Trust in His Love
God is love (1John 4:8). This is the first step in understanding how to trust. Just knowing that there is a God in heaven (truly a Loving Father) who has His eyes on YOU, seeking to win YOUR heart, gives peace and comfort to know that YOU ARE LOVED.
And how do we know that this love exists? Where do we find this evidence of Divine Love?
We can first look into the beauty of nature. Even the science of the natural world echos again and again the hand of a merciful and LOVING Creator. Despite living in a fallen, sinful, and degenerated world we can see in every spire of grass, every budding tree, every blossoming flower, every singing bird, the hand of a creator that loves and bestows blessings upon His creation.
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sin." (1John 4:10)
This is the ULTIMATE expression of the love of God! That He was willing to give His only beloved and begotten Son, that we might have life eternal with Him.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever beileveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
What a gift, and what a sacrifice was made from heaven that we would have the opportunity to live an eternal life of bliss in the presence of an almighty and loving God!
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)
Believe these words, for they are truth, and they are life. There is a God in heaven who loves YOU with a personal love. He has poured out all of heaven through His Son Jesus, to give you peace, hope, and life. Won't you trust Him? Won't you invite Him into your heart and life?
I encourage you to read these two resources, along with your Bible, to help you better understand God's love for you, and His plan to redeem you unto Himself. These are the most beautiful writings on the life of Christ. My hope and prayer is that you are blessed, as I was, through reading them
Christ our Saviour
The Desire of Ages
And how do we know that this love exists? Where do we find this evidence of Divine Love?
We can first look into the beauty of nature. Even the science of the natural world echos again and again the hand of a merciful and LOVING Creator. Despite living in a fallen, sinful, and degenerated world we can see in every spire of grass, every budding tree, every blossoming flower, every singing bird, the hand of a creator that loves and bestows blessings upon His creation.
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sin." (1John 4:10)
This is the ULTIMATE expression of the love of God! That He was willing to give His only beloved and begotten Son, that we might have life eternal with Him.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever beileveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
What a gift, and what a sacrifice was made from heaven that we would have the opportunity to live an eternal life of bliss in the presence of an almighty and loving God!
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)
Believe these words, for they are truth, and they are life. There is a God in heaven who loves YOU with a personal love. He has poured out all of heaven through His Son Jesus, to give you peace, hope, and life. Won't you trust Him? Won't you invite Him into your heart and life?
I encourage you to read these two resources, along with your Bible, to help you better understand God's love for you, and His plan to redeem you unto Himself. These are the most beautiful writings on the life of Christ. My hope and prayer is that you are blessed, as I was, through reading them
Christ our Saviour
The Desire of Ages
Trust in His Word
What if it was literally impossible for you to lie? What if every time you spoke something it would suddenly appear into existence?
This is exactly how it is with God. It is impossible for God to lie, because as soon as the words are breathed they become life and truth. God is not in the business of doing things haphazardly. When God speaks, it comes to existence, and you can guarantee He chooses His words wisely.
The written word is God's special way of communication. "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2Peter 1:21). Although each Biblical author maintains their individuality, God inspired them to write words that really were not their own. God also inspired personal accounts and stories to be "written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come" (Ephesians 6:4). We can trust the Bible from cover to cover because the TRUE author is the the same throughout. If there are passages that seem to contradict, then there is a misunderstanding of the principles God is trying to teach.
Did you know there is a Biblical way to studying the Bible? Yes! God actually gave us, in His word, instruction on how to study His Holy Bible. If we take a look at Isaiah chapter 28, we see that it says in verse 10 and verse 13 that "precept must be upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little." Basically what it's saying is, bring all the Bible texts on a certain topic together and see what it's saying. With this guiding principle, we can understand what God is trying to tell us. It isn't a Biblical principle to base an entire doctrine on one or two texts, but we must look at what the entire Bible says on a topic. When we do this, we can get a bigger picture of what God means by certain words being used, and almost cracking the code on Biblical symbolism.
So, how important is it to understand the principles being taught in God's word? Let's use Adam and Eve for example. God used the prohibition of eating the fruit from a certain tree to test the love and loyalty of His new creation. To argue or debate whether it was an apple, or pear, and whether or not these fruits are bad seems pretty silly right? The real issue is that Adam and Eve lost trust in God's word, and that maybe God didn't really mean what He said.
