A to Z of Christianity : 'B'

When I was 17, God began to call me to Him. Before this point in my life I had never truly experienced the reality of a personal relationship with God before but I knew it was Him, and I knew I had to seek out the answers I needed from Him. I turned to a book, and that book changed my life. Every question I threw at God, I just happened to turn to the right page with the answer every time I looked. This book is well over a thousand pages big!! I was amazed and it was a part of my decision to become a follower of Jesus, the best decision I have ever made.

In case you are wondering what book I am talking about, I am talking about THE BIBLE!

A collection of 66 books, written by 40 different authors. It is amazing for correctly predicting a lot of things, most notably the coming of Jesus and the things that happened in His life. It also stated medical (water and blood in a body), scientific (the world had a beginning) and cosmic (the world is round) facts well before they officially became known!

Timothy describes the Bible in 2 Timothy 3:16 as 'God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness'

Hebrews 4:12 states 'For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.'


Romans 10:17 says 'Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.'


If we need motivate to pick up your Bible, there it is...it changes life's, it is the truth, it is breathed by God, useful to us, living, convicting and inspires more faith in us!


Pick up your Bible today :-)

Shadows

Absolutely love this song! A friend of mine gave me a CD with it on which I forgot about but rediscovered it this weekend. Not only is it a major encouragement to remember Who we can turn to in times of doubt, despair and trouble, but it is also a great reminder of a totally amazing weekend :-)

So whether you are stuck in revision, having a hard time over something or just a bit miserable right now check this song out and REMEMBER who He is!

F.A.I.T.H = Forsaking All, I Trust Him.

God is bigger than any problem you have!

David Wilkerson

Yesterday the legendary Christian pastor David Wilkerson passed away after a car crash at the age of 79. He is most famously remembered for leading gangster Nicky Cruz to Christ and telling him, when Cruz threatened to kill him before his conversion, that if he cut his body into pieces that every piece would cry out that Jesus loves him and always will.

On the day he died he posted on his blog and I wanted to share all of his post as I think it is wonderful and such a great thing to go out of life on earth saying..

"To believe when all means fail is exceedingly pleasing to God and is most acceptable. Jesus said to Thomas, “You have believed because you have seen, but blessed are those that do believe and have not seen” (John 20:29).

Blessed are those who believe when there is no evidence of an answer to prayer—who trust beyond hope when all means have failed.

Someone has come to the place of hopelessness—the end of hope—the end of all means. A loved one is facing death and doctors give no hope. Death seems inevitable. Hope is gone. The miracle prayed for is not happening.

That is when Satan’s hordes come to attack your mind with fear, anger, overwhelming questions: “Where is your God now? You prayed until you had no tears left. You fasted. You stood on promises. You trusted.”

Blasphemous thoughts will be injected into your mind: “Prayer failed. Faith failed. Don’t quit on God—just do not trust him anymore. It doesn’t pay!”

Even questioning God’s existence will be injected into your mind. These have been the devices of Satan for centuries. Some of the godliest men and women who ever lived were under such demonic attacks.

To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights—and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, “I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident. It was no failure on your part. Hold fast. Let me embrace you in your hour of pain.”

Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail—his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in his Word. There is no other hope in this world."

Wilkerson is now enjoying his reward in perfect eternity with the Lord :) Let us be inspired by his inspirational faith acted out in his life and rejoice that he was saved :)

Mediocre faith

I am fed up of mediocre faith, the below will define what mediocre faith is to me:-

Mediocre faith is saying we believe in Jesus but not acting on it.

Mediocre faith is not really loving others but just making it look like we do.

Mediocre faith is putting worldly things above God.

Mediocre faith is wasting any opportunity, no matter how small, to tell others about my faith.

Mediocre faith is being unwilling to give up something for God.

Mediocre faith is thinking I know better than God.

Mediocre faith is denying God's Word.

Mediocre faith is not practicing what we preach.

Mediocre faith is putting what others think before what God thinks.

Mediocre faith is not believing that God sees you as beautiful in His eyes.

When I come to think of it, mediocre faith isn't really faith at all.

Do you have any to add?? Please go for it in the comments section :-) Let's pray that we can all have a faith that is at least as small as a mustard seed and that it would move mountains in Jesus' Name!

Matthew 17:20
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. ”

Challenges

With difficult exams, a tough work schedule, developing relationships, mental, spiritual & physical exhaustion and busy times ahead all going on or coming ahead at the moment this is a time of real challenge.


I don't think a challenge is something we cannot do but something it takes an effort to do and my life is very challenging at the moment in that sense at least.


This is the verse that comes to mind, it is from the amazing chapter of faith in Hebrews 11...


 ¹ Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.


I don't know how any of the things I am doing are going to work out. Some will not work out as I imagined or hoped, some will be everything I wished for & more. But I know that whatever happens, God is in control and I know He will do right by me and more importantly right by HIM, and He is a Just God :-)


My devotion this morning was really sweet it was based on Hebrews 12:1 which is...


¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,


It linked the verse up to this beautiful poem...


'When the powers of hell prevail,
O'er our weakness and unfitness,
Could we lift the fleshly veil,
could we for a moment witness
Those unnumbered hosts that stand
Calm and bright on either hand;


Oh, what joyful hope would cheer,
Oh, what serene faith would guide us!
Great may be the danger near,
Greater are the friends beside us.'


ANONYMOUS