Fifty Years Ago – A Choice

Fifty Years Ago – A Choice                        



It was March 1970—fifty years ago.

A young engaged couple sat across the desk from a doctor and heard the words, “Yes, you are pregnant.”   
Neither remembered another word he said from that point on, but he had confirmed their fear. 

Few words were spoken on the long drive back. For the sake of anonymity, the doctor visit took place in a city a couple of hours drive from their own town. 


That evening the troubled couple followed through with plans to attend a college basketball game with friends, a married couple they had recently come to know. Knowing the dilemma at hand, the wife, Tonya (not her real name) tried to give comfort and assistance. 


“I know where you can get an abortion if that’s what you want to do,” she said. 


After all, the pregnant one had just spoken of the dread of having to tell her parents. She knew her mom and dad would be saddened by her behavior and disappointed in her. She also knew they would be embarrassed when they had to face friends and family members. And what would the people at church think? Both of her parents were Sunday School teachers.


In addition, she, herself, would need to face that same embarrassment and humiliation. And besides, having a baby now would interfere with college. She was on the down-hill slide of her second year. 


An abortion would eliminate all those uncomfortable and inconvenient scenarios.


But then she asked herself, “what exactly is an abortion?” Her mind was racing.


Tightening her clasped hands, she turned her face to her fiancé and said, “Would you want to kill our baby?” 


She stared into his face.  
   

“I want to do whatever you want to do,” was his reply. 


Her mind seemed like a racetrack with cars speeding in every direction. Then she saw the image of a tiny form growing in her belly. A tear slid down her cheek—and then another one. 


“We’re not going to kill our baby,” she announced. 

L to R: Guy, Connie, Neil, Shannon - 1995

A few months later, our son, Shannon, was born and I became a mother. He was perfect and wonderful. 

Less than two years later his little brother, Neil, was born. He too was perfect and wonderful and has given us four terrific grandchildren. 

The thought that an abortion might have taken place is nightmarish. There would have been no Shannon and possibly no Neil either, because having an abortion can cause damage that leaves a woman unable to ever have children. 



                  
                                                                                                

Our eight grandchildren - Photo by Allison Laster

That baby that we decided not to kill has grown into a wonderful God-fearing man. Throughout his life he has brought great joy to many people, especially his parents. 

He was such a fun little boy and a high achiever and leader in high school. With great pride we watched him graduate from the US Naval Academy. He then served our country for twenty years as an aviator in the Navy and Air Force. 

He has given us four fantastic grandchildren who are now teenagers. After retiring from the military, he and his wife have settled in our hometown to finish raising their children. 

Our eight grandchildren - Photo by Allison Laster - 2009

He is currently flourishing as a teacher of physics and algebra at his high school alma mater. He loves his students and though he’s tough they love him back because they know he cares. As a swim coach he encourages and enriches the lives of many youth. 

Thank God we did not kill our baby. Through the years we and many others have benefited immeasurably from our decision—a decision on that March night in 1970, bore life or death consequences. We chose life. 


I know some women who did not choose life for their babies and I know that God has stored up all their tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8) and He does not love them any less because of their actions. For all of us, He offers total forgiveness for all our sins if we will believe in and receive Jesus. When we receive Christ, He removes our sins as far as the east is from the west. Our sins are gone—they exist no longer in God’s eyes. 


I've committed many sins in my life and I’m beyond grateful for God’s amazing grace, unfailing love, and forever forgiveness. Thank you, Jesus!


Pleases pray with me. Holy God, You know everything about me, including every sin I’ve ever committed. Thank you for loving me in spite of it all, and for sending Your Son, Jesus, to take the punishment I deserved. Please help me, Oh God, to forgive myself. In Jesus name I pray—Amen. 


Your comments are welcome.

©Copyright 2020 Connie Wohlford

So, what’s holiness got to do with it?

So, what’s holiness got to do with it?            



God takes holiness seriously.

