By Faith Moses

 

By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be called the son    of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to suffer oppression with God’s people rather than to experience the fleeting enjoyment of sin. He valued disgrace for Christ above the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward.

-Hebrews 11:24-26 (BSB)

So, check out this verse. This says Moses valued disgrace for Christ!! What?? Moses lived close to 1500 years before Jesus.

What does that mean?

If you go read Hebrews 11...again...because I am sure you already have, with this verse in mind, you will see something new. Or maybe it is just new to me.

All of Hebrews 11 is about Jesus. Every act of faith mentioned is about Jesus!! It is about pictures of Him, foreshadowing of Him, and them looking for Him. What does this teach us about faith? That it all pertains to Him.

If you go on and reach Hebrews 12:2, it confirms this:

"looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (BSB).

Wow. So just write Jesus' name at the time of Hebrews 11. In fact, I would almost go so far as to say every time faith is mentioned in the Scriptures, you could put His name there.

Faith Comes When You Hear About Grace

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.-Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)

Faith is the evidence of things not seen. If you can see it, you don't need faith for it.

Oftentimes, when we talk about faith, people will feel condemned, like it is something they have to muster up. Faith comes when you hear something and believe it.

In Romans, Paul tells us how faith comes. So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.-Romans 10:17 (NLT)

In the Gospels, we see stories of people hearing about Jesus, and coming to Him. One of my favorites is about the woman with issue of blood. I especially like the story in Mark's Gospel.

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”
And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”-Mark 5:25-34 (NKJV)


The Bible says she had been that way for a long time, twelve years. She hadn't been hearing about Jesus during that time. She had been looking for help elsewhere. But when she started hearing stories about Jesus, faith in Him arose in her heart. And she received her miracle.

But there is still one more piece that is a part of this story. Grace. That woman, under law, was not supposed to come in contact with other people. She was considered unclean. So, I believe that not only did she hear that Jesus would heal her. She heard that it was safe to be in His presence. She heard that He would not condemn her but love her. She heard that she was forgiven for whatever was potentially holding her in bondage. She heard that He was a healer.

So, that's what we need to hear, stories about Jesus, stories that build our faith in Him, and what He has done for us. We need to hear stories of His grace for us and that He is a healer.

We don't need to hear people's opinions, or about ourselves-those things aren't faith builders. We need to hear about Jesus, just like she did, just like it says in Romans 10:17 and that will change what we believe.

We need to hear it until it roots up all the weeds. We need to heart it until it becomes as real as the next breath we take.

You and I are no different than that woman with the issue of blood. He is saying the same things to you as He did to hear. "Daughter, your faith has made you well. God in peace and be healed of your affliction."


For by grace you have been saved (sozo-saved, healed, preserved, rescued ) through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,-Ephesians 2:8 (ESV)

Mark 4: The Parable of the Sower

Did you know that you can change what kind of ground you are?  In Mark 4, Jesus talks about the parable of the sower.  We know that the seed is the Word of God, and we know that the ground is people.  All four people receive the Word of God, but it affects them in four different ways.

And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

-Mark 4:13-20

The first person is an Unbeliever.  The seed was sown by the wayside.  How do you change that?  You receive Jesus into your life and become a new creation by being born again.

The second person is a Believer, but not rooted.  How do you change that?  Ephesians 3:17 tells us to get ourselves established in the love of Christ.  Learn about how much God loves you.

The third person is a Believer also, but "stuff" is interfering with them being fruitful. How do you change that?  Let it go.  Remove those things from your life that will keep you from receiving and producing all the goodness God has for you.  For me, I feel like this is where minimalism comes in.  It is an ongoing thing.  You can also watch what you focus your attention on, what goes in your eyes and ears.  Jesus said, "the eye is the lamp of the body," in Luke 11:14.

The fourth person is a Believer also.  But this one is producing fruit.  And when He says bears "fruit", it would be fruit of life in the Kingdom of God, the fruit of the Spirit, not something we think is fruitful.  Faith is one of the fruits of the Spirit.  Faith is produced when the Word is sown in someone's life and it grows, when there is nothing hindering it.  Notice one more thing.  The fruit is at different amounts.  This can change too, as you grow, and hear the Word and believe.  

