God the Father

On By CarmenIn God's CharacterLeave a comment

After my last post, The Holy Trinity, I want to share more about God the Father, our loving, righteous, almighty Creator.

I humbly confess that my knowledge is far too finite to adequately define the immense and awesome character of our Heavenly Father, but what I do know and what I have experienced I want to share with you. 

My goal is to give greater insight to those who may not know or understand His perfect character and love for us.

God is Love

Imagine having the absolute ability to reign supreme and desire to create the beauty that we see and experience all around us in nature.

I think of many of the places that I’ve traveled and the beauty that I’ve seen in remote places as well as here in the U.S.—mountains, seashores, forest trails, and man-made, albeit God-inspired monuments and buildings.

My mind goes to views of Earth from space that I’ve seen on TV and images of galaxies and celestial beauty that are too magnificent to fully grasp.

Let’s even consider the intricate creation of the human body and mind which were minutely crafted by our Father in Heaven.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image,
    in the image of God he created him;
    male and female he created them.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

Genesis 1:26-31

Why did God create all that we are and all that we have the blessing to experience?

Perfect LOVE by our perfect Father and Creator.

God existed since the beginning of time and in His benevolence, He fashioned mankind and breathed life into us simply because He loved us. (Genesis 2:7)

Our loving Father created us because He wanted to, and He gave us His blessing to enjoy all the majestic beauty around us.

He gave us the intellect and ability to be able to not only enjoy, but to steward or manage His creation.

After the disobedience of Adam and Eve, the first created man and woman, sin entered the world and has plagued creation ever since.

No amount of striving to be perfect could help mankind overcome sin.

God had the solution for this. He gave us His most prized possession, His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be the perfect and ultimate sacrificial Lamb.

I wonder how many of us would give any of our children, not just our only beloved child, to bear the sins of our human race.

I wouldn’t be able to! I’m sure you would say the same. But God did!

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

1 John 4:9-10

THIS is love—forgiving those who don’t deserve it by giving your all.

God is Almighty

God our Father is sovereign. He reigns over all creation, because He created it.

Therefore, He has the right to give us instruction how to live our lives and worship Him in praise and obedience.

Our pride keeps us from following God and is a root cause of disobedience, which if we insist on harboring, will lead to painful consequences.

I don’t know about you, but I’d had enough painful consequences from doing things my way that I finally surrendered to God and His ways.

For those who insist on doing things their way and refuse to follow God regardless of the consequences, only loss and perdition await.

This is exactly what happened to Lucifer, better known as Satan, the most beautiful angel created.

In his pride, Satan wanted to be God. He wasn’t satisfied with being the most beautiful angel—he wanted to take God’s place and sovereignty. (Isaiah 14:12-15)

His big mistake was misunderstanding that he too was created and powerless compared to God. (Luke 10:18; Revelation 12:7-9)

God our Father is not only majestically creative, He is all-knowing and all-powerful.

To whom then will you compare me,
    that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high and see:
    who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
    calling them all by name;
by the greatness of his might
    and because he is strong in power,
    not one is missing. . .
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.

Isaiah 40:25-28

There is none that can take God our Father’s place, none who can use their wisdom to outsmart Him, and none who can win any war waged against Him.

God is Just

Many wonder if God reigns supreme why He allows so much evil to take place.

Some even accuse God of perpetrating evil, and for this reason refuse to worship Him.

The issue is they don’t know God’s ways because they refuse to learn about Him. If they would spend the time needed to search out God and His ways, they would come to a different conclusion.

God has an incorruptible character, and He does what is right. He is true to Himself no matter what one may think of Him. He does not bend to public opinion.

God does not perpetrate evil. He can only do good because it is His nature.

Further, He gives His creatures the ability to reason and make choices.

Satan had the ability to reason and choose to submit to God, but he did not. He chose to worship himself and his pride took over; he simply refused to give God His rightful due in worship.

When Satan was cast out of heaven, he set out to destroy God’s beloved creation on Earth—mankind and nature.

This is how sin entered our world: Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden through temptation by Satan. (Genesis 3)

You may ask, why didn’t God stop Satan? The answer again is free will.

Adam and Eve had the choice to obey God (by not eating from the forbidden tree), but they did not.

God will most certainly stop Satan by destroying him one day, a day of God’s choosing in the future.

In the meantime, our Heavenly Father is patient with us, pursuing us to turn from our sin and follow Him.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:8-9

Because God is our righteous Judge, He cannot tolerate sin, He cannot approve of sin, He cannot link Himself to sin in any way.

When we sin, we are separated from God; but in His goodness, He has chosen to forgive us.

This forgiveness is through His only Son, Jesus Christ. Forgiveness is only granted through Christ and no other way. (John 14:6)

If we refuse God’s Son, we will be eternally lost and suffer God’s judgment.

I pray that anyone who does not yet belong to God in Christ will exercise their free will and accept Jesus as LORD and Savior today.

God not only gave us life, but He also provided everything we will ever need to live successfully in Him now to eternity.

Enjoy the song below in worship to God.

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

  The Holy Trinity

On By CarmenIn God's CharacterLeave a comment

The Three Persons of God

I would like to share about our great God and His excellent provision in the Holy Trinity that loves us, redeems us, and guides us in this life on earth and to our future eternal home with Him.

When I was a young girl attending Catechism, I was taught that the Holy Trinity is God as three Persons in One, and I have kept that knowledge in my mind and in my heart.

At the time, it wasn’t easy for me to understand, but I accepted what I was taught and believed despite my limited ability as a child to fully grasp the three distinct but comparable persons of God.

Over the years with much study of the Bible, I have come to understand the preeminence of God and His purpose for the Godhead to be three equal, yet unique beings.

If you’ve never heard of the Holy Trinity, or you are not sure who the three Persons in One are, they are God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Bible confirms the existence of the Holy Trinity and helps us understand more about the Godhead.

