Faith in the Bible: How important is faith?

We see it painted on walls, written on bookmarks, and in picture frames: the word faith. Most people don't even give it a second thought. But how important is faith?

Well I want to share with you what God has shown me recently! It started maybe 2 weeks ago or so, when I was reading the book of Matthew and God really drew my attention to something. It was a verse that I've read and heard many times before, but on this day it took a whole new meaning. I knew God was teaching me something very important. The verse was Matthew 9:20-22;

"And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, 'If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.' Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, 'Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.' And instantly the woman was made well."

What an amazing story! Notice what Jesus said; "your faith has made you well". So did Jesus choose to heal her based on her level of faith? 

The Faith of the Centurion

Matthew 8:5-13

 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 

“Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

  Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

  The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

  When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith....

  Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

Again, notice how Jesus accepted the Centurion's plea based on his faith? Could faith be more important than we thought it was? Could it be that if we have faith in what we ask, it shall be done based on our level of faith? Ponder on the following verses....


And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you." (Luke 17:6)

"For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done." (Matthew 21:21)

Remember Peter! 

We all know the famous story of how Jesus walked on the water, but how many really thought about what happened to Peter? Peter stepped out onto the water..and walked on it! But what happened that caused him to fall? Matthew 14:31 says; "Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" This is very important! If Peter hadn't doubted, he wouldn't have fallen into the water now would he? Next time you pray and have doubt, remember Peter!

I'll conclude with these verses:

"Having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead." (Colossians 2:12)

"We live by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7)

"This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:4,5)

And of course, never forget this: "And without faith it is impossible to please God." (Hebrews 11:6)

So what shall we do then brothers and sisters? Simple: Have faith! :]

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A Prayer to Let Go of the Past-I Choose to let go...

Dear Father in Heaven,

I come to You today, humbling myself before You. This day I choose to let go of my past, and I count it all as nothing compared to the gift You've given me in Christ Jesus. Forgive me Lord of my past sins, hidden sins and my cherished sins. I choose to let them go and hold on to them no longer Lord.

I choose to feel the fullness of Jesus Christ by sharing in His sufferings, and awaiting the glorious day when I shall take part in the joyous resurrection of Your saints, and the awesome day of Christ Jesus, when at His command every tongue will confess He is Lord, and every knee will bow!

I thank You Lord for my sufferings, so that I may be humbled before You. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Lord, I choose to put all my trust and hope in You, believing that by not leaning on my own understanding, You Father, will direct all my paths and make them straight.

I claim complete healing of my heart, soul and mind. I bind all evil spirits who have been working on breaking me down, making me feel guilt, resentment, depression, loneliness, insecurity and all other negative feelings not of the Lord, that have distracted me from You Father.

In Jesus mighty name I rebuke all the evil/demonic spirits making a case against me and I bind them all by the blood of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He that is within me is greater than he that is in the world. For the  Lord has given me the right to become a child of the Most High God, the day I accepted Christ Jesus as my Lord, and was sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, I became a child of God!

The Creator of heaven and earth said, "Behold, I give unto you power to trample serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

In Jesus name I pray, amen.

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Trust in God: Do you really trust Him?

This past week I got some bad news that would trouble most people, maybe even to the point of panic and complete anxiety. As a matter of fact, if I heard this news a couple of months ago, my attitude towards it would have probably been pretty negative! But for some reason it didn't really bother me much. I actually felt peace that surpasses all understanding, and I know inside that God is in control. 

In dealing with any change, we usually feel anxious and worrisome, not knowing what's to come. But God is teaching me that although we don't know why certain things happen, God knows full well, and we only waste time and energy worrying about it! "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6)

My trust in God has been increasing, and it's an awesome thing! Even from the smallest thing such as trusting that the huge rain cloud will move away before I go outside, or big things like trusting that God will open new doors in my career, I'm learning to just trust!

But trust doesn't come easily. In any real relationship, whether it's with a friend, mom, or spouse, without trust you don't have much of a foundation in that relationship. You're always on the edge, wondering if that person is going to let you down. It's the same with God! Without trust, how can we have a good relationship with Him? 

