“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.” Hebrews 11:4 Raised by the same parents, no doubt Cain and Abel had been told the story of their parent’s failure in the Garden of Eden and how God had sacrificed an animal to make an atonement for their sin. They had probably participated year after year as their parents built an altar and sacrificed a lamb. I can imagine them building their altars side by…
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.” Hebrews 11:1-2 Hebrews Eleven is often described as “God’s Hall of Faith.” The writer takes us through the Old Testament describing men and women who lived a life of faith, making decisions that often took them through hardship to accomplish God’s perfect will in their lives. Imagine you are walking down a hallway lined with pictures. We see a wide variety of people from every lifestyle. There are shepherds, poets, prophets, statesmen, women, martyrs, and many others. Their circumstances were varied, but one common thread links them all together. Faith in God brought them victory in every situation. We are reminded that nothing is impossible with God. Faith is the answer to every difficulty. “All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth.” Hebrews 11:13 NLT They did not have the resources that we have today. We are so blessed to have the Bible to go…
Seasons do not last forever. The season that we are in right now will come to an end. I know for me, I am awaiting the day of change, a day of answers, a day of harvest. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1. Winter is my least favorite season—I relish all things sunshine. Yesterday, I walked outside without a coat on and was rudely introduced to a cold, north wind. I ran inside as fast as I could to shield myself from the frigid air. This is not my season. With that said, if I could categorize the circumstance you’re facing as a season, then I want to encourage you that it will not last forever. If we are not carful we can miss opportunities waiting for a new season to come. Waiting on God is a virtue—however—waiting around for something to happen is redundant; it produces nothing. So I ask… Are you preparing, or are you just waiting around? What kind of harvest will you produce with the seeds that you are planting now? If you desire to see souls birthed into the Kingdom of God, then you need…
I was visiting a nearby church, a congregation I knew well. I was familiar with many of its members, and knew some of their personal struggles. As the service began, the congregation entered into singing and worship. The youth were energetic, and the elders participated faithfully. Their praise continued for several minutes. Then, God spoke to my spirit, saying, “Watch this!” I sensed He was proud of what was about to unfold. Curious, I scanned the sanctuary to see what was about to happen. My attention settled on a young girl who faced severe health challenges—challenges that visibly affected her…
And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the donkey; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. Genesis 22:5 The first time worship is mentioned in scripture was when Abraham was obediently following God’s command to offer his son, Isaac, on the altar. Worship, in this instance, was the most difficult thing Abraham ever did. But, it proved that his trust and devotion to God surpassed everything this world had to offer, good or bad. The Bible gives us other examples where people fell and worshipped God after tragedy ensued in their life. Job fell down and worshipped after he lost his wealth, and most devastatingly, his children. David ended his fast, and chose to worship God when he lost his first-born son. God created us for worship. There is an instinctive yearning within us to worship something. But, worship is not only for when life is going well. Worship is also for when you don’t know how you’re going to survive another day. Worshipping God has saved me during my darkest hours of pain. *Miscarriage*: Some days do not go as planned. January 24th, 2020 was the due-date…
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Luke 15:4-7, KJV. Jesus Is The Good Shepherd Do you remember being a lost sheep? Do you remember what you felt when you encountered the pureness of the love of God for the first time? For me, it was transcendent—I truly experienced a piece of heaven on earth. There is nothing like the love of God! If you have breath in your lungs today that means there is hope for you—and hope for someone else. God will never leave you or forsake you and He desire to demonstrate His love toward someone who is lost. Jesus states in John 10:11, “I am the…