The Alpha and Omega

When we read the Bible, we find that God was present in the beginning and will always be. (Revelation 1:8)

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1

God is the Creator of all things. He created the heavens and the earth out of nothing but His will.

I encourage you to read Genesis 1-2 to understand the full measure of His creation.

God our Father tells us through His holy scriptures that not only was He present, but so was His Spirit—the Holy Spirit.

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Genesis 1:2

We also read that Jesus Christ, His Son, was present and very much involved in the creation.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:1-5

One cannot deny that Jesus was present in the beginning due to what the Bible tells us.

He was with God and was involved in creating all things, including mankind. (Genesis 1:26)

We were made in His image—the same image as God our Father and God the Son, who are the same God. (John 10:30, 14:9)

How could we deny that we “look” like Jesus?

We may not all have the same hair, skin color, and eyes as Jesus; but we are similar, we are anthropologically related.

This should settle the argument proposing that we evolved from an animal.

Prophecy

Many argue that Jesus is not God nor is He the Son of God.

Some even concede that He may have existed but was just a prophet or rabbi.

This is a grave error simply because their argument does not align with the Holy word of God, the Bible.

God gave us His word to teach us truth and guide us in our daily lives, but more importantly to be witness of His Son that He sent to us for eternal redemption.

Before Jesus was born, there were several promises given to the Israelites (and to all mankind) that He was coming to save us.

Isaiah, a well-known prophet in Israel during the 8th century BC, prophesies about Israel’s Savior, our Savior, who was to come to this earth to save mankind.

 “Come near me and listen to this:

“From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret;
    at the time it happens, I am there.”

And now the Sovereign Lord has sent me,
    endowed with his Spirit.

This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
    who teaches you what is best for you,
    who directs you in the way you should go.”

Isaiah 48:16-17

Isaiah was letting Israel know that God the Father had already provided for their redemption a Savior—God the Son.

How did Isaiah become a prophet and how did he know what to prophesy?

He was chosen by God the Father to be a prophet to speak truth to His people.

Isaiah is pointing his fellow Israelites and us today to our Savior, God the Son.

It may seem a mystery, but Jesus Christ, the second Person in the Holy Trinity, is THE promise of salvation that God made to us in His unique way of redemption.

Each person of the Godhead carries out his responsibilities as triune God.

We are so blessed that God provides EVERYTHING that we need.

We can’t provide it for ourselves, only our loving Creator, Redeemer, and Spirit Guide can.

We just need to be willing to accept God’s blessings.

After Jesus Christ died, resurrected, and ascended into Heaven, He sent us the Holy Spirit (John 14:26) to guide us.

Today, God’s Holy Spirit lives within us and speaks to us if we belong to Him. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

We only get the Holy Spirit if we have Jesus as Savior.

The Savior Left His Throne for Us

Jesus humbled Himself and came to earth as a Servant. His purpose was to obey God the Father in teaching truth and dying as the Sacrificial Lamb for all mankind.

As Jesus was preparing His apostles for His impending death, He wanted them to carry on His work by being witnesses to His life, death, resurrection, and ascension into Heaven.

This is called the Great Commission which also applies to all of us who belong to Him.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

Notice how He mentions The Holy Trinity, when He calls his disciples to baptize His followers in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We are to be baptized in God’s name because when we accept Jesus as our Savior, we die to our sin nature and are reborn with a new spirit—the Spirit of God.

God’s ways are unique and different from man’s ways or logic.

We are blessed when we believe God and trust Him as a child would. (Matthew 18:2-4)

I hope I have given you enough scripture to show you how each Person of the Holy Trinity is indeed God.

If you enjoyed this post, join me for my next post, entitled God the Father.

I’ve included a link below to enjoy worshiping our majestic God in song.

https://youtu.be/pJy2Pk5ewSI?si=MIyMsaMrIkqf6Lf1

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

Repentance

On By CarmenIn Salvation & Relationship with GodLeave a comment

Driving around lately, I see a lot of signs that say, “Repent, Jesus is coming again soon.”

This is a true statement which should not scare us, but give us an opportunity to examine ourselves and where we stand with our Maker.

For those of us who are saved through Christ, we should be working out our salvation each and every day seeking after God by communing with Him through prayer and time alone with Him, reading His word, and obeying Him by being doers of His word.  

A close relationship with God is vital because we strive every day to battle our adversary and his lies with one plan which is to destroy us.

We desperately need truth which we find in the Bible to help renew our minds to God’s ways and wisdom.

God tells us to meditate upon His word (Joshua 1:8) and keep it at the forefront of our minds (Deuteronomy 11:18), so at a moment’s notice we have truth to refute Satan’s lies.

God’s Call for Repentance 

For those who have not yet trusted Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior, God is calling you to repent and surrender to Him to receive eternal salvation and victorious living in this life.

…Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Mark 1:14b-15

Jesus was proclaiming that He in their very presence was the Messiah, the promised One, who would take away the sins of the world.

Jesus is the good news!

He tells us that He paid the price for all our sins—IF we commit to Him and follow Him going forward.

This Good News came to us and fulfilled His purpose on earth over 2000 years ago. He made a way for us to be forgiven and return to the Father in Heaven.

He died on the cross a humiliating, painful death—for our sins. HE paid the price that we could not.

He purchased us through His death.

Will we thank Him for what He did for us? Or will we continue to live our lives in selfish sin that brings defeat, sorrow, and death?

God First Loved Us

We are all a part of God’s creation and He loves us, but He doesn’t force us to love Him.

We must choose to love God of our own volition, otherwise it wouldn’t be true love.

God gives us free will to decide where we place our allegiance; either to Him or to this world and its ruler, Satan.