The fourth person is where we all want to be, and can be. None of the other types of ground are set in stone. Just like a garden can become more fruitful with effort, so can the life of a Believer change when we believe the right things about Jesus.

My Journey: Food, Fitness, and Faith

"Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit."-(3 John 1:2)

(Editor's note:  Today's post comes from my friend Michelle.)

Weight loss has always been a struggle for me.  I would dive in each Monday, give it all I had, only to have my will-power fail me. I'd feel terrible about myself, ashamed and embarrassed that I couldn’t stick with it, and the cycle would begin again.

A year and a half ago, something changed.  I started to learn about clean eating and found myself worrying less about losing weight. I was eating whole foods to fuel my body, my taste buds changed and I started to crave the healthy foods.  I ate more fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats.   I cut out added sugar, artificial sweeteners and flavors, as well as processed foods full of chemicals. If I didn’t recognize an ingredient . . . I didn’t eat it!  I started planning my meals and snacks in advance so that I didn’t make bad food choices when the day didn’t go as planned.  Writing down everything that I ate helped me to be more aware of what and how much I was eating.

A month after changing my nutrition, I started a new at-home fitness program.  I had joined gyms, started running programs and bought tons of fitness DVDs in the past, but didn’t stick with them.  This time was different. I had an online group that I had to check in with that was full of ladies grounded in their faith.  We were there to encourage each other and hold one another accountable.  I was so proud of myself as I finished Day 60 of the program.  I was in better shape than I’d been in a long time and had grown to love exercise.  I continued my daily workouts because I loved them and loved how I felt as a result. I continue to do daily workouts at home as my twin girls sit watching and my son frequently jumps in and joins me. 

This health and fitness journey has centered in reliance on God and His strength, doing it for a much bigger reason than changing the number on the scale or what size jeans I am wearing.  This was as much a journey of faith as it was fitness or nutrition.  I began seeking the Lord to help break my old habits of emotional eating.  I started paying attention to why I turned to food and turned that desire for comfort into a prayer for guidance and surrender.  As I have sought the Lord in this, I have become much more interested in treating my body as a temple and desire to honor God in my choices. I want to take care of my family by setting a good example, and making better decisions that help us to avoid illnesses and medical issues that could be controlled or eliminated by healthier choices.

As my mind-shift changed, and I sought the Lord, my health became more of a priority than how I looked, but did result in a physical transformation.  My new outlook and beliefs are no longer all or none, focused on MY will-power, or driven by the number on the scale.  I still enjoy occasional treats, but eat mostly whole foods.

If your story is anything like mine, I’d encourage you with these tips –

• Pray!  Ask God to show you where to start and more importantly seek Him for your “why”.  Why do you want to get healthy? What is getting in your way?

• Start looking at nutrition labels and ingredient lists.  Every good choice matters.  This is not an all or none way of life.

• Find something you enjoy doing for exercise.  Do you like dancing, boot camp, walking, running, lifting weights, kickboxing, or something else?  You won’t stick with it if you don’t enjoy it.

• Connect with others who can encourage you and hold you accountable.  Share your goals and successes with them.  We are so much more successful in community.

I pray that through small changes and refocusing on the Lord and the life and body He has gifted you with, you will also start to experience a physical, emotional and spiritual transformation.

In health and in Him,
Michelle

Michelle Hight lives in Oklahoma with her husband, 3 year old son, and 7 month old twin girls. She is a stay at home mom and fitness coach still on her journey to daily grow more physically and spiritually fit. Michelle can be found online at FB.com/coachmichellehight or on Instagram @michelle_hight.

The Christmas Candle by Max Lucado

"And the candle disappoints people?" 
 "How can it not?  One candle.  A village of needs.  God would not single out one person and ignore others. It's not fair." 
 Emily replied with measured words.  "Perhaps he singles out one person to show the others what he can do."

Ahhh....what a lovely book.  I started reading Christmas literature very early this year.  My first encounter with this novella was an audio book from the library.  When I started listening to the audio, it made me want to read the book.  Providentially, it was one of my choices at Booksneeze.

