Doses of Faith

  “For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury has cast in all the living that she had.”   Luke 21:4 (KJV)  How often do you worship?   Truly worship?          We do the rituals of praying before meals and praying at bedtime.   Some go to church Sunday morning.   It’s what they have always done.   Some go to church every time the doors are open.   It’s good to go to church, but when we go, are we truly worshipping and giving all to God in worship and in our daily walks?    In Mark and Luke, we have the story of Jesus and his disciples witnessing the rich men dropping their gifts into the treasury. Afterwards, the poor widow gives just two mites. Jesus brings this to the attention of his followers and tells them, “This widow has given more than all. The rich give from their abundance, but the widow gave all she had.”     I look at th...

Luke 2:14, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (KJV)      At Christmas we sing songs of peace on earth and good will toward men, but there seems to be little peace or good will toward men spread around the world if you listen to the worldly news.   There are many stories of hate and crime, and the world is being painted as we are all doomed.   But, I know better.   I know better, because I know that there are men and women who express good will toward others.   There are men and women who are concerned about their neighbors, town, state, country, and the world.    They are more concerned about covering the needs of the others and not themselves.      We are blessed to have those who care and show good will to others.   There are the men and women who work with Samaritan’s Purse to help those in need around the world.   Others are those who work with organizations...

Some of my favorite years were where I served others on Christmas Day with some of my family.   The joy of praying with a homeless woman, the appreciation of the homeless man offering to help me to empty the trash and thanking me for the shoes and socks to keep his feet warm.   The smile of the child that had never had turkey and dressing on Christmas day is among my favorite times.   Then, working on making Christmas presents for my children and seeing their faces on Christmas day is among the most favorite.   Then, worshiping at midnight mass with my husband’s family with music and sincere worship of the Christ child made Christmas Eve special.   I look forward to more memories serving as God leads me.

     In five days, Christmas will be here, the day to celebrate Christ’s birth and to give glory to God. Wow! Shouldn’t we do that every day! But, Christmas is a day set aside each year to celebrate the birth of our Savoir. Families come together to worship. But, mostly, families come together to eat a huge meal and to exchange gifts. For some, this is a kettle pot exploding each and every year.       Some people have this Hallmark picture of the perfect family celebrating Christmas. Let me burst your bubble; life does not happen as we see in movies. Families have problems and tensions. Never look on the life of another family with jealousy, because they may have problems hid that you would never want. Don’t wish for another life, just take what God gives you, give glory and thanksgiving for our savoir, and give the day to Jesus, because it is the day we celebrate His birthday “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart ...

     I'm reading AW Tozer right now.  So, some of my thoughts are coming from reading his book.  We are like that, us humans.  Something is suggested and our mind goes with it.  My mind analyzes most everything.  At work, my brain automatically starts breaking down what ifs and consequences.  In other words, some people call me a procrastinator.  In the end, what I'm writing is not completely from who I'm reading as what I've read started me to think a little deeper about why, what, who, and consequences.      My favorite chapter (one of) in the Bible is Psalm 103.  I memorized it many years ago.  The first verse, "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name."  My mind, body, and soul went to desiring to bless, praise, and experience God with my whole being.  And, I asked the question, "Who is this writer?"  It is none other than David, and if you know what ...

Luke 17:18 "Were there not found any who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"      How often do we give glory to God?  During the Christmas season, we sing and listen to songs giving glory to God.  We sing and praise God for sending his son as the Savoir of the World.  But, the rest of the year, do we give God the glory for each blessing he showers on us each day?       In Luke 17, Jesus heals 10 lepers.  In biblical days, lepers lived in colonies and were not allowed to live with family.  These 10 lepers approached Jesus saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." (13)  Jesus healed them and sent them to the priest as custom was in that day.  They were healed and after the priest examines them, they can return to their homes and family.  After the priest examined them, only one returns to "give glory to God" for the miracle of healing.  "He was a Samaritan."   ...

