Faith In Jesus Christ

Genaro Coronado was steeped in excitement on his way to school. He and his mother had prayed for his success. When he got to school, the sixth-grader went to the flag pole and waited. "I was just waiting," Coronado said. "I knew God was going to do something."

Coronado organized National See You at the Pole Day at Vale Middle School. Since 1990, the grassroots movement has spread across the country. Every September, students voluntarily meet at their school's flag pole in praise and prayer.

Two dozen students is what Coronado expected to join him. But the clock kept ticking. It was just him, his paperback Bible and his yellow sign with "awaken" in black letters.

His mother, Melodee Gutierrez, sat in the family van, filled with hope for her son. Even though he stood alone at the flag pole, she was proud of him.

"You know, whenever you take your stand in God, even if you stand alone, you're being faithful to God," Gutierrez said.

Suddenly, one girl meandered over and grabbed the middle schooler's sign. The relief was evident on his face. The faith grew in his heart. "It felt weird kinda, but I just prayed that God would bring me more people. And he did," he said.

He and the girl began to pray. The two of them asked God to look over their school, their classmates, the school's staff, local government officials, San Antonio's mayor, the president of the United States and much more.

They stood at the pole as a line of cars flooded onto the school grounds. His mother's pride continued to grow. She stood in his shoes when she was a middle school student.

Gutierrez recalls being in front of the flag pole waiting for someone to join her in prayer. No one ever did. "I got discouraged a little bit, " she admitted. "But God is faithful, and I stood there and prayed." Things were beginning to look up for her son. Five others walked across to join him. He started to pray with them.

Coronado walked away happy. His praying, he said, will continue because at the pole on Wednesday, he saw first hand that prayers are answered.   -San Antonio News 5, September 26, 2012, Marvin Hurst

After coming across this story, the first thing that came to mind was Romans 5:1 "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Similarly, I thought about Isaiah 48:22 "There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked." Let's talk a little about faith and what it means to you and I.

An unpardoned sinner cannot have peace with God. While his conscience is asleep, he may be careless and secure; but as soon as his eyes are opened, and his heart is made to feel, he must be miserable, till God speaks peace to his guilty soul.

To be justified, is to be pardoned and accepted of God. Pardon and acceptance are only obtained by faith in Jesus Christ, as having atoned for sin by His precious blood. When it is given me to believe that Jesus Christ has taken away my sins, there isn't anything that can grieve my conscience; I have peace with God. The anguish of an awakened soul arises from a guilty conscience, and a sense of his sins.

Therefore, as soon as the quivering sinner discovers, that Christ died for such as he is; that Christ, being God, is able to save even the worst sinner; that this was his main mission here, and that He said, "him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37): as soon as the poor sinner believes this, he has peace with God; he can call God his Father; he can trust God for everything; he can think of death with comfort, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Is this your predicament? Do you know that there is no salvation without an interest in Christ? That there is no peace with God but through Jesus Christ? That unless your sins are pardoned, your life must be unhappy, and your death the entrance of eternal misery?

If I am looking unto Jesus as the only Savior, and in self-despair have made tracks to Him for refuge, then God is no longer angry with me; my sins, which are many, are forgiven; my person is accepted; and if I die tonight, I shall go to God.

What an awesome feeling, to have nothing to fear in life or death! To have God for our Father, Christ for our Redeemer, the Holy Ghost for our Comforter, death our friend, heaven our home, and a happy eternity before us of peace and joy. Dear reader, is this your case?

Scripture: Romans 10:17; Luke 17:6; John 14:12; James 1:3; Hebrews 12:2; Hebrews 10:22; Galatians 5:5; Ephesians 6:16; Ephesians 2:8; 2 Corinthians 1:24; 1 Thessalonians 3:7

Prayer: God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant me so to die daily to sin, that I may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Have a blessed day,

Kayla

Video: Rev. Billy Graham / What's Wrong with the World?

This week, we'd like to present a classic sermon by Rev. Billy Graham. This particular sermon is entitled, "What's Wrong with the World?" from 1958. We invite you to watch and be inspired by this timeless message. Enjoy!   ~Eve

Bible Study Snacks, Acts 10:1-33

Hi, everyone!

Happy Friday, and welcome back to another presentation of Bible Study Snacks. As always, I'd like to thank you for joining me as we walk through the richness of God's spoken word and wisdom together. I pray that today finds you in good health and strong in faith!

This week, I would like to continue our study of the Book of Acts, with Chapter Ten (Verses 1-33).

I have designed these studies to be brief, yet packed full of good information for everyone regardless of your level of biblical knowledge. I might add that these quick studies make perfect small group discussion starters, as well!

As always, I whole-heartedly believe in the importance that any Bible study should begin with prayer. If you have your Bible ready, let's pray together...

