Faith In What We Hope For

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:1 NIV

The sky is falling! The church is dying! Something bad is going to happen! None of these statements are statements of faith. One day they may all be statements of fact for some people. But, dwelling on the bad instead of the good that God has done and continues to do for us really is not beneficial to the Body of Christ.

The sun is shining! Today the Lord is going to water the ground! I love worshipping God with my brothers and sisters in Christ! I get to share the Good News of the Kingdom! In Christ I can do all things! Those are statements of faith. Those are statements that will remind us and others of all the good that God has done and continues to do for us.

Let us live in faith and with hope that we will see the Kingdom of God; the glory of God. We will see him with our own eyes and not just with the eyes of faith! But, for now that is more than good enough for God's children!

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Light Has Come!

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,    and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
    and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you."
                               (Isaiah 60:1-3 NIV)

Well... last I looked the sky is not falling. The sun shines most of the time; at least it does here in Florida. Yet, doom and gloom abound. Yes, I agree. The world is not a perfect place. We are a part of that darkness. Sometimes we might even be responsible for inviting the darkness into our lives as we bury ourselves in the ways of this world. There are a lot of evils that must be combatted. Darkness does cover the earth. But, it doesn't have to cover you. 

It is time to shed the darkness that covers the hearts and minds sending God's beloved one's spiraling into depths of depression and despair.. Life here on earth is way too short to spend it in darkness waiting for the light to come. The light has come! Open your eyes to see it. Open your heart to receive him! Live life in the light! Live life in the presence of Christ!

Today is the day to arise and shine. Move forward with the life that God has given you here on earth. Arise and shine for the glory of the Lord shines over you and for you. Imagine, for a moment, what it would be like if the world or at least the people around you would live in the light of Christ. How would it change them? How would it change you? The world could use the light of Christ. Step out of the darkness and let the light of Christ shine through you.

May the light of Christ shine upon and through you that others might see the glory of God!

God's Peace - Pr. J