Preparations had gone on for weeks and weeks and the time had come.

It was the very first of the priestly ministry of Aaron and his two sons, Nadab and Abihu. God had given specific instructions. The young priests and their garments were precisely prepared and consecrated with anointing oil. The tabernacle was complete, consecrated, and anointed. The congregation had gathered.


It was time. But something went terribly wrong.


According to Leviticus 10:1-2 NKJV, “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censor and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.” WOW!


God is serious about holiness. 
Notice that key word, profane. God does not take kindly to anyone profaning what He calls holy. Let’s repeat that: God does not take kindly to anyone profaning what He calls holy. The word profane literally means strange or unauthorized. It is calling common or using in a common way something which God calls holy.

Image from Pinterest

Here are some examples: His name (Isaiah 57:15). “You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctifies You” (Leviticus 22:32 NKJV). When someone misuses the name of God, Jesus, or Holy Spirit they are profaning the name of Jehovah God—i.e., profanity. The tithe (Leviticus 27:30-33). When someone uses the tithe for anything other than God’s Kingdom, they’re calling common something God declares holy.  


God is serious about holiness. The occurrence with Nadab and Abihu has always troubled me, but God is God and He is sovereign. He knew what was best at that moment in time. 


In His mercy, we currently live in what many call “the age of grace.” Thankfully, God does not consume us with fire when we profane a thing He has declared to be holy. I would have certainly been zapped a long time ago.  But we should be on notice that God sees our infractions yet stands ready to forgive when we repent. With the shedding of His innocent blood, Jesus took the punishment we deserve for all our sins. Thank You, Jesus!


I appreciate the grace period offered at our public library. If I don’t return a book by the due date, I have a few days of grace which allow me to get it there without penalty. If I don’t get the book there before the end of the grace period, then I must pay up. No one knows the day nor the hour when this cosmic grace period we’re living in will end (Matthew 25:13). When it does end, people will need to pay up. It is urgent to be ready for that day (John 12:47).


After establishing the church in Thessalonica, Paul had been away for a while. He was pleased when Timothy brought back a good report of the growing faith and love of the young ministry, despite affliction and persecution.  Paul sent a letter of encouragement back to the Thessalonians, encouraging them to “stand fast in the Lord” and exhorting them to remain moral and pure, especially regarding sexual behavior (1 Thessalonians 3:8; 4:1-8).


Paul wrote, “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 NKJV). “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but to holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 4:7-8).


Paul encourages us to be blameless in holiness. In rejecting this call of God, we are rejecting God. I think we’d all agree that without God’s Spirit is us, we cannot be holy, as Paul reminds us at the end of verse 8. Holiness is a minute by minute relationship with our Creator. It is what separates us from the world and worldliness. Holiness is putting on the robe of Christ’s righteousness and standing firm in faith. 


Being holy is choosing to be set apart from cares, distractions, ways of our flesh, and the world’s systems. Instead, we need to walk out and be dedicated to the sacred purpose* of God’s divine call on the life of each of us. I like that term, sacred purpose. The purpose God created each of us for is a sacred thing. We can be confident that His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9) and the outcome will be a life of fullness in joy, hope, peace, and love—a life that leaves a powerful legacy of eternal value for those following behind.


Yes, the call to holiness is a tall order for any human being but the power of holiness brings cosmic results in terms of Eternity. Can you think of someone who influenced you because they lived out the sacred purpose God called them to? Now, think of someone who is coming behind you—who is being influenced by you as you walk out the sacred purpose—the holiness—to which God has called you.


I often remind myself of James’ words, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16b NKJV). If I want my prayers to avail much, then I need to be mindful of the call to holiness and live righteously. I did not say perfectly. I fall short more than I want to admit but God knows my heart and sees my efforts. And I’m so grateful for the Holy Spirit helping me.  


