Category: By faith

Growing up broken…


I never discussed how I felt about our family situation during my childhood. It never really came up because nobody asked me. I know that I’m not the only person to have gone through this but it is part of my testimony so here goes.

In kindergarten, my life seemed to be fairly normal but at the age of five, my parents got divorced. I won’t go into the reason for it because I didn’t learn about it until much later in life because it isn’t relevant here. As I grew up I went through a lot of periods where I tried different things like Eastern philosophy and meditation. I didn’t know what I was doing but I was trying to find some meaning for life itself I suppose.

When I felt the call from Jesus, I could barely believe that He wanted me. Why? Who would want me, especially Jesus? He chooses each of us for His Kingdom and for the message that we can tell others about what He has done for each of us. Your ministry comes by telling your story, your personal story. Each of us has a story to tell. It is our example, our witness because of what we have lived through. God calls us because of our humanity. Sometimes our humanity causes us to feel like we are less than others but sometimes it is our weaknesses that God uses to show His strength and power through us to others.

Weakness shows the strength of the Holy Spirit which is your helper. God loves us enough to make us able to endure the trials that will come upon us. I pray that if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior, please seek Him as soon as you can. Not one of us is guaranteed to be here tomorrow, so make sure of your salvation today.

Criticism in the church


This is something that the church has had in it from the beginning. Regardless of the people or the denomination, when there’s a revival or a movement of God’s Spirit happening there’s going to be pushback from those who are very rigid in their faith.

There have been low periods in our country and around the world where it has seemed that God has not been present but when He shows up, things begin to change. There’s a reawakening in the church and the community, and sometimes it spills over into the area around the church. God is good at bringing a revival but we need to be seeking it as well. It won’t come if we are trying to keep Him in the “box” we’ve made for Him.

The movement of God’s Spirit that is happening now couldn’t be seen a couple of years ago but it’s here. Pray for those whose lives are being changed. Maybe your life will be drawn closer to Him as well.

Pain and…


I left the end of the title open because it needs to be. All of us go through life with pain at some point. Arthritis, achy joints because of age or other problems, or plain, worn-out joints, so just getting up from a chair or bed is sometimes painful. Whether this causes us “suffering” is an individual thing. The pain can be sharp or intense sometimes but most days it doesn’t last for long. On other days the pain is a constant ache and it seems to become less achy as the day goes on but it never really goes away. What is my point in beginning my writing today in such a manner?

The point is that each of us has to deal with pain at some point in our lives. Sometimes it is because of age or disease. Sometimes it is because of the loss of a family member or a close friend. In either instance, the loss is felt deeply and it may take a long time for us to learn how to handle it. Emotional pain is the kind that never goes away. We need to seek God’s strength to help us through it every day.

Our world and the problems that we have to live with each day are caused by the sin that Adam brought into the world. We can’t fix them on our own and we can’t fix the problems brought on by the sins against God in the garden. Our sins cause the problems that we have in our world today. We can’t blame the problems that we have today on our parents or grandparents. Our world and its tribulations were brought on because of our sinful ways today, not because of someone else’s actions that were done years ago.

Jesus said that we would have trials in this world but He also said that we should have faith in Him because He overcame the world. Have faith in Him for your salvation and your provision for today and tomorrow and for your eternity that is to come. He is the only way to gain access to Heaven. It is our faith and belief in Jesus that brings us salvation and nothing else.