Heavenly father, please guide us as we study your Word today; I pray that our hearts and our minds will be open so that we will not only receive your Gospel, but learn from it as well; you are the Light of the world, Lord, and your Spirit will illuminate our path as we journey through your teachings. In the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. Amen

If you are taking notes for yourself, or using this for a bible study with others, here are the objectives for this week's lesson...

OBJECTIVES: This week, the reader will...

1) Study the conversion of Cornelius and his household, the first Gentiles to obey the gospel;

2) Note the need for religious and devout people to be saved, despite their good works.

For your convenience, here is a summary of Acts 10:1-33.

Up to this time, the gospel had been preached only to Jews (also Samaritans, who shared a Jewish ancestry).With the conversion of Cornelius and his household, Gentiles are now granted repentance that leads to eternal life. Because the Law of Moses for generations had forbid socializing with Gentiles, it took a series of miraculous events to help Jewish Christians realize that they should no longer consider those of other nations as common or unclean.

We learn about Cornelius, a Roman soldier in Caesaria who is extremely religious. His fervent prayers and charity to the poor, though not saving him, are noticed by God.  In a vision, an angel of God instructs him to send men for Peter who would tell him what he needs to do (1-8).

As Cornelius' men are on their way, Peter has a vision in which the Lord tells him to kill and eat unclean animals. When he refuses, Peter is told what God has cleansed no one should call common or unclean.  As Peter contemplates the vision, the Spirit tells him that three men will seek him out and he should go without doubting. The men arrive and inform Peter about Cornelius. The next day, Peter and some brethren from Joppa accompany them back to Caesaria (9-23).

When he arrives, Peter finds a waiting audience in home of Cornelius. Cornelius falls down and worships at Peter's feet, but is kindly rebuked for doing so. Peter then explains how he has learned not to call any man common or unclean, and Cornelius relates his vision and charge to send for Peter. Now that Peter is there, Cornelius along with his family and friends are ready to hear the things Peter has been commanded by God to say (24-33).

REVIEW QUESTIONS:

1) What position did Cornelius hold? (Acts 10:1)
2) List the qualities that characterized Cornelius (Acts 10:2)
3) What did the angel of God say to him about his prayers and alms? (Acts 10:3-4)
4) Why was he told to send for Peter? (Acts 10:5-6)
5) What happened the next day as Peter was praying? (Acts 10:10)
6) What did he see? (Acts 10:11-12)
7) What did a voice tell Peter to do?  How did Peter respond? (Acts10:13-14)
8) What was Peter then told? (Acts 10:15)
9) How many times was this repeated? (Acts 10:16)
10) When the men from Cornelius arrived, what did the Spirit say to Peter? (Acts 10:19-20)
11) What did the messengers tell Peter regarding Cornelius? (Acts 10:22)
12) When Peter went with the messengers from Cornelius, who accompanied him? (Acts 10:23)
13) When Peter arrived, who did Cornelius have waiting for him? (Acts 10:24)
14) When Cornelius met Peter, what did he do?  How did Peter respond? (Acts 10:25-26)
15) What did Peter say had been unlawful for a Jewish man? (Acts 10:28)
16) What did Peter say God had shown him? (Acts 10:28)
17) After recounting his vision to Peter, what did Cornelius tell him? (Acts 10:30-33)

After completing this week's study, go back and read through it again. Take your time and read each topic and scripture reference as many times as you feel necessary. Keep in mind that by doing this, you just might see something new that you overlooked the first time around.

As we journey through the Bible together, I will continue to pray that God’s message will come through to you loud and crystal clear. Until next time, I wish everyone a blessed week!

God bless you!

Sheri

Abba, Father!

A newborn girl left abandoned on the side of the road in southern Afghanistan has been adopted by a childless Afghan couple.

"We have named her Arya [which means happiness], and we will take care of her forever," the adoptive father, Mohammad Zahir, a 29-year-old shopkeeper from Ghazni, Afghanistan, said Thursday. "She has completely changed our lives. We are so happy. The whole family has been supportive of our decision."

Zahir has been married for four years, but he and his wife have been unsuccessful in their attempts to have children.

After a visit to a Ghazni hospital, however, he and his wife have their family.

"A man, Mohammad Zahir, contacted us and asked if his family could take care of the baby," Baz Mohammad Himat, director of health in Ghazni, said. "They promised to take care of her for the rest of their lives.

"This family was on a waiting list with this hospital for any unwanted baby."

Just like this little girl, God finds us and adopts us into His family.   -Good Morning America, September 27, 2012

Adoption is not a subject we talk about very much in church. We don’t often think about it from a biblical point of view. But as I begin this message, I realize that there are many people who are intimately acquainted with adoption.