After Satan deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we inherited their sin nature, so God sent His Son Jesus to be the propitiation or scapegoat for us.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

1 John 4:10

The first step in aligning our lives with God is to believe that Jesus is His Son who was sent to save us.

Jesus becomes our LORD and Savior when we invite Him into our lives and follow Him.

This means that we acknowledge our sins and repent or turn from them and commit our lives in obedience to Him.

Once we surrender to Jesus, we receive the Helper that lives within us and guides us on the path to obedience.

This Helper is the Holy Spirit.

Repentance: God’s Way to Victory

God knows all about you and wants to give you a victorious life with peace and profound joy.  

You need not be worried that you are not good enough for Jesus and His forgiveness.

Jesus is eager to take you just as you are right now. You don’t have to clean up your act for His love and forgiveness.

He tells us himself this very thing.

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luke 5:32

Jesus’ purpose was to come to save us from our sins!

None of us are perfect, but in need of the Savior. We have all sinned. (Romans 3:23)

It doesn’t matter what you’ve done wrong—drugs, immorality, theft, deception, slander, and yes, even murder.

These sins are not to be taken lightly and God knows whether we are truly repentant or not; but we are not to be held down because of them either.

Jesus died so that we could have life. (John 10:10)

He wants us to be free from sin, free to enjoy this life, free to serve Him, and free from eternal damnation.

If you are tired of hiding in shame, making excuses, and/or striving to overcome your sin on your own, just fall into Jesus’ arms in repentance.

He will accept you as you are no matter your past.

Once you commit your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit will help you live a victorious life.

He will guide you, correct you, and give you wisdom to overcome your past and grow in faith.

Sometimes you will fail, but it’s ok; you only have to get back up, repent again, and continue to follow Jesus.

Keep abiding in Him and you will see that you will overcome your sin, and your perspective will change.

You may even sign up to serve God in helping others who will be struggling with the same sin you were able to overcome; simply because of your gratitude to Jesus for saving you and calling you to a better life.

So, I urge you to not put off accepting Christ any longer. The time is now.

A Warning to be Ready

We will be grateful if we’re ready and looking for Jesus’ return.

Let’s see what Jesus tells us about His second coming.  

“No one knows when that day or time will be. The Son and the angels in heaven don’t know when it will be. Only the Father knows. When the Son of Man comes, it will be the same as what happened during Noah’s time. In those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving their children to be married right up to the day Noah entered the boat. They knew nothing about what was happening until the flood came and destroyed them all. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes. Two men will be working together in the field. One will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding grain with a mill. One will be taken and the other will be left. So always be ready. You don’t know the day your Lord will come. What would a homeowner do if he knew when a thief was coming? You know he would be ready and not let the thief break in. So you also must be ready. The Son of Man will come at a time when you don’t expect him.”

Matthew 24:36-44

There’s no need to explain further what Jesus tells us in the verses above. There is no ambiguity, but truth, and completely comprehensible.

I pray you make this most important choice of your life today.

Repent and surrender to the LORD Jesus.

Enjoy the beautiful song below.

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

Who Do You Follow?

On By CarmenIn Christian LivingLeave a comment

I have been moved to write this post for some time and have recently been prompted to do so even more due to many posts I read on social media promoting the agenda of specific people in government. 

There is nothing more adverse to me than to see people ruthlessly deride, take advantage of, lie, and mistreat others to gain fame, power, and wealth.  

And it’s disheartening when I see others who support these people as if waving a banner proudly to attach their identity to them.

So, I ask who do you follow?

Who is the person you put your name and your soul on the line for?

A Call for Discernment

We are told by God to be discerning and to examine others’ actions—not just their words.

This is exactly what the Bereans did when they listened to the apostle Paul preach to them in their small town in Greece.

“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” 

Acts 17:11

Before going to Berea, Paul was preaching in Thessalonica when a group of people got together and began to speak against Paul and his followers which caused a riot that was unnecessary and ungodly.

However, the Bereans took what Paul said and compared it to the scriptures to see if there was truth in his message.

The Bereans were commended for their good judgment and actions in searching out truth.

This is how we all should be when it comes to discerning right from wrong in our society.

We are not supposed to sing praises of those who do not follow all of God’s ways.

We are to speak out against the wrong, no matter who is doing it.

We are to have discernment which we gain from communing with God and reading His word to know what is right and what is wrong.

God is the only one we should follow and praise.

Don’t Conform to this World

Sometimes I think people overlook offenses and conform to what they know is wrong because they want to be part of a certain group so they can be accepted by others, whether it be family, friends, or community.

I have seen this wherever I have lived.

Perhaps this is because they don’t search God’s word or they’re just afraid to stand out and be rejected if they go against the community’s belief system.  

However, we are told by God in His word to not conform to the belief system or ways of this world.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:2

The renewing of our minds comes by reading the word of God—daily.

How can we know truth if we don’t read the Bible?

God’s word is truth and it teaches us right from wrong and shows us how we are to conduct our lives. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Align Your Thoughts and Actions with Jesus

As I recall all the backbiting during the last presidential election held in the U.S., it was saddening to see our nation so divided based on the wrongdoings of the candidates and parties they represent.  

God has blessed us in the United States of America; if only we had government leaders who would follow God’s ways so we could continue to be blessed.

Our division is due to the fact that we chose (as a nation) a path for so many years that is not of God.  

I wish we could go back and retrace our steps to be in line with God’s will, so we could live in peace and harmony with one another as opposed to bashing each other through social media.

It would be great if we would be mindful to ask before we speak or post, “What would Jesus do?”

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” 

Colossians 3:17

If we really considered what Jesus would do, and if we truly wanted to represent Him, we would be careful of our words and actions.

Jesus would

-pray

-be truthful

-show mercy for true repentance

-help the unfortunate

-expect us to follow Him and His ways

-lead us out of our sinful ways

I was so happy to see a sign in the yard of one of our neighbors that said “I vote for Jesus” during the 2024 presidential election. Those were my exact thoughts!

Jesus is coming back again, and I believe very soon. (Revelation 22:12-15)

We should all be expectant which means that we should be living as if He were coming back today.

When He comes, He will come as THE RULER who will defeat the ways of this world and its prince that has caused so much division and devastation.

As for me, I choose to follow Jesus Christ.

He died on the cross for all of us to pay for our sins.

He defeated death and the grave.

He will return to be our beloved King and reign righteously for ever and ever.

Come LORD Jesus, come!

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

Serving God and Finding Joy

On By CarmenIn Christian LivingLeave a comment

Recently I’ve had many conversations with people who’ve requested prayer for various reasons.

Some were already surrendered to the LORD Jesus while others were simply searching for answers to overcome their lack of peace and much needed answers to prayer.

My goal in counseling and praying for others is to help them by petitioning our LORD for help in their lives while ascertaining their walk with Him and leading them to Jesus if they haven’t already surrendered their lives to Him.

I want to encourage them and share that God loves them and has a purpose for their lives.

It is when we are surrendered and serving the LORD Jesus that our perspective changes and we experience true joy in our lives.

When I first heard that God had a purpose for my life years ago, I had no idea what that would be or how I would even arrive at fulfilling this purpose.

I was at that time only concerned about me—my problems, my survival, my happiness, which is typical of most of us.

I learned that I had to let go of my striving and surrender to the only One who could help me.

It took some humbling and much searching, but I am so grateful that God did not let me go backward, only forward with Him to a better life.

We Are Called to Serve

One of the commitments that I made when I finally did surrender to Jesus was that I would do whatever He called me to do in service to Him.

I kept that commitment and walked through the doors He opened, sometimes expectant and other times afraid that I didn’t have what it took to serve where He called me.   

What I learned is that wherever Jesus calls us to serve Him, we just need to be willing and accept the call, because He will equip us to do all He asks of us.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Church in Ephesus about how Christ wanted them to serve one another.

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Ephesians 4:11-13

God Equips Us to Serve

There are many today who think that it’s up to the pastor to serve God. While he is certainly responsible for leading and teaching the congregation, he can’t do it all.

If we read carefully what it says above in Ephesians 4:11-13, we see that God has called not only the pastors, but the whole body of Christ to serve Him.

The pastor’s role is to teach God’s word, lead by example, and equip his church members to serve others in whatever capacity God has called them to.  

We are further instructed in Ephesians to serve one another so we can grow in our faith and become mature Christians in Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Ephesians 4:14-16

When we are in fellowship with those who follow God, we are taught, we are encouraged, we are prayed for, and we are supported in our walk with the LORD.

As we abide in Jesus, our calling will become evident as we grow in our faith.

Sometimes we are called to help others who struggle with the same issues we used to struggle with that no longer hold us captive.

Other times, God calls us to serve Him in areas that we’ve never had experience in, and we must devote time and study to be effective.

The Gifts of the Spirit

In order to serve God, we should familiarize ourselves with and understand the gifts of the Spirit.

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Romans 12:4-8

As clearly stated above, God has given each of us at least one spiritual gift to serve Him; sometimes we have more than one.

We are all one body in Christ but are created distinctly and given special gifts to help others know Christ and follow Him. (1 Peter 4:10)

He will show us what our gifts of the Spirit are which we are to use to build others up and help them to mature and serve the LORD.

Many years ago, I took a spiritual gifts assessment at my church and scored highly in encouragement.

Although I never thought about teaching, God placed me in positions to teach children and then eventually a women’s group. This is where I had to step out in faith in the LORD and remember my promise to Him to follow where He would lead me.

As I prayed, prepared, stumbled at times, continued praying and studying, I eventually found that I enjoyed teaching when I could see others being helped. This gave me confidence and I continued teaching for many years until the LORD moved me on to something else.

He is faithful to give us victory when we are set on pleasing Him.

I recently took another assessment for spiritual gifts, and I have found that I’ve matured in other gifts that I am currently using in my ministry for the LORD.

I want to encourage you to take that step of faith and follow God’s lead in serving Him.

Our minds cannot imagine what Jesus can do with a soul surrendered to Him.  

You will find peace and joy in serving the LORD Jesus because you will have purpose that you will witness now in this life and in eternity.

If you would like to know your spiritual gift(s), click on the link below.

Spiritual Gifts Assessment Tool: Discover Your God-Given Spiritual Gifts

May God bless you as you seek after Him and His plan for your life.

I have an inspiring song below for your listening pleasure.

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

Seasons of Life

On By CarmenIn Christian Living, Faith & Trust, God's CharacterLeave a comment

It’s good to be posting again after a longer than expected break.

I’ve been learning a lot lately about being still and content during different seasons of life.

The Bible has something to say about these seasons of life.

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

      a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
      a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
      a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
      a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
      a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
      a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
      a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.  

Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

The season that I have just been through has required me to drop what is routine and important to me and go with the flow of new happenings.

I’m the type that doesn’t like change and I feel guilty if I am not accomplishing all the tasks that I have planned for a productive day.

Over the last few months, my daily routine has been very different from normal—less writing, working out, volunteering; more down time, travel, and familial support in great achievements and concerning developments.

In May my husband and I had the great joy of celebrating two of our grandchildren’s high school graduations. We are so proud of both who graduated with honors and will be attending college this fall. These are major milestones we are privileged to see and experience after much prayer over the years.

We even took a few days to relax at the beach when we traveled to back Florida (our previous home) for our grandson’s graduation. It was a great mini-vacation, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

In December of last year, we found out that my husband had prostate cancer, and thankfully it was caught in the early stages.

We were not caught by surprise, because he had been monitoring his PSA levels for a couple of years. But still, the news of the diagnosis was unsettling.  

We kept it to ourselves during our Christmas stay with my parents until we could get more information regarding treatment, eradication, and chance of return.

After meeting with the urologist, surgical oncologist, and radiologist, my husband maintained his decision for a different course of treatment.

I wanted him to “get it taken care of asap,” but I knew it was my responsibility to support his decision, which would mean more doctor’s visits that would require travel outside of our home state, South Carolina.

So, with the blessing of these doctors who told us that he had time to make an informed decision, we started our research for proton therapy treatment.

After many phone calls and traveling to three different cities, we finalized the how, where, and when questions we needed answered.

I am happy to share that just last week, six months after the diagnosis, my husband completed the treatment plan that he preferred and is feeling well enough to go back to work.

He has had one concerning persistent side effect that we are trying to manage with medication. 

The whole process has been a journey in trusting God for guidance, peace of mind, and healing.

We have to return to the oncology center for his three-month post treatment analysis, so we realize that this process will be ongoing, and we will continue to seek our Heavenly Father for comfort and wisdom.  

I would like to add that I am grateful that all the years of staying in God’s word has allowed me to have peace and be resourceful through it all.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

As seasoned followers of Christ, my husband and I knew we could trust God to provide everything we needed to get to and through his treatment.

We prayed and maintained our emotional stability, even when breaking the news to our family members. Some cried being terrified of the word “cancer,” while others were supportive in offering their knowledge of having survived cancer or having worked in the field of cancer diagnoses and treatment.

And God, in His goodness, provided a church member who had just completed the same treatment that my husband preferred.

This church member, now a dear friend, met with us to talk about his experience of the treatment and answered any questions we had. He kept in touch with my husband throughout the whole process of trying to find the right treatment center as well as during the treatment.

What was even more encouraging was the fact that he shared his three-month follow-up with great news of a healthy PSA level. Thank you, dear Jesus!

Even though not planned originally, my husband had his treatment at the same center as our friend from church.

God always provides!

In the words of Paul, the apostle,

 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Philippians 4:19-20

In His goodness, God provided peace, relaxation, and even joy in the midst of waiting.  

It was just what our eternal Doctor knew we needed.

God is so good to us—exactly the reason I started this blog over two years ago to share His goodness with you and to praise Him for it.

I hope this blesses you in a way to help you be still and allow the seasons or changes in your life to unfold in a peaceful manner while yet experiencing joy in the midst of it.  

I’ve included the song below for your listening pleasure. May it bless you as you recall God’s goodness in your life.

Seasons and Your Grace – Verse of Grace Studio

Returning to the LORD

On By CarmenIn Bible StudyLeave a comment

While reading the books of Ezra and Nehemiah over the last month, I have given much thought to the bravery and steadfastness of these two leaders who took it upon themselves to be used by God to lead His people Israel back to the Promised Land, and to fully return to God.

It was heartening to read about their courageousness to face all the odds against them as well as the willingness of the Israelites to hear God’s word and obey it—at substantial cost.

If you would like to know more about the return of Israel to the Promised Land after their exile to Babylon, I encourage you to read both Ezra and Nehemiah.

God had chosen Israel to be His people many centuries before when He called Abraham out of Ur to follow Him to a new land that He would eventually give to Abraham’s descendants.

God also chose Jerusalem as the place on earth that He would place His name and live with His people, the Israelites.

Today’s post is about the response of obedience of the Israelites after their return from exile to foreign nations which was caused by their ancestors’ (and their own) disobedience to God.

God’s Expectations from His People

First and foremost, God expects loyalty to Him.

Why would He not? After all, He is the creator of Heaven and Earth and all living creatures of which man is made in His very own image and placed as steward over all His blessings.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

God is a jealous God. He wants us to worship Him alone.

Nothing should come before Him—not ourselves, family, desires, money, jobs, material possessions—absolutely nothing.

He loves us so much that He gave us His laws to follow and to teach to our children and to generations to come.

When we put God first and follow His decrees, we will be blessed in family, finances, and needs.  

God promised the Israelites that He would shower them with abundant blessings if they put Him first and worship only Him. (Leviticus 26:1-13)

If not, they would endure hardship and horrific circumstances. (Leviticus 26:14-39)

These promises and warnings are meant for us today as well.

I believe that we are removed from God’s cover of protection when we do not follow Him.

Satan loves this opportunity to sift us when we choose to be on our own and do things our way instead of God’s way.

But, when we repent and turn to God, He forgives us.

God’s Willingness to Forgive

It’s a good thing that God is willing to forgive our sins, because if not we would be eternally lost.

Often in the Bible, we read about God hearing the cries of His children and having mercy on them.

It is when we confess our sin to God and we are truly repentant that God forgives us and takes us back under His protection.

The Israelites’ return from captivity under the rule of Persia at that time (Persia conquered Babylon after the exile), is a prime example of God forgiving the sins committed against Him and blessing His people.

On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God.

Nehemiah 9:1-3

Remember when I wrote earlier that the Israelites were willing to obey God at a great cost?

Well, here it is in verse 2 above. “Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners.”

Many of the Israelite men had married foreign women that worshiped other gods and led them away from God.

Their ancestors did the same including King Solomon. There is most definitely something to be said for leaders appointed by God to set the example for the people they govern.

Yes, these are harsh circumstances, but also fact during that time.  

Perhaps many were unaware of this sin as they were exiled for many years and not allowed to hear God’s word in a foreign country and did not realize they were sinning against God.

It was when they returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple and the walls surrounding the city that Ezra, the priest, stood before them to read God’s word and His commands.

When they heard the words of God’s law, they cried in shame and were repentant and willing to do whatever was just in the eyes of God.

They had endured captivity for so many years and were longing for a fresh start in their beloved Jerusalem.

They were grateful that God heard their cries and granted their desire to return to their own country.