Will you pray with me? Holy Father, You know me well, even my every thought and each beat of my heart. Please help me to live holy before You. Sometimes it’s hard and I falter, doing things I don’t want to do and know I shouldn’t do. But Lord, you always stand ready to forgive me when I come to the place of repentance. Thank You. And thank You for Your Holy Spirit in me, putting a check in my spirit, correcting me, encouraging me, and helping me. You’re so full of love and grace. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.


©Copyright 2019 Connie Wohlford

*sacred purpose – I really like this term.  Spirit-Filled Life Bible; Thomas Nelson Publishing; 1991; Word Wealth for Leviticus 19:2; page 171

Be Holy Like God Is Holy—Say what?! (Part 2)

Be Holy Like God Is Holy—Say what?!   (Part 2)

Let’s talk some more about being holy, picking up in 1 Peter 1:16, “because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.”

Being a good Jew, Peter knew the Torah and knew God had spoken these very words, recorded in Leviticus 11:46, 19:2, and 20:7. Now after years of struggling to keep the Law, Peter had the answer to holiness and was passionately sharing the Good News with others—the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This doesn’t mean we’ll never falter and sin again. We still have human weaknesses and will commit sins along the way. But as followers of Jesus, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit. He helps us discern right from wrong and gives us strength and courage to choose to do God’s will.

When we do sin, He helps us know we’ve done wrong and encourages repentance. We need to be quick to repent, receive God’s forgiveness and move on, allowing those episodes to be growing experiences.

With that in mind, let’s back up to verse 14. “As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:14-16).

Consider “former lusts.” Old habits die hard. Having victory over sins we hate to love is an important aspect of maturing in faith.

As Peter said, “in your ignorance: these former fleshly desires were a part of your life—maybe even a part of your identity. People don’t instantly loose the desire for sinful habits when they get saved. And many times we’re involved in activities that we don’t even realize are sinful or we just don’t realize they interfere with our spiritual growth. This is ignorance—it is not knowing or lack of understanding.

Once we know what’s right in God’s eyes we’re then responsible to do it. That knowing what’s right comes from reading and studying God’s Word and from sitting under sound Bible preaching and teaching. Some people avoid Bible study because they don’t want to know all God’s truth. One needn’t think this will slip by our omniscient Heavenly Father, who knows the thoughts, desires, motives, and intents of the heart of every person. We’ll all be held accountable for what we do and should do.

Don’t think this teaching isn’t getting my attention. I’m studying this for myself as much as for anyone else. Typing and posting it causes pause for me as much as anyone else.

This all sounds a bit harsh—like God is a big ogre, standing over, watching our every move, ready to clobber us when we commit an infraction. (An ogre, according to folklore, is a man-eating giant.)

That’s truly not the case. He’s a loving Father who wants the best for each of His children. He desires to correct us and steer us onto the right path. Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10b).

We cannot do this in our own power. The reality is we must be daily—minute-by-minute—connected to our Savior, Jesus, if we want our best outcome. His Holy Spirit comes to reside in each of us when we get saved—that is, born-again. We’re given superpowers. That’s not to say we can fly or leap over buildings or pick up a house.

But with the Holy Spirit in us we can have the mind of Christ, our desires can be changed from self-focused to God pleasing desires, and we can overcome sin by allowing Holy Spirit to direct our thoughts, words, and actions. It’s our choice. We have free will to do things God’s way or our own way. Our own way is typically selfish, likely unwise, and very possibly influenced by demonic entities.

When we are born-again, in that moment we’re made clean—purified from all sins we’ve ever committed. Yes, all. Take a deep breath and think about that for a moment.

The shed blood of Jesus washes over and through us, removing all past sins. It’s an amazing supernatural work of God. Sin must be punished and Jesus took on the punishment for all mankind.

We each have a choice then—to believe in Jesus and receive His gift of grace and forgiveness or to reject His offer. Free will...it’s our choice.

Those of us who say, “Yes,” to Jesus are then washed clean and are given His pure robe of righteousness and sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30). We are made holy, as He is holy.

We therefore are at peace with God, through Christ. As we reach for Christ-like holiness, we must be mindful that Jesus is our example of holiness, never looking to another person to emulate. I recommend we all read through the Gospels and learn Jesus.

As we learn of Him, trust Him more each day, depend on His Holy Spirit indwelling us, and pray we can live beyond the limitations of our humanness. And we can be confident that when we do falter and commit a sin, He stands ready and quick to forgive when we repent.

I want to end with this thought: we can never pray too much. Prayer is key in all things. We must talk to God continuously and listen for Him to speak back through His Word, through His Spirit to our spirit, and through other people. Pray without ceasing and remember God has made a way for us to be holy.

Your comments are welcome.

©Copyright 2017 Connie Wohlford

So my mind has loins—Who knew?!

So my mind has loins—Who knew?!            

The loins of my mind—say what?

“Gird up the loins of your mind,” was the instruction of Peter to first century followers of Jesus. Those two words, gird and loins—we just don’t use in everyday conversation in the Twenty-first Century. But to the early church members this was a powerful statement. It was a word picture that made perfect sense.

Peter instructed: “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Christ Jesus” (1 Peter 1:13 NKJV).

In preceding verses of this chapter, Peter had celebrated our living hope, incorruptible inheritance, genuine faith and refinement through trials. (These verses were addressed in couple of my previous posts.) Using the transition word, therefore, Peter brings us into a progression of thought and instruction.

Loins refer to the area of the body, on both sides of the spine between the hipbones. In this area is the center of procreative power and, in Bible times, was considered the seat of strength and vigor. A person’s loin area would be covered and protected.

“And God said to him (Jacob), ‘I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins” (Genesis 35:11 KJV).

A person would gird up his loins when preparing to run a race, commence hard work, or enter into battle. Given that his apparel consisted of a dress-like garment hanging down knee to ankle length, the fabric would be a hindrance to free movement.

So to prepare for action a person would reach down, gather up the cloth and tuck it up under his belt, also called a girdle. During the course of the action, if loose ends happened to drop down, the loose hanging clothing would interfere with winning the race/battle or completing the task at hand. 

But Peter is not talking about an actual garment. He said, “the loins of your mind.” The mind is the origin of our words and actions. We must take control of this place where our thoughts reside in order to maintain lives that please and reflect Christ. 

Joyce Meyer addresses this topic very well in her book, Battlefield of the Mind. She points out that the mind is a battlefield where our thoughts war against one another. I experience conflicting thoughts relatively often. At times many different issues are going in various directions. Sometimes good versus evil is warring on the inside of my head. When was the last time you experienced that?

So Peter is saying that we must gather our thoughts together and bring every thought captive into the way God sees things and in a way which honors Him.

When we do this, we’re achieving the admonition of Paul when he said, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”  (2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NKJV).

We do have control of our thoughts. I know it’s hard to gain control when negative or impure thoughts take hold. We must reach down and gather up those loose dangling thoughts—rein in those racing anxieties—and gird up the loins of our minds.

If we don’t:

- we’re too distracted to focus on and complete, with excellence, the work we’re called to do.

- our emotions may draw us into negativity and depression.

- wrong thinking goes uncorrected.

- we’re inclined to believe lies of Satan instead of the truth of God’s Word.

- we will miss out on our God ordained destiny.

- the above situations will have a negative impact on our family life, social life, physical health, and—most importantly—our spiritual health. 

Like the runner who did not gird up, we’ll lose the race.

In addition to girding up the loins of our minds, Peter said, “be sober and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Christ Jesus.”

Peter says, therefore do these three things:

1. Gird up the loins of our minds—bracing up to take action with focus and determination. 

2. Be sober. This doesn’t just refers to not overindulging in alcohol. It means we’re to be mindful, self-controlled, using wisdom, and being watchful along the way.

