Living By Faith

The Webster's New World Dictionary and Thesaurus (second edition) defines faith in four different ways. First, faith is unquestioning belief, specifically in God, a religion, etc. Second, a particular religion. Third, complete trust or confidence. Fourth, loyalty.Personally, I like the first definition when we discuss issues concerning our Christian living. I wonder how many people on this earth today live in an unquestioning belief in God?

Majority of us today live in different forms of hardships and trials in life. A lot of people are starving due to famine, some are dying because of illness, many are facing broken homes, economic depression are a threat to many, many home owners are facing foreclosures, and the list can go on and on. Times are just becoming hard. But can you live by faith today?

We have just mentioned about foreclosures. Do you value God more than your home? Or is it the reverse - you value your home more than God? If you are facing a problem on loosing your home, do you think that is going to be a great problem more than loosing trust in God?

I remember a Bible story that deals about a family who would be loosing their home. In Genesis chapter 19, you will find a story about a person named Lot who lived in an ancient city called Sodom. Because of the wickedness of the city, God was about to destroy the city.

In this particular story, God sent two of his angels in the form of men to take Lot and his family away from the city. The angels clearly instructed Lot and his family that, whatever happens while they were trying to escape away from the city, they should not look back towards the city.

A house is usually the biggest investment that most families make. The same thing probably holds true with Lot and his family. But probably Lot's wife could not afford to live her house behind, she either forgot about the angels' instructions or she simply disregarded the instructions that was given by the angels. She looked back. In an instant, Lot's wife became a pillar of salt.

Why worry about loosing your home when you have God who is the provider of all our needs. I was very fascinated and thrilled to know of a special promise by God for his faithful children. This promise can be found in Jeremiah 29:11 which says:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Isn't that promise so wonderful? Are you a faithful believer of God? Are you scared to loose your home (perhaps from foreclosure)? For me, I used to be scared. I have invested so much in my house. But looking back at this promise, it says God has a plan for me. Perhaps God has better plans which are far better than what I can perceive.

As long as we serve God faithfully, He will bless us. Look at His faithful followers like David, Abraham, Job, and many more of His people. They have been richly blessed by God - not just with material wealth, but even with the blessed hope of eternity. You don't hear these things as children's Bible stories or during a vacation Bible school, these are true to life stories that have been recorded in the Holy Bible.

According to Jesus, "All things work together for good to them that love God and keep his commandments." So, whatever bothers you, live by faith and entrust every thing to God through prayer. So pray to God about your situation. Remember, God has a better plan for you.

The Plant That Wouldn't Burn

Almost anything will burn, right? Many things can be burned with fire right? These include papers, bushes, clothes, or anything you can think of - can be destroyed by fire. We've been reading it in the news, we've seen it in the television - that homes can be burned by fire!

But there is this particular plant that was on fire - but it wasn't burning. Hmmm, that's amazing! This is a very spectacular sight to see! Pretty sure even modern scientists would surely want to examine this phenomenon if they find an occasion like this. A plant on fire but wasn't burning - this seems impossible - but many people have pretty heard about this instance. Not just Americans, but people around the world. How about you, have you heard about it?

There is only one occasion I know that this phenomenon had happened. It was seen only by one man and it was reported and recorded for everybody to read and know down through the ages. The person who saw this phenomenon was an adapted Egyptian official, but a native Jewish himself. His name was Moses.

Perhaps, if there was only a digital camera during that time, or perhaps, if there was only a video cam that can capture such particular occasion, that would surely be very interesting to watch. But the only way for us to know it now was simply for Moses to write it down in one of his books. In the Holy Bible, this was recorded in Exodus 3:2 when Moses saw a bush that was on fire but it was not being destroyed by the fire!

Although Moses saw many other wonders and miracles later on, this phenomenon was the first miracle that Moses have seen in his life. And this was the first encounter of Moses with God Himself. This was the first instance that God talked with Moses. Yet many believed this now. If God would talk to you now, and you start telling people that God did talk to you, wouldn't people think that you are crazy? Perhaps, doctors would even diagnose you to be sick!

Miracles do happen. Thousands of people saw the miracles and wonders that God did through Moses, yet thousands of them did not really believe in God. Thousands of them even crossed the red sea, but they failed to completely believe in God. And only two of those who originally came out of Egypt were able to reach the promise land of Canaan. How foolish could those people not to believe in God despite the many wonders they have seen. They have eaten the manna together with Moses, they drank the water that simply gushed out of the stone in the wilderness, they have seen the pillar of fire, how could they not believe in God?

On the other hand, do we really need miracles before we can believe in God? God even sent his only Son Jesus on this earth, yet there are those who have seen Him and his works and miracles, but these people still did not believe in Him. What would it take for us to believe in God and in Jesus?

Jesus said, blessed are those who have not seen the miracles of God yet believe in Him. Would it probably take you to constantly listen to an audio Bible before you can believe in Jesus? Or should God send you another burning bush that wouldn't burn? What do you think?

(c) by VMT Singuillo

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Share God's love to others. Suggested gifts you can give include a Christian movie, childrens Bible story, or a family Bible.

Struggle From Shame

Even as Christians, all of us have many different struggles in life. Much more so that we are struggling because of sin and sin is so shameful that we need our continous spiritual cleansing.

Although many of today's Christian poplulation have been born through a Christian family, yet the rest have become Christians through conversion. Yet in both instances, we all experience birth into Christianity until we develop to be spiritual toddlers and perhaps into mature christians.

This is not one of your children's Bible stories but a real true to life story that did not happen during a Vacation Bible School class where there are children, but a real experience witnessed by a minister during a church service. This was regarding his nephew who was once a 4 year old kid back then. As children, we know kids have very short attention span.

Thus, after about five minutes of sitting down in church with his parents, this minister's nephew just started making noises while the church service was going on. These noises were probably meant to attract his parents attention. However, this attention seeking kid, started crying so loud that he finally got the attention of his mother.

The mother simply carried this kid on her shoulders bringing the child outside of the church. As a toddler, kids' hands can simply grab anything with their hands without regard, and this minister's nephew was no exception. While the mom was making her way from the pews, the kid was swinging his hand from side to side until he finally grabbed on to something - the hair of one lady. Unknown to the mother of what was happening behind her (with what her child had done), she kept moving her way out of the pews while her son held on to the woman's hair.

A struggle ensued between this toddler and the woman as the kid continued to hold on to the woman's hair firmly. The woman struggled, not in pain, but in shame because the hair that this kid had grabbed was the woman's wig. Fortunately, not so many witnessed the event because there were just a few church attendees that day.

Copyright by VMT Singuillo

Finding Hope In Jesus

When we are healthy, many of us simply take our health for granted. We don't even bother to exercise, neither do we consider the food we eat, we don't listen to healthy advices. And perhaps, we do not even consider that there is a God who cares.

However, when we start to get sick and be suffering, that is the only time that we start to be conscious of our health. When we are already sick and suffering, that is the only time when we start to follow healthy advices, and we try to be healthy again. When we are doomed in sickness, that is the only time that we remember God and we start to come to Him and pray.

I have seen men who have been smoking cigarettes from their teens until adulthood. They loved and enjoyed smoking despite hearing warnings about the dangers of cigarette smoking. Later in life, they suffer from other respiratory ailments. They have smoker's cough. Some develop emphysema. Others have the dreaded lung cancer. Now that they are suffering, they are now trying to quit smoking - but have a hard time getting rid of the deadly habit. People always say that regret doesn't come first, but last.

There are millions of people now who have different physical and mental ailments. Majority of these people would certainly do anything, I mean - anything, just to be able to get back their health. Fortunate for those who have the money, they can probably afford to go to a doctor and pay for expensive medical diagnostic requirements and treatments. How about those who are poor and financially broke?

With or without money, in general, people will try to do anything to get back their health. They would even shop for different doctors, hoping that one doctor can find a cure for their suffering. Yet others would attempt to try herbal medications when others would make such claims.

I believe it was from a Vacation Bible School where I have heard the story of Naaman. Naaman was a Biblical character who was a captain of a certain army that defeated Israel during the ancient days. Although he was a high ranking military officer, he got contaminated by a disease called leprosy. During that time, there was no cure for leprosy.

Naaman had an Israelite girl servant who was serving him well. This girl recommended that Naaman see an Israelite prophet who probably could recommend a cure. This is a case scenario where people would like to do anything just so they get cured. Thus Naaman went to see the prophet. As Naaman went to the said prophet, he was adviced to dip himself seven times in one of the dirty rivers nearby. If you were Naaman today, you would certainly get mad that you are told to go to a dirty river. You'd probably say, that prophet is stupid.

But just to try, Naaman followed the advice. Fortunately, Naaman got cured from leprosy. That cure was because of the power of God - God who simply instructed the prophet what to advice Naaman.

Unfortunately, there are many other people who would simply give up and surrender when they can not find a cure for themselves. These are the kind of people who would think that everything is simply hopeless.

Let us consider another true to life scenario. A woman had been sick for years with a dreaded disease. She had gone to different doctors, but simply found no cure. She tried all sorts of medications and rituals, nothing helped her condition. As her chronic condition made her life miserable and weak day by day, she still had hope in her heart that one day that cure will come.
Finally, she heard that Jesus was passing by near her place. Yes, the crowd was approaching and certainly she saw Jesus. Since there were a lot of people, she just could not get the attention of Jesus. But she finally struggled and gave her best to come close to Jesus. She probably said to herself, "If only I can touch even the garment of Jesus, I know I will be healed." Thus she tried her best with all her strenght to come close to Jesus and simply touch his garment.

The stories here may seem like a children's Bible story, but the lessons are applicable to people of different ages - including adults. All of a sudden, Jesus noticed something and got surprised. This woman got surprised too because she finally became healed! Healed from her dreaded disease - by her faith and hope that there is cure in Jesus. Yes, there is always hope in Jesus.

Although many of us may become hopeless today, always remember, there is always hope in Jesus. All you need is to have faith, even faith as small as a mustard seed.

Copyright by VMT Singuillo