It seems that Israel understood that God is sovereign and appreciated His goodness in making a way for them to return to the Promised Land. 

God’s Desire to Restore His People

Because of the Israelites’ woeful disobedience prior to the exile, they lost everything they had—family, homes, material possessions, income, as well as their country and freedom.

They were once again living in foreign lands and ruled by kings of other nations, devastated and hopeless.

BUT GOD was working in the background and was making a way to restore His chosen people.

God had never planned to desert Israel then nor will He do so today. (Psalm 137:6)

And God will never abandon us, because He has made a way for the whole world, every nation and every tribe, to be forgiven through His son Jesus Christ. 

Jesus is the only way to forgiveness, abundant life now, and eternal life. (John 14:6)

We need only to submit our lives to Him and abide in Him.

By abiding in Jesus, we too are expected to live righteously according to the same rules that God gave Israel.

One may argue that we need not live by the law because of Jesus’s atoning work on the cross.

However, Jesus said that we need to obey God’s commands, because He Himself came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill the law. (Matthew 5:17)

My one prayer for my beloved country is that we would ourselves repent of our sin individually and corporately and turn back to God.

I am certain that God would heal our country if we did.

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

This is the blessing that God promised King Solomon after he built and dedicated the first temple in Jerusalem.

Because we are grafted into God’s chosen through His Son Jesus Christ, we are also afforded the blessings given to Israel.

Thanks be to God for His grace, mercy, and forgiveness!

I hope this message stirs in your heart a desire to submit to and seek after God, and to abide in Him.

You will be blessed now and forever.

I hope you enjoy the song below.

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

Humility vs. Pride

On By CarmenIn Christian LivingLeave a comment

I’m sure we have all come across people who lack signs of humility and if we’re honest, we could say that we’ve at some point exhibited the same behavior.  

God’s word tells us to be humble, so it must be a quality we should learn and exercise throughout our lives.

God Desires Humility

He has told you, mortal one, 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

To walk humbly with God means to acknowledge that He is God and to submit to His wisdom because He knows what’s best for us.

God blesses us when we obey Him and strive to follow Him, especially when He points out to us an attitude or behavior we need to master.   

We need God to guide us through this life on earth because there is so much deceit and corruption lurking to take us down the wrong path.

The antithesis of humility is pride. It seeks its own glory and it demands everything for itself and its preservation but never ends well.

God is the Creator and we are the creation, and He made us to follow Him and serve Him.

Let’s seek His wisdom and exercise humility before Him and others until it becomes second nature.  

Consequences of Pride

Simply put, if we will not walk in humility before God, we stand to lose more than we gain.

Pride leads to disgrace,
    but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 11:2

Consider the outcome of pride for Lucifer (Satan) the “angel of light,” the most beautiful of angels that God created.

“How you are fallen from heaven,
    O shining star, son of the morning!
You have been thrown down to the earth,
    you who destroyed the nations of the world.
For you said to yourself,
    ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars.
I will preside on the mountain of the gods
    far away in the north.
I will climb to the highest heavens
    and be like the Most High.’
Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead,
    down to its lowest depths.

Isaiah 14:12-15

What a great fall the most beautiful of angels has had to endure!

These verses use imagery to depict not only Satan, but also the proud boasts of Nebuchadnezzar II, the king of Babylon, during his reign (605-562 BC). I encourage you to read the full chapter of Isaiah 14.

As we know, Satan is still at odds with God and is intent on seeing whomever and whatever God loves destroyed like he was and will ultimately be as is written in Revelation 20:1-10.

This is exactly why we need to be aligned with God in thought and behavior. God is willing to forgive our sins when we turn from them and seek after Him, for He has given us the gift of forgiveness through His Son Jesus Christ.

When we turn from God and battle with Him, we never win.

Hopefully when we feel the sting of the consequences of our sin of pride, we turn from it, seeking God’s way to live, and strive to be humble.  

God knows if our hearts are truly committed to Him and therefore works in us to overcome this sin and every other sin we commit.

We only need to ask Him for His help and follow through in obedience to His will.

The Blessing of Humility

God promises us blessings when we are humble before Him and others.

The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord
Are riches, honor, and life.

Proverbs 22:4

I would like to share with you a time in my life that I kept hearing God tell me to be humble, over and over.

I shared this with a group of women whom I considered my confidants, my women’s Bible study group.

At the time, I didn’t understand why He was calling me to be humble, because I thought I had learned from the stings of my past mistakes of pride.

I thought I was done with this sin problem in my life, and I certainly did not want to displease God and undergo any more consequences.

A few months later, I met with one of these confidants with whom I had the habit of discussing plans for our group study.

As I listened to this person speak to me, I was caught off guard because a part of it was not altogether pleasant for me. I was compared to a previous leader, and not in a good way.

Still, I listened and did not become defensive. Rather, I accepted the info she shared with me and began to think deeply about my behavior and why she said what she did.   

I mulled over that comment for a while because I was very hurt by it.  

I recalled varying aspects of her behavior that I had previously witnessed but did not feel it was my place to correct her. I believed God would show her the behavior she needed to correct.

I decided that none of us are perfect and I knew it was my place to love her despite her inconsistent walk with the LORD.

Within a couple of weeks, I saw God work in a way that caused her to leave after she had misgivings with our head pastor.

Later God started showing me that she had twisted something I shared with her in confidence and used it against me for whatever personal gain she was trying to achieve.  

I now understand that God was telling me back then to be humble, because He knew my capacity to speak up for myself—and at times strongly with my own words.

I am glad that God prepared me in advance for this situation and that I obeyed by listening and not reacting.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, 

1 Peter 5:6

God has shown me that I don’t need to defend my reputation.  

By laying it at the feet of Jesus, I found resolution even if it took some time.

When we follow God and let Him lead us through His Holy Spirit, we will not lose our witness for Christ and be ashamed.