Other than the shed blood of Jesus, there is nothing on the outside that can make us righteous or holy. This soberness comes through self-control, mindfulness, wise decision-making, and the power and help of the Holy Ghost who resides within us. Recklessness in our thoughts and attitudes is like drunkenness on the inside and leads to reckless decisions and actions. 

3. Rest in the hope and grace abundantly provided by the revelation of Christ Jesus in our spirits and lives. Three big words here—rest, hope, and grace. In other words, trust God. That’s what faith is.

To rest is to relax and let God do His part. After we have obeyed God in the areas he instructed, our Lord steps in and goes beyond what we could ask, think, or imagine. Amidst all this is hope—living hope. [Living hope is addressed in a previous post.]

This hope lifts us from despair and fear. Peter tells why it is real and alive. It’s because we rest our hope upon God’s grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” Ephesians 1:8-9a).

Amazing grace has been provided to us through the revelation of Jesus Christ and His provision of salvation, including abundant life this side of Heaven. Hallelujah—thank you, Lord.

As in every aspect of our spiritual growth and stability, knowledge of God’s Word comes into play here. We cannot expect to be strong in faith and continue in spiritual growth without a steady diet of Holy Scripture. 

Let’s end this post looking at 1 Peter 1:13 from the New American Standard Version and The Message (paraphrase).

“Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed” (NEAV). 

“So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy” (The Message).

 

SO, let’s just do it—gird up the loins of our minds, be sober, and rest in the hope...! AMEN!  

In my next post we’ll look at ways we successfully take our thoughts captive. 

©Copyright 2017 Connie Wohlford

Is my faith real? Is my relationship with God genuine? PART 2 of 3

Is my faith real? Is my relationship with God genuine? PART 2 of 3

Why do we do what we do? Is it for self-promotion—to please another person—self-satisfaction—obligation? We need to keep our motives under the examination of the Holy Spirit—NOT so He can hammer us but so our spiritual walk can grow and remain wholesome.

[Continued from March 11, 2017 Blog Post]

7 Questions to ask yourself to help you know how genuine your faith and relationship with God really is:

4. Do I love the way Jesus loves?

I don’t know about you, but for me, to love like Jesus loves is a challenge. By nature, I’m not a critical person and I usually tend to give people the benefit of the doubt. But I have to admit that to love everyone with the Jesus kind of self-sacrificing agapé love is a tall order.

We know from Scripture that Jesus is one with God (John 10:30; Colossians 2”9). We also know that God loves all people with unfailing, unconditional love. Even greater than that—God is love. 

Those of us who grew up going to church have heard, all our lives, “God is love.” Contemplate that statement for a moment—“God is love.”

The apostle, John, gives good detail and instruction to the body of Christ regarding God’s love. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸ He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹ In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:7-11 NKJV).

God is the origin of love and is the source of love.

For those of us who are in Christ—that is born-again followers of Jesus—God is our Father and, as we much as are willing, His attributes can become our own. The ability to love like Jesus is one of them. The Holy Spirit in us is our enabler, thus it’s not just an insincere forced act. 

It’s hard to love a person who dislikes us, tries to harm us, or disagrees with us coming and going—just to name a few scenarios. I’ve experienced all these situations in my own life and have found that it really helps to sincerely ask God to help me see these people as He sees them. 

Many times God has shown me things that have caused my heart to break and initiated compassion for individuals which would not have been possible in my own self-determination.  

In John’s passage about love, he went on to say, “No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. ¹³ By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. ¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶ And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.¹⁷ Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. ¹⁹ We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:12-19).

As we get to know God better and mature in faith and trust in Him, we will naturally have greater love for Him and for others. We will abide in Him, abide in love, and His love will be perfected in us.

Let God’s love be perfected in me.

So, as I ask myself how genuine my relationship is with God, I must take a close look at how well I love others.

5. Do I really have faith in God?

The Bible says that without faith it’s impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). By all means, as followers of Christ, we want to please God!

Maybe we should each ask, “Where’s the evidence of my faith?”