You may have been adopted, or you may have adopted a child yourself, or perhaps you were raised in a family that included adopted children. If any of those things is true about you, you probably have a better understanding of the biblical teaching than those who have never experienced adoption first hand.

Many Christians don’t realize that adoption is a profoundly biblical concept. It is one of the key words that the Apostle Paul uses to describe our relationship to God. In a number of places, the New Testament uses the word adoption to describe how we come into God’s family (Romans 8:15, 23, 9:4; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5).

However, the meaning is not exactly the same as our common English usage. The Greek word for adoption means to place as a son within a family with full family privileges as an adult member of the family. That’s the background of Paul’s thought in Galatians 4:1-7.

When we come to Christ, God sends the Holy Spirit into our hearts to give us new life and the assurance that we are God’s children. This is the “still, small voice” of God that speaks to the soul and whispers, “You are now a child of God.” That same Holy Spirit within us cries out “Abba, Father.” The word “Abba” comes from an Aramaic word that little children would use to speak to their fathers.

It is an intimate, personal word of endearing affection. In English you might say “Dad” or “Daddy” or “Papa” or “Dear Father.” It’s a very tender way of talking to our Heavenly Father. No longer is he some distant God up in the sky. Now he is our “Heavenly Daddy.”

If we know Jesus as Savior, God is now our Heavenly Father and we can come to him in prayer anytime, anywhere, for any reason, and he will never turn us away. When we are in trouble, when the world has turned against us, when we are so discouraged that we feel like giving up, when we are confused about what to do next, the Holy Spirit whispers, “Talk to your Father in heaven. He’s waiting to hear from you.”

The Spirit within us brings us back to our Father again and again and teaches us to say, “Abba, Father.” -Special thanks to Ray Pritchard

Scripture verses: 1 John 4:4; Hebrews 12:9; Philippians 2:15; Philippians 2:15; Proverbs 14:26; John 14:15; 2 Chronicles 7:14

Prayer: Father, Thank you that you restore, support, and strengthen us. Thank you that you will place us on a firm foundation. Lord, we thank you that when we call on you, you will not allow our feet to stumble or slip, and that you never sleep as you keep watch over us (Psalm 121:3). Amen

May your day be blessed!

Nadine

Video: Angela Thomas / Hope For Single Moms

The author of "My Single Mom Life" Angela Thomas gives insight and encouragement to other women facing the same circumstances she lived. Watch and be reassured!  ~Eve

The Time for Christ is Now!

We have bought into the idea that the busier you are, the more important your life is. A book, Time for Life (Pennsylvania State University Press, 1997), surveyed ten thousand people and found that, after tracking their true working hours, they actually worked fewer hours than they thought. The survey found that people tend to overstate the number of hours they work because it elevates their professional status, which elevates their imaged self-worth.

Another report from the “Americans’ Use of Time Project” at the University of Maryland (Los Angeles Times, December 11, 1996) agreed that there was a big gap between perception and reality in time use. If that’s so, then why does it feel as if there’s not a minute to spare?

The report concluded, “A culture that promotes instant gratification also helps explain why life seems more hectic than it is. ‘We want everything fast – fast food, eyeglasses in an hour, drive-through banking. Internally, we feel rushed. And the more rushed someone feels, the more they feel pressed for time.’” -Laura Schlessinger, The Ten Commandments: The Significance of God’s Laws in Everyday Life, pp. 96-97

The Bible devotes a great deal of attention to the study of time. In regards to the subject of time, one of the most frequently asked questions we receive is, "What time is it?" Our answers to this question may vary. But in reality, the answer is always the same: "The time is now!" 

"Now" is the time we have to live our lives, accomplish the Lord's will, and prepare ourselves for eternity. Let's look at a few examples...In 2 Corinthians 6:2, we are told that "now" is the accepted time for salvation. All things are ready (Galatians  4:4; Matthew 11:28-30; Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:47; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 1:18, 24; Hebrews 9:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3). "Now" may be the only time you have! (James 4:13-14).

In Romans 13:11-14, we are told that: "Now" is the time to awake out of sin (Romans 13:11). This does not refer to a natural sleep or the sleep of death, but to an awakening from moral sleep.  "Now" is the time to lay all sin aside (Romans 13:12) literally means to put off, or cast aside all sin and sinfulness. "Now" is the time to put your life on God's  side (Romans 13:12) is an allusion to the spiritual garb a Christian is to wear (See: Ephesians 6:13-17). 

"Now" is the time to walk properly (Romans 13:13) means the conduct of a Christian is to be decent and appropriate to his name and calling (Ephesians 5:15-17; 1 Timothy 3:14-15). "Now" is the time to put on Christ (Romans 13:14) is referring to how one clothes himself with Christ at baptism (Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3), and that one also puts on Christ in righteous living (1 Peter 2:21). 

