 10:12   

It really is all about God. He has set His standard, “to fear the Lord your God”, reverently fear. A respectful awe of our Lord.

He commands us to walk in His ways. His commandments are to be followed because He is, was and always will be the One and only God, Creator, Lord, Master, our All in all. He deserves our utmost obedience.

The first and foremost commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. If we love Him we will keep His commandments, serve Him and fear Him — that is walking with the Lord. 

Walking with the Lord is so much more than obeying commandments and serving. God gives us these commandments and instructions in His Word for our benefit. Walking with the Lord Jesus is a walk of peace and joy. Within the confines of obedience to His Word we find a trustworthy, faithful friend who will never fail us. Living in the boundaries He has set for us we find contentment. We might be commanded but it is for our benefit and blessing. Surrender to a wonderful walk with Jesus and let His commandments guide you to a deeper, more solid faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. Deuteronomy 8:6

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. — Deuteronomy 6:5

Faith is the Victory

Jan16

 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

How is your faith? Is your faith established in the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you walking this journey of life along side the One who has overcome the world? When we place our faith in Jesus Christ we are born of God. The word of God says that if we are born of God then we are overcomers. It takes faith to overcome. Talk to Jesus today and ask Him to search your heart so you know where your faith lies. Be victorious – by faith.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon