3 Things About Faith!

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

– Hebrews 11:1

There are three things that surrounds having faith.Check out these three things below.

1.There’s Assurance

The biblical definition of hope is found in Hebrews 11:1, where it talks about three things: assurance, hope, and conviction. The first of these is assurance, or some translate it “being sure,” which in the Greek means a “substructure” or “foundation.” If you were building a home, you’d want the assurance of having a substructure and a firm foundation upon which to build it. So the first part of faith is having the assurance that the foundation is there to build upon. The confidence is not in the foundation but the builder of that foundation, and Jesus is the chief cornerstone of it (Eph. 2:20).

2.There’s Hope

Biblical hope is unlike the hope of the world where they hope their team will win the Super Bowl or they hope they’ll get a raise. Hope in God is not a “hope-so” feeling but a “know-so” confidence. Our hope is not in ourselves, of course. Rather, our hope is in Christ (1 Cor. 15:19) since God has “delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again” (2 Cor. 1:10). Paul wrote that it is “in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees” (Rom. 8:24), and “we have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain” (Heb. 6:19).

3.There’s Conviction

If you sat through an entire trial where the defendant was guilty, the next to the last thing you’d see is the conviction. The Greek word used for conviction is “elegchos,” which means “a proof” or “that by which a thing is proved or tested.” It was a legal term or word customarily used in trials. This “elegchos” is a real, tested, proven conviction “of things not seen.” Think of it as convicting evidence before a judge or jury. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. You can’t see dreams, thoughts, or feelings, but these most certainly exist.

Conclusion

Faith for the believer is a foundational assurance; a confident know-so and not a hope-so; and a concrete, proven conviction that has been tested and proven true. Faith is all these things, but our faith  is in the God-man, Jesus Christ. In Him we can have assurance, hope, and conviction.Amen.

Credit:Christian Quotes

Don't Wait To Meet Him....He is Available To You.

God tries to connect to us in diverse ways,in our sleep,our thinking,in the Bible and many other ways like circumstances,trials,difficulties and so on.He tries to speak to us(Job 33:15).Do we make ourselves available,even though He is available.

"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear" (Luke 2:8-9) 

The shepherds were out in the fields tending to their flocks. These humble, lowly men had jobs that kept them away from their families, and were essentially nomadic as they followed their flocks around day and night. It was a lonely, poor life… a humble audience for the very first Christmas carol ever sung.

But when Jesus was born, the heavens opened wide and the sky was filled with angels singing with voices beyond imagination. This most beautiful of songs heard by the lowliest of men and accompanied by the sight of angels filling the sky had to be indescribable.

As we look in the Bible at places where God touches Earth – where heavenly beings come and make direct contact with people – we find that it very often happens in extremely humble circumstances. 

This becomes even clearer as we look at the story of Christmas.

No matter where you are in life, how you live, or what you have, God can meet you right there. Don’t think you have to clean yourself up first in order to connect with God. He’s available to you right now. Don’t wait to meet Him!

GOD CAN MEET YOU WHEREVER YOU ARE TODAY. BE OPEN TO HIS PRESENCE IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW!

How God Reveals Himself

Wow,this is so amazing.See how God reveals Himself to us in the 66 books of the Bible.Beautiful.

1.Genesis – Creator and the Promised Redeemer

2.Exodus – the Passover Lamb

3.Leviticus – High Priest

4.Numbers – water in the desert

5.Deuteronomy – He becomes the curse for us

6.Joshua – Commander of the army of the Lord

7.Judges – delivers us from injustice

8.Ruth – our Kinsman-Redeemer

9.1 Samuel – all in one, He is the Prophet/Priest/King

10.2 Samuel – King of grace & love

11.1 Kings – a Ruler greater than Solomon

12.2 Kings – the powerful prophet

13.1 Chronicles – Son of David that is coming to rule

14.2 Chronicles – the King who reigns eternally

15.Ezra – Priest proclaiming freedom

16.Nehemiah – the One who restores what is broken down

17.Esther – Protector of his people

18.Job – Mediator between God and man

19.Psalms – our song in the morning and in the night

20.Proverbs – our wisdom

21.Ecclesiastes – our meaning for life

22.Song of Solomon – Author of faithful love

23.Isaiah – Suffering Servant

24.Jeremiah – the weeping Messiah

25.Lamentations – He assumes God’s wrath for us

26.Ezekiel – Son of Man

27.Daniel – the stranger in the fire with us

28.Hosea – faithful husband even when we run away

29.Joel – He is sending His Spirit to His people

30.Amos – delivers justice to the oppressed

31.Obadiah – Judge of those who do evil

32.Jonah – the greatest missionary

33.Micah – He casts our sin into the sea of forgetfulness

34.Nahum – proclaims future world peace we cannot even imagine

35.Habakkuk – crushes injustice

36.Zephaniah – the Warrior who saves

37.Haggai – restores our worship

38.Zechariah – prophesies a Messiah pierced for us

39.Malachi – sun of righteousness who brings healing

40.Matthew – the Messiah who is King

41.Mark – the Messiah who is a Servant

42.Luke – the Messiah who is a Deliverer

43.John – the Messiah who is a God in the flesh

44.Acts – the Spirit who dwells in His people

45.Romans – the righteousness of God

46.1 Corinthians – the power and love of God

47.2 Corinthians – He is the down payment of what’s to come

48.Galatians – He is our very life

49.Ephesians – the unity of our church

50.Philippians – the joy of our life

51.Colossians – holds the supreme position in all things

52.1 Thessalonians – our comfort in the last days

53.2 Thessalonians – our returning King

54.1 Timothy – Savior of the worst sinners

55.2 Timothy – leader of the leaders

56.Titus – foundation of truth

57.Philemon – our Mediator

58.Hebrews – our High Priest

59.James – He matures our faith

60.1 Peter – our hope in times of suffering

61.2 Peter – the One who guards us from false teaching

62.1 John – source of all fellowship

63.2 John – God in the flesh

64.3 John – source of all truth

65.Jude – protects us from stumbling

66.Revelation – King of Kings and Lord of Lords,The Alpha and the Omega,The Beginning and the End, and He is coming again and the One who makes all things new.

Culled:Christian Quotes

A New Way Forward.

So today, I challenge you to this:

Before the New Year...

1.Let Jesus be the centre of your life,Your All.Your Everything.The One you can always run to for safety,of course,He Is GOD.

2. Let go of your temper. – Never do something irrational just because you are temporarily upset,it doesn't always have a good ending.

3. Let go of petty grudges. – Life is far too short to be spent nursing bitterness and registering wrongs. If there’s someone in your life who deserves another chance, give it to them. If you need to apologize, do it. Give your story together a happy, new beginning.

4. Let go of the idea that everyone has it better than you. – If the grass looks greener on the other side… Stop staring. Stop comparing. Stop complaining and START watering the grass you’re standing on.

5. Let go of lingering false beliefs. – Stop from time to time and ask yourself, “Is it true?” It’s funny how we can sometimes wrap our minds around things and fit them into our version of reality. But thinking something does not make it true. Wanting something does not make it real. So watch your thoughts. Be wise. When your identity is not rooted in the truth, it can lead to toxic and lonely places where we seek approval from the wrong things.

6. Let go of expired ideals. – Growth is painful. Change is painful. But in the end, nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you do not belong.

7. Let go of yesterday’s tragedies. – You are not what has happened to you; you are what you choose to become in this moment. Drop the needless burden, take a deep breath and start again. Ultimately, you will know you are on the right track in life when you become disinterested in looking back, and eager to take the next step.

8. Let go of your tendency to avoid problems. – You cannot change what you refuse to confront.

9. Let go of life’s little annoyances. – Don’t let dumb little things break your happiness. Frustration and stress come from the way you react, not the way things are. Adjust your attitude, and the frustration and stress is gone.

10. Let go of assuming other people are more “normal” than you. – The only normal people you know are the ones you don’t know very well. Period.

11. Let go acting standoffish and unapproachable. – We all need to learn to be more human. Don’t avoid eye contact. Don’t hide behind gadgets. Smile often. Ask about people’s stories. Listen.


12.Be informed.Information is power.

Sometimes the hardest part isn’t letting go, but rather learning to start over in certain areas of your life. This is a challenge all of us face. If you’re struggling with any of the points above, there is a clear path to the new beginning you seek. Your present habits are simply broken and need to be mended. When you trust a broken set of habits every day, it’s only a matter of time before you feel broken too.

It doesn’t have to be this way though. You can make adjustments starting today that will instantly help you feel better, think more clearly, and live more effectively.

God Bless You.

(Originally Posted By MarcAndAngel)

RECHARGE YOUR EMOTIONS! REFOCUS YOUR SPIRIT!

“You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me.” (Exodus 20:9-10 GNT) 

We all must make a conscious decision to make time for things other than work. If we don’t, we’ll never rest. I make a conscious decision about how many hours I’ll work each week, and I stick to it. I encourage everyone to do the same thing. Otherwise, we’ll quickly burn out.

It’s like a bow and arrow. When a bow is constantly strung tight, it loses its power. It has to be unstrung periodically. You need to force yourself to set realistic hours and then hold yourself accountable — and ask someone to check up on you in the process. 

Getting proper rest isn’t pop psychology or just good advice. It’s so important to the heart of God that he put it in the Ten Commandments — along with “Do not murder,” “Do not lie,” and “Do not steal.” “Take a day off every seven days” made it on God’s top 10 list of moral behaviors. Shouldn’t it make it on ours too?

The Bible says, “You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me” (Exodus 20:9-10 GNT). We call this the Sabbath, which simply means a “day of rest.” What do you do on your Sabbath?

1. Rest your body. If you don’t take time off, your body will make you take time off. Your back will go out. You’ll get a headache. You’ll get the flu. God didn’t design our bodies to go without rest. That’s why sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do on your Sabbath is to take a nap! 
2. Recharge your emotions. Everyone does this differently. For some, recharging happens through quietness. Others rejuvenate through recreation. Still others rejuvenate through relationships. Discover what it takes to recharge your emotions, and make it a regular part of your Sabbath.
3. Refocus your spirit. You need to worship on your Sabbath. Take time to focus on God instead of all of your problems. Worship puts everything else in perspective. It shrinks your problems. It reminds you that God is still on his throne. He’ll help you through whatever struggles you’re going through. Suddenly the problem you’ve stressed over all week long won’t be near as big any more.

We all need a Sabbath in our lives. It doesn’t have to be on Sunday. It can be any day of the week, but you need to take one day off a week to rest your body, recharge your emotions, and refocus your spirit.(Pastor Rick Warren)

WILL IT BE JESUS?

Happy New month to all of us,wishing us a prosperous year ahead and new beginning with GOD in all things.

“Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well.” (Matthew 6:33 NCV)

If you want to live a truly balanced life, you can only look at one person in all of history as a model: Jesus. If you put him at the center of your life, your life will be more balanced. 

Think of your life like a wheel. The center of the wheel is a hub. All of the spokes of your life (which represent your relationships, your family, your career, your goals, etc.) come from that hub. We all build our lives around some sort of hub. The question is, what will be your hub? Will it be your family? Will it be your career? Will it be money?

Or will it be Jesus?

How do you do know what you’re building your life around? Take a look at whatever you think about the most. That’s what is driving you.

The center of your life is critical to developing a balanced life. A solid center leads to a solid life. A weak, flimsy center leads to a weak life. When I hear people tell me that their lives are coming unglued, it usually means one thing: They have a faulty center. Something other than God has taken priority in their lives.

Not only does the hub create stability, but it also controls and influences everything else about your life. Whatever you put at the center of your life will also be your source of power. The power of a wheel always emanates from the center outward — never the other way around. 

Make Jesus the center of your life, and he’ll provide the stability, control, and power you need for your life. The Bible says, “Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well” (Matthew 6:33 NCV).

Don’t worry about making Jesus first in your life. Put him in the center of your life. Let him direct your life, influence it, empower it, and give it stability.

Do that and all the other areas of your life — from your family to your career to your goals — will find balance in Jesus.

Credit:Daily Hope