So, dear reader, if someone should ask you, "What time is it?" in regards to your belief and faith. Your response should be a resounding, "It is now, for now is the time to obey!"

Prayer: My Father, may I have an appreciation of the wonderful creations of the earth. Give me a discriminating eye, that I may know the precious things that thou art growing; and throughout my life may I love the beautiful, and choose that which will make my life worthy of growth. Amen.

May God always bless you!

Jean

How Is Your Relationship With God?

In 2012, a 19-year-old man from Washington state named Dakoda Garren was charged with stealing a rare coin collection worth at least $100,000. After Garren had completed some part-time work for a woman living north of Portland, the woman reported that her family coin collection was missing. Her collection included a variety of rare and valuable coins, including Liberty Head quarters, Morgan dollars, and other coins dating back to the early 1800s.

 Initially, Garren denied any involvement, claiming that the police didn't have any evidence against him. But then he started spending the coins at face value, apparently unaware of the coins' worth. He and his girlfriend paid for movie tickets using quarters worth between $5 and $68. Later on the same day, they bought some local pizza with rare coins, including a Liberty quarter that may be worth up to $18,500.

The news article reported, "Garren has been charged with first-degree theft and is being held in jail on $40,000 bond. Which, technically, is an amount he could easily afford if the valuable coin collection were actually his."   -Eric Pfeiffer, "Man allegedly steals $100 coin collection, then spends at face value on pizza and a movie,' Yahoo! News (9-21-12)

In our relationship with God, we honor God (or the things of God) when we treat him with the value he deserves. How's your relationship with God? Do you even have one? (cf. Matthew 12:30; 11:28-30). We hear a great deal about having a "personal relationship" with God, and of Christians who confess they do not (or wonder whether they do). 

The term :personal relationship" is redundant. I ask you, "is there any other type?" Like it or not, you are involved! Most of us tend to recoil from this denominational terminology because:

1. In practice it usually means "What Christ 'means to me' instead of the true relationship we can, should and must have with God in Christ.
2. It usually accompanies an emotion-based religion, not truth-based (self-based, not God-based).

My dear friends, to be a Christian is to have a relationship with God through Christ (John 14:6; Romans 6:3-5; Galatians 3:26-27; 4:8-9). It is personal, because it is your salvation! When you are saved by the gospel, you know God (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:21). Christ died for you, and saves you when you trust and obey (Matthew 11:28-29; Mark 16:16).

To have a relationship, certain things must be present. To begin, a relationship requires contact. You must have contact with God! (John 14:7-9) The Lord knows each and everyone of us (John 1:47-48). The question is, do we (you) know God? (1 John 2:12-14) What kind of contact do you have with God?

Secondly, a relationship requires spending time together. You must spend time God! Spend time in communication with him (Numbers 12:7). How? Spend time with the Bible (John 14:10; Hebrews 1:1-2; Psalms 1:2; 119:14-16. Spend time in prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Mark 1:35; Philippians 4:6-7) Spend time worshiping, adoring, praising, and thanking (Philippians 4:4; Hebrews 13:17; Psalms 122:1). Additionally,  spend time serving others. When you help someone, you get to know them. By serving others, we serve Christ and know him! (Matthew 25:40)

Any relationship requires trust. You must trust God (John 14:11). You must also have faith (James 2:21-23) and obey God (Luke 6:46; 1 John 2:3-5; John 14:20-23). So go ahead and cast your cares upon God (1 Peter 5:5-7). Trust takes humility towards the one we trust. Trust also takes opening up yourself to God. Feel free to expose your heart to God, He already knows you completely!

A relationship also requires nurturing. You must take care of your relationship with God! Some might say, "But God seems so far away." In truth, God is as close or as far away as you chose to have Him in your life (Revelation 3:20). God is close to us when we choose to learn, trust, and obey His word (John 14:23); and choose to live for His pleasure and blessings (Ephesians 5-8-10).

So, what is the result of your relationship with God in Christ? You will become more and more like Jesus (Ephesians 4:20-24; Philippians 3:7-11). You will become more like Jesus:

1. In your love for God and others (Matthew 22:37-39);

2. In your trust and reliance upon God (Matthew 6:33);

3. In your obedience to God in all things (Hebrew 5:8-9)

In conclusion, the call of the gospel is to know God, and more importantly, to be known by God (Galatians 4:8-9). After all, those who know Christ and are known by Him "do the will of the Father" (Matthew 7:21-23)

Prayer: Lord Jesus I love You. Lord I pray You would refine me by the power of Your Holy Spirit so there will be more of You in my life. I realize I am made in Your image. My desire is to reflect who You say I am in my life. Help me to take steps towards Spiritual maturity. Thank you for your interest in my life Jesus. Amen

Have a blessed day,

Lisa