How can they believe?

Today is the fourth day of the Advent season.  

The theme of our first week is FAITH.  Let’s dig in.

Prepare to Hear God’s Word

Quiet your heart and mind by praying, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, as you inhale and have mercy on me, a sinner as you exhale.  Repeat this prayer several times as your receive his mercy and grace.

Read and Listen to It

Read the following verses aloud several times as you focus your attention on the phrase “how can they.”

As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”  For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”  (Romans 10:11-15)

Healing Faith

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This is the third day of the Advent season.  

The theme of our first week is FAITH.  Let’s start.

Prepare to Hear God’s Word

Seek out a quiet place without any distractions.  Clear you mind by writing down whatever demands your attention.  Expect the Holy Spirit to speak to you through his Word.

Read and Listen to It

Read the following verses aloud two or three times as you focus your attention on the word “faith.”  Repeat this phrase — “your faith has healed you” – emphasizing a different word each time.

While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died.  But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.”  Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.  Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.  She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”   Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.”  And the woman was healed at that moment.  (Matthew 9:18-22)

Credited with Righteousness

This is the second day of the Advent season.  

The theme of our first week is FAITH.  Let’s dig into the Bible for meditation and prayer.

Prepare to Hear God’s Word

Find a quiet place to be alone.  Pour yourself a cup of coffee, milk or tea.  Focus your attention on hearing God in today’s Bible text.

Read and Listen to It

Read this verse aloud several times as you focus your attention on the word “believed.”

Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.  (Genesis 15:6)

The Key to Pleasing God

Today is the beginning of the Advent season.  Each day up to and including Christmas, we will use an ancient devotional discipline (Lectio Divina) to meditate and pray through a short Bible passage.  

The theme of our first week is FAITH.  Let’s start.

Prepare to Hear God’s Word

Breathe a silent prayer asking the Holy Spirit to speak to you through his Word.

Read and Listen to It

Read the following verses aloud two or three times as you focus your attention on the word “faith.”

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  This is what the ancients were commended for.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  (Hebrews 11:1-3, 6)

Happy Thanksgiving

I’m taking Thursday & Friday off from posting to my blog. Spend extra time with your loved ones and thank God for his many blessings.  I plan to have something good for you on Monday.

Ten Ways NOT to Grow

Here are Ten Ways NOT to Grow in your spiritual life.

Image: Evgeni Dinev / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

(My tongue is firmly planted in my cheek.  If you wonder why on earth I would say some of these things, take a deep breath and tell yourself, “He’s trying to be humorous.”)

1. Follow Jesus at a distance.  Don’t be a fanatic about his teachings.  Take the ones that will help you succeed at work while making you look good.
2. Attend worship sporadically.  No need to go overboard and show up at church every week.  After all, you can be just as close to God on the golf course as you are dozing on a pew.

Reasons for Thanksgiving

In a few days our nation will set aside a day for expressing gratitude.  Many families will gather together to share laughter, tears and good food.  There will be pies, cakes and football on TV.  Shoppers will make plans for “Black Friday.”  There may be a prayer offered to give thanks.  Some families will insist each person express thanks for something before they eat.  Others will dive right in. There will also be people who wonder what reason, if any, there is for giving thanks.  

What about you?  How are you doing at finding reasons to thank God?

I’ve been thinking about the last 12 months or so.  I began by listing the really big events of the year.  The big ones for me are (1) lots of changes in my wife’s work; (2) the birth of my first blog; (3) my writing mentor Cheryl Moeller connected me to the fine writers at The Barn Door; and (4) learning a great deal about writing and social media.  As I reflect on these events, I find several reasons to thank God.

Christ the King or Sweet Baby Jesus

Yesterday was Christ the King Sunday in churches around the world.  The Advent and Christmas seasons focus on the baby Jesus.  Remembering Christ is your King when you see pictures of the babe in Mary’s arms will fuel your love and awe for him.

So, in preparation for the coming season, I want to introduce you to your king:

His name is Jesus.
He is the Son of God – the second Person of the Divine Trinity, the Only Son by birth.
He is the Lord – the Great I Am who met Moses at the burning bush.
He is the Anointed One – the Christ, the Messiah whose birth you will celebrate.
HE IS THE KING OF KINGS – no one is greater and he has no real competition.

Credit: Free images from acobox.com

Ten More Reasons to Pray

I gave you the Top Ten Reasons to Pray earlier.  Here are Ten More Reasons to Pray.

1. Jesus prayed all night occasionally.

2. Jesus prayed early in the morning.

3. Jesus prayed before making decisions.

Hearing God’s Voice

I’ve heard other Christians say God has spoken to them as they were making an important decision. How can I prepare to hear God’s voice?

George Mueller was a pastor who founded orphanages in England in the 1800s.   He is known as a great man of prayer and faith.  It’s hard to improve on his guidelines for hearing God’s voice.