Understanding the principles in God's word is not about the "do's and don'ts" but more about understanding the "why". Many times God will reveal the "why", and sometimes he doesn't (expecting us to just trust and obey), but one thing is for sure, when we understand the principles, we begin to understand God's character (and that's pretty special!). When we truly understand God's character, we truly fall in love with the One "who first loved us." (1John 4:19)
This is exactly how it is with God. It is impossible for God to lie, because as soon as the words are breathed they become life and truth. God is not in the business of doing things haphazardly. When God speaks, it comes to existence, and you can guarantee He chooses His words wisely.
The written word is God's special way of communication. "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2Peter 1:21). Although each Biblical author maintains their individuality, God inspired them to write words that really were not their own. God also inspired personal accounts and stories to be "written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come" (Ephesians 6:4). We can trust the Bible from cover to cover because the TRUE author is the the same throughout. If there are passages that seem to contradict, then there is a misunderstanding of the principles God is trying to teach.
Did you know there is a Biblical way to studying the Bible? Yes! God actually gave us, in His word, instruction on how to study His Holy Bible. If we take a look at Isaiah chapter 28, we see that it says in verse 10 and verse 13 that "precept must be upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little." Basically what it's saying is, bring all the Bible texts on a certain topic together and see what it's saying. With this guiding principle, we can understand what God is trying to tell us. It isn't a Biblical principle to base an entire doctrine on one or two texts, but we must look at what the entire Bible says on a topic. When we do this, we can get a bigger picture of what God means by certain words being used, and almost cracking the code on Biblical symbolism.
So, how important is it to understand the principles being taught in God's word? Let's use Adam and Eve for example. God used the prohibition of eating the fruit from a certain tree to test the love and loyalty of His new creation. To argue or debate whether it was an apple, or pear, and whether or not these fruits are bad seems pretty silly right? The real issue is that Adam and Eve lost trust in God's word, and that maybe God didn't really mean what He said.
Understanding the principles in God's word is not about the "do's and don'ts" but more about understanding the "why". Many times God will reveal the "why", and sometimes he doesn't (expecting us to just trust and obey), but one thing is for sure, when we understand the principles, we begin to understand God's character (and that's pretty special!). When we truly understand God's character, we truly fall in love with the One "who first loved us." (1John 4:19)
Trust in His Promise to Forgive You
Forgiveness is a major step in the healing process. Forgiving others, and knowing that God can forgive you for past sins will give a peace that passes all understanding. Putting our trust in God's word, we have perfect peace when we read this verse, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1John 1:9). Do you believe that God speaks directly to YOU in His Word? Trust God when He tells you "I will forgive YOUR iniquity, and I will remember YOUR sin no more" (Jeremiah 31:34). It is up to you to take the next step and TRUST what you have just read, and BELIEVE with all your heart that it is TRUTH.
God loves you and I so much that He gave His only Begotten Son, Christ Jesus, to take the punishment we deserve for our sins. In turn when we accept such an unimaginable gift, and accept Christ as our personal Saviour, we can have assurance that God will accept every one that comes to Him, trusting in the merits of a crucified Saviour.
God loves you and I so much that He gave His only Begotten Son, Christ Jesus, to take the punishment we deserve for our sins. In turn when we accept such an unimaginable gift, and accept Christ as our personal Saviour, we can have assurance that God will accept every one that comes to Him, trusting in the merits of a crucified Saviour.
Trust in His Power to Change You
Someone who comes to God by repentance and confession, and even believing that their sins are forgiven, still must claim the promises of God. They must see that Jesus is an ever-present Saviour, and must be ready to commit the keeping of their souls to Him, relying on Him moment by moment to perfect the work of grace that has already begun in their hearts. They must understand that there can be no self-dependence. Self must "die daily", as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:31, while the spirit of Christ lives on in the heart and mind. When we are "born again" we are made new, and our journey with Christ begins. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2Corinthians 5:17)
The moment you decide to accept and believe Christ, there is a war that begins. When we come to God with a repentant heart, knowing that we have sinned against Him, and asking for forgiveness and a changed life, there is a force of darkness that wants us held in the bondage of sin and will not let go without a fight. There is only one way to overcome this darkness, which is the light of Christ and His Holy life. Christ says "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33). In Christ we have power to live as He lived. We can win each battle against the darkness of "self" by not being "overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21)
Dying to self is the first step to overcoming sin in our lives. Because "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth sin me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20); "and they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts" (Galatians 5:24). When we surrender self to Him, He promises to empower us by His Spirit, that by Him we will live a life that is pleasing to our Heavenly Father.