This morning as I prayed, I thought of a dear couple who gives and serves as they can.  Due to health problems, they don't have much.  It is ones like them that we should not forget, but we do, because they are always serving as they can without complaint.  I prayed for them this morning.  And, the verses that came to me were James 2:1-13.  Take time to read these verses today. James 2 Verse 1, My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.  Verse 8, If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well. Verse 9, But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. Didn't Jesus say that we are to love one another?  Jesus loved and cared for the sick, lame, and poor.  We should be doing the same.  Don't judge people, but accept them as they are, poor or rich, equally. And, this...

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 There is this lady who has chosen to be my tormentor for thirty five plus years.   As I committed to serve God, she has been there to find fault with my every move.   At times, her cruel words have brought me to tears.   Well, here we are in the Christmas season, and she is still there watching and waiting to criticize my every move for the Lord.   So, this past Sunday, as she wagged her tongue, I walked away and placed her at the top of my prayer list.   I have been praying for her continuously.   I’m praying that God will change her heart and fill her with His spirit of love.   Then, as I’ve been praying, God has given me others to add to my list.   So, I’m creating a special Christmas Prayer List. This morning at 5:30 AM as I’m praying for those God is laying on my heart, a small voice in my ...

     We can come up with multiple reasons for the failure of the churches in America and around the world, but the answer is simple.   We can talk about and analyze issues, but it comes down to churches leaving God out.   We can go to church for the wrong reasons and for the right reasons, but without having God in us, without loving God, without praising God, and without worshiping God, our right reasons are all in vain.   The church needs God in its’ heart.      I’ve seen how God changes people.   At times, I’ve been envious.   The drug addict who hears the Word of God, asks forgiveness, and let’s Jesus come into his heart becomes a changed man.   He is full of the spirit and can’t get enough of God’s Word.   He memorizes and shares the gospel.   He leads his friends and coworkers to the Lord.   As he grows in the Lord, he gives everything in his life to God.   He gave up all his earthly r...

Revelations 3:10, “because you are lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Why do you go to church?   Many go to church for the wrong reasons.  What is your reason? There are those who go to church because that is what you do on Sunday.   Mama, Daddy, Granddaddy, Grandma, Great Grandpa, and Great Grandma went to the same church, and they were song leaders, board members, charter members, and members of the ladies’ missionary society.   It is just the right thing to do on Sunday morning, and if they don’t go, someone else may start coming and take over.   They sit in the same pews every week with some nodding and checking the time.   They feel they are doing the right thing by keeping the family traditions, and the church is where the family goes every Sunday morning. Then, there are those who use the church as their social center.   They go to find a life mate, hang out with friends, or be around people.   The church has activitie...

First, let’s start with something from the Old Testament.   Have you really read the book of Judges?   As I read through last month, it reminded me of the stories (or tales) from the times of early England and Ireland.   Life was not easy and each man lived by his own laws.   It was a time of City States with nomads conquering, destroying, and taking what they desired.   It was a time with no government and no universal laws.   “Every man did that which was right in their own eyes.” Judges 17:6 and Judges 21:25 The twelve tribes of Israel were given laws to follow, but after Moses and Joshua died, they forgot the laws God gave Moses on Mt. Sinai.   They chose to follow after money, fortune, man-made gods, and the perverted lusts of their hearts.   The tribe of Benjamin was destroyed because of their perverted lusts and love of money.   Read about it in chapters 20 and 21 of Judges.   Power and fortune still drives and destroys tod...

The question about the quality of "The Church" has been asked many times.  Who is in the church?  Who is leading the church?  What has become of the church?  Is the church influencing society or is society crumbling the church?  What do you think?  I'm interested in your thoughts.  And, in my busy world, I plan to write my thoughts in next few weeks.

Politicians have been around since the beginning of time.  There are those who have a vision to make things better for their country, and there are those who are wrapped up in power.  As I’m reading through the Bible, I see both sides in the book of Judges.  When the children of Israel turned away from the laws of God, they were more open to attach and defeat.  The same is true for any nation.  When they turn to things that are not good, they make poor choices.  Some of those poor choices are following after leaders who have no intent to help the people, but to take for themselves. I’ve seen politicians in my life time who entered office for a short time to pass legislation for the good of their business or own purpose.  There are those who use inside information to take from the government for their own good.  Yes, there are those who start out with good intent for the country, but the dirty politics destroy them.  There are very ...

