Saturday 16 July 2016

The Growth of Faith...

Hi Guys, hope you're all having a lovely weekend :)

As mentioned in my last post, this will be a continuation on the topic of faith and the ways in which we as believers in Christ can increase our faith in God.

  So, this afternoon when I was doing a brief bible study I came across Romans 10:17 'So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God' (NKJV), and what I gathered from this verse is the importance of reading/ or hearing the word of God in order to build ones faith; now, this can be done through various ways other than a bible study, you can listen to sermons online (one preacher that I usually listen to is T.D Jakes), listen to gospel music etc. But I believe why a bible study is known to be the most popular form of reading into the word of God is because you are personally having a quiet time with your Lord, through reading the word and praying to him for knowledge and understanding God is able to talk to and through you.
Think of it this way, when you want something to grow do you not water & feed it? Like if you have a seed in your garden which you want to see blossom into a beautiful flower, you would continually water it as you see it growing- it's the same as the word of God. God's word is like a seed that when consistently adhered to, faith within begins to grow.

(James 1: 22-24) This scripture is seen to discuss how Christians need to be doers and not only hearers of the word. What this means is, taking in the word of God and abiding to it; applying what is written in the Bible to our everyday lives is a key factor in increasing ones faith. For instance, allowing what we hear as the word of God to be shown through our actions. It's one thing to read the commandments, but another to actually put effort in to abide by them.
(Malachi 3: 9-11) Verse 10 specifically says '...And try me now this, "says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing..." (NKJV). The key word in this verse 'TRY', which to my understanding is like putting the word of God to a test, in a way that we can prove that God really does what he says he will. An example is, when  you buy items of clothing online, or shoes etc, you have to try it to know whether it'll look as good as it did where you saw it. Or even, if a friend refers a book or a series to you, you don't know if it's actually going to be what they said until you TRY- Now that's the same with what God says in this scripture, just give him a try by paying your tithes in church & see how he'll bless you the way he says.

(James 1: 2-3) Now, this scripture talks about how the testing of our patience also increases our faith. When we face trials, the wait we have for God to remove them is also a way for God to strengthen the faith in us. And, even though it sounds impossible and can be a hard thing to do, as believers we are expected to rejoice during trials in order for the faith in us to grow. Therefore, tests how much faith you actually have for God in the way you react during trials.

Thought process:
Do you doubt God? Question why you? Think he has forgotten you during times of need?
I'm sure these have all probably crossed our minds at times, but what we need to realise is that all those things are not signs of strong faith, but instead evidence of a lack of faith (James 1:6). So, let's try to stop seeing the trials we go through as a punishment from God, but instead as an opportunity to grow in faith and work on your patience!

Other relevant scriptures:
Matthew 21: 21-22
Luke 17:6
James 2:14

Thanks for reading & May God bless and help us all x
P.S Sorry it's a bit long, just had so much to write (lol).

Friday 1 July 2016

Leap of Faith!

Hi Everyone :)

Firstly, my sincere apologies for my lack of consistency for a while- 3rd year of university had the best of me in taking up my time. But thanks to God, I am now finished & back better than before (I promise).

So... As the title states, this post will be a brief opening on taking a 'Leap of Faith'. Now, what does that mean you may ask? Well, a Leap of Faith can be explained as an act of believing/ or hoping for something that may not come with supporting evidence. In Christianity what this means, is to have faith in God- to trust & hope in all the good things to come from him. Whether this may be during a difficult period in your life or even on just a normal day, having strong Faith (substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen) in something you cannot physically see is difficult BUT that does not make it impossible!

2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT) 'So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.' This verse simply explains that we should not ponder on the problems we may currently be facing but having faith in God should give us hope to focus on the good things ahead. Knowing that you will not remain in this current situation forever is a starting point, drawing closer to God in order to make room for upliftment and progress is all part of this Leap of Faith.

Something, I have personally realised whilst getting closer to God is the importance of having faith; which shows through the fact that as Christians we cannot possibly please God if we lack faith. Meaning if we doubt him, or remain stagnant in believing that he cannot do even MORE than what we expect, it is basically us emphasizing that God is not able to do all things & of course that is NOT true because he surely is! As Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT) states we need to separate ourselves from any bad weight that may be weighing us down, giving us negative thoughts & look unto God the author and finisher of our faith- how we can do this will be featured in my next post :)

Finally, what I'd like to leave you with today is a reminder that without God we are NOTHING! The first half of the year has passed & it's only by his grace that we made it through so let's make a start today to take a Leap of Faith and give God the gratitude he deserves, starting by being equipped in Faith!

Other relevant scriptures:
Psalm 33:20
Psalm 27:4
Proverbs 3:5 

That's all for today, Stay blessed & have a great weekend :)