Humility Acknowledges Dependence upon God

I would like to close with the following thought that led me to write this post.

With the recent success of the orbit around the moon by the courageous astronauts of Artemis II, I was able to watch the inspiring view from space of our beautiful planet.

We exist in a very small portion of the universe, and we seem so insignificant from high above.

However, we are very important to God as He made us in His image and gave us the ability to accomplish such astounding feats.  

So small, so dependent upon and loved by God. This is reason enough to be humble.

I hope you enjoy this beautiful song below about following our Creator and His perfect ways.

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

What a Savior!

On By CarmenIn God's Character, Salvation & Relationship with GodLeave a comment

Perhaps it would have been better for me to post this message as we prepared to celebrate the resurrection of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ, but I believe that we should keep daily at the forefront of our thoughts the price that He paid for the whole world—past, present, and future.

Our family custom during this most holy of celebrations is to watch various series depicting the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; so much so, that I purchased a DVD of The Passion of the Christ a few years ago to watch on Good Fridays.

Some would say that this movie is difficult to watch with the graphic illustration of Jesus’s beatings and crucifixion, and I agree.

However, I need to remind myself through these images the great price that my Savior paid for me personally.

In this post, I would like to share a few verses from the Bible regarding those three days of indescribable pain, sorrow, and then joy.

Good Friday:  The Cross

This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

1 John 4:10

Jesus willingly went to the cross for you, me, and everyone else.

He could have said, “No, Father, they are too prideful, selfish, arrogant, vile. Let them have what they deserve.” (my thoughts)

But He did not.

He said, “Yes, I will go to the cross in obedience to You and because I love them despite their sin. I will take upon myself their consequences so that they can be with us in Heaven for eternity.” (my thoughts)

Jesus, the only perfect being ever on this earth, took upon Himself all our sins and suffered horrendously in our place.

He suffered indignation: He was lied about, spit upon, and stripped of his clothing; yet He did not defend His reputation and forgave. (Isaiah 53:7, Luke 23:34)

He was humiliated: He was hung on a cross, mocked, and tempted to show his power; yet He accepted this mistreatment and completed His mission. (Mark 15:29-32, John 19:28-30)

He physically bled for us: He was scourged, beaten unrecognizable with His flesh ripped open, and nailed in both hands and feet to a cross; yet He willingly suffered and died for all mankind. (Isaiah 52:14, Romans 3:25-26, Ephesians 1:7)

Jesus endured all of this for all of us. He gave His life as a ransom for ours. He suffered so we would not have to. He paid for our sins because He knew we could not.

Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

John 19:28-30

Good Friday symbolizes God’s love for the human race through the ultimate sacrifice of His Son. God’s grace is given for all who will accept it by surrendering to Jesus Christ.   

Holy Saturday: God Works through Silence

Jesus was laid to rest in haste after his death on Good Friday since the Sabbath was starting at sunset that same evening and preparations needed to be made for Passover.  

He was placed in a rich man’s tomb and His body wrapped in cloths waiting to be perfumed with spices.

The chief priests and Pharisees wanted to be done with Jesus and ordered his tomb sealed because they feared His followers would somehow steal His body to claim He had risen. Guards were also placed outside Jesus’s tomb to insure they could not steal His body.

Meanwhile, the apostles, Jesus’s followers, gathered together after having fled and deserted Him.

Apart from their sorrow, I am sure they were fearful, confused, and angry with themselves for deserting Him.

I imagine that they were meditating on and discussing what He said while He was with them about being God’s Son, the Messiah—the only Way, and His promise of coming back for them.  

The shock of it all was most likely laying heavy upon their hearts and minds of what they should do next.

How could they move on since Jesus was gone?

He healed others, why wouldn’t He save Himself?

How could this have happened? He promised a kingdom where He would rule righteously.

Broken hearts, misunderstanding, desperation was their lot.  

We may have silent days in our lives, but we should remember God’s promises and still our minds while waiting for His next move.

See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 43:19

Even though we may not see it, God is always working in the background, in our silent periods of waiting.

Jesus was on the move on the Sabbath after His death. He was not dead, but very much alive in the spirit and displayed His victory over death and evil.  

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.

1 Peter 3:18-20a

Christ descended into the pit where the demons from Noah’s days were bound due to their wickedness against God. Jesus let them know that He was very much alive and had defeated them and death.

Jesus had the last say and put them on notice.

Let’s wait expectantly for God’s promises to us.

Resurrection Sunday: The Promise Fulfilled

Mary Magdalene and Mary (the mother of James) went early Sunday morning to Jesus’s tomb to prepare His body for burial with spices.

When they arrived, they saw that the tomb was open and an angel of the LORD began to speak with them. He informed them that Jesus was not in the tomb, but was alive.

The angel told them to go tell Jesus’s followers that Jesus is alive and to go to Galilee where He would meet them.

As they left filled with excitement, Jesus Himself appeared before them.

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Matthew 28:8-10

As He promised, Jesus appeared to the apostles in Galilee, but they did not believe it was Jesus at first. Then, after speaking and eating with Him, they were overjoyed while He reminded them of what He had told them would happen to Him. (Luke 24:36-49)

Jesus gave them instructions (The Great Commission) to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon them and then to go into all the world to teach about His love and sacrifice for all mankind and obedience to the scriptures. (Matthew 28:16-20)

No matter the effort in trying to silence God’s truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ some 2000+ years later, the Great Commission is ever strong and will continue to be until the end of time.

I am certain of one thing—we will see all the promises that God has given to us through the Holy Scriptures in our lifetime and into eternity.

We only need to study His word, believe in Him, and abide in Him.

God has already done the difficult work for us through His Son Jesus Christ.

Thank You, LORD Jesus, for Your sacrifice!

May the song below bless you as you consider the gift of grace given to us by Jesus’s death and resurrection.