 Scriptures on trust:

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5,6)

"Blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is." (Jeremiah 17:7)

"And they who know Your name will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You." (Psalm 9:10)

"So trust in the Lord forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock." (Isaiah 26:4)

"O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him." (Psalm 34:8)

"For You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my trust from my youth and the source of my confidence." (Psalm 71:5)

"Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning, for on You do I lean and in You do I trust. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my inner self to You." (Psalm 143: 8)

So don't stress, just trust! God bless you :)!

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Patience is a Virtue!

It's so easy to be abundant in patience when everything in life is great. But when things just aren't going in your favor,  you're more susceptible to getting angry and saying or doing things you know are wrong.

I'm usually a pretty patient person, however I do have my moments when I feel like I'm going to "blow", and nothing can stop me! So what do you do when you find yourself constantly "over the edge" and lacking patience?

"Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not hasty in your spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools." -Ecclesiastes 7:8-9  

From various verses in the bible, it's clear that Jesus praises patience. But patience isn't an easy task, it doesn't happen overnight! It takes a lot of praying,reflection and practice. James 1:3–4 says, "Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."   Another verse reads,"Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joy."  -Colossians 1:11 

Remember we are human, and this means we are imperfect. Having complete control over our emotions is not an easy task. It's a tough road, but it's not impossible! We do however need God in our lives to guide us, strengthen us and give us the perseverance we need to overcome anger--so that one day we can be "mature and complete" as God planned!

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. -James 5:7–8

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Evil in the Church--Should Christians Go to Church?

There has been much controversy lately about churches. Apparently there are some people (and religious cults) saying that Christians should separate themselves from the churches and just focus on God. Many people stay away from church because they feel that most churches now a days are corrupted, full of the love of money and pride. While this may be true for many churches, you shouldn't put all the eggs in one basket.


So let's imagine a world with no churches...a world where all the churches have closed down, and everyone can worship God on their own, in their own time. What would be the outcome? 




No more leadership:
If there were no churches,many baby Christians who need someone with strong biblical knowledge to teach them of the gospel,and assist them in their spiritual growth would be at a loss. 


"Where there is no wise guidance, the nation falls, but in the multitude of counselors there is victory." -Proverbs 11:14


There would be a  decrease in food drives for the hungry:
Many churches around the globe set up food drives for the homeless and poor. (examples: http://www.calvaryftl.org/Ministries/Discipleship/Care/Foodshare/index.cfm, http://www.fellowshipch.org/fcfoodpantry.html)


"But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish." -Psalm 9:18


There would be a decrease in the number of prisoners who will hear the gospel:
Many churches are responsible for organizing prison ministries that train and send members of the body to preach the gospel to the inmates in prison. If all churches were gone, how many prisoners would miss out the Good News?


 “I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.”-Matthew 25:36


There would be an increase in abortions:
People don't realize the impact many churches have made in young girls lives. There are millions of unplanned pregnancies per year,and if it weren't for pregnancy resource ministries, there would be even more abortions around the world. (example: http://www.oceanhillschurch.com/ministries/pregnancy-resource-center)


There would be an increase in homeless pregnant girls and women:
There are churches that not only provide food,clothing,diapers, and other necessary essentials for pregnant women--but some churches go as far as to provide shelter for these women who have nowhere to go,and no one else to turn to! (example: http://www.hiscaringplace.org/what_we_do/)


"For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall.." -Isaiah 25:4


Places with little to no Christianity present would have no missionaries to share the gospel:
There are countless villages and cities where Christianity is almost non-existent. If it weren't for the multitude of churches that send out missionaries to fulfill the great commission, many families would not know about the love of Christ. (example:  http://www.missionary-blogs.com/christian-missionary-to-africa.html)


So by looking at the positive impact many churches have in the community and around the globe, why would anyone be against the churches? Now I'm in no way implying that all churches are good, because there will always be a rotten apple in the bunch! But I will say with 100% certainty that many people need churches. To say that people should stop going to church and stop giving to the church is completely unsound. 


The apostles in the bible met at the temple and gave tithe, even JESUS Himself worshiped at the temple on the Sabbath and preached the gospel! If anything, by going to church we are following Jesus' example, which is always a good thing! Just make sure the church of your choosing is founded on the principles of the bible. The only way to know if a church is right for you is to read the bible for yourself so that you're equipped not only by the Spirit, but by the Truth--which is God's Word. This way you will be able to tell which churches are truly following the Lord.


 I will leave you with Hebrews 10:25; "And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."


God Bless!

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