     The first time I considered what it meant to praise and serve God with all my heart and all my soul was when I was working with a group of young teens who were memorizing Psalms 103.   This was many, many years ago.   In explaining this to the young class, I used the example of a great passion or love.   By understanding who God is and loving God with every ounce of our being, we will have a desire or passion to obey Him and serve Him.   When we commit every ounce of our beings to God, He will walk with us, open doors of ministry, and lead us along the way.   And, this is what God requires of you.      At the end of Joshua’s life, he reminded the children of Israel what God required of them.   He reminded them in Joshua 22:5, “Take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, t...

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?”  Deuteronomy 10:12, 13        When I think of serving God, I don’t think of the habitual services we go through each week, but the unplanned moments we reach out to others with tender hearts and God’s love.   When God speaks to our hearts to stop and help someone or share the gospel, we follow and obey.     As Christians, we show more of where we are in Christ by our daily actions of love and service.      Jesus is our example of how to serve.   He did not consider being wealthy and great.   Jesus had no place on earth to call home.   He traveled by foot, fed the poor, healed the sick, mended broken...

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?”   Deuteronomy 10:12, 13  My father, the farmer, loved me unconditionally.   He held me gently as a new born baby and nourished me physically and spiritually.   He instructed me in many ways by teaching me good work ethics, honesty, sharing, looking out for those less fortunate, obedience to him, obedience to the laws of our country, and to love God.   As a child, I wanted to be just like my father, because I respected him and loved him.  My father had long legs.   When he walked across a field, he took long strides.   I followed him many times and looked at his footsteps across the fields.   I tried to match his stride and jumpe...

In our daily walk and prayer life, we should consider what God requires of us.  What does God require of me to do?  In Deuteronomy 10:12 and 13, Moses asks this very question, “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?” As I read these verses, I see Moses using a technique I use in teaching children including the answers within the question.  Our own good God wants us to respect and trust Him, to show God in us in our daily walk, to love Him, to serve Him with all our heart and soul, and to keep the commandments and laws of God. First on the list is “fear the Lord your God.”  In this context, “fear” means to respect, honor, and trust.  In regards to my own father, the farmer, I had great honor and...

October 5, 2016 When we commit all to God, what does He require of us?  Things don’t always go how we expect and we don’t always get things our way.  We make commitments, but when things get too hard, what do we do?  The children of Israel complained all the way from Egypt to the Promised Land.  God fed them, gave them water, and protected them on their journey, but so many of the followers wanted more. It is so human to want more and not be satisfied with what we have.  Just like God was there for the Children of Israel, he is there for us.  He wants to mold us into the best we can be.  I just finished reading “In Every Place” by Kim L. Abernethy.  She was honest with her personal battles as she served God in Africa with her husband and children.  When her living conditions were at the worst possible, she found God working and souls won for the Kingdom.  As I read about the living conditions, I thought of the missionaries...

A dear layman and brother in Christ touched my heart last Wednesday night, 28 September 2016.  With our pastor on a much needed vacation, Mr. Skippy Osborne led our prayer service.  The words he spoke were words I needed to hear.  Skippy is one of those special young men who has served in the church and served humbly.  He has taught our youth and couples Sunday School Class.  He has been a leader in our church for many years serving as chairman of the Board of Stewards.  Our youth know him well and his favorite song, “He Is Still Working on Me.”  This song seems to be a theme in much that Skippy shares with others.  And, as my mind was dwelling on my prayer life, Skippy shared a message on prayer.  Like Skippy, I was raised in a family who taught us to pray at a very young age.  My father was a man of prayer and he led us in devotions and prayer daily.  Each of us prayed after our family devotional time.  Just like us...