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

The Heroes of Faith

On By CarmenIn Bible Study, Faith & Trust1 Comment

It’s encouraging to know that God provides what we need and sometimes what we desire when we seek Him and call on Him.

And it is comforting to see God work in our lives when we cry out to Him while facing difficult circumstances.

What a privilege it must be to be considered a hero of faith–one who has stayed on the path walking with God despite inconvenience, setbacks, and heartbreak.

In this post, we will look at whom God considers a hero of faith.

The chapter of Hebrews names these heroes and shares what they went through in their lives on earth.

It sets a distinct image in our minds of what great faith looks like.

These heroes not only existed in the past, but continue to exist today, and I would like to share the story of one such hero of our time toward the end of this post.

So, what does is take to be a hero of faith?

Obeying God

Hebrews 11 starts by naming heroes who walked with God in faith and trusted Him even though the world was against them.

Noah is just one example.

It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.

Hebrews 11:7

Noah built an ark for his family and for two of every animal (male and female) to save a remnant of earth for God’s purposes.

He built a very large boat when he had never experienced rain—and he had to withstand all the criticism of the world who were not living for God.

It says that God counted Noah’s faith as righteousness and worthy of God’s blessings.

However, it didn’t turn out the same for those who did not believe God and follow Him.

In Hebrews 6, we read that God had enough of mankind’s evil and was grieved for creating them. He sought to destroy the wickedness from the face of the earth and He called upon Noah to fulfill His plan.

Imagine the faith it took Noah to build an ark when he had no knowledge how or even when it was going to rain.

He didn’t need to know.

Many times, when we are called for God’s purpose, He doesn’t give us the how’s and when’s. He simply calls us and it is up to us to obey and trust first.

When we obey God without seeing or knowing how it will work out, He then provides what we need to carry out His plan.  

He gave Noah a detailed list of instructions of how to build the ark with the materials to use.

In Genesis 6:22, we are told Noah did everything God commanded him.

And then it started to rain!

I invite you to read Genesis 6-9 for the full story of Noah’s ark.

The author of Hebrews tells us so many were able to see God’s promises and achieve astounding feats while overcoming insurmountable odds—all because of their faith in Him.

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection;

Hebrews 11:32-35a

These heroes were ordinary people just like you and me.

One was Rahab and the author made no attempt to hide the fact that she was a prostitute.

It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or where you come from, what matters to God is your faith and obedience to Him.

Trusting God No Matter the Circumstances

There were others who trusted God through intolerable circumstances and did not receive His promise during their earthly lives.

You may say that this is unfair and no way would you risk everything in this life for nothing.

Well, there are many who did—and still do today—because they trusted God for something better beyond this life.

and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mocking and flogging, and further, chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented (people of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, on mountains, and sheltering in caves and holes in the ground. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

Hebrews 11:35b-40

To have such faith!

I hope I never have to go through such circumstances, but if I’m put to the test, I pray that I will trust God through it and be counted worthy in His eyes.

I’ve just started reading a book, i am n, published by The Voice of the Martyrs which details inspiring stories of Christians who endure persecution from Islamic Extremists.

In chapter 6 there is a story about Abdiwelli (Abdi) Ahmed from Kenya who was raised Islamic but converted to Christianity as a college student.

He had many questions about Islam and eventually came across a Bible which he read in secret.

Abdi read about Jesus Christ and was drawn to His message of peace, love, and promise of eternal life.

After spending time having his questions answered by a Christian friend, Abdi converted to Christianity and began living boldly for Jesus.

He wanted to share God’s love and promise of peace and eternal salvation with others where he lived.

Once it got out that Abdi had converted from Islam to Christianity, the persecution started. He was beaten and his life was in danger.

He fled to a family member who was a Christian pastor and was taken to a campus ministry center where he met other believers and his future wife Helen.

Helen was drawn to Abdi because of his commitment to Jesus and he told her, “I love the Lord, and I’m ready to die for Christ.”

I’m certain he wasn’t seeking death but was so committed to Christ that he understood he could be killed and decided that he would serve the LORD anyway.

As Abdi and Helen travelled around sharing the gospel, they encountered more persecution and death threats.

They prayed together and believed that God was with them. The anger toward them settled down for a while and they continued their ministry.

Abdi expanded his ministry to neighboring countries to reach Somali expatriates, because it is illegal to convert from Islam to Christianity in Somalia.

While in Garissa, Kenya, Abdi was shot to death in 2013, by assassins while talking to a pastor in the streets.

After Abdi’s death, Helen fled with their three sons to Nigeria, her home country, where God protected them and drew them closer to Him.

Abdi’s death was not in vain.

When Helen and her sons returned to Garissa in June 2020, they learned that their martyred husband and father was considered a hero and that countless Somalis around the world were led to Christ Jesus through his witness and sacrifice.

Abdi lost his personal life to teach others about truth, love, peace and a better life–eternal life.

This was God’s purpose for Abdiwelli Ahmed and he answered the call to serve Christ faithfully, intentionally, and wholly.

Believing God for a Better Outcome

Abdi’s wife Helen has continued to serve the LORD, and when questioned why after all the persecution and loss she has endured, she stated, “If I try to save my life, I will lose it.”

Abdi and Helen have given their all in surrendering to the LORD’s will for their lives, understanding that their reward will be great in Heaven into all eternity.

The apostle Paul tells us this in his first letter to the church in Corinth.

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
    and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
    for those who love him.”

1 Corinthians 2:9

God loves us as we are and He has a purpose for our lives.

His call is unique for each of us and many will realize His promises in this life while others will see them in eternity.

When we answer His call despite the consequences, we will be blessed beyond our imaginations.

I pray that we will all be bold enough to step out in faith toward God’s calling, no matter the cost.

God bless you and I hope you enjoy this song of surrender to our Heavenly Father.

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.