Tag: gift of God

Approved by God

Approved by God

God has approved every believer:  isn’t that a staggeringly beautiful thought?  Approved means:

  • Accepted,
  • Favored, and
  • Supported.

Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.  (Eccl 9:7 ESV)

In the above passage, we see that God has approved our eating our food and drinking our beverages with a merry heart.  He approves this because He is the One who has blessed us with these gifts and blessings.

I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; 13 moreover, that every person who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—this is the gift of God.  (Eccl 3:12-13 NASB)

In this Bible selection above, the Lord agrees that there’s nothing better for us than to rejoice and to DO GOOD in our lives.  The Lord also likes us to appreciate our food and drinks and to value our work and our jobs because they are gifts from God.

. . . but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we declare it, not to please people but God, who examines our hearts.  (1 Thes 2:4 NET)

We have been approved (authorized and supported) by God to carry and to declare the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout our lifetimes.  We do this to please God, not people.  We need to recognize that the Lord examines our hearts and will see clearly what our motives are for all of our actions.  So, it’s important to have holy motivations for whatever we do in the Lord’s Name.  Blessings upon you.

Mustard Seed Faith

Mustard Seed Faith

Do you know how tiny a mustard seed is?  Mustard seeds can be different colors depending upon the plant; they may be anywhere from yellowish white to black.  But one thing that is uniform with them all is that they’re very, very small.   

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  (Mt 17:20)

So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.  (Lk 17:6)

Since a mustard seed is about 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter, it’s astonishing to understand that faith as small as this can move actual mountains and bring about impossible things.  Reread those two Bible verses above.  Jesus did say this, and it is recounted in two different places in the Scriptures.

Many believers make a big issue of faith as if it is a limiting factor.  But I find these Bible verses very reassuring.  I realize that God isn’t requiring us to have mountain-sized faith, but rather seed-sized faith which can move real mountains!  Faith in God and in His Word is powerful.

Not only that, but faith is God’s gift to us!  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God . . .  (Eph 2:8)  We don’t have to work it up because the Lord has given it to every believer.

God actually has given us the very faith that we need in order to receive answers to prayer as well as the fulfillment of His promises found in His Word.  How much better can it get?  This truth fills me with tremendous joy.

Launch out today and use a tiny amount of faith to receive whatever you need from the Lord!  He’s definitely on our side and wanting to help each and every one of us.  He has already proven it by saving us and giving us the gift of faith which enables us to receive blessings, answers, and miracles from God. 

Humility & Glory

Humility & Glory

The Lord has destined each one of us for great things, among which is the joy of serving the Lord and being in relationship with Him.  But sometimes, we struggle with our self-image; and we all need to know how to deal with this issue victoriously. 

Just remember this:  Thinking less of yourself is not humility!  Thinking of yourself less frequently is humility.  Believe in who God made you to be.  Be imitators of God like the beloved children that you ARE!  (Eph 5:1) 

God has put His own glory within each one of us!  (Isa 60:19-21; Rom 8:18; Col 1:27; 2 Cor 3:18; 1 Pet 5:10)  He wants to display His glory through us, so that we may bring Him glory, honor, and praise.  However, we must yield to Him in order to allow Him to fulfill His good plans for us.  If we will cooperate with the Lord, and obey His Word, we’ll be changed into a brand new person.  Which makes sense, because God makes all things new.  (Rev 21:5)

The Lord wants us to be fully alive—not to be a cheap imitation of someone else.  God created each one of us to live as a unique and irreplaceable individual in His family. 

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  (2 Tim 1:6-7)

Stir up your gifts, and learn to enjoy the fact that God has created you as a matchless and dazzling individual!  Don’t be fearful because fear has bondage and torment attached to it.  (Rom 8:15)  Reject those things outright.  They do not come from God.  God has made you FREE indeed!  (Joh 8:36)  God has blessed you and poured out His supernatural favor upon you. 

You have God’s permission and encouragement to soar and to far surpass your former self for Jesus’ glory!  All glory to God most high!

How Can I Go to Heaven? Part 2

How Can I Go to Heaven? Part 2

We are continuing with our topic from the last article. 

Here are various Bible passages that tell us what we need to do in order to go to heaven when our physical body dies.

  • Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. (Mt 10:32)  Jesus is speaking in this verse.
  • For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (Joh 3:16)
  • And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (Joh 6:40)
  • And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. (Joh 10:28)  Jesus is speaking here.
  • But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)
  • For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lor (Rom 6:23)
  • . . . that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.  (2 Cor 5:19)
  • For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor 5:21)
  • In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 Joh 4:9-10)

In order to enter into heaven, all of these Scriptures point us to the person of Jesus Christ.  Once we believe the truth of these verses and accept Jesus as our own, personal Savior and Redeemer, we are born again or “born anew.”  In fact, we become a new creation in Christ Jesus.  (2 Cor 5:17; Eph 2:10; Rom 6:3-4) 

Once we’ve accepted Christ as our Savior, we’re qualified to enter into heaven.  We also become eligible to receiving the benefit of every promise of blessing that is shown in the Bible!  Knowing that this is true prepares each one of us to lead lives of significance in the here and now.  Choose living for Jesus right now, and an eternity  in Heaven for yourself today!

Diligently Seek Him

Diligently Seek Him

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  (Heb 11:6)

Faith means:  confidence, reliance, trust, belief, assurance

  • “The one who comes to God” – someone who is approaching God, moving toward Him, and drawing closer to Him
  • “Believe that He is” – believe that God exists: that He is real, alive, and present
  • “He is a rewarder” – believe that God’s character is good and that because He is good, He rewards those who seek Him
  • “Reward” – a gift, bonus, or blessing
  • “Diligently” – industriously, conscientiously, persistently
  • “Seek Him” – pursue; search for; look for; chase; follow; or hunt:  our desire for God must be so strong that we are willing to chase or “hunt” for Him, looking for clues to His presence and blessings in our lives.  This “seeker” will yearn to spend time in the Lord’s loving presence, and will follow the move of God wherever it takes them.

A confident trust and reliance upon God is necessary for our everyday lives in order to please Him. This is called faith, and it is the gift of God. (Eph 2:8)  We believe that His character is good—that He loves to bless those who industriously pursue Him and trust in His Word. 

We are so in love with the “Lover of our souls” that we love, trust, and honor His Word above all else.  We also can experience a strong desire or drive to be in the presence of the One whom we love.

Let us be wise enough to pursue Him: the God who sought us first and loved us first.  He even courted us and gave us the desire to become saved.  The Lord tells us in Jeremiah 29:13 that when we seek Him, He will be found by us! What a loving Redeemer and Deliverer!