Have you wondered HOW to become a new creature? After dying to self, we must live in Christ, but what does that look like? Jesus says "It is the spirit that quickeneth (to give life); the flesh profiteth nothing: the WORDS that I speak unto you, they are SPIRIT, and they are LIFE" (John 6:63). Divine words are creative words. God's commandments are commandments of principle, and he wants to write His law of love on our hearts, which is a reflection of His character. When we trust and obey, we are allowing His words to change us, and we will be come more like Him each day!
The moment you decide to accept and believe Christ, there is a war that begins. When we come to God with a repentant heart, knowing that we have sinned against Him, and asking for forgiveness and a changed life, there is a force of darkness that wants us held in the bondage of sin and will not let go without a fight. There is only one way to overcome this darkness, which is the light of Christ and His Holy life. Christ says "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33). In Christ we have power to live as He lived. We can win each battle against the darkness of "self" by not being "overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21)
Dying to self is the first step to overcoming sin in our lives. Because "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth sin me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20); "and they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts" (Galatians 5:24). When we surrender self to Him, He promises to empower us by His Spirit, that by Him we will live a life that is pleasing to our Heavenly Father.
Have you wondered HOW to become a new creature? After dying to self, we must live in Christ, but what does that look like? Jesus says "It is the spirit that quickeneth (to give life); the flesh profiteth nothing: the WORDS that I speak unto you, they are SPIRIT, and they are LIFE" (John 6:63). Divine words are creative words. God's commandments are commandments of principle, and he wants to write His law of love on our hearts, which is a reflection of His character. When we trust and obey, we are allowing His words to change us, and we will be come more like Him each day!
Trust in His Promise to Heal You
God promises health and healing for all those who will come to Him "who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases" (Psalms 103:3). Our Creator wrote on every cell, and every fiber of our being, certain natural laws that govern the way our bodies function. There are laws in the natural world around us that also govern how life exists around us. There is a disease called sin that has wrought havoc in our natural world. This world is waxing old under the curse of sin, but thankfully God has given us tips to help us live healthier lives, despite the degradation.
We can rest assured that God will keep His promises! He has promised healing, but He also expects us to do our part to live in harmony with the natural laws He put in place. For example, can we expect to have good health if we drink soda and eat Twinkies every day? Of course not! We see this same principle when God spoke to the Israelites, and said "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put NONE OF THESE DISEASES upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee" (Exodus 15:26). Health came with a condition of obedience. This is a very important principle for us to understand.
Disease never comes without a cause. It's not always a person's fault for the disease, since there are inherited tendencies or genetic mutations, but one thing is for sure, disease is the direct result of the body or lifestyle being out of harmony with God's natural laws of health. We see this example also as Christ went about healing people of their diseases. Some of these diseases were the cause of the persons lifestyle, and to this Christ said "thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (John 5:14).
Today, we may also experience health and healing. If we have found ourselves in a bad state of mind and health, realizing we have been abusing our health and body by our lifestyle choices, we can be encouraged that it's NEVER too late to turn our lives around and regain what we may have lost. While in some cases, if the damage has gone on too long, full recovery may not be possible, but you would be amazed at what God can do when we come into harmony with His ways!
We can rest assured that God will keep His promises! He has promised healing, but He also expects us to do our part to live in harmony with the natural laws He put in place. For example, can we expect to have good health if we drink soda and eat Twinkies every day? Of course not! We see this same principle when God spoke to the Israelites, and said "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put NONE OF THESE DISEASES upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee" (Exodus 15:26). Health came with a condition of obedience. This is a very important principle for us to understand.
Disease never comes without a cause. It's not always a person's fault for the disease, since there are inherited tendencies or genetic mutations, but one thing is for sure, disease is the direct result of the body or lifestyle being out of harmony with God's natural laws of health. We see this example also as Christ went about healing people of their diseases. Some of these diseases were the cause of the persons lifestyle, and to this Christ said "thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (John 5:14).
Today, we may also experience health and healing. If we have found ourselves in a bad state of mind and health, realizing we have been abusing our health and body by our lifestyle choices, we can be encouraged that it's NEVER too late to turn our lives around and regain what we may have lost. While in some cases, if the damage has gone on too long, full recovery may not be possible, but you would be amazed at what God can do when we come into harmony with His ways!