As the prayer lists were made each Wednesday night, I regretfully thought about the ones we were not including, our missionaries.  I remember the day when our missionaries were the first on the list, but most of our people don’t even know who our missionaries are.  Every Wednesday night one of us will mention one of the missionaries, but all are never mentioned.  Our missionaries are serving on short budgets and in stressful areas, and we don’t take the time to name each of them in our prayers on Wednesday night.  It bothered me.  I prayed about it and was led to a solution. I called the pastor and told him how I felt.  Dear man, he hears so many complaints.  I know.  Both of my brothers are preachers, a sister’s husband is a preacher, a nephew is a chaplain in the military, my son is a youth pastor, and a son-in-law is licensed to preach.  Yes, I know and understand.  The young pastor doesn’t know me too well, because I already ha...

Over the last few months at Wednesday night Bible Study, it has occurred to me that our prayer requests sound like we are making a shopping list.   We name all those with cancer, heart conditions, and illnesses that come with age.   The list is made, but how many of us will pray over those people?  How many will send cards or visit to let the people on the list know we are praying for them?  Or, is it just a list we write on Wednesday night to be put aside until next week’s update?    Do you see where I’m going?  Are we going through the motions or sincerely praying? When facing a question, I start by examining myself.  Something I learned years ago.  It’s a long story where I followed advice found in I Corinthians 11:28, “A man must examine himself.”  I examined myself and saw where I was with the Lord and where I needed to be with the Lord.  It worked in dealing with the problem, so I examine mysel...

Faith, it is something we carry in our hearts and souls.  Faith, we may leave it behind or keep it close and near.  This morning I'm challenged with the words in Deuteronomy chapter 8.  The Children of Israel did not have a strong faith and kept complaining and turning to other sources other than God.  For their lack of faith, they were destined to wonder for forty years in the wilderness.  When all is taken away, we tend to fall on our knees and pray. In reading Deuteronomy, there are answers to "why?".  This time as I read I'm underlining the why and because.  Try it!  Here is what I found today. "And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not." (2) Lack of faith in God to give them the promised land led to the forty years in a dry and thirsty land.  They rebelled and those r...

Human nature is a mystery.  Or, is it?  What makes people react without thinking through the situation?  Today, why do people take to the streets without thought of the truth or reality?  The good is made to be bad and the thousands honor the fallen thief.  With the media feeding the masses for their own personal gain, the masses go to the streets to loot and destroy those that will do anything to protect them.  It grieves me to see what we are in the twenty first century.  It is the century of greed with a few controlling the masses for the profit of the few.  William Wordsworth wrote these lines in “Lines Written in Early Spring” in 1798.         “And much it grieved my heart to think         What man has made of man." In my Bible study this week (Numbers 13 – 14), I see men without faith destroy man.  Following sensationalism and choosing to believe the bad re...

In studying the book of Numbers, chapter 12 and verse 1 makes Miriam and Aaron sound what we call racist complainers today.  We read just the one verse, “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married.”   This sounds racist but did it come from a heart of racism? Maybe, a woman from Ethiopia would have darker skin than Miriam, Aaron, and Moses, but common sense and knowledge of the skin tones of most people from the Middle East leads to possible fact that the children of Israel had dark or olive colored skin.  The Bible doesn’t give Jesus’ skin color or the color of skin of Moses.  It doesn’t matter.  God created us all to be individuals and commands many times for us to love one another.  So, can we say that it wasn’t due to the Ethiopian wife’s skin color? If it wasn’t skin color that led to Miriam and Aaron’s complaint, it may have been the land of her birth.  I don’t know how a person from Eth...

I volunteered at camp last week.  There was this beautiful child.  She talked about her mother and grandmother.  She told me about her dogs and beauty pageants.  She made friends and loved singing.  As she left, my heart was broken.  Below is why. “You are just like your mother.” “You can’t do anything right.” “You always do everything wrong.” “You will never win doing it that way.” “You are no good.” “You are bad luck.”       Words break the heart and kill the spirit.  Are these words that a child should hear?  Words from father to son to son to son or words from mother to daughter to daughter to daughter kill the spirit of each generation.  Let me tell you about a beautiful girl from camp last week.     She is beautiful, smart, independent, and fun.  Last week at camp, she did everything like her mother and grandmother told her.  She brushed her teeth, used sp...