Set in the late 1800's in a fictional town in England, the novella The Christmas Candle takes us back to childhood.  At least, that is what it did for me anyway.  Every year at Christmas, people are seeking, "The Christmas Spirit."  In reading this book, then seeing the movie, and pondering on both for a while, I have come to believe in the heart of every person is the desire to remember the presence of God in the birth of Christ that we experienced as children.  That is why we continue to seek after the Christmas Spirit even into adulthood.  This book did this for me.  It took me back to simplicity and miracles and faith and hope.

The Christmas Candle is the story of a town and its people who are in need of some faith, hope, and miracles.  Beginning in 1664, and starting with the candle maker and his family, God begins to minister that hope to all.  During the time of Advent, leading up to Christ's birth, an angel visits the candle maker and touches one of the candles he has made.  While at a church service, the candle maker and his wife encounter a woman in need.  The candle maker's wife gives the candle to the woman and tells her to "light it and pray."  She does and at the Christmas Eve service announces the amazing blessing she received.  Thus begins a cycle of the angel returning every 25 years and the candle maker and his family passing along the candle each year at Advent.

The story picks up in 1864 with the arrival of David Richmond, a young minister who is in need of some faith, hope, and miracles for himself.  Through a series of events, God teaches David and the town about His presence and prayer, and that He is still ever ready and available to meet our needs.

I almost didn't read this book because it seemed odd to me and not very scriptural that an angel would touch a candle and miracles would take place.  Thankfully, I was reminded of this scripture:

For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool, and trouble the water:  whosoever then first after the troubling of the stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.  

Now, that is not normally the way God heals people, and I believe it was contrasted against the ministry of Jesus in the Bible for a reason.  Nevertheless, God is still in the business of healing people and answering prayer, as the reader will find out in the story.

I truly enjoyed this book, so much so that I couldn't wait to see the movie; so much so that I don't want to forget it.  It serves as a reminder that He hears and answers when we pray.

I recommend this book to everyone.  It will serve as a reminder of what your soul longs and aches for at Christmas.

Much love and blessings.  Merry Christmas!

Beth

Disclosure Statement:  I received this e-book free from Booksneeze as part of their  free books for bloggers program.  I was not required to give a favorable review.  The thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Faith Is.....

Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Hebrews 11:1 is not really a definition of faith. It doesn't specifically tell us what faith is; it really gives a larger picture of how faith performs in an individual's life.

Let's look at a passage of scripture and let the Bible give us the definition of faith.

Mark 5:24-34

"A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’” But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”


Based upon the above passage, what can we learn about defining faith? Jesus told the woman her faith healed her. What was her faith? Well, she first heard something. She had to have believed what she heard. Then she took action based upon what she heard and believed.

The Greek word in the above passage for the word "faith" is pistis. Vine's Expository Dictionary defines that Greek Word to mean "primarily, "firm persuasion," a conviction based upon hearing (akin to peitho, "to persuade"), is used in the NT always of "faith in God or Christ, or things spiritual."

So, we see that based upon the passage above and the Greek word Jesus used in the passage, a correct definition for faith is a "firm persuasion" or "conviction based upon hearing." This definition of faith demonstrates exactly why the woman in Mark 5 was healed. She heard and has a conviction based upon that hearing.

This brings up another interesting thought. What if she hadn't heard about Jesus? What if she had been listening to something else? Do you think it is important what we listen to?

Faith

Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment. -Matthew 9:20-22 (NIV)


Throughout Jesus’ ministry many people were healed. In all four Gospels, there are recorded healings in the ministry of Jesus. Some of them happened because of the leading of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ ministry. But many of them happened because of the person’s faith. In the scriptures above, we read about the woman with the issue of blood. You can find her story in Matthew 9, Mark 5, and Luke 8. She touched Jesus with faith in her heart. Many other people were touching him that day, but the Bible says when she touched Him, power went out of Him. Why? Because of her FAITH. So, I think it is important to take some time to learn about faith. What is faith? How do we get it? How do we use it? What can we receive with our faith?

There are many scriptures with the word “faith” in the Bible. Hebrews 11:1 states in the Living Bible, “What is FAITH? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen…” Mark 11:22-23 says, “In reply Jesus said to the disciples, ‘If you only have FAITH in God-this is the absolute truth-you can say to this Mount of Olives, ‘Rise up and fall into the Mediterranean,’ and your command will be obeyed. All that’s required is that you really believe and have no doubt.” James 2:18 says, “But someone will say, "You have FAITH; I have deeds." Show me your FAITH without deeds, and I will show you my FAITH by what I do.”