We need to first believe in Jesus—that He is who the Bible says He is—that He is the only begotten Son of God who did all the things the Bible tells us. We need to be confident that He spoke truth when He said, “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6 NKJV).

Because of God’s great love and in spite of man’s sinful ways, God gave His Son, Jesus, as a sacrificial atonement for our sins. This is God’s amazing grace toward us, making a way for restoration. But we must open our hearts and receive this gift of grace.

When we open our hearts and say, “Yes,” to Jesus we’re expressing faith in Him. “For by grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8a).

This salvation experience is the launching pad of our faith walk. How we grow and where we go from there depends on each of us individually. Do I want to be a person of weak faith, mediocre faith, or great faith?

“Great faith” is what Jesus called the faith of a Roman soldier in the Gospel of Matthew. This unnamed centurion came to Jesus regarding the severe illness of one of his servants. 

Jesus said, “I will come and heal him” (Matthew 8:7 NKJV).

The centurion’s response was quite surprising and showed great confidence—faith—in Jesus. He told the Lord that He didn’t need to bother to go to his house—that he wasn’t worthy of having Christ under his roof. 

He said, “But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed” (Matthew 8:8).
Jesus marveled that the man had such faith and said, “’Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you’ and his servant was healed that same hour” (Matthew 8:10).

I would love for Jesus to describe me as a person of “great faith.” Wouldn’t you?
Let’s ask ourselves, “How much do I trust Jesus?”

How much we trust Jesus is a good indicator of our faith. As we read and study the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, plus the Book of Acts, we get to know Jesus better and better. As we get to know Jesus better, we find that He is trustworthy. To know Him is to trust Him.

As we trust Him more we will walk in obedience to the things He say to us—the things He tells us to do. This is different for each of us as I described in Part 1 of this blog series.  

I spoke of our ILP (Individualized Life Plan). In order to walk out our God ordained ILP we’ll be taking some risks and will often find ourselves outside of our comfort zones.

In this we see evidence of having faith in God and in Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Again I want to refer back to Part 1 where I wrote about How to walk in obedience to God. The same strategies hold true for growing in faith. I repeat, (from Part 1):

The best way to know what that (ILP) is is to get to know God through His Word and to spend quality time with Him in prayer—listening to Him as well as talking to Him. In addition to that, we need to be in fellowship with other Believers by connecting with a good Bible believing church, sitting under sound biblical teaching.

In addition to these things, we need the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to give us the courage and power to follow through. When we believe and receive Jesus as our Savior the Holy Spirit moved into our own spirit to help us in all things.

Surely we don’t want to have the same level of faith today that we had yesterday, or two years ago, or twenty years ago. And surely we’d like to see ourselves with greater levels of faith tomorrow than today. Think of the example we set for our children and, grandchildren, and others in our sphere of influence.

Let’s revisit the question: “Do I really have faith in God?” Consider your answer.

When we believe God has instructed us to do something and then we do it, we are showing faith. As we do this thing, the greater the risk, the greater our faith—especially if this thing is completely out of our comfort zone.

When we go through trial and tragedy yet lean on the Lord, our faith is evident. When we confidently say, “I’m believing God,” we’re expressing faith. 

Please join me in declaring: “I want to walk by faith not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). I want to walk on water in the midst of the storm (Matthew 14:29). When I reach my final destiny, I want to hear the words ‘Well done, good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21).’” 

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5).

As we continue to contemplate the original questions: “Is my firth real?” AND “Is my relationship with God genuine?” we need to consider our responses to the questions: “4. Do I love the way Jesus loves” AND ”5. Do I really have faith in God?”

 

Please prayerfully ponder your answers and search God through prayer and His Word for His response to your answers. I’m doing the same thing.

Yes, I said 7 questions we should ask and today’s post brought us up to number 5. Please tune in to my next post for the rest of the questions. Thanks so much for stopping by today. If you’d like to participate in the conversation, your comments are welcome.

©Copyright 2017 Connie Wohlford