So what is faith?




(See also God's Will to Heal.)

Ask and You Shall Receive

This morning I was in the kitchen getting a Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie out of the freezer. I like them best when they are cold. So, I am eating a cookie when one of my daughters comes in the kitchen and sees me eating the cookie. What do I do? I have only one cookie left and four children. I gave it to the child who came to me. In that moment, I received an illustration of receiving the promises of God. We have to go to Him and ask. We must go to him in faith also believing that what we ask for He will give to us. That child was the only one who received a cookie.

James 4:2 "....You do not have, because you do not ask God."

John 16:24 "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."

Hebrews 11:16 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

James 1:6 "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

Luke 18:35-43 "As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him,“What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Looking Into God's Mirror

 “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.  But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”-James 1:22-25

What happens when you look in a mirror? Very simply, you see yourself. You see a reflection of what you look like and your external features. You see hair, face, body, all of your outward features. James 1 compares God’s Word to a mirror. When we look into that mirror of God’s Word, we see who He says we are. His Word is truth, so when we look into His Word we see the truth about ourselves. It doesn’t matter what you feel like at the time, God’s Word is what the truth is. James 1: 24 says it is possible to go away and forget what we look like after we see the truth about ourselves. What do we do to not forget? Keep looking. Keep reading and listening to God’s Word to get it built into our hearts who we are according to God. Act upon His Word and practice it. Do this until you look like what you see in God’s mirror.

Greek Words

As part of my daily devotional, I have been reading Sparkling Gems From the Greek by Rick Renner. This morning's devotional discussed grieving the Spirit of God. In his text, Mr. Renner examined the Greek word used for grief which is lupete and comes from the word lupe, which indicates a grief that might be caused in a marriage relationship in the case of infidelity. When God said in Ephesians 4:29-32 not to grieve the Spirit of God, He was making reference to our closeness to and how the Holy Spirit feels about us. That is so amazing to me. How would I have ever known that without the examination of original text?

There are so many important things to know in the Word of God, things you can know and learn by just reading. But there is also a level of depth that cannot be achieved without knowing some history and some of the language originally used when penning the Word of God. I wonder often why people don't get healed like they did in the New Testament or even the Old Testament. There is a depth of knowledge that must be achieved for some to receive what God has made provision for in the area of healing. There are many provisions for healing in the Old and New Testament. All are because of Jesus. But people won't know this without some study. For example, as New Testament Believers, Jesus is our Passover. Everything the Passover meal was to the Hebrews leaving Egypt, Jesus is to us. That includes healing. It would require some study for a person to learn and recognize that healing is included as a part of our redemption through Jesus. The fact that Jesus is our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7) and what that means is visible through study. How much more can we develop our faith through diligent study of the original language and history and customs of the time?

Philippians 2

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:.......taking the very nature of a servant...."-Philippians 2:3-5,7

Selfishness. It is a problem today. Why? Because people don't have enough faith in God to get their needs met through Him. They don't know Him well enough. If they did, they would act like Him. Jesus was our example of how to treat others. He loved those He came in contact with. Why was it so easy for those He came in contact with to get healed? I think it was because they knew something about God already, and they believed in His love and compassion. Selfishness, Love, Knowledge, Healing.....it is all connected. My heart's cry is to see the Church look like the book of Acts, not just the Power of God demonstrated through the Holy Spirit. That is something everyone desires, but the Church also has to look like them and Him by the love they demonstrate. Faith works by love. Acts 2:42 "They devoted themselves to the apostle's teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the templecourts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number DAILY those who were being saved." There is so much in this one passage, I could talk for a while. The overall theme though is the love and fellowship which resulted in miracles and the addition of people to the church. It wasn't hard for them to have the Word of God working in their midst.

I feel compelled to connect this to parenting since my blog is called My Journey Through Motherhood. As a parent, there is no room for selfishness. You learn a lot about yourself as a human being when your children are born. You find out how much of life is about you and not about others. When my son was born, I was totally hit with the realization of how much I think about me. My son had basic simple needs and I had no other purpose at that time than to meet those needs, because he couldn't. He still has needs, and now I have two more children who have needs. And I still find traces of selfishness within me throughout this journey of motherhood.